New to OA Collecting, Advice, tips? 9 9

[John E.]

47 minutes ago, Andahaion said:

I think it's very interesting that in the six weeks or so that I've been seriously shopping for my first piece of OA (after around a year of slow research) I have basically not even thought about comic books.  I've been binge listening to Felix's podcasts in the car and at my desk and have to say I'm a little freaked out by how invested I've become without even owning a page yet.  I've heard/read about this phenomenon a few times, but didn't think it'd happen to me because I love my books and I love the hunt, but there's some kind of magic elixir that has me under a spell.  I'm still hesitating pulling the trigger mainly because I'm still not sure what the hell I want.  There's a lot of good stuff available, but I don't want to buy to just buy.  I want focus and purpose.  I'm also still fumbling around the context that comes with these pages.  I may see a page that, from an artistic sense, presents very well but I find myself compelled to research the story to find out about the page and greater story arc if I'm not familiar.  This is not an issue I've faced to such a degree with my fine art endeavors.  

Pretty sure this is nothing new to most of you, but I find the need to vent somewhere.  I almost started a journal to document what is looking more and more like a transition from books to art.  What the hell?

I like your post. A lot of us, especially me, are consumed with this hobby. It only gets worse when you buy your first page. Please continue doing research and don't pull the trigger on a piece unless you're absolutely sure, especially if it's a high ticket item. Ask yourself if you're doing it for nostalgia, i.e. If you want something from your childhood, or if you are more into the aesthetics of the piece. Maybe it's a little of both. Also, I tell myself that I might lose at least 15% if I decide that the piece didn't satiate me and if I'm willing to take that loss if I sell it. Losing $15 on a $100 piece isn't the end of the world, but $150-$250 on a $1000 piece? What could I have bought with that money? That's the cost of a really nice modern page right there. I hope this is food for thought. 

[BCarter27]

3 hours ago, Andahaion said:

I think it's very interesting that in the six weeks or so that I've been seriously shopping for my first piece of OA (after around a year of slow research) I have basically not even thought about comic books.  I've been binge listening to Felix's podcasts in the car and at my desk and have to say I'm a little freaked out by how invested I've become without even owning a page yet.  I've heard/read about this phenomenon a few times, but didn't think it'd happen to me because I love my books and I love the hunt, but there's some kind of magic elixir that has me under a spell.  I'm still hesitating pulling the trigger mainly because I'm still not sure what the hell I want.  There's a lot of good stuff available, but I don't want to buy to just buy.  I want focus and purpose.  I'm also still fumbling around the context that comes with these pages.  I may see a page that, from an artistic sense, presents very well but I find myself compelled to research the story to find out about the page and greater story arc if I'm not familiar.  This is not an issue I've faced to such a degree with my fine art endeavors.  

Pretty sure this is nothing new to most of you, but I find the need to vent somewhere.  I almost started a journal to document what is looking more and more like a transition from books to art.  What the hell?

A year! Too much research! As someone wisely said a few podcasts back, this hobby moves fast and has a short memory.

What's one of your favorite comics from the last 15 years? Pick a page under $300 from a rep, reputable dealer, or established shop owner on CAF. Then, run it by someone to see if you are overpaying. (You can PM me, if you like.)

Get the thing home and ogle it. Shove it in an Itoya and forget about it 15 minutes later. Rinse and repeat!

[Squeezy McSphincter]

I basically did the same thing--I spent over a year on the boards and looking at dealer and auction sites before picking up my first page (thanks Malvin).  I'm up to three now.  It's worked out for me with really no regrets.  I don't need to hoard pages like I did comics--on one hand I don't really believe in the current valuations (particularly on mid-range pages) and on the other I don't look forward to eventually liquidating them (though it'll be easier than moving my comics without selling at a fraction of the value).

I actually looked into the hobby about five years ago and found the Coollines site, but the lack of visible prices and my collector's spider sense warned me off.  Some other factors (school, kids) kept me away longer.

