vodou

Starlin Infinity "anything" Sandman context over content

That would be everything over the last 20 years, ya'll ain't seen nothin' yet But, I mean, doubting Thomases...please do sell right now.

Yes. Even Sal.

Catch them while you can, because everything art will have at least one zero and maybe two added 10 years from today.

I'm just using facts, so no credit to me here, the facts that Europe as a whole generates approximately the same GDP and has the same population as the USA. Now putting other differences (like the lack of a common language and national identity) aside, the predicted collapse of such scope (productivity and population sizes) is notable. Thus, I'm simply noting. And then speculating where all that wealth will flee to...

I'm sorry to keep doing this to you, but your domestic blinders will be your downfall. The collapse of Europe is exactly what will drive the US stock market and art market (incl comic art) into the stratosphere. But first, some pain for the next 9 months, maybe all the way through 2023 even and then rocketship. Bank on it. I am. Those that can't weather the storm, that carry too much debt and not enough savings, that can't weather both wage earners being unemployed for possibly several years ahead...they will be selling, and there will not be reserves. If you're flush, it will be a great opportunity to enhance your existing position

Not as much "quality" will be consigned, publicly, unreserved. Nothing to do with markets, everything to do with the economy broadly, to the point that black hole collections of lesser material will open to make ends meet. Middle Class folks generally don't have A+++ material anymore, they sold it way too early and couldn't afford/justify buying back in much higher, before even "much higher" looked like a great deal. They are permanently left behind with some or a lot of lesser art on hand instead, and now they will need to tap into that. This isn't just a 2022/23 thing either, it will continue for a decade, it will all come out of the woodwork - to make ends meet. Absolutely nothing to do with The Bear, that's an effect not a cause, and everything to do with debt denominated in USD, where rates are now rising and USD is only getting scarcer because of it. This is making USD expensive and EUR/GBP cheap, which only makes paying debt back in USD even harder. Further, the ECB going officially negative rates (NIRP) as policy nearly 10 years ago has made nothing better, and ruined their debt markets and pension funds permanently. Next comes war. Not really, though everything denominated in euros is 20% cheaper this year over last for USD holders simply on the forex move.

The current "risk" landscape in various financial sectors comined with the mixed-bad showing at the last HA Signature lead me to the same conclusion - "quality" that isn't already locked in the pipeline will get pulled back in. Yes and the dearth of new comps at lower levels won't happen, also supportive of keeping private deals moving and bringing everything back faster too. Yes. No. Top end cash flow isn't necessarily down, it's just being pulled back from 'the margin' for new spending. Middle and lower cash flow hasn't been hit yet but... First, yes, then as hiring freezes and larger layoffs take hold in the high five and six figure income strata...and the leverage that was piled on the last two years continues to produce monthly minimum servicing...the stock/flow of middle/lower art dynamic can/will change as "depend on..." changes. In crude terms: if the choice is food/shelter or art, guess which goes out the door first? Again, I don't think the top end will experience this, they're top for a reason: smart and risk adverse, same folks that sold flat when Dow failed 37,000 and (hopefully!) even flipped short. The middle and bottom...uh oh Nonetheless, the pressure should come off some areas of the financial markets next spring and then we'll see the income/wealth gap widen even more, muted in North America (particularly USA) but UK/EU...there is no bottom except zero. The large asset pools that have been and will continue to escape that will further buoy some areas of US risk. Including the stuff we all love here

Due to any number of Topics and individual posts riding the fences and leaping right over too...this entire sub-Board is raring up for a classic "clean sweep" purge of any/all offensive and/or true posts. Just watch... I mean, those of us that have been around for a while, we do remember those exceptional moments in the past when major topics disappeared like they never happened. Except of course the bagholders...nobody poofed their scammed up prices paid and comps "set"...I'm sure they'll never forget. Good thing screenshots still exist

Thanks for saving me from watching that video (which I wouldn't) to get to the meat on the bone. As we all know, and probably Mike does too...GCD credits are not perfect and are often sourced from the comic book credits themselves, so...this means nothing, but sure, he can certainly lean on that. The other day, I saw a whole slew of Basquiat paintings on LiveAuctioneers.com too, they're all signed "Basquiat", so I guess $10 is the new entry point there for signed originals? Somebody should let Eli Broad know

In my experience Mike will take the word of whoever he gets something from as to credits, etc unless something glaringly sticks out as incorrect. That's what we can all probably agree is a professional blind spot but not particularly disingenuous. Just sloppy/lazy and caveat emptor applies too for the potential buyers. Likewise, order cancels/returns in such cases shouldn't be blocked or penalized either.

Fair point. The criticisms have been posted and the other side of the discussion is clearly now aware, not much else to do - people act as they see fit (or don't care enough to consider the matter to begin with). That's how it should be. And so..? Nothing. That's that. I've heard Anthony referred to as Fred Sanford, and Mike...well, people have their own varied thoughts and feelings on him in any number of dimensions, some not positive. Nothing written about this today is surprising. What would have been surprising was some sort of ah-ha! moment where those some have referred to as sociopaths suddenly became...empathetic. The two really don't occupy the same space in the Venn diagram of human psychology, so...unsurprising.

