Aahz

Updated my Morlock art show. Technically, the Barron Storey piece does not qualify, but the others. do (or at least did when I bought them).

You have to wonder whether this is happening for other non-OA consignments for HA. It's sad to say, but I am completely off of USPS if I can avoid it. Just had an Amazon purchase (Bose earbuds) disappear. Seller filed a report. I filed a report. Mail carrier swore that it was delivered. This would involve a key to a box being placed in our specific, locked mailbox. No recourse. Amazon processed a refund (insured I guess). 5 weeks later, goes what shows up? Also this" https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-postal-service-warning-checks-mail-fraud-theft/ At this point, sadly, you have to question the purpose and the utility of the mail system.

There are probably a couple of factors at play. Externally, if you watch the news (not recommended), it is doom and gloom regarding the economy, and people may just be holding back making a bigger, expendable purchase right now. Internally to the hobby, the last few years have been a bit of a feeding frenzy. It could be that collectors that have gotten more involved in the past few years are reassessing their collection and being more (for lack of a better word) thoughtful in what works with their collecting interests ... especially when prices have gone up as much as they have. Also, the number of opportunities to buy art are more than ever. There are soooo many places to look, that people may just not see the art. Last point - the auction houses. I think the reason the auction houses appear to be doing better than the dealers (according to Bill Cox's last few numbers) is 1) they are getting the newer, better stock and 2) that it feels more like a FMV on a piece. As a buyer, when you know the dealers are buying there too, you are incentivized to go for the piece.

Whiteboard + magnets = Morlock Art Show. :-)

That was Ankur before autocorrect stepped in! Apologies!

Thanks Ankara! Who's booth had that Rusty Brown strip up top?

Not trying to be flippant, but if the markets are going to be that bad, then it doesn't really matter if you are spending the $$$ on a page now ... unless the only reason you are buying the page is to resell it in short order.

I think personal taste always enters in to it. Dollar for dollar, I'd rather have this from Michael Whelan than any Frazetta:

To more pieces up on the wall a Spectre Cover and a Phantom Stranger page

Maybe there is just a bit more of a "rational" approach. I think we have come to expect that is you put McFarlane or Miller in front of the art, the price goes through the roof.

I don't really think there is that much correlation between them. I could be wrong, but the spike in prices really started way after the advent of the MCU in movies. It may be keeping the pop culture aspect front and center, though. However, the number of projects on streaming that have their basis in graphic novels or comic book series may also be putting more focus on the art pages. As an aside, I think the MCU will come back, we are basically just in the set up mode for the next story arc. Also, I think I might be one of the few people that liked Eternals, although it had no relationship other than names with the comic book series.

Michael, I assume, given your other comments, you mean more on the vintage side rather than modern.

I think my collecting these days is 20% nostalgia and 80% "hey that's cool." I was lucky to get my grain early on in my collecting, and, for me, it has been as much about the story and emotion as the art. Honestly, this is why I am somewhat lukewarm about modern art because the word balloons are missing! This might actually track a bit with the discussion about Lichtenstein. There can be a lot of emotion and story in just one panel, let alone a page. A good example (for me) is the attached page from Warlock 5, a Canadian comic book. I bought this off ebay back in 1998 or so. Probably $25. I don't know anything about the story or the characters, but I loved the dialog ad the art. Denis Beauvais is the artist. never seen another page from this series, but it is still one of my favorites.

I think you could make that argument for any period of comic art as well. Sure the 90's had some artists that broke new ground style-wise, but there was also a lot of drawing to a specific style too. I think you can still find a lot of interesting art and story telling.

It's funny, I don't worry about my art gaining in value as not overpaying in a case of FOMO. To paraphrase a comment above, you'll probably get more joy out of the art than you will out of buying a stock, commodity, or gold. In terms of the long term viability of the market, I was looking at fine art at an auction the other day and marveled again at how many apples, trees, and ships have been painted over the years. All beautiful to look at and well executed. However, to a large part these do not have an impact on the day to day consciousness of the average person. I would hazard that chances are that if you took a random person from anywhere in the world and showed them a Picasso or a drawing of Spiderman, they would be more likely to identify the Spiderman. As long as these characters (in Spandex or otherwise) have an impact in the collective social consciousness, the market will be viable. (IMO).

I think the Clan McDonald Comics (FB) work with him on original art drops too. Might want to check with them.

Hi Everyone, I'm looking for pages from the following books/stories. Let me know if you are willing to let them go. Weird War 55 - The Abominable Weapon Ghosts 92 – Double Vision Ghosts 73 – Phantom of the Haunted Highway Unexpected 153 – Who’s Sleeping in My Grave Unexpected 203 – The Tricentennial Curse Unexpected 183 – The Dead Don’t Always Die Cheers. Heidjer hstaecker@yahoo.com

Select pieces. I prefer to show a representative group of pages to highlight the strengths of a book/artist/story, etc. If you have too much of one thing, I think it dilutes the impact of any given art. For example, I love Bronze Age DC Horror ... especially the title pages. Does anyone really want to look through a 100 of those, even if I love them? Probably not, and it takes away from a smaller selection of pieces.

I'm probably wrong, but given how pricey Jim Lee pieces have been, I would have thought that the Jim Lee Savage Dragon page (filling in for EL on a run) would have gone for more.

Congrats on the Gene Day piece. It was one I considered but then backed off. Amazing piece!

I, for one, am glad that the crash is finally here.

Just received my one purchase. I have been looking for a Marvels: Eye of the Camera page, and landed on the perfect one ... with Monsters! I am in awe of Jay Anacleto's pencils.

Did not seem as frenzied as the last few auctions. The rest of the auction will prove out whether there is a dip or it was just these pieces.

Way back when I first had the opportunity to buy comics more as a collectible, I came to the understanding that dealers generally mark up 50% from their purchase price in order to make their margins. Now, when it's a $5 book, it doesn't seem that bad, but it's much more noticeable when the 000's start being added to the pieces. Realistically, things haven't changed though ... just pieces are more in demand now. If the price is too high, people won't buy.

True, but considering that I have only parted with a small number of pieces over the years, its more of a fictional understanding with a wink and a nod ... "Oh, it's an investment! (But I know it's not)". :-)