Post your Heritage Art wins!

[Bronty]

sure was a bargain compared to some of the... let's face it... average... kirbys that go for 20k. big congrats to the buyer.

[WYLDCHYLD]

You're right...I was going by the big 13 I saw on the top of the page, my bad.

 

I saw the little 1s on the top and in the corner, but I assumed they were referring to pg-1 of the individual STORY, not of the book itself.

I thought there were two THOR stories per issue, and assumed this was pg-1 the second one.

 

It was an impulse bidding on this piece anyway...no, I didn't research the piece well, I just thought it was a nice looking piece and bid on it. No biggie.

[westform]

Huh? But it says page 13 on the top of the art...!?!? I'll admit, I didn't look it up in the comic as I have no access to the comic right now...Did I screw up?

 

Yes and there may be a 13 in the upper left corner but there's a big 1 in the lower right corner.

 

There's also a "P.1" in the upper right-hand corner and a "1" within the art in the lower right-hand corner:

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=94010#

 

So three pretty visible "1's".

 

 

I guess I'm having a really hard time believing that:

 

1. Anybody bidding upwards of $40K on this would have done zero homework on it;

 

2. That where it's placed in the book is more important than the actual image.

 

Forget the fact that it's already been on Romitaman described as a first page. Let's assume all the bidders made the same mistake and thought it was a page 13 vs. a page 1. How much more would they have bid? 2X? 3X? 4X?

 

 

To me, this was a great Kirby SA splash. About as good as it gets. And it hammered at $44K. So I'm going to be skeptical about anyone who tries to tell me that another Kirby splash from the same period (short of a first appearance) is worth 3.5X. This result is the best counter-argument to any justifications such as "fresh to market", "hung in a museum", and (my favorite), the oh-so-hard-to-prove "secret backroom deals that only us BSD's know about".

 

$44K. Repeat it like a mantra.

 

I guess I'm missing some of the points here. Yeah, I know it was 'listed' on a dealer's site for silly money, but really 44k seems like a pretty darn good price for a piece of prime Kirby/AYERS art, even if it is Thor. That seems like twice up cover price to me and yes it is early (number 2) but it is a splash. I remember not too long ago when people were absolutely floored when a Kirby/Colletta Thor cover went for 45k... All in all, it may not have blown any doors off but it still seems like a solid price, especially with so much quality material in one auction. The unsold Schomburg cover suprised me more, especially when the recreation went for nearly the asking price of the published cover... ok, it is all about subject matter... I get it... still, seems like the untouched gem of the auction to me. And, yes, I'm biased because I own a Schomburg Harvey cover, but hey, I also own a Kirby Thor splash.

[bedrockcomics]

I again thought watching on line was fascinating. I didn't go for any of the Martin Greim jams, but they went at interesting prices. I would not have guessed the piece with Kirby going for $22,705, and being 4x the piece with Caniff, Williamson, Gould, Anderson, Kane, etc.

 

I really dug those jam pieces. Martin Greim must be a helluva nice guy, because each and every one of those artists did him right. All the figures are in scale to each other and of high-quality. And they're huge, too. I can only imagine how impressive they must be in person, especially all together.

 

But I had no idea they'd finish as high as they did:

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93055

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93056

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93057

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93058

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93059

 

http://comics.ha.com/common/view_item.php?Sale_No=7013&Lot_No=93060

 

Good for Greim!

 

I had the great pleasure of seeing these pieces in person and let me tell you - they were very impressive together - The story goes that he would mail these huge boards off to the various artists who would do a finished piece for him - And then they would mail the board back to him ( the good old days ) .Martin has been in the field for many years and had a great personal relationship with many of the artists - Also was very impressed with his original Eisner Spirit cover - very sweet .And yes Martin is a GREAT guy !

[westform]

Indeed. That Spirit cover rocked, and may be the piece I regret not going for more actively when hindsight sets in.... and those jam pieces were unbelievable!!

[Nexus]

I guess I'm missing some of the points here.

 

The point is that with:

 

-- no outside "help";

 

-- no dubious, exaggerated hype;

 

-- no shenanigans;

 

a prime SA Kirby splash at auction goes for...$44K.

 

Given that, I would be skeptical of valuations of similar, non-key, SA Kirby splashes at 3.5X that amount.

 

 

[Nexus]

I had the great pleasure of seeing these pieces in person and let me tell you - they were very impressive together - The story goes that he would mail these huge boards off to the various artists who would do a finished piece for him - And then they would mail the board back to him ( the good old days ) .Martin has been in the field for many years and had a great personal relationship with many of the artists - Also was very impressed with his original Eisner Spirit cover - very sweet .And yes Martin is a GREAT guy !

