Premium for Issue #1 Covers

[NelsonAI]

I've noticed that pricing for cover art for issue #1 seems to command a premium over subsequent issues regardless of title and even quality of the art.

 

Is the premium justified?

 

Cheers!

N.

 

[malvin]

This is more opinion than fact, although if everyone's opinion sways one way and they speak with their wallets, then it becomes fact!

 

My personal feeling is no. If its by the same artist and its the same story run, my valuation would be based on content (character, pose, etc)

 

Malvin

[Pirate]

I own the kitson cover to the order #9 and it's by FARRRR the best cover of the entire series, Same with Azrael 5 etc.

[AKA Rick]

No. Unless it's a remarkable title that's iconic from yesteryear or is the 1st appearance of a character.

 

Today, there's too many re-boots and mini-series that are virtually meaningless by issue number.

 

It's all about the quality of the artist and the quality of the rendering of the art, including the characters, and composition.

 

 

 

 

[blowout]

 

It's all about the quality of the artist and the quality of the rendering of the art, including the characters, and composition.

 

 

 

 

You neglect to mention nostalgia, which is probably the biggest price driver in the hobby. Number one issues do tend to pull at the nostalgia strings more than subsequent issues largely because more people read them.

So I would argue that first issue art probably is more valuable regardless of content, with exceptions of course.

[delekkerste]

 

It's all about the quality of the artist and the quality of the rendering of the art, including the characters, and composition.

 

 

 

 

You neglect to mention nostalgia, which is probably the biggest price driver in the hobby. Number one issues do tend to pull at the nostalgia strings more than subsequent issues largely because more people read them.

So I would argue that first issue art probably is more valuable regardless of content, with exceptions of course.

 

Exactly. It's just as much about nostalgia and other intangibles as it is about the quality and composition of the artwork itself. So much of what is revered in this hobby is often quite poorly drawn (will refrain from citing examples to avoid time-consuming controversy), but tugs on the nostalgia strings.

 

#1 issue (as well as first-appearance, major event and other "significant" issue) covers are deservedly more valuable as nostalgia and spillover/correlations with the pricing/perception of the underlying comics is going to affect how an OA collector values the artwork.

[Nexus]

OA collectors are comic fans, first. The premium placed on art for #1 covers, first appearances, major events, et al, is a holdover from collecting comics. OA collectors (for the most part) are COMIC BOOK art collectors, not just art collectors. It's why I collect OA.

[Khazano]

I think in terms of modern art. The first issue of many books are highly marketed, published, and publicized, so the cover image itself is more common and something people will be more likely to remember even if they didn`t read the comic. For that reason I can see a premium being tagged onto some number 1 pieces, especially covers.

[brandolsn]

So much of what is revered in this hobby is actually quite poorly drawn (will refrain from citing examples to avoid time-consuming controversy), but tugs on the nostalgia strings.

That would be an entertaining thread.

[NelsonAI]

OA collectors are comic fans, first. The premium placed on art for #1 covers, first appearances, major events, et al, is a holdover from collecting comics. OA collectors (for the most part) are COMIC BOOK art collectors, not just art collectors. It's why I collect OA.

 

 

This would also explain why fine art collectors can't understand valuations for certain pieces of comic art.

 

Cheers!

N.

[bocaratondefense]

In this CAF gallery, there are at least nine different #1 covers.

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=600

 

I imagine each one of these carry a premium over subsequent issues for the same title.