[vodou]

6 hours ago, Bubb Rubb said:

I actually looked into the hobby about five years ago and found the Coollines site, but the lack of visible prices and my collector's spider sense warned me off.

I'm certain we'll never know how many potential new collectors with 'other hobbies experience' (spider sense) those Brothers have run out of town. Sad.

[Andahaion]

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies.  If I'm being brutally honest with myself I believe my biggest issue is that aside from this board/computer screen I don't have any other outlets to discuss this stuff.  And so much gets lost in translation within these pixels.  None of my close friends are interested in this space (comic books/art).  And I think a lot of my concerns could be sorted out if I had someone to get a drink with who understands and shares love of this hobby.  That makes me sound lame, but none of my close friends share this interest, it's just how it is.

So I'll just put this out there and see what reaction it may elicit…

I'm 38 and grew up when Jim Lee and company were just about the coolest thing ever to a 12-year old.  And Infinity Gauntlet blew my mind.  I love Jim Starlin's cosmic stories (Warlock/Thanos) to death.  But Superman is still my champion.  I love Daredevil and would love to own something from both David Mazzucchelli and Alex Maleev's work on the title.  Ron Lim's Silver Surfer is the greatest.  There are many more characters and stories I enjoy, but those are the biggies in my world.

Now to the artwork I've looked at purchasing.  I lost at auction on a piece from SS #103 by Tom Morgan.  Being picky as I am, what kept me from going harder at it was the artist's signature placement.  Borderline ruined the page, in my opinion.  

I lost at Heritage’s last auction on a tremendous page from Infinity Gauntlet that featured Warlock/SS/Thanos.  I did my best research and put in what I thought was a strong bid only to lose by $1,000.  I wasn’t available to bid live, such is life I suppose.

Albert Moy has a nice example of Jim Lee's work on Superman Unchained (Issue #6, page 18).  It's $2K and has a great half splash of the protagonist giving the business to Wraith.  Batman is also on the page.  Aesthetically, I think it's great and I might be in the minority here but I really dig the story.

Anthony Snyder has a couple pages I've looked at.  One from Infinity War (Issue #6, page 40).  It's the one of Thanos talking to himself in the cornfield at the end of the story.  I like this page more from a character perspective.  Plus, there’s actual text on the work!  I realize he represents Maleev, but when I inquired about said work I was not impressed with the reply.  I would think that a representative would approach their business in a different way...you know, to produce a sale.  I don’t mean to be snarky/rude, maybe there was a legit reason for the curt reply.  Just doesn’t lend itself to me feeling good about moving forward with a purchase.

Romitaman has a pretty interesting piece from a historical perspective, being Mignola’s early work on Daredevil.  I like the chiaroscuro effect very much.

More budget friendly pieces abound…some on Anthony’s site (Trinity Bagley art); Felix’s site (Black Road); and Black Line Fever has a neat Starlin page from Death of New Gods.  Never read that though.

Thanks for indulging the lengthy post and happy Friday. 

[Dick O.]

 @Andahaion feel free to PM me if you need an opinion on pricing. And of course, I'm happy to talk Marvel Cosmic and '90s OA all day long

 

[rocket1312]

1 hour ago, Andahaion said:

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies.  If I'm being brutally honest with myself I believe my biggest issue is that aside from this board/computer screen I don't have any other outlets to discuss this stuff.  And so much gets lost in translation within these pixels.  None of my close friends are interested in this space (comic books/art).  And I think a lot of my concerns could be sorted out if I had someone to get a drink with who understands and shares love of this hobby.  That makes me sound lame, but none of my close friends share this interest, it's just how it is.

So I'll just put this out there and see what reaction it may elicit…

I'm 38 and grew up when Jim Lee and company were just about the coolest thing ever to a 12-year old.  And Infinity Gauntlet blew my mind.  I love Jim Starlin's cosmic stories (Warlock/Thanos) to death.  But Superman is still my champion.  I love Daredevil and would love to own something from both David Mazzucchelli and Alex Maleev's work on the title.  Ron Lim's Silver Surfer is the greatest.  There are many more characters and stories I enjoy, but those are the biggies in my world.

