What OA Can You Get For $30K

[clemso]

Ok, I don't have $30K, but if I did, what original can I buy these days?

 

A goog Killing Joke page perhaps? a Ditko ASM battle page? Kirby Thor splash? or how about a Kirby X-Men 1 page ?

 

Clem...

[delekkerste]

To the tune of Billy Joel's "Moving Out":

 

"Anthony works at the comic book store

Saving his pennies for OA

Momma Leone left a note on the door

She said, "Sonny, stop wasting your money

Overpriced art can give you a heart attacKK-KK-KK-KK

You oughtta know by now

Who needs a Kirby splash with a missing stat?

Is that all you get for your money?"

It seems such a waste of 30 grand

If that's what the hobby's all about...

Momma, if that's trading up, than I'm...selling out!"

 

[spider9698]

Gene

Well put.

S

[westform]

no, no, maybe, and no.

[clemso]

I must admit, I don't understand the reply? This post is a kind of follow on from the Killing Joke & SD report thread. Clem...

 

To the tune of Billy Joel's "Moving Out":

 

"Anthony works at the comic book store

Saving his pennies for OA

Momma Leone left a note on the door

She said, "Sonny, stop wasting your money

Overpriced art can give you a heart attacKK-KK-KK-KK

You oughtta know by now

Who needs a Kirby splash with a missing stat?

Is that all you get for your money?"

It seems such a waste of 30 grand

If that's what the hobby's all about...

Momma, if that's trading up, than I'm...selling out!"

 

[delekkerste]

I must admit, I don't understand the reply? This post is a kind of follow on from the Killing Joke & SD report thread. Clem...

 

I'm just saying that it's a sad day when $30K doesn't go very far in this hobby anymore. I guess there are some people who are happy about it (dealers, those who have large collections already, those who are happy to see competition priced out of the market, etc.) but I think it's making the hobby a lot less fun for most people. Don't get me wrong, I am a capitalist and merely point this out as a statement of fact, not to advocate any changes in pricing or practices in the hobby...the market will sort things out on the downside as well as the upside.

 

I find it sad that you can hardly go to a convention and make an impulse buy anymore - you have to take a few rolls of $10,000 in cash or a shoebox full of $100 bills (seriously, I know people who do this), load up your checking account in advance and have your accountant & financial planner on your cell phone's speed-dial unless you're planning on making anything less than a token purchase! It really sucks a lot of the fun out of things when pieces are costing half a BMW or half a year of some people's mortgage payments or more. And, woe to any newbies wanting to break into the hobby at these prices unless their collecting goals are modest...

 

That said, we'll see if the market can sustain these kinds of price levels or if more people decide that enough is enough and the market adjusts.

[mrpunch0]

For 30K?

 

Screw the high end stuff. I'm buying some of the $500-$2500 pieces by my favorite artists that I have been eying for a while. (Which it seems like were all $250-$1500 just yesterday.)

 

Then I'm taking the left over money and framing them all.

 

Then I'm taking the money left over from that and taking the family on a nice vacation (so my wife forgets how much money I just spent on OA.)

 

I'm in this hobby for fun – and my idea of fun is not the bleeding ulcer-inducing purchase of one piece of paper for 30K. Especially if it is for investment purposes.

[Solar]

For $30K, I'll go with a nice Sandman page and a used BMW M3. Thanks.

[Mighty Hal]

$30K? How'za 'bout $30 dollars?

 

The dealer site, Fanfare Entertainment, is currently offering 50 or so pages of original comic art for $5 - $25. I'm not pitching on their behalf -- these aren't pages I love but that doesn't mean there isn't some quality there; I'm just trying to make a point. That same $30 bucks will pick you up some solid superhero OA each and every day...just check Comic Art Fans, eBay, and several of the dealer sites.

 

If I had thirty thousands bucks, I'd significantly upgrade my collection. I wouldn't be buying the overpriced Kirby splash or paying nonsense money for a Killing Joke panel page...I'd get myself that great Wally Wood/Sally Forth cover that went unclaimed on eBay for $4K. I'd pick up that terrific Jae Lee Vampirella cover that's currently floating out there for $1K. There's at least one very nice Bolland/Animal Man cover at a dealer site for $2K. And, yep, I'd buy 'em all.

 

Then I'd save the rest of the money for my typical purchases: $250 here, $400 there, and the occasional $30 piece. I wouldn't have a great Kirby...and I'd sure admire your's when I saw it...but I would have a great collection.

