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PhilipB2k17

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Posts posted by PhilipB2k17

    ComicArtTracker v4 has landed!

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 4/30/2024 at 5:16 AM, NicoV said:

    Hello everyone!

    I'm pleased to announce the release of a new major version of ComicArtTracker! 

    Over the past 8 years, CAT has grown far above my expectations to serve a community of over 16,500 members worldwide, now indexing 370+ sources and having sent over 1 million email notifications in the last 12 months. Sustaining, maintaining and continuously improving CAT is a pleasure, but it also requires significant time and resources. That's why I'm finally introducing premium accounts with this new version, which will allow me to release long-time requested features while helping cover the associated extra-costs of servers and third-party services.

    ComicArtTracker v4 introduces several new features and improvements, including:

    - Improved performance and ergonomy: Enjoy smoother navigation and faster response times for a more seamless browsing experience, with a focus on mobile navigation.
    - Premium accounts: Introducing premium membership to support the additional costs due to the premium-exclusive features.
    - Instant alerts: Receive an email notification as soon as new art is listed matching your keywords, but also when tracked art has a price decrease. (premium)
    - Discarded items: The feature was deactivated due to performance issues, now it's back for premium accounts! (premium)
    - Automatic discard of eBay relistings: Get rid of these relistings you're not interested in and focus on new and unique listings. (premium)
    - Revamped artists/characters/series pages: Discover their new design, including new statistics! (new pages will take a few days to roll out)

    Details about premium accounts can be found here (click on "compare plans"). They will be accessible once the new version is fully rolled out. Free accounts will continue to enjoy access to the features you've come to love, maintaining the essence of my commitment to the comic art collectors community. As usual, feel free to contact me if you have a question, an idea, or if you find a bug in this new version.

    Thank you once again for your continued support!

    Nicolas
    https://comicarttracker.com/

    PS: Many thanks to BCarter27, my side-kick, sounding board, tester, and whipmaster!

    Is there a way to filter out all the porno images, and crappy "commission" type drawings?

    Heritage Auctions June 20-23 Auction is unreal !

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 4/16/2024 at 12:43 PM, KirbyCollector said:

    Funny how times change. In 1990 if you wanted to buy a piece of art for $250,000, you got into a suit and tie and traveled to an auction being held in a mansion located in NY, London or Paris where you were served champagne and treated with class. Now you bid online dressed in a t-shirt and shorts while toggling back and forth between cat videos and PornHub while drinking a Mountain Dew you bought at the Shop Rite. We've lost something as a society, I think.

    This brings to mind the classic auction scene in "North by Northwest" where Cary Grant deliberately breaks protocol, questioning whether the item is fake, and then starts bidding super low, so taht security is called and he can escape. Meanwhile, a sophisticated society lady at the auction turns around and calls Grant a "genuine insufficiently_thoughtful_person."

    Recommendations on a New Scanner for Original Art

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 4/11/2024 at 3:04 PM, MyNameIsLegion said:

    I think if you are going to rely on the phone as a camera (and nowadays most smart phones are quite good) you can forego any manual rigging and download a scanning app that will crop, rotate and fix the inevitable distortion inherent in trying to hold a camera to shoot a flat 2D object. This is the only “feature” the CZUR did do well and that’s all post imaging so any software can do it. 

    I do that now. But the problem is overhead lighting and shadows creep in. Jury rigging an overhead system with lighting would eliminate the glare and shadow problems. 

    Recommendations on a New Scanner for Original Art

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted

    On 4/10/2024 at 5:39 PM, MyNameIsLegion said:

    I have the CZUR and the quality suuuuuuuuucks. I got it for just documents and newspaper clippings and it's barely passable for that. 

    Thank you. That's helpful. As I am perusing these things, it occurred to me that the portable overhead scanners are basically just phone scanners with more setup. I found a cheap iPhone scanner system which is basically just a cardboard scaffolding on which you can place your phone, with some lighting. Seems like such a thing could be jury-rigged at home. 

    Heritage Auctions Apr 4-7 2024

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by PhilipB2k17

    On 4/11/2024 at 7:34 AM, delekkerste said:

    Here's another mindboggling factoid: the reported $2 million sale of the 9.8 TOS #39 was to a middleman, not the consignor. The middleman almost surely flipped it to the consignor for even more. :whatthe: 

    Also, the 9.8 was a 9.4 that was somehow pressed up 2 full notches after others who viewed the book as a 9.4 thought its potential had already been maximized and passed on it.

    I'd still take the book over the art every day of the week and twice on Sunday. At the end of the day, it's top census, population 1. 

    Not me. Give me the art. Grades can be manipulated (as it seems like this one was), and another copy might be found in some guy's attic or basement. Aside from that, I just like the art better. It being cheaper is just icing on the cake. I don't see it dropping in price anytime soon. But, clearly the guy who consigned the comic took a bath. On the first point, I don't like anything being "one of one" based wholly on subjective evaluations by people who can have interests, and motivations that may not be pure. Or, for that matter, subject to human fallibility. Who's to say that 8.5 Action #1 was "worse" than the two 9.0's, or the Mile High copy? 

    A page of silver age comic art is objectively one of one. It's not subject to human frailty, subjective opinions, greed, or other motivations. 

    Dilemma - Another collector had prelim to my piece inked, latest owner says mine is a blueline with no pencils

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by PhilipB2k17

    On 4/8/2024 at 10:10 PM, malvin said:

    Thanks Shemp

    Yes, you are right. The main initial issue was that in an attempt to legitimize his piece when I pointed out to the auction house that it was an inked prelim, the consignor argued that his has real pencils while mine was light boxed (since he can't argue that his was published since it was different from the print). The guy used the auction description on this post, which impugned my piece saying it was light boxed.

    Some of my posts also argue that mine was the published one rather than the underlying issue (as did others). Although when he changed his description to be more vague, it implied that his was published.

    As for leaving my comment up. My initial attempt was to stop his piece from disparaging mine, and hopefully educate him. I didn't want to harass him if he didn't want to change his mind. As well, I think he bought premium membership since other comments have been deleted.

    Hopefully this CGC post doesn't get deleted :) and will serve as documentation on the background behind the 2 pieces

    Malvin

    Assuming he believed they were the original pencils, why in the world would you get the original pencils for a published cover inked by someone other than the artist or published inker (or at all), when you know the actual inks exist?

    Heritage Auctions Apr 4-7 2024

    in Original Comic Art

    Posted · Edited by PhilipB2k17

    On 4/5/2024 at 4:50 PM, cstojano said:

    No clue if this is high, low, within reason, etc. I do know I scrolled this auction and this stopped me in my tracks. I don't collect the artist, property or genre either. 

    I don't get this one. You could by 3 good Hellboy covers for that. It's really cool, and all, but if you're going to spend that kind of money on a Mignola, you want Hellboy. Just my opinion, FWIW.