vodou

Oh. Dear. Yet again, it won't really end until everyone loses all their money, except...

Well yeah, that entire piece is Production Department Manufactured, I'm really surprised that's apparent to me from a very nice scan but wasn't "in hand"? Thanks for the clarifying image and background Dino.

Lordy lordy, that's some pain. Are we certain they are both the same piece and exactly as published, one isn't 3/4 stats or something, because barring a problem like that...2500 looks like a very nice buy to begin with (I see 5-7k "fair" retail here) and whoever paid almost 17k...wth were you thinking??? Are we sure Dino wasn't the HA buyer? HA big number buys are often his bag...

Almost everyone that "isn't investing" writes that because what they've been buying hasn't kept up or has even lost value. It's a justification for the contrarian that refuses to stop catching falling knives. I wasn't investing either, the first 10 years, but then I had to justify continuing after hitting 10x ROI and not selling. It's well known that I don't sell (nor trade) and haven't for a long time; in total I've sold less than 3% of all the art I've ever acquired. This in spite of the value today, for the lot of it (call: 1-800-Heritage) being life changing money, by a wide factor too. It may seem that I'm trying to pick a fight here, I'm not. I agree with large parts of both sides of the discussion, my only distinct point would be... You can collect anything if you have extra money to blow after the bills are paid each month. Most collector-types have an interest in and collect a number of things, some are quite popular, others more niche. Okay. So buy what you love, always, but maybe lean a lot heavier into buying what others (do or will) love too. In 2023 this doesn't apply to comic art, the days for 100% of everything in your bank/saving/401k/IRA going into it...that ended about 20 years ago. What else are you into...maybe one of them is out of favor and troughing, I dunno...figure it out. There's no reason a collector can't love what they collect and benefit (mightily, even) from asset appreciation over the long run too; then the only pain would be: selling things you love for silly old money. I have a feeling that time comes for everyone that doesn't die young though, you just see more need for liquidity/money and less need for stuff all over the place and then "click", the process begins. For all collectors, unique trumps multiples. As soon as I found wide availability of comic art (unique), I lost nearly all interest in comic books (multiples, tens of thousands). The fact that "my" era was 80s Marvel superheroes...some of that is just "right time, right place" I guess, but I'll tell you...very few put everything after bills paid into that material in the mid-late 1990s. Anybody alive then could have done it, anybody holding could have not sold (to me) and just continued to hold. They didn't and within just a year after diving in, I saw the entire sub-category as a tremendous generational trough opportunity and took it. Over and over again. And unlike roughly 80% of all the collector names I knew way back then, I didn't sell out at double, triple, etc, have the hobby leave me behind; I am still here today, enjoying the art, loving the art, and patiently waiting for "when" to cash out too.

Cowpuckey. I'm not cardboard box guy (and do not know who he is either) but I certainly built my collection hoard in a manner close enough to be within spitting distance. When does a good idea become a great idea? When you're still early enough in the cycle to see it before the herd, confirm, and then go all in. That's overcoming two built in human defense mechanisms: it's not real unless I can touch it and but nobody else is doing it. When does a great idea become legendary? When you resist the urge to cash out too early, all the chicken littles running around it circles, before it all disappears again. That's overcoming FOMO. Buy right. Sit tight. And hang on for dear life as the raging bull tries to throw you... Above average results require outlier actions and the willingness to stand aside, land likely alone. The more jacked a return you seek, the more jacked your commitment must be. Want average results? Keep being average.

This reminds me of a question I’ve had for a while, with prices being where they are and have been the last ten years, along with the steep price increase trajectory, large collections are harder to build and hold together…what is the largest piece count private collection(s) (not dealer inventory) known? I’maware of at least one exceeding 10,000 and probably closer to 12 or 13,000 pieces.

A true LOL moment I just had reading this; me too but different store(s) and year(s); PTSD inducing for sure, thanks for sharing 😉

Nah; just drips of Severin. That’s why it’s palatable.

He owns everything, you just don’t know it. Yet 😉

You didn’t get the memo? “Away from my desk, so sorry, adding two zeroes to all my listings, get back to you soo…”

Your “never” is approximately as reliable as that other dude’s “grail” - semantics that you posted your gripe in this thread instead of the other. If you want no part of that then don’t post it 😉

And because one Irwin Schiff is never enough…

The change in law affected reporting requirements for third party payment processors (PayPal et al) not taxpayers. Call it a law or a rule, if you wish, that’s semantics as it’s not about you, a taxpayer, anyway. It regulates THEM. Your legal obligation and liability for not fulfilling that obligation was not changed, as a taxpayer, you must report your gains net allowable deductions or you’re in violation of the law. Hey, play with fire…seriously…go for it, if that’s your line in the sand…it won’t be any of us that will be audited, and penalized, for your incomplete or false reporting!

Write your Congressman… 😅😂🤣🥲

So nobody else can have it 😘

Worse. 2008 was nothing, but 2024 is also nothing-lite.

If you have to point to the collector reference, my preference is Bob Lesser’s method:

However, unless you have truthful insight into the winner’s bidding strategy, 2nd place never knows what it would really take to be first place. Unless your name is Jim, you are an insider with non-public knowledge and are even party to guaranteeing headline making final numbers, and you are the only bidder over a 100k on so many six and seven figure lots 😚

Too bad you missed it on CAF for 32k. That buyer flipped it immediately to Heritage. EDIT: my mistake, I’m thinking of What If 29 cover, sorry.

Totleben Swamp Thing 154

But not paid for, yet. Sometimes people lock up the big tickets but dump them back before payment is required 🥳

Dunno about Canada or Europe but here regular gas went from 20 cents to a buck, 5x, same period 😉

Great money! Annualized that’s $13,000. Or, $250 was 1,250 new 1973 Marvels, equivalent to $5,000 ($260,000 annualized) today!

Does not exist anymore. Was with Manager Bill Aucoin for many years, treated poorly and eventually trashed; alternate story: lost to fire.