 

Thanks for the first-hand account. These were obviously a labor of love for Greim. It couldn't have been an easy decision to sell. Nice that he got a good result. (thumbs u

[westform]

I guess I'm missing some of the points here.

 

The point is that with:

 

-- no outside "help";

 

-- no dubious, exaggerated hype;

 

-- no shenanigans;

 

a prime SA Kirby splash at auction goes for...$44K.

 

Given that, I would be skeptical of valuations of similar, non-key, SA Kirby splashes at 3.5X that amount.

 

 

Ok, I hear you, but would point out that not all 'similar, non-key, SA Kirby splashes' are created equal. While I perhaps can't think of any that would be 3.5x the amount I can think of some that would approach or be double. After all, character matters, inker matters, storyline matters and these things can all influence price upward or downward. Personally, the inker on Kirby plays a major role because he can turn a masterpiece of layout and pencils into something you can feast your eyes on every day, or something you grow weary and tired of as you notice the deficiencies overpowering the pencils... just my opine.

[Nexus]

Ok, I hear you, but would point out that not all 'similar, non-key, SA Kirby splashes' are created equal. While I perhaps can't think of any that would be 3.5x the amount I can think of some that would approach or be double. After all, character matters, inker matters, storyline matters and these things can all influence price upward or downward. Personally, the inker on Kirby plays a major role because he can turn a masterpiece of layout and pencils into something you can feast your eyes on every day, or something you grow weary and tired of as you notice the deficiencies overpowering the pencils... just my opine.

 

Absolutely, multiple variables influence valuation. There are some non-key SA Kirby splashes that will be worth more than $44K and some less. And with Kirby, the inker is huge. But 3.5X? C'mon...

 

Undoubtedly, there are owners of non-key SA Kirby splashes with six-figure price tags who will be coming up with all kinds of excuses why the JIM splash sold too cheap (I gotta say, confusing page numbering is a new one ) , or how this sale has no bearing on the value of their piece. Of course, if the JIM splash had somehow hammered at $150K, then it'd be a comp.

[Nexus]

You're right...I was going by the big 13 I saw on the top of the page, my bad.

 

I saw the little 1s on the top and in the corner, but I assumed they were referring to pg-1 of the individual STORY, not of the book itself.

I thought there were two THOR stories per issue, and assumed this was pg-1 the second one.

 

It was an impulse bidding on this piece anyway...no, I didn't research the piece well, I just thought it was a nice looking piece and bid on it. No biggie.

 

C'mon, Jon. There's a big fat "12" in the same spot on this piece that you know so well:

 

http://www.romitaman.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=6002&ArtistId=921&Details=1&From=Room

 

Does that make it "page 12"?

 

Kinda hard to see how, with all your experience and expertise in dealing high-end SA art (and I mean this, I'm not being sarcastic), you'd make this mistake:

 

IAlso bid on the JIM #84 splash...it's nice, but what folks are forgetting is it's not the pg-1 splash, it was the page 13 (splash to the second story), and that made a big difference in what I thought it was worth...

 

[delekkerste]

Now here was a strong sale:

 

Lot 94264: Original Comic Art Bernie Wrightson Creepy #63 Title Page 1 "Jenifer" Original Art (Warren, 1974)

 

$11,000.00 ($13,145.00 with bp)

 

"Jenifer", by Bruce Jones and Bernie Wrightson, is one of the absolute best horror stories of the Bronze Age and the title page fetched a very strong price reflecting that fact. What I wonder, though, is will anyone remember the story or its place in the horror canon in, say, 25-30 years? Or will it just become just another Wrightson page that isn't Swamp Thing or Frankenstein by then? I doubt that very many people on the Boards even now are familiar with the story.

 

I ask this because it's become pretty clear to me that a lot of comics and comic OA have become de facto investments for people, especially recently, whether they want to admit it or not (and, more and more, people are readily acknowledging it, from the dealers and auction houses down to the collectors). I really wonder, though, if people have a good handle on how much knowledge will be diluted or lost to the sands of time in the coming years/decades and the effect that will have on the value of their nostalgia-based investments.

[comicartcom]

Now here was a strong sale:

 

Lot 94264: Original Comic Art Bernie Wrightson Creepy #63 Title Page 1 "Jenifer" Original Art (Warren, 1974)

 

$11,000.00 ($13,145.00 with bp)

 

"Jenifer", by Bruce Jones and Bernie Wrightson, is one of the absolute best horror stories of the Bronze Age and the title page fetched a very strong price reflecting that fact. What I wonder, though, is will anyone remember the story or its place in the horror canon in, say, 25-30 years? Or will it just become just another Wrightson page that isn't Swamp Thing or Frankenstein by then? I doubt that very many people on the Boards even now are familiar with the story.

