Rick2you2

I always wondered why anyone would want world domination. You know the old saying: with great power comes great responsibility. I’d like as little responsibility as I can get away with. Surfer pages make far more sense.

You are on-target about Mignola’s involvement. Prices have been running unpredictably higher, I think, but I felt it was still on the high end. Still, compared to the Carillo piece, it was a bargain. The one you bought sounds like even a better bargain.

Just what I always wanted, a hand painted $5k plate of the Three Stooges—oh, wait, the good one’s sold out.

I’ve always collected to the character, but back off a little on rigidity for about 10-20% of my collecting fever. Bought my first Phantom Stranger art in 1980, and followed it up in 1981 with a title page from the Spirit and a Sunday section of the Phantom by Sy Barry. Then, back to the Phantom Stranger, and so it goes. I also don’t mind buying art which some of you would consider dreck. If it is published, it has some merit whether I see it or not. That’s part of the learning curve. I have also found that artists sometimes grow on me—or shrink—in interest over time. The more there is covering the same subject matter, the more I find has merit. I don’t buy with resale in mind. I save those sorts of buys for the stock market.

I think it always has been. Look at how many times the same artist’s work is hot on one book, and the art is expensive, but then the artist goes on a different book, and the artwork on the newer book is relatively cheap—like Byrne’s work.The quality didn’t go down (for the most part). Just the fan base.

Not everyone promotes Kirby, although, he was apparently a really nice guy who Marvel took advantage of. If you have ever seen some of his less rushed pieces, his raw skill was very high, but Kirby made his mark before Adams changed the landscape on page layout and design, as well as his own raw drafting skill. Modern layout and design, including your stuff, began to really get moving in the Bronze Age. The money part doesn’t interest me; price and quality diverge with OA into things like nostalgia.

I also think this is a better piece of art, by the way. The only reason I can figure is that a character in its own book is considered more valuable (all things being equal) than a guest appearance. Personally, I like guest appearances. It lets me acquire a version of the character by an artist that is different. That's why I don't have stacks of Jim Aparo art in my collection. I have his take on PS. Let's see what else is out there.

I came close to bidding, but decided to hold my fire. I don't know why, but this stuff seems to come in groups. Nothing for 4-6 months, and then bamm, 3-4 worth buying. Some things coming, I hope. I really don't want to get more commissions (aside from one more I am owed).

One of the problems some might think is that my narrow specialty reduces my opportunities too much. Actually, he has made hundreds of appearances in all sorts of issues I just can't find. Be it by Delbo from WW, or an issue of Superboy, or Firestorm, to name a few. Years ago, I was more selective, and passed on some things I should have bought as I have never since seen another one with an appearance. Now, unless it is awful, I will buy it to fill a gap and wait until later for an improvement. But, I have also picked up a few surprises, like thiis one by Gene Colan (possibly his only published drawing of the character, as he was a cameo here).

Well, sure. I just didn't find it unusual to have the opportunity to buy something. I have mentioned this before, but in my view, professional artists invariably do good work. Sometimes, a bit better than others, and sometimes, a particular page can be a standout. But in many cases, just different styles.

He was competent; no question about it. Redondo, I would grab in a minute or less, and now have a pretty good Talaoc. No Nino, however, no known images of PS. And, I do have one of Fred's pieces, but this, in my opinion isn't worth it, particularly when this page by Mignola went for the same price:

Jim Byrne was the Treasurer of a company I used to work at. He was also a friend of the family John Byrne was the penciller of this piece, with Joe Rubinstein doing inks (John didn't do them when I got this in 1980). You can't tell from the photo, but it is huge. I would love to add one from his Legends work, if I could find it (and the price wasn't insane). I have passed up one of his pages from Wonder Woman. I just don't care for that light squiggly work he did on the book.

I didn’t either, but I grew up near NYC, and once I knew about it, my sense of reverence was rapidly flushed. I will never forget my lengthy conversation with Jim [sic, John] Byrne at that first show. He was a nice friendly guy back then. I wish him well, along with the others I met.

