Rick2you2

So, then you also save all the receipts, which I assume you assiduously gather, as support? I can understand that for larger pieces, but stuff for a few hundred bucks, too? Let me add that I suspect this is a portion of the economy considered “underground” where non-reporting of gains is rife and the IRS’s ability to enforce is basically non-existent for the bulk of the hobbyists. Besides, even under the newest, most liberal proposals, wealth taxes below a fairly good-sized 7 figure amount will all remain exempt. I went to a show a few years ago and there was an actor celebrity who I watched on TV for years and really liked. We struck up a conversation when he looked at me and asked what I was doing there (I don’t look like the fanboy type). In that discussion, after telling him what I did, he casually mentioned that he likes doing these shows because they generate income he doesn’t have to declare on his taxes. Not something I expected to hear from a stranger, for certain. And how many of those artists at shows are likely declaring their commission income after doing sketches? Probably the same number who worry about copyright violations whenever they do a sketch. Heck, if my kids have any common sense, they’ll save all the art anyway, right?

I don’t sell, so cost to me is irrelevant. Wife? Check out what’s on Martin Luther King Jr.’s gravestone (and I don’t mean 1 Corinthians). The kids will get a step up in basis, unless the market keels over, as expected, in 20 years.

After reading a thread about organizing our artwork, I noticed quite a few people used spreadsheets to summarize their collections. So, I finally decided to get serious and organize mine (an ongoing work in progress). In addition to sharing my thoughts, maybe pick up some improvements. Most of my collection is organized in a series of books that are dependent on their physical size and when they were purchased (on occasion, they do get moved). For my spreadsheet, I place all art on a single sheet, separated by book. Each book also has 2 separate file folders related to it on my computer marked (a) and (b) (e.g., 1a, 1b, 2a, etc.). Most of these categories I use are probably pretty common: Book title, volume, issue, page, penciller, inker, colorist (but only if I have a color guide). I also include two columns for hyperlinks. I scan (or take photos) of each page of art I own and place it in the related (a) folder. Then, I hyperlink the page to column (a) related to each book. In folder (b), I include a copy of the published page (assuming I can find it), and hyperlink it to the spreadsheet. That way, I can call up any piece of art, and also see how it looked in published form. There is also a misc. column for things like additional photos (which go in the (b) file), artist's comments or anything else of interest (also in the (b) folder). Finally, I include a team-up column listing each character of interest to me (other than PS). That way I can use the search function to see all appearances and team-ups with, say, Spectre or Batman. I don't include a column for purchase price, since I don't care about it, nor the source, since I generally know whom I have good experiences with. For art that is partially digital, I include both artists for each piece, but, I place brackets around anything that was only digitally reproduced or is not part of what I own. If there were no original pencils, that is noted in the misc. column (although, I am thinking of adding a code to each name, like "-d" if there is no hand-drawn version). So far, the collection fits on a single thumb drive. I can attach it to a dongle and view it on my iPad, although, I can't get the hyperlinks working properly yet. I suspect that will just require adding Excel to the iPad, but other suggestions are welcome. Suggestions, comments or thoughts?

JJJ: Commercial art serves a purpose, usually to attract attention to a product. People didn’t buy Playboy for the articles, they bought it for the photo’s of semi- or fully naked women, That’s what the covers would show, even if they had great articles by famous writers inside. Comic covers serve the same purpose, even if the covers are beautiful. They are also easier to find beautiful because they have that focus—draw attention. Sequential art is the product, so when I buy a page, I have to consider whether it is doing its job and telling the story. Thankfully, professionals writing for major publishers fully get that. It is collectors who sometimes forget.

Which is why I think it should be treated more like commercial advertising art then sequential art. Instead of telling a story, it is designed to sell the reader on buying the magazine.

We do have different views. To me, the art is supposed to complement the story and move it along with the dialog—more of a holistic approach. That’s a primary difference with”fine art”, which is basically a one panel story.

Words to consider when a newbie drops in and asks an innocent question.

This one of those relatively rare cases where the dialog, IMO, is more important that the art. Right now, I’m debating which of two different pieces to go for (different art) where the art is similar and by the same artist, but the slightly better art has worse dialog. I’m leaning in favor of the better dialog.

