Original Comic Art Price Guide

[dnuggett]

Hey all! Not new to comics but I am new to comic art. Right now I have a piece from Mooney and I am looking to add a bunch more. My biggest problem is I don't know when I am seeing a good deal or not. I have the comic book market pretty down pat as far as values go, and I keep up with it on a daily basis. I rarely follow it but Overstreet at least gives everyone a "guide" to start from. What is out there similar to Overstreet for comic art? What drives the art market.... is it the same as same concept as books? i.e. age, condition and issue?

[jeremyslawsky]

Short answer is no, there is no price guide. As with most things artwork is worth what someone is willing to pay for it.

 

On the other hand, you have a few options out there. Market data is a very useful tool and for the most part free. Sometimes all it takes is signing up for an account on various websites. Some useful sites are Heritage, eBay (however there info only goes back a week or so). There's also ComicLink, you can find past prices realized by searching there site. You can also start an account on Comicartfans and use there market data, however this one is no longer free.

 

Other than that for the most part the comic art community is very friendly and helpful. It's easy to make friends and get to know people who can steer you in the right direction.

[dnuggett]

Thanks for the info! I'm used to browsing all the sites you mentioned except comicartfans, when looking for market info for books.

 

Let me ask this- what are the biggest demand drivers in art? I am assuming artist/title and age of the piece are two of the biggest. How much does the condition of the piece play into things? In comics it either kills the value or drives it up dramatically demanding multiples of book value (9.8, 9.9). Does the issue number matter as much as it does in comics? In the comics world first issues demand higher prices mostly because print runs were lower as the publisher determined the viability of the character. In the art world, there is only one piece for any given page, right? So I am supposing that issue doesn't matter much as there is only one cover art piece for ASM 1 and ASM 299. I mean clearly art from ASM 1 would command a higher price but there has to be more to it than rarity then, as there is only one piece for every book.

[artdealer]

There have been a couple of comic art price guides..

they are deemed worthless as from the time the book is started to being published, all prices have risen to one extent or another.

 

What they are good for are the pretty pictures shot from originals.

 

MI

[dnuggett]

There have been a couple of comic art price guides..

they are deemed worthless as from the time the book is started to being published, all prices have risen to one extent or another.

 

What they are good for are the pretty pictures shot from originals.

 

MI

 

I just looked out at Amazon.. looks like they only have books from around 2000. Are you aware of anything newer?

[malvin]

I wouldn't buy a price guide, I would just buy small or just watch and understand the market or talk to people more familiar.

 

The OA market is too fluid for a price guide, relying on one would be very dangerious.

 

if you still want a price guide, let me write one up that values art I own really high!

 

Malvin

[Mephisto]

You are better off using the Heritage archives too see what stuff actually sells for. CAF also has a paid service to see completed auctions including eBay but the EBay auctions don't have a lot of detail or pictures always give you a good indicator of what the art grit was being offered at a past auction.

[glendgold]

There's a new price guide, the third edition of the Jerry Weist one, coming out in a couple of months. I can't vouch for its accuracy (and if this price guide is like the others, it will admit to its basic inaccuracy in its introduction). But it's good for, as people have suggested, pretty pictures of art. Also: it can give you a general idea, as a noob, of what tends to be valued (i.e. covers and splashes over panel pages, generally; some creators' work over others). Also, I can promise this edition will have at least one pretty good looking ad from a collector.

[groovyedwin]

Keep in mind that the information, e.g., what art is out there, prices, etc. is based on a specific sample of data / information that may or may not be reflective of what your interests are. Look at the credits and check to see what those individuals interests are to gauge whether it might be a good fit for yourself.

 

What I find the price guides best for is the ads and stories. Although nothing has ever resulted for me from the ads due to lack of interests from a couple of the advertisers that I never heard back from others have had good luck in establishing connections.

 

Edwin

[dnuggett]

Good deal... I'll grab a copy when it comes out. Along with the boards, the links from the thread and the guide I'll at least get a decent starting point.