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Watchmen Original Art -- more or less desirable now?

Started by dem1138,

276 posts in this topic

dem1138

dem1138

Posted
Posted

A buddy of mine brought this up. Now that the movie is out and there are certainly mixed feelings about it, how does this make those of you who wanted the OA prior to seeing the movie feel? Do you now want a page more or less now?

 

I've been searching for the right page for months and I recently lost out on a gem. I would still very much like to own a great page, but I can't say that I would still pay top dollar for one. I would definitely pay what I think FMV is though.

 

Others?

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comix4fun

comix4fun

Posted
Posted
A buddy of mine brought this up. Now that the movie is out and there are certainly mixed feelings about it, how does this make those of you who wanted the OA prior to seeing the movie feel? Do you now want a page more or less now?

 

I've been searching for the right page for months and I recently lost out on a gem. I would still very much like to own a great page, but I can't say that I would still pay top dollar for one. I would definitely pay what I think FMV is though.

 

Others?

 

 

I agree 100%

 

Movie Hype is the single best reason in the world to sell.

 

Movie Hype is the single worst reason in the world to buy.

 

Movie Hype by definition is ephemeral. It cannot last or be sustained.

 

A lot of collecting is emotion. Hype and marketing and constant images and attention have the effect of a flame in front of a moth..."Ooooh Shiny!"

 

That's why, after the San Diego release of the trailer last year, there was a frenzy for artwork. Whenever I see that I run in the other direction...or if I have some of the art that is the subject of that frenzy...I sell.

 

As a buyer the same feelings, and rationale, and love for the art and story drive me to like and want artwork that was there before the movie and will be there long after it's gone.

 

The very best of Watchmen pages will still demand gigantic sums of money. Sums that may seem beyond all reason. But that has nothing to do with the film and everything to do with how groudnbreaking, important and lasting the comic was and continues to be. Once the hype dissolves, buyers that appreciate Watchmen for "the right reasons" (i.e. NOT because it was made into a movie) will be left. Which is a good thing for everyone involved.

 

Best,

Chris

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stinkininkin

stinkininkin

Posted
Posted
A buddy of mine brought this up. Now that the movie is out and there are certainly mixed feelings about it, how does this make those of you who wanted the OA prior to seeing the movie feel? Do you now want a page more or less now?

 

I've been searching for the right page for months and I recently lost out on a gem. I would still very much like to own a great page, but I can't say that I would still pay top dollar for one. I would definitely pay what I think FMV is though.

 

Others?

 

Just my opinion, but I don't think the movie matters in the grand scheme of things. Watchmen is an iconic touchstones in the history of comics. It will always be so, despite how the movie does or doesn't do at the box office. I say that as a collector who like you, would love to get a killer page, and would expect to have to pay top dollar to do so. And in my opinion, top dollar now will seem "cheap" in 5 years.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Scott Williams

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Nexus

Nexus

Posted
Posted

Agree with you guys. Whether a movie exists, or its relative quality, has zero impact on my desire for a page. Speaking for myself, I was 16 when this came out, it was a huge event, and the art transports me back to my youth. So nostalgia, like most of my collection, is the driving force. What does that say about its future prospects? I really don't care.

 

As an aside-- for those keeping tabs-- I hear that a prime WM page will very likely be in the next Heritage auction. It's not in the bare-bones preview yet...but keep your eyes peeled.

 

 

 

 

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Jesusjon

Jesusjon

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Still desire the art just as much now that the film has landed. They're two different animals.

 

There was a time when the hype was in full swing that I was kind of accepting of having to pay more for "the right page" for me. Then I sort of came to my senses and backed off wanting to pay some additional "movie hype" premium. (on top of the usual premiums it takes to separate the owner of a page from said page if they're not outright selling the thing, or if it's an in demand example that demands a premium anyhow)

 

I'm now hoping that if someone is selling a Watchmen page, their expectations are free from movie hype. Whatever else is going on that may push the price of that page up or down, at least I won't be hearing as much hyperbole about some holy grail of a film coming soon to a theater near me.

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Jesusjon

Jesusjon

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Thanks for the heads up, Felix! Whatever this page winds up selling for on Heritage will certainly set the bar for FMV.

 

Well let's hope it sets the bar on price for a prime page. If it's one thing about this hobby that's frustrating, it's how a prime piece sells for X, but then suddenly everyone thinks their art is worth that even if it's varying degrees of quality below.

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chromium

chromium

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Posted

I would agree that the movie isn't that connected to the value/price of Watchmen OA and I think some of you will agree that there were fewer pages than expected that that came on the open market the last 6 months or so.

 

I've had a few offers on my page over the last year or so,most have been for trade or asking for a sale price, but two have been with concrete offers. One was pretty high, more than double the amount that I valued the page at when I got it last year. I was tempted to sell but managed to resist as I'm pretty confident prices will not go down for a very long time.

 

The last decade there have been too many instances where I put off buying something because I thought the market price was too high and I would get it when the market cooled off. Never worked out for me...prices are now even higher on each and every item I chose to postpone and some of them are out of my reach for ever.