Silhouettes with or without highlights are as old as india ink. If you're still interested in pursuing "first", I'll suggest going to the newspaper strip artists. Maybe Chester Gould's Tracy? Meanwhile, I've never looked that closely at DKR before. But the example you're mentioning...shoot, I can see why this stuff sat at $800/page in 1987. Take away that bottom Superman panel and the general hype for the book...it's a $50 page back then.

I don't know anything about this except that, from my perspective as a collector, I've faced those scenarios and instead of shutting down have just opened up my parameters instead. When it comes to mental defect/disease, there's no amount of explaining normal or abnormal psychology that will make sense to the opposing force, it's non-sense by definition. That's just how it works. So your explanations are as good as any well-thought out but they do scare me a bit and I have empathy for those that are captive so such things, sounds very destructive to all involved.

I don't. My disagreement was: I'm seeing nothing positive to come, only a continuing downward and deeper spiral* for at least a full decade - at a minimum. *recession/depression/stagflation heading toward hyperinflation in some/many sectors driven more by actual shortages than monetary policy; thus not curable by Central Bank policy/decisions.

Yes. No. Yes. There is never a bad time for this, ever.

Perfect. The difference between honest and dishonest takes primacy in my mind, every time, and regardless of "who" the subject in question is. Being committed to intellectual honesty at all times, I cut no breaks based on "who", not for friends or those with whom it would somehow be otherwise advantageous to not cross swords with. There is honest and dishonest, and actions always speak louder than words, especially half-hearted and unconvincing apologies after the fact. Thank you for bringing this, the core matter of distinction, to the fore - honest or dishonest. Thanks for these also: I agree, completely. And now I'll ask - another burning question for so many still: Is it honest or dishonest for anyone (resale certificate bearing DEALER or not) to ringlead a regular, ongoing, and publicly admitted to shilling operation?

Absolutely, especially since the introduction of cross-border (and thus, often cross-currency) transactions. I can't believe I just read that diatribe actually; it's ridiculous that anybody other than sour grapes party in that case should care. The rest of the collecting community, and the world certainly does not care. But since we're bringing it up, okay and sure, what effect if any does the fact that the EUR is now trading roughly 20% lower than it was a year ago have on US auction sales/results stated and settling in USD? In other words, for any EUR denominated folks, not only is the global economy reeling in general but further..."for even the same dollars" everything "costs" 20% more in EUR terms? Hmmmm and huh. It's not impossible for me to imagine a few potential DKR1 bidders of means being less than enthused with the prospect of $2m plus 20% plus another 20% for currency loss in relatively recent history!

Oh crud. You mean this could be false advertising? Yikes

Another way of asking the OP question is: when you're pricing your own FS pieces against public comps, do you include the perceived BP and expect to get that 20% (or whatever) inclusive of your private sale, even though it's not through the 20% BP venue? Or do you strip it out and feel like it's fair to give a deal privately (versus publicly) to -more likely- get a deal done? For instance, this seller... certainly thinks it's reasonable to use the 15% BP from this sale below as a basis for their own.

Different people calculate cost basis and their taxes (personal or business) differently. Many probably load "everything" (not just hammer and BP, but also sales tax and shipping) into cost basis. Others, particularly those that itemize their business deductions will load all shipping (incoming and outgoing) into that deduction, all state/federal tax activity (actual expenses and advance estimates/payments) into that bucket, etc. This is going to be more appealing to business filers that both buy and sell in some volume, but not necessarily moving the same items in/out of inventory within the same fiscal/filing year. And, of course, if one has a view of the present and then the future, where sales/gains fluctuate, the filer would likely take as many deductions as possible in years where basis is lower and gains are higher, than other years where they may not be.

Good question. Is this actually $2m or 2.4m?

Very, very public money laundering; unlikely to be investigated...ever. I'll suggest that hosting the venue but not taking any piece of the action is a pretty decent plausible deniability defense, just in case. PR value - huge, and 'free', of actual spend and legal concerns. Smart move Dallas.

1. Thou doth protested too much. Let it go, your actions over time will be enough, for better or worse. 2. Jordan Joanou. https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=32809p

Not me; $2m hammer is simply not impressive, the Egyptian Queen overhang would still remain too. I'm surprised that there's anybody that's been in this hobby for more than 6 months that didn't throw that result out the day after it happened. Yes...it was exciting, and amazing but...also reeked of aberration without confirmation. Confirmation requires "more of the same for the same". It was never going to be a benchmark, or rather not without 3-5 follow-on comps (similar caliber not same artist/title/book combo) in the same region. DKR1 was definitely a test. A test for the upmost echelon of the hobby. It failed. It's just one test. There can/will be others, particularly if a certain Hulk cover comes to public sale in the near future. Maybe the hobby will confirm there. Maybe. But man, that number had better be a new all-time high, inclusive of Egyptian Queen, to do so.