Now to the artwork I've looked at purchasing.  I lost at auction on a piece from SS #103 by Tom Morgan.  Being picky as I am, what kept me from going harder at it was the artist's signature placement.  Borderline ruined the page, in my opinion.  

I lost at Heritage’s last auction on a tremendous page from Infinity Gauntlet that featured Warlock/SS/Thanos.  I did my best research and put in what I thought was a strong bid only to lose by $1,000.  I wasn’t available to bid live, such is life I suppose.

Albert Moy has a nice example of Jim Lee's work on Superman Unchained (Issue #6, page 18).  It's $2K and has a great half splash of the protagonist giving the business to Wraith.  Batman is also on the page.  Aesthetically, I think it's great and I might be in the minority here but I really dig the story.

Anthony Snyder has a couple pages I've looked at.  One from Infinity War (Issue #6, page 40).  It's the one of Thanos talking to himself in the cornfield at the end of the story.  I like this page more from a character perspective.  Plus, there’s actual text on the work!  I realize he represents Maleev, but when I inquired about said work I was not impressed with the reply.  I would think that a representative would approach their business in a different way...you know, to produce a sale.  I don’t mean to be snarky/rude, maybe there was a legit reason for the curt reply.  Just doesn’t lend itself to me feeling good about moving forward with a purchase.

Romitaman has a pretty interesting piece from a historical perspective, being Mignola’s early work on Daredevil.  I like the chiaroscuro effect very much.

More budget friendly pieces abound…some on Anthony’s site (Trinity Bagley art); Felix’s site (Black Road); and Black Line Fever has a neat Starlin page from Death of New Gods.  Never read that though.

Thanks for indulging the lengthy post and happy Friday. 

It's crazy how much your experience/situation mirrors mine.  I'm 37 and started in on all of this about 2.5 years ago.  Our tastes seem to have a lot of overlap and I also don't really know anyone else who's into this stuff.  The only difference seems to be that I was much quicker to jump into actually buying art.  You're smart to do your research and to be cautious, but my experience over the last year+ is that a lot of the art (especially early 90's) that I'm interested is quickly becoming unaffordable (to me).  That's not to say it's wise to get caught up in the bull market and wildly overpay out of fear, but I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm better off overpaying a little now for the stuff I know I really want while prices are still within my budget's stratosphere, rather than finding a deal down the road on something that doesn't completely scratch my itch.  Obviously your own budget and priorities will have a lot to say on the matter.

I've never dealt with Anthony Snyder before, so I can't comment on him specifically, but I will say that I have been somewhat turned off by the way some dealers/reps communicate in this hobby as well.  While the vast majority of my experiences so far with collectors, artists, dealers, and reps have been positive, there is an "exclusive club" sort of vibe that inevitably hovers over the comic art world.  It can be intimidating and I've definitely found there to be a learning curve when it comes to knowing how to communicate with certain key players.  I can sympathize with dealers in particular who are likely being bombarded with questions/requests on a daily basis and need to be able to weed out the looky loos almost immediately so that they are able to devote time to known quantities, but I also know it can be devastating to a new collector trying to find their way to be given what feels like a cold shoulder.  I'm not much of a networker, so I know I'm never going to be on the "inside" with any of these people, but I've generally found that as long as you're direct and confident (without being overbearing), willing to put your money where your mouth is and don't take any of it too personally, you'll be fine. 

Edited July 14, 2017 by rocket1312

[Andahaion]

@ O.  Thanks!  I will certainly take you up on that offer.  BTW, I think I've mentioned this before but I really enjoy your column.  Requisite reading for me, very informative.