 

[Jarren]

Thanks Hal for the Site for 30k I would buy this that I found on it

http://www.fanfare-se.com/Featured.asp?Piece=8949

[Jesusjon]

This is a pretty depressing thread considering my threshold is around 3K, with an extension for something really special. I've been thinking the past couple months about how I only want to buy "the best" art from the artists I like. (luckily, not a big Kirby/Ditko fan) Every time I settle for something less than the best I'm not content with it/attached to it, and later on part with it.

 

Honestly, it makes the hobby not a lot of fun. If nearly every purchase is a financial burden, it just stresses me out to think about spending a lot of money (cause 3K is still a lot of money) on a B or C grade example. (that I'm trying to convince myself I could enjoy because I can never see affording the A grade example)

 

Ho hum.

 

To answer the question, if 30K dropped out of the sky for me to spend on art, I'd buy Grade A V For Vendetta, Watchmen, and Kingdom Come pages, and with the last 4K or so try to find a Killing Joke prelim page and some modern art

 

J

[Thomas]

For $30K, I'll go with a nice Sandman page and a used BMW M3. Thanks.

 

Ha, this is exactly the way I compare it. Every time I see art that's priced like this I keep thinking to myself, would I rather have that piece of art or a used Corvette?

 

I could never fathom spending that much on a piece of art. I really enjoy hunting and finding art that really appeals to me for a few hundred. Finding those gems are a highlight in the collecting of OA for me anyways.

[dem1138]

The same sentiments could be expressed by those of us who collected comic books as a kid. Comic books were a wonderful hobby in the 80s. On a small budget, I could go to a con and pick up silver age keys and even trade for a Golden Age Captain America, or an issue of More Fun. I could find ASM #4 for $20, etc., etc. It was such a great hobby because it was all so affordable. Sure I wasn't owning NM copies of these gems, but they were usually in decent (VG - F+) condition and you could read them (carefully). I remember a dealer once GAVE ME a copy of Daredevil #1 because the top half of the cover was torn off. I feel a little sorry for young collectors now because $20 will get you a variant Civil War cover (maybe) and most of the "good stuff" is too expensive to collect in bulk.

 

It's a hobby. It's a shame. Prices go up.

 

Heck, home ownership used to be fun too. There were programs to get the middle-class into a home in safe, rural, developing neighborhoods and houses were relatively affordable on an average salary.

[Mighty Hal]

Hey, Jarren --

 

I'd never seen "El Cid" before. Sanjulian is terrific -- what a painting. Thanks!

[Jarren]

Yes I would love to own just one of his Paintings I don't think I could ever afford that painting as even $3,000 would be stretching my budget but that site has lots of cheaper originals that fit perfectly within my price range

[justin]

$30k for a Killing Joke page? I'm a Marvel guy so forgive my ignorance, but what is so special about a book from 1988 having it's pages worth $30k?? What the heck happens in the book?

[Artemaria]

Well guys, I have to say thanks.

 

After the past few months, it has been very hard staying in this hobby. The prices are going through the roof and it seems to just get harder and harder to actually close the deal on a page. A great many things are sold before you can get to them. It gets frustrating just missing out on several very nice pages that I would like to acquire one after the other.

 

Next, it was seeing everyone and their mother have an "Art Day" of something that I would love to own, but just simply didn't have the five digit disposable cash on hand to go out and get.

 

And then, here we are on this thread, with alot of the people posting thoughts that are extremely similar to my own (e.g.: if the hobby is becoming one where you need $30K to buy something decent, it will be a very hard hobby to stay in).

 

When I am sitting there wondering what I am doing wrong and whether I will ever buy another piece of art again because a simple (although fairly covetable) panel page is going for $30K, it is nice to hear that there are others thinking the same thing.

 

So, thanks alot guys.

 

Best.

 

- A

 

 

[october]

Who is buying this stuff at 30K+? Long time collectors? Someone told me that there is some new Hollywood money coming in. Not actors, but some directors and writers. Just curious, as I don't really collect OA or follow the market.

 

I saw the KJ page that sold for 35K. I was floored at that price.

[SignatureSelect]

I don't think it takes 30 grand to buy nice art. I just bought a nice Mike Ploog Page out of Marvel spotlight 3 for 200. I think it is a great page and I am happy to own it. I almost bought a Frazetta water color a couple of months ago for 3500. You can buy Mcfarlanes pages for 10 grand or less. I have seen non marvel ditko pages sell for less than 500.

[SignatureSelect]

Now to own stuff like Mcfarlane ASM covers or Frazetta Oil paintings or Kirby Cap or X-men Splash pages or marvel steranko or Mike Ploog covers might cost 30 K. But people can assemble nice OA collections on the cheap.