Alex Ross - Art overpriced

[BucOne-migration]

Why are these watercolor cover's sooo expensive?

 

http://www.alexrossart.com/

[comix4fun]

Why are these watercolor cover's sooo expensive?

 

http://www.alexrossart.com/

 

 

 

Alex Ross art costs a lot of money....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, Ross art has been priced at these levels for over a decade.

 

Alex has sold individual pieces for more than $50,000 each.

 

His art has a high price level and some very well to do fans, that doesn't mean it's overpriced. It just means it is expensive to own.

 

C

[SuperBird]

also, why does all his stuff now seem so... average?

[delekkerste]

also, why does all his stuff now seem so... average?

 

Familiarity breeds contempt.

[Bronty]

Why are these watercolor cover's sooo expensive?

 

http://www.alexrossart.com/

 

 

 

Alex Ross art costs a lot of money....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seriously though, Ross art has been priced at these levels for over a decade.

 

Alex has sold individual pieces for more than $50,000 each.

 

His art has a high price level and some very well to do fans, that doesn't mean it's overpriced. It just means it is expensive to own.

 

C

 

I hear you but at the same time I agree with the OP. I guess I think a lot of modern art is overpriced. I mean $20k for small paintings (12 x 16 is a frickin' tiny painting by normal illustration or fine art standards) that are covers from books I've mostly never heard of, and from a living artist? Pass.

 

I'm not saying all vintage art is good and modern art is bad, far from it. I'm not even saying that vintage art is priced well But Ross prices to me are a little bit like cgc 9.8 prices. They may really sell for that, but it sure leaves me scratching my head.

[Solar]

It's hard for an artist to bring down primary prices once they've been inflated. When you sell a cover for $20K and then a comparable cover for $10K two years later, you're not only hurting your own market, but the percieved value of the art in the collections of those who supported you at the higher price point.

 

Artists/galleries can really kill their careers by overpricing work based on an overheated market. Alex Ross's market was through the roof at certain points in the 90s and when the demand came back down to Earth, the prices did not. This is the reason galleries/artists in the mainstream art world are often opposed to work being sold at auction; it exposes the true market value of work they're trying to move at an inflated price point based on past value.

[Jesusjon]

This is the reason galleries/artists in the mainstream art world are often opposed to work being sold at auction; it exposes the true market value of work they're trying to move at an inflated price point based on past value.

 

Right -- this is why I agree it's overpriced. When pieces come to auction they sell for a fraction of the price they are available for from his rep. I'll say though that the cream of the crop has probably retained its value decently. It's just the B grade all the way down stuff that has not.

 

That said, his stuff is not "priced to sell" and if he does sell one or two pieces a month, that is a nice chunk of change. So that model could easily work for him.

[3319comics]

and here I want to get one for my guest bathrooms :shrug:

[Bronty]

well put

[Raphael]

yep.. I'll stick to buying the comic and eventually getting him to sign it

[jbud73]

It's hard for an artist to bring down primary prices once they've been inflated. When you sell a cover for $20K and then a comparable cover for $10K two years later, you're not only hurting your own market, but the percieved value of the art in the collections of those who supported you at the higher price point.

 

Artists/galleries can really kill their careers by overpricing work based on an overheated market. Alex Ross's market was through the roof at certain points in the 90s and when the demand came back down to Earth, the prices did not. This is the reason galleries/artists in the mainstream art world are often opposed to work being sold at auction; it exposes the true market value of work they're trying to move at an inflated price point based on past value.

 

That's a great post Solar, and that's also why 90% of my stuff was acquired at auction. Now I know that there are certain pieces that are only going to be obtained through a private transaction, but my caution has saved me literally thousands over what I would have paid privately for the same, or similar pieces.

 

I think this is especially true last about 2 years ago when I was new to the market, or a rule I impose when venturing into a new market.

[DStorm]

I agree. Great post. His stuff is nice but insanely over-priced. I don't see these prices holding up over-time. There are far too many pieces available. It's not like this art is "rare" or anything. Alex has done tons of work over the years and still tons more to come! There aren't enough collectors who want his art at these price points to support it!

[stagedoorjohnny]

Right -- this is why I agree it's overpriced. When pieces come to auction they sell for a fraction of the price they are available for from his rep. I'll say though that the cream of the crop has probably retained its value decently. It's just the B grade all the way down stuff that has not.

 

 

Overpriced? Perhaps. But that is too much of a blanket statement. Wouldn't it really depend on the actual piece? And if you are going to acquire a modern piece, is buying an Alex Ross such a bad choice? He's pretty much at the top of the game right now and has been for quite some time. Isn't there something to be said for buying the "perceived" best?