 

I ask this because it's become pretty clear to me that a lot of comics and comic OA have become de facto investments for people, especially recently, whether they want to admit it or not (and, more and more, people are readily acknowledging it, from the dealers and auction houses down to the collectors). I really wonder, though, if people have a good handle on how much knowledge will be diluted or lost to the sands of time in the coming years/decades and the effect that will have on the value of their nostalgia-based investments.

 

the answer to the question is obvious

 

I looked at the results for Heritage and the results are fairly skewed towards a certain era. Comic Strips and Golden Age art was dull in comparison to post-1960 material and Marvel in particular and the less important the matrial is today, the lower the prices were.. in 20 years that skew will be different yet again just as it is different today from 20 years ago

 

[*paull*]

I ask this because it's become pretty clear to me that a lot of comics and comic OA have become de facto investments for people, especially recently, whether they want to admit it or not (and, more and more, people are readily acknowledging it, from the dealers and auction houses down to the collectors). I really wonder, though, if people have a good handle on how much knowledge will be diluted or lost to the sands of time in the coming years/decades and the effect that will have on the value of their nostalgia-based investments.

 

Good post.

[Nexus]

I've seen at least one prominent dealer compare OA to the stock market. Pretty irresponsible. It's inevitable that an investment mentality emerges, though, when we're talking about the dollar levels OA has reached. This is not a cheap hobby and we all rationalize our spending to one degree or another.

 

But is there anyone who doesn't realize that nostalgia-based collectibles will be worth less over time as fan bases shrink? I love 80's independents and when I look at some of the titles I collect from that period (NEXUS, MAGE, et al), of course I know that they will become more obscure with each passing year and likely lose value as a result. Seems kind of obvious! But I buy it because I like it, like most other collectors.

 

We've talked about this with Vampirella, one of your collecting focuses. Unless Vampi is brought back into public consciousness, it will be a slow fade into oblivion, no matter how popular the character once was.

 

At the same time, I don't think you can paint all OA with the "nostalgia-based" brush. Some OA transcends nostalgia and will endure. Anyone who spends enough time studying the hobby should be able to identify and only buy pieces that will likely increase in value for them, both short-term and long-term (kind of a sad way to collect, though).

 

As for "Jenifer" specifically...I think it all comes down to Berni Wrightson. If SWAMP THING and FRANKENSTEIN have any value at all 25-30 years from now, it will be due to Wrightson's art (it won't be because Swamp Thing suddenly becomes a cultural icon!). And if Wrightson's art still has value, so will "Jenifer".

 

I haven't talked to him since the auction, but I'm pretty sure I know who won that piece. He's a huge Wrightson fan. He's also a savvy businessman. How those two factored into his decision-making process, I don't know. I'll see if I can get him to answer here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ComicConnect.com]

So what is a Wrightson Swamp Thing cover worth these days?

 

[BucOne-migration]

Now here was a strong sale:

 

Lot 94264: Original Comic Art Bernie Wrightson Creepy #63 Title Page 1 "Jenifer" Original Art (Warren, 1974)

 

$11,000.00 ($13,145.00 with bp)

 

"Jenifer", by Bruce Jones and Bernie Wrightson, is one of the absolute best horror stories of the Bronze Age and the title page fetched a very strong price reflecting that fact. What I wonder, though, is will anyone remember the story or its place in the horror canon in, say, 25-30 years? Or will it just become just another Wrightson page that isn't Swamp Thing or Frankenstein by then? I doubt that very many people on the Boards even now are familiar with the story.

 

I ask this because it's become pretty clear to me that a lot of comics and comic OA have become de facto investments for people, especially recently, whether they want to admit it or not (and, more and more, people are readily acknowledging it, from the dealers and auction houses down to the collectors). I really wonder, though, if people have a good handle on how much knowledge will be diluted or lost to the sands of time in the coming years/decades and the effect that will have on the value of their nostalgia-based investments.

 

the answer to the question is obvious

 

I looked at the results for Heritage and the results are fairly skewed towards a certain era. Comic Strips and Golden Age art was dull in comparison to post-1960 material and Marvel in particular and the less important the matrial is today, the lower the prices were.. in 20 years that skew will be different yet again just as it is different today from 20 years ago

 

I agree 100% SA art is way more impressive then GA.

[Mephisto]

So what is a Wrightson Swamp Thing cover worth these days?

 

According to Stephen $400,000.

[Bronty]

That's really not what he's saying... he means the bidding was dull not the art

[Mighty Hal]

I loved "Jenifer". For me, it was absolute comic Art.

 

Which brings up: If comic OA is valued primarily because of nostalgia, is it really art at all?

[tth2]

So what is a Wrightson Swamp Thing cover worth these days?

If The Fish owns one, one zillion dollars. If he doesn`t own one, $0.01.