Rick2you2

I am so hesitant to say anything about this after taking a beating on shilling, but technically, I agree with you. In fact, it’s even worse in bidding: read some public works spec’s, with required execution of affidavits of non-collusion, and get a sense of how the government doesn’t take kindly to it at all. I know a lawyer who also owns property, and he got involved in a bidding ring for tax foreclosure certificates. He was found guilty, lost his license and I think he was forced into home confinement for a year, plus presumably paying a stiff fine. BUT, this is comic art where all sorts of dubious behavior exists, like dealers who pump up the bidding to protect the value of their own stock. There are enough interested parties for most pieces that no one is going to get an insane bargain even if there is a bidding ring, and it keeps friends from fighting. So, like speeding at 70 mph in a 60 mph zone, there are other things which I would pursue.

You can bang my ex-wife all you want, but I would recommend you get a tetanus shot first.

I think this is basically a post-COVID correction, with prices set to return to what they were before the Pandemic, after allowing for a little “natural growth” in price increases. Prices also tend to be sticky downward in any area, so I also expect some swollen dealer inventories on the higher priced items as reality slowly sinks in.

Just for the record, I’m easy on this one.

I agree with Vodou, but I don’t know his reasons. I see a lot of scared bankers who don’t understand that the Pandemic was a virtually unique economic experience and the economy is still righting itself from the shockwaves. So they are applying lessons from the wrong parts of the past. Right now, we are seeing a “flip” in which higher end jobs at bigger companies (like MS software engineers), are more vulnerable than lower end jobs at smaller companies. Bankers, who fall in that category, are now scared for themselves. We are also seeing residual inflation waves where costs went up but buyers are showing resistance to spending the money. I think OA prices have shown some weakness because of over-exuberant purchasing during the Pandemic, and over-pricing by dealers, has met its match. This ship is being righted to return to linear growth from pre-Pandemic days. I don’t think that is deflation. That is just a price drop in specific market segments. It also doesn’t account for the change in supply, such as, a lot of “luxury” apartments coming onto the market, chasing a smaller pool of renters who are being forced to return to jobs in the City. Overall, prices remain higher.

Nailed what I wanted, and for a price on the low end of what I expected (or feared).

When did western get hot?

The rest of the stuff is today. Most of the good stuff is at a future auction.

Given what we’ve seen for the last 2 days, any predictions for tomorrow, considering the quality?

Looking at all the comments, I am getting a sense that prices have softened except for the few high grade/high demand pieces (including the Peach cover). Have there been any pieces which have substantially exceeded expectations so far? (besides the BWS Conan page). Could people be saving their ammunition for the balance of the auction?

At least you didn’t get the Hulk “scowl”.

I agree, no “crash”. But, there is likely to be some slippage for specific categories and/or artists and/or quality levels as collectors age out. The unknowns are where/when/how much. For example, how will DeZuniga’s Jonah Hex be doing in 10 years? Very good work, not likely too popular in the future.

I have done that a few times. I stopped when I realized I didn’t really want to know, and it still gives other prospective bidders time to adjust their thoughts and raise their potential bidding level. I think some bidder just did what you did recently on a piece I am watching.

Wow. That’s not peanuts. My brother has a few lithographs (or prints, can’t tell) he bought a long time ago which Schultz signed. I gather they were part of a series. Maybe he paid a few hundred for them ages ago. Do they have any value?

What are the price ranges these days? My brother was a Peanuts fan, but he disdains OA as beneath him. I would like to tell him his so-and-so Mexican art, etc., is worth a fraction of Peanuts pieces.

It doesn't make much sense in most cases to bid early. It just drives the base price higher until the hot part of the auction starts, and then it starts from a higher base. I will make an exception for cheap pieces that are likely to command little attenton. A proxy which rises helps keep out the bargain hunters, IMO, who drive up the price thinking they may score something special. Once they realize there is a proxy, they should logically back off because they could be stuck with a non-bargain.

I just found prices on a page marked Master List. On the bottom there is a sentence marked Google document with a hyperlink to a spreadsheet called Master List.

I’m envious of those who have artistic skills like these. Mine haven’t progressed much since third grade. They have gotten worse. But while I can’t draw, sculpt or paint, I can write. So in my free time, I write stories. If anyone is interested, send me their email address and I’ll email my latest to you. All I ask is that you don’t circulate it (to keep it out of the public domain), and you let me know what you think.

That alligator looks like someone photocopied a stamp from somewhere.

Although he is a more recent artist, Phil Winslade doesn't sell his art. Neither does Raul Fernandez.

I’m not sure I would call all negative comments the same as doomsday prophesies. The idea that medium quality pieces won’t age well as the buyers age out is fairly represented in other areas. Consider furniture. Our grandparents probably loved old brown antique furniture, but its prices have dropped for at least 10 years. Only the high end has stayed up there, and I don’t know anyone who really cares about Duncan Phyfe no matter what it’s worth. Instead, in succession, hot furniture went from Art Deco, to Mid-century modern, to the newer 1970’s stuff now becoming more valuable (say, the last 6-7 years). You can see a similar trend with old cars. Hot cars might have gone, for example, from pre-war Packards and Caddies (Deusenbergs are always expensive), to 1950’s cruisers, to muscle cars (although, the old car market has held up better and is more varied than furniture).

Frankly, I am a little surprised that the 2 page spread from Books of Magic has hit $1,020 with BP already (although, I expect it to go for a good deal more). I think it’s a great looking piece, but the subject matter is pretty narrow (Phantom Stranger and Tim Hunter), even if it comes from a special run of books. Over the years, I have seen a number of really nice pieces not do too well if the subject matter isn’t popular. Except for the last one where one of these pieces showed up and went for over 10K, they mostly have gone from a low end of about $1,300 to a framed pair at $7,500 (not in auction).

If you really love it, Heritage can, Set you up, With a payment plan. s/The Demon

With money tight, There is a danger, I’ll miss out on art, With the Phantom Stranger.

… and sometimes, not.