Aahz

I love panel pages, and, even though I have panel pages that are meaningful to me, I also have pages from comics that I never read that I love because they just tell a story in a page. This is one of them from an Aircel comic called Warlock 5. Done by Denis Beauvais.

I don't think that there is less of a collector gene, but a lot of collections (esp. comics) take up a load of space. Also, I think lot of back issues were kept so that you could read a whole story ... TPB make that a heck of a lot easier. I'm in the process of downsizing stuff just because it sits in a box in a storage unit ... to what end. At least the art I can put on the wall or keep close by and thumb through portfolios.

This is a question that bedevils all of us, it's not surprising, and we are the wrong group to ask! When I started collecting and pages were $10, then you don't worry about it. Now as the entry level is $100 a page, of course we might ask ourselves, are we just throwing money into the wind? However, even though there may be fluctuations and some pieces will top out, I don't think this hobby can be compared with Beanie Babies and other "manufactured" crazes, trading/baseball cards, and even comics. Why? 1) Because each piece is unique .... not necessarily valuable, but unique. You can always go out and find another baseball card, coin, or even Action 1. However, if you are looking for one page ... that's it. If an artist has a limited output for what ever reason, what is out there is out there. That changes market dynamics. 2) Even though the collecting is gathering steam now, there have always been collectors even before it was "worth" anything because people enjoy the art. Again, nott a mass craze like Beanie Babies. 3) There are different types of collectors in this space ... not everyone is going for the same thing. There are character driven collectors, first appearance, type of art (strip, commission, illustration, etc), genre (horror, superhero, etc), artist, and the list goes on. There is of course overlap as well. There is enough to go around and still have unique collections. 4) Most people - collectors or not - can appreciate cartoons and comics. They may not be diehards, but there is a reason why Scooby Doo is still around, Superman and Spiderman are still icons, etc. It's part of our shared experience. I also think that most people can appreciate looking at something original that goes into making the final product. If you have one piece of comic book art or a cartoon cell hanging on your wall, people will check it out ... they may not be as excited by your Thomas Kincaid art. One comment that has come out recently is that there is concern that collectors are aging out of Golden and Silver age art because the nostalgia isn't there ... I don't see that happening and I think auction prices substantiate that. As people get deeper into the hobby, the interest to what came before increases. Just my .05

They send everything to Dallas and send out from there.

I was only interested in the Kaluta zombie cover, which went for $15K+. A Kaluta House of Mystery cover went for 10K on Heritage in June, so this was a bit more ... although this was arguably a better cover.

This could also be an unpublished inventory story for use in one of the DC War books. They did this for both the mystery and war stories. They also heavily relied on a stable of excellent Filipino artists to do these. Here's a bit of an odd equation, but how is the quality of the paper ... is it regular art board?

I have been using the Microsoft Lens app on my iPhone. It is a free download and works really well. You do not have to worry about a tripod or anything, since the software adjusts the angle of the scan. You also have the opportunity to crop the shot. Great for larger format pieces. As other's have said, you have to be aware of the lighting to minimize shadows and glare. I recently used it on this one: https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=2044860

I feel comfortable saying that there is close to 0% chance that any of your family or successors will feel as passionately about your collection as you do. I think kids may like a piece or two, perhaps only because it reminds them of you. It's the nature of collecting. You could be collecting Monets and your heirs will see the $$$ value but not necessarily appreciate the art the way you do. In a will, it's probably best to make a provision to allow heirs to pick what they want at an appropriate valuation and then direct the executor to sell the rest. For safety's sake (of the art), you should itemize what you have and where it is so that it doesn't get "disposed" of.

So let's add an extension to this question. Leaving out "modern" art ... let's randomly say since 2000 ... is those pages from the 60's-90's have had that 10-30x run up, how much further can it go? There is a lot of art of all types out there, and we have seen special pages go for 10's-100's, but what about a run of the mill 80's DC cover? A run of the mill Gill Kane cover from the 70s? I generally don't care because I don't sell, but like most people I don't want to overpay either. Are there categories that have topped out?

Did the Johnny Craig Haunt of Fear cover do so well (compared to the other EC covers) because it was a "#1"? I thought the Feldstein and Ingles covers had much better images.

Do either of these companies cover you if the art is stored in a storage unit?

Thanks everyone for the feedback ... quick follow up: If I were to put portfolios in non-airtight plastic bags, is it a good idea to add desiccant bags?

Followed up by and equally strong $9K for the House of Mystery Cover.

Both. Portfolios of art and framed pieces. Also wondering if I vac pac the boxed frames or portfolios, if that would promote mold.

Although I have an HP multipurpose Officejet that does 11x17 scans (and I am very happy with it), I actually really have been impressed with the Microsoft Lens app, which is free (not sure if free with 365 or just free). This is super helpful with the larger pieces.