Michael Browning

$9500 this morning, $20,000 this afternoon - with 15 days to go. Someone wants that page with the same passion that the old guys want “pure” Miller DD pages.

On 8/29/2023 at 12:12 PM, Dr. Balls said:

He's pretty active and has a lot of listings on CAF. I can't really fathom the attitude - and it looks like it's a pretty classic attitude since he was acting that way six years ago. How he can be such a sourpuss when he clearly is able to sell art. I guess that if you pay his ask and everything goes smooth, you'd never know. The minute you have a question or a shipping issue, he freaks out like a 12 year old after you take away his Playstation.

I know a lot of people forgive-and-forget when it comes to COOL BOOKS, but I've got a big fat note to myself in my CAF to not buy from this guy, regardless of whatever he posts up.

I asked a question about some art many years ago and he flipped out on me and went on a rampage. I don’t even remember what it was that I asked. Maybe it was on one of his pages he put up for sale and I made an offer and he got really nasty about me asking for a cheaper price. And, I’m not sure he sells THAT much art. I’ve seen some of the artists he reps/repped selling their art through other people.

Kevin is autographing every piece of art. Even the Frank Miller DD page that he had nothing to do with. Won’t that make them just like the J. Scott Campbell covers autographed (marred) by Stan Lee? At least each piece comes with a COA. That and the autograph should really add value! 🤦‍♂️

On 8/25/2023 at 12:57 AM, *paull* said:

I wouldn't waste your time with that.

Oh, there will be quite a few collecting doofuses who will want this service and there will also be those who won't buy unless it's a 9.8 page... of that I'm sure.

True story. I was in a comic shop about a month ago and the shop owner asked me to sell him some key comics from my collection, so I had them there and the guy came over and was snooping to see what I had. He asked me if he could buy some -- but he wanted me to put them on hold for him while he made payments. I'm talking about $100-$300 keys, not AF 15s. I told him no, I would not do that.

He then told the comic shop owner that he doesn't buy anything that's not CGC graded and slabbed because ordinary collectors aren't capable of giving correct grades on comics, only CGC was able to do that and he won't buy anything that's not graded, which surprised me since he was asking to buy my comics and none of them were graded. Doofuses. So many doofuses. I'm certain this will happen with comic art collectors when CGC starts grading and slabbing original art.

On 8/24/2023 at 12:20 PM, glendgold said:

For people who tracked the revelations over time better than I did - is this a page Miller touched or not? https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/story-page/frank-miller-and-klaus-janson-daredevil-190-story-page-32-original-art-marvel-1983-/a/7341-93080.s?ic4=ListView-ShortDescription-071515 

With results for these pages hitting high numbers, I don't think it matters much anymore whether Miller actually touched the paper or not. It used to be a thing, but nowadays, no so much, as evidenced by the super high prices pages from these issues have gotten.

On 8/17/2023 at 11:25 AM, SpineTic said:

Seems legit?

After watching this, I feel like Chuck Bartowski and now I may have the intersect in my head and can now be a super spy.

On 8/13/2023 at 9:40 PM, Rick2you2 said:

It was one of three Dominguez covers sold from a private collector many years ago. The other one was the voodou doll. 

I remember them all well.

On 8/13/2023 at 9:26 PM, Rick2you2 said:

No worries. I've been following that one around by Dominquez since it was $3K. I've got a better one:

 

Wow, that one is MUCH better and I'm so glad you have it. I was honestly worried when I saw someone else bought it.

On 8/13/2023 at 5:17 PM, Rick2you2 said:

Most collectors are smarter than I am when picking subjects. So you have any idea how hard it is to find decent (let alone good) images of the Phantom Stranger from artists I don’t have? 

Speaking of the Phantom Stranger, I saw the cover Anthony had up for a couple years finally sold recently. I hate that you didn't get that one.

I used to have a goal -- Charlton covers. Then, my goal changed to Jonah Hex art. But, I learned after awhile that that limited me and I was missing out or trading away some great pieces to achieve my goals. I dropped my goals several years ago and I buy what I like. I bought a TMNT Urban Legends cover yesterday at a local show. I don't collect TMNT Urban Legends art, but it was a cool cover and the price was right. Another collector told me the other day that I have no focus to my collection and that it was very eclectic. It makes me happy, though, and that's all that matters.