We have a store near me that sells “old stuff” called Grandma’s Attic. If you don’t mind wading through a lot of , you can find some real buys—like a good flea market. Same with Spence and his customer service. Some people like to browse, some people love to hunt, others tolerate it, and some run for the hills. Personally, I’ll browse up to a limit. Those display boxes he has at shows can drive me nuts. But, if I have the time, okay. It’s no cakewalk trying to find Phantom Stranger art worth buying.

He’s so awesome ‘n all. Now, back to whatever else you were up to. 😊 As for me, I’ve developed an addiction to K-drama’s, K-comedies, pretty much K-anything except Special K.

I saw this on Comic Art Tracker, and I was wondering what it was. Just reprints of his strips with new word balloons, or something more interesting? At direct sale SNOOPY - TIRA COMICA PEANUTS - FELICITACIÓN DE NAVIDAD - NAVIDAD 1969.

I thought you already sold your left nut earlier this year. You may be running low on body parts for your next purchase.

I agree. I also wanted to add that a lot of the stuff doesn’t really meet up with modern taste. For example, there are too many traditional 6 panel pages and stiff poses.

I will go out on a limb and say skilled amateur. The lattice-work is not the sort of background I would expect to see in the work of a pro because of the type of detail it requires, and if you look closely, it has some errors where it intersects MJ. I also agree that the Spider-man in the back is awkward.

I think it's a nice page. No, not worth a small fortune, but to the right buyer, not insignificant.

Whoever did them, they had a very sure hand, like that of an old pro. And, being sold in a batch suggests they weren’t forged for the purpose of sale. So while I am no Kubert pro, I would guess they are real.

I don’t think you are wrong. It seems to me that the potential seller was not just wrong, but got what he deserved. He exposed a piece which didn’t sell, thereby reducing interest in it later as a bit distressed. If CC sees something this out of whack, perhaps instead of a flat rejection they should consider a surcharge on listing for using up CC’s assets.

Perhaps CAF would consider setting up an anonymous posting board, like for regular pieces, but open to the whole community. That would give the owner the ability to react to posts if he/she chose to, preserving privacy but still getting the sought after attention.

If Thumper’s Mom didn’t point out to Thumper that eating arsenic is a bad idea, she’d be a pretty lousy mom. Constructive criticism is a very effective way to learn of our mistakes—if done with respect to the person or thing we criticize. On balance, this is a very polite board. Attacks tend to be short-lived and focused on specific things, with harsher attacks generally by members of longer standing who have cyber-knowledge or relationships with others here of some sort. If you don’t like something, say it; everyone has room to learn. Just don’t burn someone needlessly in the process.

Are you suggesting they will go down in value (either in absolute dollars, or percentage based slippage based on general increases of all art) and why? I doubt the “old masters” will keep pace, at least by percentage, with newer art any more than they did in the fine art world. New people, new preferences.

And motion images around his hand and on the side.

I didn’t, although I mentioned it in passing. I followed up on the comments by others, most of whom were directing their ire at dealers. Those must be pretty unusual nickels to add up to 17 dollars and 46 cents.

Or, those who have a stake in keeping the prices high. The art market is a know basket case filled with opportunism, hucksters, shilling and fraud. So, what is a piece’s “actual value” in a poisoned well?

Sorry for the delay. The page is from Deceased Dead Planet No. 6. Pencils by Trevor Hairsine, inks by Gigi Baldassini. Most of the pencils were done on the computer, but Hairsine then made some changes with real pencils that were then scanned and sent to Baldissini for inking. There should still be quite a few more still available on Comic Art Tracker. The "feel" of the page is similar to something I have by Jason Shawn Alexander, although the line work is different, and was more than double the price a few years ago. That might make for an interesting topic: "Lower Priced Substitutes (for those not tied to a "brand name" artist)".

Swatting Capt. America is fine, and a sensible choice, but purely for the sake of intensity balance, the artist could have done a heavily inked small panel of irregular shape to play off the large flowing image of the Surfer. The ink density would then play off against the difference in spatial size. FYI, this is what I get for being a fan of Piet Mondrian— balance in various image quadrants by using different shapes and color/shade intensities. 😊