Rick2you2

I’d go with a “good death”.

What’s a timely death?

He did mention that when they are sent flat, they break. If the Italian post office is anything like their cars, he may have a point.

I've liked that book as well:

My press:

I bought 4 pages from Pier Gallo which I had been trying to find for years. He is a European artist who has only done 2 story runs in the US, both for DC comics (He apparently doesn't like DC's scheduling and isn't likely to do more). One of them was a 4 issue run for Superboy, and I liked their crispness as soon as I read the first book. After trying to find him on-line for years, I finally did so several weeks ago. The first one below was published with pencils and inks. The second was published with pencils and computer inks. He offered to ink the other 3 personally, so what the heck, I grabbed them.The first is pencils and inks, the second is pencils and post-publication inks. I also have two more. Unfortunately, he insisted on sending them rolled up, so they are currently in my "press".

Thank you, but in the beginning of the week, I got a bunch of pieces that were much harder to find. So, you win some, you lose some. Maybe I’ll post them on the Morlock board, but they came in rolled and the photo’s aren’t very good.

As John Maynard Keynes said “In the long run, we are all dead”. I’ll take my chances; things look good enough until I kick off.

I don't come to the same conclusion. In my view, if I know someone, or know of someone, or knew them by reputation (like those on this Board), and it was something in their wheelhouse, then yes, give them a good deal. So, if I had Batgirl art and you approached me about it, yes. But someone who was unknown to me? For all I know, they could be one of The Brothers looking for a new source of bargains to offer at high prices. Too many people are willing to cut corners if given the chance, and if a few soothing words will knock off what could be thousands of dollars to create a profitable deal, why not? Trust everyone, but "cut the cards." I work hard to build my collection, heaven knows, Phantom Stranger art doesn't fall from the trees. But it is only paper and ink, and maybe pencils. If I don't get something, well, that's the way it goes. This morning, I learned that I missed a piece by no more than a dozen hours, when, ironically, I was at a comic book convention scoring nothing worthwhile. So, if I do find something, it is usually the product of my work. Why give it away to someone I don't know for no good reason? People need to do better "due diligence" when approached; when they don't, the impact of a brutal flip is rightfully theirs to bear. It's like clients of mine who complain they didn't get paid for their work, and it turns out there was something in the contract being invoked as a bar. When I ask if they read it before signing, they often respond "I don't understand these things" or even worse, "If I tried to change it, I wouldn't get the work". Then, they get the work, but don't get paid.They didn't do their "due diligence". I can help them as much as possible, but my sympathies are limited. So, are they "losers"? Too harsh, but I can't generate much sympathy for them. As I wrote before, trust everyone, but cut the cards.

While I generally agree that the prices on a lot of higher priced art is going to level off, and drop, I do so for different reasons. While more people may be buying it, OA is still a niche collectible, favored by former and current readers, who do not constitute a large percentage of the population. When I have shown my pieces to non-collectors, they mostly like the colored pieces, and some of the splashes. Otherwise, it’s more like a polite “that’s nice”. There can be huge price differentials between 2 panel pages, as we all know, but if the public can’t see the value in the difference, the likelihood of it joining the better recognized collectibles, like fine art, are small. I suspect that’s true with any niche collectible; their long term value is a function of their base of users. As for the economy, I think it’s on fairly steady ground, neither boom nor bust, and not likely to head in either direction for the foreseeable future. Debt isn’t important if income is high enough to cover the payments and extra’s needed in life. For companies who have raised prices on consumer goods, and think they can continue, I think they will be in some trouble because inflation has eaten into paychecks. You will note how store brands are taking an increased share of the market and are pressuring national brands’ pricing. Likewise, as well publicized, commercial real estate is already in trouble (with some limited exceptions like warehousing). But so long as the employment rate remains low, there will be enough to cover base costs and keep the economy going for most people—except for the consumers who acted irrationally, like buying cars with things like 9 year loans. That is the same mindset which, at least to some extent, is replicated in high end pricing for comic art.