 

Will I get a crazy-price-offer again for my page in the near future ? Probably not, but then again even if I did and accepted it I don't think I'll be able to buy a similar page for the money I got for mine...so why sell (shrug)

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Nexus

Nexus

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So which character is the most desirable? Rosharch?

 

Clem

 

For me, the book is called WATCHMEN...not RORSCHACH AND HIS BUDDIES, THE WATCHMEN:P

 

But, no question, Rorschach pages have always been the most sought after. And this is where the movie might impact the art values for certain collectors...say what you will about the movie (outside of a couple of nitpicks, I liked it a lot), there's no question that Rorschach is the star of the show.

 

For a lot of collectors, the book and the art begins and ends with Rorschach. It would be really fun to see a pure Rorschach page up for auction now.

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Eric Seffinga

Eric Seffinga

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The other thing that happens is the new blood brought into the hobby by way of the films.

 

I don't mean that some rube who knows nothing of comics is going to go, "right, I need to spend several grand on a primo Watchmen page".

 

I'm sure this has happened from time to time with some comic film/art, but more likely, it would be comic fans who have been peripherally aware of the book and it's "historical" nature, and has the bucks to jump into or are already in the hobby, but are bolstered into action by the movie's initial hype and then the excitement of seeing it on the screen.

personally I think had the movie been a raging success like 300, that it would be an altogether different game for page prices and demand. Serously.

 

Then there are the flicks that are more cult comics and sell art and books after the flick takes off. 30 Days of Night comes to mind. The Crow was another in it's day.

 

As for Watchmen art, obviously Rorschach is the underdog, the outsider, the loner that doesn't get the girl (or one might argue even know what to do with one) the easiest to understand motivations, and so it's no surprise he's the character that most resonates with comic fans. It's simple supply and demand after that. More demand? More $$,$$$

 

-e.

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cheekyj2112

cheekyj2112

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Posted

To me, Watchmen will always be one of the "blue chips" of this hobby; still in print and selling through comic shops and book shops alike by the bucketload 22 yrs on. It's the most feted work by the greatest writer (no caveat that) to work in this medium, regardless of any film that has been adapted out of it.

Does the fact that League was a pants film change our perception of the comic?

 

If I was still looking for a Watchmen page now I wouldn't be expecting to pay prices as if the movie had never happened.

The Watchmen movie may have focused attention on the original art but post the movie I don't see the prices going back to pre-movie prices. V for Vendetta pages spiked up around the time of the film and I've certainly not seen them come back to pre-movie prices, although they do appear to have come down a bit (unless you look at Coolines prices, that is :P )

 

The lasting legacy will probably be that collectors looking to sell Watchmen pages who hear about the $20k+ prices achieved now will be unlikely to settle for $5k after, even though they actually have a "C" grade page.

As usual, my tuppence.

 

Re characters- As someone who is actually selling Watchmen originals, I feel qualified to confirm that about 4 out of 5 enquiries I get are looking for originals with Rorschach.

Although I doubt that will come as any great surprise to anyone who's awake.

 

Cheers

Joseph

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

 

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Claudio

Claudio

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Splash page has some color guides from the Watchmen Absolute edition and one of the best shots of Rorschach went for 750 bucks! For a color guide! From the Absolute edition! Wow. I will never underestimate Watchmen art again.

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cheekyj2112

cheekyj2112

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Splash page has some color guides from the Watchmen Absolute edition and one of the best shots of Rorschach went for 750 bucks! For a color guide! From the Absolute edition! Wow. I will never underestimate Watchmen art again.

 

Well I'm not sure they're guides, more proofs. I don't see them as part of the creative process at all. I likened it to the McKean covers which were created digitally and then a colour copy printed as a 1 of 1 limited edition. How is that "original" in any sense of the word.

I do wonder if people are confusing them with the original colour guides (hand coloured by Higgins) that accompanied the original Watchmen pages.

Having said that, all power to Splashpage, I never could have imagined anyone paying that much for those proofs.

 

Joseph

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

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slym2none

slym2none

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Posted
Does the fact that League was a pants film change our perception of the comic?

 

I'm guessing that "pants" means "bad?"

 

Pardon my American ignorance of British colloquialisms...

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym (is learning, though)

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cheekyj2112

cheekyj2112

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Does the fact that League was a pants film change our perception of the comic?

 

I'm guessing that "pants" means "bad?"

 

Pardon my American ignorance of British colloquialisms...

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

-slym (is learning, though)

 

It does.

Useful in polite company and on message boards as a substitute for . :grin:

 

Joseph

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=9492

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Nexus

Nexus

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These were just posted to CAF:

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=487779&GSub=76477

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=487780&GSub=76477

 

They were displayed at the Harrod's comic art exhibit last year. Really great to see them on CAF. I had only seen them previously in small photos taken at the show.

 

Anyhow, both top-notch examples and would be highly sought after if they were available. Movie or no movie.

 

To change the direction of this thread a bit-- which page is more desirable?

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