On 8/12/2023 at 6:53 PM, Xatari said:

Hey Michael, 

I'd suggest reaching out to Corey there if you ever need something.  He is excellent.  

I appreciate it, but, after the bad experience with Paolo, I won't ever buy from them, again.

On 8/10/2023 at 12:01 PM, IceHole said:

I've been buying from Cadence since 2018...I've never had an issue with getting art.  But delays are a part of the hobby.

If you are waiting on art, keep in mind that they were handling commissions for their artist at back to back cons the last 30 days (SDCC and GalaxyCon Raleigh).  All the art is coming out slow this month from ALL the reps with huge commission list being fulfilled.  I've learned that this is a hobby that requires patients as reps have to wrangle artist and take lists from buyers during busy con seasons...all while traveling themselves.  Cadence had a big roster at GalaxyCon this past weekend and may just be getting back.

I don't know who you buy from, but the dealers I buy from -- and that's a lot -- all have good communication skills and ship quickly. Every. Single. One. EXCEPT CADENCE.

On 8/9/2023 at 4:09 PM, Garf said:

That one really helped me out. When I decided to actually keep a written list of what I want to "complete" my collection it eventually highlighted how unrealistic my goals could get.

It started off as a solid list of all the things within a reasonable price range that I wanted $100 - $1000. It was fairly easy to compile too as I only had to glance over at my Omnibus and TPB collection to work out which books were dear to me, and they were usually the ones I had read and re-read time and again. Gradually I started to weed out the "nice to haves", and sometimes things would weed themselves out because pieces would sell before I got to them.

Then as the list shrank I tried adding in a few bigger ticket items just to see what that change would feel like, and you know what I didn't like it one bit. Putting them on there made me think long and hard about how they would have a much larger impact on everything else I enjoy. If you have a list for OA then it stands to reason that you should have lists for other goals, and putting these side by side cemented that I should keep all things OA in the fun zone.

Now I am actually only two pieces away from finishing the list  

Maybe I will finally get to transition to being a collector who buys max one or two pieces a year 

One or two pieces a year? Why so low a number? I buy what I like and can afford and don't set a limit each year.

On 7/25/2023 at 9:14 PM, bisquitodoom said:

My first time selling anything through an auction house was last year and I went with Heritage.  I was a little apprehensive as a first timer, but they walked me through each step of the process.  Super white glove on their part, and I'm not a high-roller at all.

How did you do profitwise?

I found this today. It’s a Daredevil: Man Without Fear #1 that is without its red foil on the cover. It’s clearly an error variant. Part of the embossed Daredevil on the cover is only half there and the white areas on the cover near DD’s head appear to have been made when it was printed. Has anyone ever seen another copy like this?

On 7/17/2023 at 9:12 PM, SkOw said:

Bob Kane pieces are TOUGH for the reasons mentioned above.  The sig looks authentic but that doesn't mean much about the actuall art.  My advice: Get it authenticated.  If it fails authentication and the dealer still doesn't do returns, then he really isn't a reputable dealer after all.

WHO authenticates Bob Kane ART? No one. Not even longtime reputable dealers and Bob Kane experts will not positively authenticate a "Kane" "original" (quotation marks are in the correct places).

On 7/13/2023 at 12:44 PM, Dr. Balls said:

I think the new rep is also named Mike. He is addressing people in those links, not sure if it’s the same guy.

Mike Alderman is his newest rep. I thought it was Ken Carson that was trying to get everything cleaned up with Larry and then gave up.

They’re both still there.

I tell my wife I got a deal so good that it was like they were giving it away. 😂

On 6/24/2023 at 6:09 PM, Bronty said:

That really sucks.   I know of a collector in a similar situation in games - over spent a ton, got engaged, suddenly needed cash out at the worst possible time.   Unfortunate and has to leave a sour taste for these guys but they also did it to themselves in a way, unfortunately. 

I think that happens a lot more often than we see in such a public way as the DD #169 page.

On 6/24/2023 at 4:19 PM, KirbyCollector said:

You live in that world... the world where the rich think they are gods and leverage themselves to the hilt at every chance in the unending competition to have more than the next guy. Do you feel sorry for them when they fail to display any common sense and blow their accounts up? Why is this any different?

No matter how rich people are -- and how much richer they are than me -- I don't ever revel in someone else's loss/pain.