You may well be right, since I don’t pay attention to Marvel art.

I have said this before; you are seeing market stratification. Top pieces may continue to rise, B and C grade pieces, flat or down, particularly SA where collectors are greying out. And, there will always be some rising stars, like Harley Quinn pages or popular artists.

I think it’s a matter of degree. If someone really wants something, as personally meaningful, I would be willing to go on the low end of FMV, because there is really a FMV spread for these things. Maybe a bit below FMV if I knew them, and more so if they were specialized. But, not enough to leave meat on the bone to encourage a flip.

Mark is very helpful.

Only on Lucifer.

I had once made a suggestion on these boards but was told it would be too hard to set up as a website. What I had envisioned was basically a giant expandable table in which a potential seller would post what he had, by title, volume, issue, and page, while then leaving his ID in a separate index. Anyone who had, say, the pencils to match the seller’s inks could post it next to the inks. That way, a potential buyer could match.

I think your best bet would be to go to a company like Splash Page comic art and simply send an email to Mark Hay telling him of your specific need. Don’t be surprised if he asks whether the artist makes any difference or not. That was my curiosity about what you are doing.

I don’t think you will see that, and I have a pretty good prediction record. To my way of thinking, visualize the economy as a giant python which has eaten a large meal. The meal in this case was all the Covid money used to prop up the economy. As time passes, the bump in the snake gets smaller until it vanishes. So, what we have seen is a bump in inflation after the Covid money is injected, caused by a mix of demand-pull inflation (people spending while stuck at home, then free to leave and spending freely) and cost-push inflation (the supply chain). Eventually, people run out of excess money used to buy overpriced collectibles, and things mostly go back to the way they were, except where there is a chokehold caused by limited competition (as in meat processors), and accounting for an increased base level of pricing.

… and when they ask why you raised the price, tell them because you want it so badly, I can make more money off it.

My thinking: offering the closest things I can find to comp’s, saying what I see as their strengths/weaknesses, and then picking a number. If it is a “grail”, price ought not be a major factor so long as the actual price isn’t nutty or unaffordable. Honest sharing of information seems to make sense. Your thoughts?

How would you have responded if he said something like: “l have no idea what it’s worth because I don’t have any comp’s. What do you think is fair, and I will see if I can afford it.” That’s a problem I regularly have. I don’t want to insult someone with too low an offer, but I also don’t want to discover later I was taken for a ride.

When you asked “Without honor, what the hell do you have”, the answer is stuff. This is a world where some people aspire to a fancy car to show the world “they made it” even if they can’t really afford it, let alone need it. You can’t display honor like a piece of art; heck, you can’t even eat or drink it. So some people don’t care. That is why you shouldn’t get bent out of shape by people who have no honor. It’s part of the populace, at least to some degree. They want their stuff. The mistake you made was being too much of an optimist about human nature. At least you said you got a handsome return payment. In that case, the “do not flip” part you wrote about was gravy. Objectively, you made out okay. There is a seldom used expression: trust everyone but cut the cards. Next time some one swears on the lives of their children they will not sell, get it in writing, duly notarized, of course. And get ready to send a sympathy card.

I see a lot of cr*p in my line of work, including smooth talk, which results in actionable fraud. From my view, no, not at all (well, maybe a little). I once wrote a version of this before, and I will expand it here. If someone makes a plea to you, demand that he sign an agreement (1 page should easily be enough), stating that he has not and will not sell or trade the piece for at least “x” years. If he does so, he is liable to pay you damages equal to whatever he recovered (including trade), minus what he paid you, together with your legal costs and attorneys fees, and he consents to jurisdiction where you live. Get it signed and demand notarization, of an actual hard copy, including his address and phone number (which you should check). Only then, consider sending it. If he is serious, he should sign it. If not, be suspicious. Even if you never go to court, that should scare the bs’ers enough to back off. And yes, I would sign something like that if it something I wanted.

Can I sell you the Brooklyn Bridge?

That is what I have been doing.