Rick2you2

I can see that, in unusual cases. What I was mostly thinking about is where it is used for secondary items or background to clean up a line, like, trimming an edge on a cape. There, the whiteout is really apparent. And if something is really apparent, a seller should not be forced to take it back (even if it's a good business practice to take it back for any or no reason at all).

You're not having much luck with this one, are you?

About those stats, I distinguish between pricing and disclosure. If I buy a page of OA, I expect a whole page of OA. If 30% of it is a stat, or even 10% is a stat, I'm not getting a whole page of OA. The question is then whether the remaining 70% or 90% is worth 100% of art. Sometimes yes, sometimes no.

Why apologize? Good question. My personal opinion may be at variance with some other people, but I think the starting place ought to be: what does the seller actually know? If I were the seller, I would never have known of the digital alteration, because I don't buy the book, so I don't think it would be fair in that instance to to hold me to the disclosure standard. If I do know, that's different: say so. Regarding the actual digital edit, I don't think it should have any effect. People are buying artwork, not the publication rights. Finally, I question whether sellers should generally be expected to disclose things on OA as though the seller were an expert. I know Kane liked to use markers instead of ink, but I don't think I could clearly tell the difference. I also think there should be an affirmative obligation to disclose what is not obvious to a non-collector type person. So I would treat paste-ups and stats differently than a marker. There, they are more visible on the actual piece than in a photo, and a potential buyer may miss them. As far as white-out goes, it's visible on photo's, so I think it should be the buyer's obligation to check it.

In this market, pay particular attention to the fact it is very small, and, there is a huge quantity of medium to lower priced product (under 10K). So, variation is wide. Several years ago, I spotted some animation cells on Heritage with Chiquita Banana on them (from a commercial). As a gift to my daughter, who knew the jingle and sang it as a child, I decided to buy some. As I recall, some early sales prices were over $300. But after about 6-7 sold, I bought one for about $25 (and another, earlier one for about $125). Demand was filled. By the way, my daughter loved them after framing. When you think of auction prices being a "loose" reflection of market value , "small numbers" can also have large percentage variations. As such, "overpaying" may not be that big a deal if the overpayment was a function of percentages instead of hard numbers. Just go with what you like, what you can afford, and what you are willing to pay for how much you like it. The heck with "value" unless you plan to sell it.

No, I went from the comics to the OA. Too many stories are variations on the same old themes, stretched out through multiple issues, and breaking far too many rules of physics, chemistry, law and common sense to stay focused. OA gives me the chance to enjoy the nostalgia of my uneducated youth. It's nice to be 10 again, if only for a few minutes.

Don't kid yourself. I can't understand how people can spend so much on some pages, no matter how good they look. It's their money, of course, and prices have generally risen, but still, that's a whole lot of money people are spending. Right now, I'm quite happy in the little end of the pond, and getting to play with comic art at a low price point. I'm also looking forward to my next convention to go commission hunting. After I read that DC has brought back the Legion of Super-Pets, it occurred to me that the world deserves a new hero in their mold.....the "Phantom Pherret." So, I want to find someone who can do a cartoony version, like in the Bruce Timm mold (but no, I don't plan to hold out for that). For me, the silly stuff is fun; I deal with too much high pressure at the office. And isn't fun why we really do this?

In that case, my friend, you got a bargain.

Since I'm the one who put his foot in it, I sent the seller an email: "Do you have something to prove that this piece is authentic Kirby? I'm uncomfortable about original art which hasn't been authenticated by actual publication or which I don't directly get from the artist." Let's see what he says, if anything.

But do you love it? Or do you look at it and say "what was I thinking"? That's the real measure of whether you overpaid or not.

I guess this would be the place to start. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/report-fraudulent-ebay-seller-75925.html Was nothing done? Was the claim rejected with a reason?

Then you have done everything you can. Reading the thread made it sound like no one was trying. Just out of curiosity, what did eBay say in response (if anything, and if you know). Since I was wrong, let me apologize.

When it comes to OA, I don't claim to know a forgery from a non-forgery. But, I do know that allowing something which you think is a forgery to be potentially sold on eBay to an innocent prospective buyer isn't right. If you really think this is a forgery, someone here should give the facts to eBay and let them make their decision about whether it should be removed. Give facts, not generic opinions, saying why you think it is a fake. Maybe the Powers-That-Be at eBay will disagree and let the seller keep up the listing. But if so, you've done the right thing by bringing it to their attention. Sorry for the lecture, but I was bothered by this.

Are they lithographic prints? There are lots of different types of printing methods and you can get a really nice image with a good giclee print.

There are a number of Aparo Batman pages coming up at the next HA weekly auction. By the way, Aparo did a huge amount of art. If that's your grail, you'll get it eventually.

This is a pretty funny thread. If you don't care about the value of it, why bother getting an artist's proof? Save money and get a regular poster or print. The selection is also better.

I do hate the absence of dialog. OA is supposed to move the story along. Without the dialog, you can't tell whether it is doing its job.

Adams can be very nice, and he has a wicked sense of humor. He really did "pull himself up by his bootstraps" and deserves credit for it (along with help he has given to other artists). He is also the only artist I have met who signed someone's sneaker for $10.

What you have described with buying Bronze Age art is comparable to what has happened in the classic car market. The old stuff hits a price and stays there (or drops). The stuff people lusted after when they were young keeps moving up. By the way, I think more modern art (beginning with late Silver Age) is often better than the earlier art. The illustrator quality for GA material may be excellent, but the restricted way in which panel pages were set up, in particular, make the OA less desirable to view.

I'm thinking this whole subject deserves a its own thread.

A man after my own heart. I'm a Phantom Stranger collector, and I "get it." I'm still trying to find a page from his 1950's run, but I doubt they exist. Oh, well.

I didn't say it was "at its peak". I said it was moving towards the top of the bell curve. A slowdown in increases is a sign of that. So is the drop in prices at the low end. Some OA will continue to go up; some by a lot. And, much of it will genially move up--but not much as a percent, and not forever. In the long term (20+ years), for reasons previously given, I still think this stuff is a lousy investment. And yes, I do buy things, but only with "play money".

This is an illustration of why I don't think there is a long term investment future in OA. Pricing is moving to the top of the "bell curve". It will eventually top out and start moving down (in fits and starts or "overshoot and collapse"). I generally don't think it is a good idea to bid early at anything close to my max because of the "impulse purchase" urge which is part of human nature. When deadlines are approaching, and someone wants something, they tend to give it "one last shot" rather than lose a chance in the future. By giving a high number early, unless it is really, really high, it inadvertently invites bidders back to take that one last shot. And if it is something I don't care much for, I almost never bid on it.

I thought, for sure, you were going to write...stout.

I'm not sure if you have seen it, but Phoebe and her unicorn is really cute.