I find it hard to imagine there are real Fred Carrillo fans. He is/was a perfectly competent artist, but nothing special, at least on his Phantom Stranger run. That page was worse than usual. His first panel had the character wearing a hat that looked like in had been flattened with a frying pan. The layout was cluttered—something which I primarily have to blame the writer for doing—but he sure didn’t mitigate it. It was a page one, which I guess is worth something. Normally, I expect to see his stuff over/under $500. So, I could see almost 1K, but not 2.8k. Ironically, there was a pretty decent Mignola page with a half-splash which sold that time for exactly the same amount. A bit high, but along the lines of inflated pricing trends (I passed since I have 2 others which aren’t quite as nice but close).

Why is it so hard to fathom? These guys put on one pants leg at a time like we do.

So many of you have posted about great finds, I was wondering if anyone else had a less than spectacular collecting year? As a specialist, finding things is never easy, but this year, in particular, has been like searching for a needle in a haystack. Yes, I picked up some things, and yes, a few were nice, but for the most part they were just okay, or duplicated what I already have. I missed a few in bidding, as do we all, or found out about something for sale when it was too late, but not much. Then, I look at things like a Fred Carillo panel page which sold at auction for $2,800 and just shake my head. Fred Carillo? Did I miss the memo on his prices suddenly heating up from 3 figures, even for a mundane piece? I also went outside my preferential buying area to different subjects more than in past years, and again picked up some commission work, but it isn't the same. Like they say in the funny pages: "sigh". Anyone care to join in this collector's lament? Or am I the only one?

Seems more like a Buyer's Remourse sale.

You can also add Lionel trains, Persian rugs, porcelain dolls, antique glass, silver tableware (with some exceptions), silver plate, and antique “brown” furniture. I have heard stamp collecting is not doing well, either. 👎

To be candid, I wouldn’t be in a position to buy any of them. I collect to the character, and hope for the best when it comes to the artist who produced them. I do, however, have 3 Phantom Stranger covers by March, and a drawing by Tan that is amazing. I also have a mediocre page by Ivan Reis, and scads of pages by other artists, many of whom are older. For your purposes, consider asking yourself whether you buy with the intent to trade or sell later, or, to keep until your bones grow cold in your grave. Since I’m in the latter category, future value is irrelevant and actually a bit annoying as it reduces my ability to buy. I also tend to ignore trends, as today’s hot artist won’t necessarily stay that way. Ivan Reis is a good example. He looked like the next superstar after Blackest Night, but then, buzz settled down along with pricing even though his work remains excellent. I agree with Twanj; learn the market before you blow your bucks. Also, keep your spending low as you learn from your inevitable mistakes. And, I suggest you stay away from commissions except for giggles and laughs, or a major yearning. They will almost never appreciate in value much, and certainly not like published OA. One last thing: by definition, professional artists are good. In my opinion, the artwork mostly varies by style and subject matter. These days, I like a moodier look, like Aaron Campbell. In past times, I have liked a more heroic look, like Adams/Byrne/Lee. But if the basic page structure, scenes, and detailing are nice, you will always have something nice. So, don’t sweat the artist too much.

One of the peculiarities of this hobby is that the subject matter can so dictate pricing. Don’t just pick artists you like, pick books and characters you like which particular artists have drawn.

One way to control spending is to limit your buying to a narrow specialty. By preference, most of my purchases involve the Phantom Stranger, and yes, I do get the itch for other things (which I will scratch occasionally). But since it rarely comes up for sale, I don’t spend as much as I could. There is also a thread here for “Morlock” art—things costing less than $500. Get familiar with its artists and pricing to avoid overpaying. And if you haven’t signed up for Comic Art Tracker, you should.

Bathrooms, unfinished basements, garages, and attic spaces, to name a few. When LED’s first came out, their lighting was awful and their prices high. You probably wouldn’t ever recover the energy cost from their price in unfinished attic space. Now, the range of color options is so great, I find there is a lot of risk of getting mismatched colors in the same fixture.

Yes there is. I own a pile of them.

The light is typically warmer for living in, but, I don’t know if that is still true. Or maybe, I’ve just gotten used to the cold glare of reality.

I think the feature has always been there. It’s just easy.