 

I'm just curious, where has his art (and I am zeroing in strictly on cover art) really come to auction in any types of quantity? I saw the Overstreet covers at Heritage just recently and I thought they did pretty well with the exception of the Flash 1 recreation.

 

And I will agree that from my limited knowledge and experience of the marketplace for his artwork, the really good stuff or cream of the crop seems to hold up well. It's the more "pedestrian" images (and there's lots of them) I have a difficult time gauging as far as true value goes. Any insight from anyone with regards to these last comments for this OA newbie?

[Mighty Hal]

I don't own anything by Ross but I think he's is a strong artist and, when and if books are written about the Modern comic age, his work is going to be highlighted.

 

The thing about Alex Ross is this: His prices are what they are. If you want an original Ross from the artist himself, you pay his price. If enough people choose to walk away from those prices, maybe those prices will come down.

 

Pricing info? According to Mythology: The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross, all of the art to his one-shot Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth sold for $30,000 (the monies went to the Twin Towers charity); the art for his one-shot, Superman: Peace on Earth sold for $81,000 (the cash went to Unicef); and the art for his one-shot, Batman: War on Crime sold for $157,400 (with the money donated to the Reisenbach Charter School in Harlem) with one splash going for $65K alone.

 

Of course, these numbers are nearly a decade old and the cash was raised for charity...so that definitely influences today's numbers.

[CollectingFool]

Alex Ross art was popular and sold well but he had an agent that participated on Comicart-L (a woman if I remember correctly) and she priced things fairly. With her being on the Comicart-L it was usually pretty easy to make a deal too. Then, the charity auction happened and his prices went through the roof!

 

I had arranged to purchase a Green Lantern cover that Alex painted over Gil Kane inks. They were just waiting for the cover to be returned to the Kane household and I could have it. The price at the time (a deal I'll admit) was about $2500. Well, SOMEONE stole the art from the DC offices. The art didn't get back to the family so I couldn't buy it. Then, the charity auction blew the roof off of the Ross market and any thoughts I had about getting a Ross cover went straight out the window. The GL cover did turn up a bit later (DC vigorously investigated it) but by then there was no way in hell my deal was still happening.

 

Ruben

http://www.collectingfool.com

[mister_not_so_nice]

I had arranged to purchase a Green Lantern cover that Alex painted over Gil Kane inks. They were just waiting for the cover to be returned to the Kane household and I could have it. The price at the time (a deal I'll admit) was about $2500. Well, SOMEONE stole the art from the DC offices. The art didn't get back to the family so I couldn't buy it. Then, the charity auction blew the roof off of the Ross market and any thoughts I had about getting a Ross cover went straight out the window. The GL cover did turn up a bit later (DC vigorously investigated it) but by then there was no way in hell my deal was still happening.

 

Ruben

http://www.collectingfool.com

 

That story sucks!

I'm waiting right now to hear from an artist about pages that were supposedly mailed back already. First they said he only sent in digitals and not originals, than they said they found the originals and have now mailed them. Certainly not Alex Ross caliber stuff, but stuff I have already struck a deal on.

 

And to remain slightly On Topic, my first exposure to Alex Ross was in the Sandman Mystery Theatre annual. Read that book, and when you turn the page and see his work it'll stop you dead in your tracks. There's a reason he can get the prices he does.

[Big Daddy]

Personally I think his stuff is awesome. If I had the money I'd definitely pick up a piece of OA from him. Hopefully in the future I'll be able to pick up a small OA piece instead of just a print. If you think his prices are bad compare them to say McFarlane.

[*paull*]

I like Ross' covers, even though I'll admit that they can be too similar (hero streaking through air, a bunch of heros standing with their arms crossed looking tough, etc.). However, I don't really care for his storytelling. I liked Marvels, but didn't like Uncle Sam at all, and really didn't care for Kingdom Come. The large sized Batman, Superman and WW books didn't really interest me either.

[Bronty]

I like Ross' covers, even though I'll admit that they can be too similar (hero streaking through air, a bunch of heros standing with their arms crossed looking tough, etc.). However, I don't really care for his storytelling. I liked Marvels, but didn't like Uncle Sam at all, and really didn't care for Kingdom Come. The large sized Batman, Superman and WW books didn't really interest me either.

 

That's how I feel about his work as well. He's got a minor case of the Vallejo's.

[Galactus]

In conversations with Sal Abananti (Alex's art agent) he mentioned to me that a lot of Alex's new art was being sold abroad, sepcifically Japan. This must play a massive part in keeping the new art prices what they are, as without these sales, there just would not be sufficient people in the US to keep his cover art (which he churns out a 1-4 a month) at the levels that are being asked.