Rick2you2

There is no shame in that. Losing gives you more funds for the next time, a fact which has helped me out on occasion.

A COA is standard, but really is not worth much. It contains no guarantee by the artist that it is not just the one and only but will stay that way.

Actually, some sellers prefer to gloss over the originality issue by calling them artist’s proofs, almost like they are lithographs, and in this hobby/business that’s where I think they should eventually be positioned. Digital OA may not be created on paper, but it is designed to be transferred to paper. People buy litho’s knowing they are not original. But, when they become numbered and signed they get more value than a simple unsigned or numbered litho. Even better if the Monoprint adopts that standard and the artist adds a remark. Then you’ll see a lot more love for it. NFT’s are not a good substitute because they would generally involve the transfer of reproducible rights with the NFT, even if they don’t have to. That takes something of value from the artist which he still retains if he sells his pencilled and inked page. So, Neal Adams was allowed to sell prints of GL/GA covers because he still owned them.

I have removed the tape after splitting them, but as I recall, the tape came off easily. If it were hard to remove, I may leave it on, at least until I figured out what to do.

At least at the NJ shows, they have posted some prices in the past. Just not on-line.

I usually separate them, after taking some photo’s, and put them in sleeves and Itoya’s. I do have one double cover, however, that I keep in a large Mylar.

Sure looks it.

The Andru piece has been out there for a while. I’ve thought about it, but it’s still high given that this is not a signature Andru character and Andru doesn’t blow me away. The other two Aparo pages haven’t been posted on line, but they were apparently priced when Aparo’s work was shooting up a few years ago. Not now. I think they are likely to sit around until some crackhead decides they’re a good deal.

Well, I see the Donnelly’s Action cover with the Phantom Stranger on it has appreciated nicely over the past 5 years or so. 💲

It wouldn’t be hard to create an “industry-standard” Acknowledgement and Representation which the artist would sign and have notarized. The Acknowledgement should, however, protect the artist’s copyright of his basic image for other forms of reprinting. For example, the Acknowledgement could state the attached image is the only “Artist’s Monoprint” copy of the original work, but the artist reserves the right to make other copies, so long as they are identified and.distinguished from the “Artist’s Monoprint”. That way, for example, the artist could freely sell an artists’ edition of his work without fear of violating the Acknowledgement and Representation.

What would help, a little, is if the artist signed the back before a notary public swearing this was the only print to be made of the piece. At the very least, that would let you know who had the oldest copy, if another shows up, and it could make out a claim for false swearing against the artist (probably giving you a right of reimbursement under some potential legal theories).

I won’t be attending the comic art con scheduled for June 5th, but if anyone sees artwork with the Phantom Stranger on it, can you let me know and send a photo? To reduce the effort, I’m not particularly interested in seeing the stuff which shows up on CAT, or dealers who visit here regularly, like Bechara or the Donnelly Bros., but more localized stuff out West. Thanks. Rick2 You2.

But that isn’t digital. Digital results in perfect copies.

Many, if not most people, don’t agree with my approach, but the idea of building “hobby wealth” to me is an oxymoron. Hobby items can have real dollar value, but when in hobby-mode, they are just items for viewing pleasure. If you get tired of a piece, or even an ex-wife, it’s okay to move it out for something new. But so long as I have a personal attachment to something, it stays a keeper no matter what it’s worth on the market.

I wonder if they do better when sold as “artist’s proofs”.🤪

Mylar is better than the plastic in the Itoyas, but that doesn’t mean you need it, as the Itoyas are also neutral. I think the most important questions are whether you are keeping them in a dark, dry, cool place. Moisture, for example will ruin anything. So can bright sunlight, probably even with protection. The sheeting in the Itoyas will provide protection, at least if you air them out occasionally. A good incentive to actually look at what you own every once in a while. I have a mix of storage books. Since I would rather not throw anything out, I keep the cheaper, smaller stuff in the Itoyas I already own. For newer things, I usually use the 13x19 sizes, and if possible, fit the art into Mylar slips first. I also have an oversized Itoya which theoretically would hold a double cover, although, it is really a little too small. Everything else fits in there, in Mylars as well.

Wasn’t there a thread on this?

Contracts can be done (including "personal satisfaction" standards in contracts). Collecting a judgment is a different matter.

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Content? No. Frustrated? Yes. Since I focus on one character, who isn’t that commonly drawn, I have spent years looking for what should be relatively cheap pieces by different artists to fill holes in my collection. The big stuff, like Adams, are covered; they always get advertised. But little things, like a page from Shadowpact or early 1980’s Superboy, where are you hiding? And then there are the worst of the worst— where something has come up which I missed seeing (or felt was too pricey at auction), or wasn’t good enough to add and then never found another one. Skipped a few Perez’s to my regret for those reasons. That last lesson is one I have mostly learned, recently buying a mediocre page for Tanghal inks, but I hate the lesson. And then, there are the sweet victories, like a Sienk cover with both PS and the Spectre on it that I chased for 4 years, or a 4:00 AM find on CAT which I have never seen duplicated. Oh, and let’s not forget artists who don’t sell their stuff or do it electronically. Do I get a commission from them as a replacement? Do I feel content with what I bought? Well, I like what I have, but the thrill is the hunt.

Generally correct. In theory, you can buy the publication rights from the artist, such as at the time of commissioning, but if it isn’t clearly in a written part of a contract, it would not be considered that way (since 1978 or so).

Could he have authorized the release of only the $500 needed, apparently, for shipping?

I feel your pain. I am thinking not to commission anyone at the big conventions. I was supposed to get something by last Christmas from one artist. The latest promise is early June. He did do an outstanding preliminary, by the way. And, always check that Facebook topic in advance. Too many bad actors.

One thing I have mentioned a few times before and I will mention again. While prices at auction and some private sales have been through the roof on "A" pages, what about average stuff or items below $2,500? Perhaps by broadcasting huge changes at the high end, we have let sellers inadvertently believe those increases uniformly apply at the lower end, too (which I doubt). In other words, the pricing here is a reflection of us being hoisted by our own petard.

I was looking at one page which was listed by a seller who indicated he would make deals. The one page was $1,500 (and worth about 1/3-1/2 of that). He was willing to cut his price by $100.00. I declined.