Original Arts vs High Grade Key Issues

[GotToHaveComics]

Given the choice what would you rather buy based from appreciation of price and marketability (buyers willing to pay asking price).

For example, the JLA/Avengers issue #1, pages 44 and 45 which sold for $5,000, with that price, would you rather buy high grade key issues?

 

 

 

 

 

[murph0]

Is the original art limited to pieces of comic book art? Or can it be paintings/drawings/etc?

 

Brian

[GotToHaveComics]

Pieces of Comic Books and Comic Covers. Another example would be cover art of Ultimates which cost $2,000 each. Would you buy the cover art or buy an Amazing Spiderman 129 CGC 9.6 or Hulk 181 9.4?

[drbanner]

Pieces of Comic Books and Comic Covers. Another example would be cover art of Ultimates which cost $2,000 each. Would you buy the cover art or buy an Amazing Spiderman 129 CGC 9.6 or Hulk 181 9.4?

 

Did somebody mention Hulk 181 in 9.4, sweet!

[rob_react]

Pieces of Comic Books and Comic Covers. Another example would be cover art of Ultimates which cost $2,000 each. Would you buy the cover art or buy an Amazing Spiderman 129 CGC 9.6 or Hulk 181 9.4?

 

Personally I would buy vintage original art, stuff that has stood the test of time, and not new stuff. So in this scenario I would probably buy none of them. The ASM 129 and Hulk 181 because they're over-valued and the cover to Ultimates because... to me, who cares about an Ultimates cover? I don't even know who does them. I would much rather have a piece from one of the giants of the industry.

[GotToHaveComics]

Ultimates was only an example. But if you prefer a vintage art (tested over time), for example has a current worth of $8000, for the same price of an ASM 14 CGC 9.4. Disregarding your passion of said art but based on marketability and better returns, which would you prefer, the vintage art or the high grade key issue (ASM 14)?

[Mushroom]

A SA or GA cover or splash page. I just like the idea of having something that is historic and that nobody else can have.

[GotToHaveComics]

Any SA/GA covers and splash pages? or it has to be one of the key covers/pages? How much $$$$ would you usually spend (maximum) on for a cover or a page?

[Mushroom]

Naaah...it doesn't have to be a key. One of my favourite pieces is the cover to Weird War Tales 28 (I know it is BA..I was just emphasising a point). I do tend to collect pages from B&B and GA Flash (I have a really cool Turtle splash).

 

My comments were more around what I would prefer to spend on, i.e. original art as opposed to the book.

 

Given the prices of covers and splash pages I have to admit that seriously collecting GA and SA art is out of my reach at present. Maybe one day

[murph0]

My response is basically, I'd rather have the high grade key issues. At this point the only original art I'd want are cover pieces.. and IMO those are so high priced I'd just rather have a nice high grade copy of it instead. I don't know that the cover art prices are warranted, but paying 5-6 grand for a fairly non-important original comic cover just doesn't sit well with me. Much rather buy a non-comic artists piece of work for that kind of money.

If the prices on these became more reasonable, perhaps I'd change my tune, but as it stands now. Would rather have the books..

 

Brian

[delekkerste]

I would rather have the original art, from a collecting point of view, as I think it's visually more impressive and certainly more unique. Even if there is only 1 highest-graded CGC copy of a book, there are usually plenty of others in the grade right beneath that and potentially many thousands of copies of the book overall. I'd much rather own the true one-of-a-kind than a mass-produced item.

 

However, from a price appreciation/marketability point of view, I would much rather own high-grade keys. Not that the comic market is the most liquid I can think of, but there are certainly more buyers and sellers playing that game than original art. Furthermore, prices on much quality original art has appreciated to levels where more and more of the already limited potential buyers are getting priced out of the market. I also think the vast majority of the high-dollar pieces were acquired at pennies on today's dollars in the 1980s and early 1990s...from what I have seen and heard, these people are generally not putting big dollars into the original art market at today's levels.

 

Also, I think Murph makes a valid point...prices on comic art have, in some cases, soared to such levels where it is not a good value compared to "real" art. Personally, I am a fan of Boris Vallejo's work...you can buy a stunning Boris original painting for $5,000-$15,000. Yet, there is some really Bronze stuff that has been selling for $5K+ (Trimpe Hulk covers come to mind). Two of my more recent art purchases were of oversized paintings...I just feel that there is more substance and value there than in a lot of the small, black and white production art pieces that are also going for thousands of dollars in today's market.

 

Gene

[GotToHaveComics]

I'm lucky to be in this forum because I usually receive great feedbacks from seasoned collectors that share their experience. Thanks delekkerste and murph0. I do much appreciate your feedbacks.