Rick2you2

No. I want to buy a package, not a project. I'd add a few bucks to the purchase price, however, if someone else did it for me.

I spoke to Howard about it, actually (and I am waiting for a commission he did for me). Basically, it gives him some extra flexibility and it's easier to fix a mistake. He did say, however, he misses doing the creative borders. So do I. Some of his border work on American Flagg, in particular, was astonishingly good.

I agree. Many years ago, I had a convention sketch framed. When I recently took it out of the frame, you can see where the yellowing occurred.

To me, it doesn't matter too much because I just collect for the sake of hobby collecting and whether I like the total package. If I had the choice, I would prefer inks over original pencils. I would be equally happy, however, to have separate pages with original inks and original pencils as separate pieces so I can see both artists' separate works. Finally, although not asked, I really miss the old pages with dialog on them. Comic art is supposed to help tell a story, and without the dialog, you can't really appreciate the story. My least favorite is art which consists of scanned in panels that are re-assembled in Adobe Photoshop. You lose the chance for really interesting panel separation artwork that way because the artist doesn't do the creative borders that are one of my favorite bits in a panel page.

This one is scratching at my brain. Was this modelled after a story from her first appearance?

Impressive. You nailed the actress (in a manner of speaking). Louise Brooks?

Have you ever asked an artist to do something a little different than fighting or f'king? As the buyer, you control the scene; why not get creative? I recently went to a convention where Colleen Doran was a guest. Knowing a little of her background, and being a real Phantom Stranger fan, I asked her to draw her version of a female Phantom Stranger. The only requirements were the hat, the medallion, the cape, and her own creativity. It's posted here (and it came out really well, too). If you are wondering, she modelled the design after a famous 1920's film actress (note the bangs in the hair style). So, if any of you out there have your own fun work, let's see it. And if there is a little story to go with it, feel free to add that, too.

I'm no pro, but I do have a degree in economics, and what you have described sounds exactly like the way a bubble develops in pricing. The best known example is the infamous Tulip Bulb mania of the 1630's. Basically, people who were interested in some of the newly introduced bulbs drove the price up. That attracted speculators, who bought and flipped them, recording more and more profit as prices went higher, which was reinvested in bulb purchases. The rising prices attracted outside money from people who didn't care about tulips, and they drove the price even higher. Then one day, at the market where they were bought and sold, no one wanted to buy. Crash. Fortunes were lost. Those people ought to spend some time watching editions of Antiques Roadshow which revisit estimated prices from, like, 15 years earlier. By my very rough estimate, over a third of the prices were the same or lower. Prices for typical "Persian" rugs have dropped 30% since the 1980's. And who is still out there buying antique marbles or toy trains? I had originally figured that CA, as an investment vehicle, would probably be okay for no more than 20 years. If this much money is just being re-circulated, maybe 5 or more years would be more accurate. By the way, I do love this stuff as a hobby. And I expect keep buying it as a hobby. But if I were looking to make money on future collectibles, I'd probably go with mid-Century Modern furniture (the 60's and up) or pre-IBM PC's.

You weren't being rude, and you are right, I'm not a likely customer. I actually study the market before I buy. What escapes me is how "professional" flippers can actually survive. This stuff is not a liquid asset and there is a small market out there. So, logically, they must have an awful lot of money tied up in non-moving stock. And as for the passage of time, have you seen what the stock market has done this year? So, if you know, how do some of the pro's manage their finances?

Will, Could you please take down the ones that are sold? It's time-consuming to check things which have been posted but aren't available. Rick

I would generally be willing to give someone a 10-15% profit (plus shipping) if they bought a piece at auction recently because they did shell out their money and take a risk. So if they paid $30 for shipping and you add 10-15%, I could see spending, say, $520 ($430.21 + $30 for his shipping + 10% of $430, rounded up, plus shipping to me). There are also some pieces that I love to watch languish. Call it schadenfreude. There was a Neal Adams Phantom Stranger cover that the prior owner couldn't move for about $9,000. It sold at auction for around $10,500. The Buyer has since marked it up to $15,000--where it continues to sit in all its mediocre glory.

Just wondering when the CAF tracking will be posted again.

Where is art supposed to be sold on Marketplace? I don't see any specific listing for it.

It doesn't matter what eBay policy is. A contract is a contract. You can sue for breach of contract. Try filing suit and sending it to eBay. That ought to get their attention.

I think that would be a breach of contract and you should contact eBay. You can probably sue him, although, the cost would be nuts.

Chutzpah.

First of all, I really like it. Whether as a parody of Miller's work or just a middle-aged Batguy, it brings a smile. Go one step farther, and you can see the quality of the detailing combined with the way the artist created a mood for an image which is absurd for the mood. It's a lot of fun. So with art appreciation, I think the first question is whether it resonates with the viewer. If the answer is yes, it's good. If the answer is no, it can still be good but it might not be to the viewer's taste. Regarding your comment about Pollack, you are introducing that second level of consideration: the audience. I'm a big fan of Piet Mondrian, and in his own way, you might consider his work to be junk as well. But there, you have to consider the audience. Mondrian's work is deliberately cool: it forces the viewer to focus on the elements he brings to the fore: the balance between lines and shapes, color and shade. So too, but in a different way, with Pollack. There, you are looking for the balance between abstract splashes of color and shape, and the patterns which seem to form from randomness. That's why Pollack is brilliant, and imitators are not--he knew where the balance was. But again, it's the audience. With comic book art, I think you have to similarly look at it in the context of: (1) do you like it; and (2) will someone like it who knows what they are looking at. Moreover, it should be viewed in the context of what it is: something designed to illustrate a story. Artists who showboat are doing a disservice to their readers. They show off their technical skills to the detriment of the package. When looking at comic art, I like to see whether the art is designed to "move" the story. So, I am particularly appreciative of creative panel work, particularly if the artist is stuck with a lot of text. For commissions, I'm more lenient--do I feel what the artist is conveying? If so, it's good. The more I want to see it again, the better it is.

Gee, I wonder what dealer does that? [not really]

Then don't buy it. The worst he can say is no.

The potential seller may be testing the market, but if I really wanted the page, I would have made a starting offer. What's the harm in that?

The parking will be more expensive.

I would really like to get some artwork from the first Phantom Stranger Series, so, I guess the Holy Grail would be the first cover.

I'm not knowledgeable about how site scraping works, but why can't CAT scrape the underlying sites instead of CAF? That wouldn't be blocked. Is there an additional cost of doing business that way?

Let me give you a real life example. Let's say you want to build a building and you are a contractor. The job should take 4 months of "straight time". That is a "known known". For scheduling purposes, however, you should account for delays due to weather. You check historical records in the area, and discover that, on average, there may be 10 rain days in this 4 month period. So if you are scheduling a completion date, you add 10 days to the 4 months. That is a "known unknown." But, let's say a hurricane hits and it stops the work for another 10 days. Since your area typically doesn't have any hurricanes, that is an "unknown unknown." Clear?