[PhilipB2k17]

1 hour ago, rocket1312 said:

It's crazy how much your experience/situation mirrors mine.  I'm 37 and started in on all of this about 2.5 years ago.  Our tastes seem to have a lot of overlap and I also don't really know anyone else who's into this stuff.  The only difference seems to be that I was much quicker to jump into actually buying art.  You're smart to do your research and to be cautious, but my experience over the last year+ is that a lot of the art (especially early 90's) that I'm interested is quickly becoming unaffordable (to me).  That's not to say it's wise to get caught up in the bull market and wildly overpay out of fear, but I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm better off overpaying a little now for the stuff I know I really want while prices are still within my budget's stratosphere, rather than finding a deal down the road on something that doesn't completely scratch my itch.  Obviously your own budget and priorities will have a lot to say on the matter.

I've never dealt with Anthony Snyder before, so I can't comment on him specifically, but I will say that I have been somewhat turned off by the way some dealers/reps communicate in this hobby as well.  While the vast majority of my experiences so far with collectors, artists, dealers, and reps have been positive, there is an "exclusive club" sort of vibe that inevitably hovers over the comic art world.  It can be intimidating and I've definitely found there to be a learning curve when it comes to knowing how to communicate with certain key players.  I can sympathize with dealers in particular who are likely being bombarded with questions/requests on a daily basis and need to be able to weed out the looky loos almost immediately so that they are able to devote time to known quantities, but I also know it can be devastating to a new collector trying to find their way to be given what feels like a cold shoulder.  I'm not much of a networker, so I know I'm never going to be on the "inside" with any of these people, but I've generally found that as long as you're direct and confident (without being overbearing), willing to put your money where your mouth is and don't take any of it too personally, you'll be fine. 

This. I've been doing this for about a year, and finally went to C2E2 to see all the Big Boy dealers and art there. I eventually bought a piece, but I did get the impression that the art dealers were almost like car salesman in some respects. They are not like your friendly neighborhood comic shop owner, who wants to talk comics and stuff. They are more interested in pumping up a piece and selling it to you. I get that this is how they make their living, but it was a bit offputting. I guess if you establish a longer term relationship with them as a reliable buyer, they may change their attitude. But, its hard for newbies. 

Edited July 14, 2017 by PhilipB2k17

[Andahaion]

8 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

This. I've been doing this for about a year, and finally went to C2E2 to see all the Big Boy dealers and art there. I eventually bought a piece, but I did get the impression that the art dealers were almost like car salesman in some respects. They are not like your friendly neighborhood comic shop owner, who wants to talk comics and stuff. They are more interested in pumping up a piece and selling it to you. I get that this is how they make their living, but it was a bit offputting. I guess if you establish a longer term relationship with them as a reliable buyer, they may change their attitude. But, its hard for newbies. 

Which makes very little sense to me because one of the themes I kept hearing in Felix's podcasts (aside from discussing Dark Knight) was "where is the new blood" or some form of "where is the new blood coming from" to sustain/grow the hobby.  And this is coming from stalwarts of the hobby who are rightly concerned that Gen Xers like myself won't get in.  So, here I am an affluent guy in his 30s looking to invest thousands of dollars into this hobby and I'm already disinclined.  But at the same time, I'm not too surprised.  It is a close community at certain levels.  Maybe Felix should get a group of guys like us on his podcast to discuss from our perspective.

[Andahaion]

2 hours ago, rocket1312 said:

It's crazy how much your experience/situation mirrors mine.  I'm 37 and started in on all of this about 2.5 years ago.  Our tastes seem to have a lot of overlap and I also don't really know anyone else who's into this stuff.  The only difference seems to be that I was much quicker to jump into actually buying art.  You're smart to do your research and to be cautious, but my experience over the last year+ is that a lot of the art (especially early 90's) that I'm interested is quickly becoming unaffordable (to me).  That's not to say it's wise to get caught up in the bull market and wildly overpay out of fear, but I'm starting to realize that maybe I'm better off overpaying a little now for the stuff I know I really want while prices are still within my budget's stratosphere, rather than finding a deal down the road on something that doesn't completely scratch my itch.  Obviously your own budget and priorities will have a lot to say on the matter.

I've never dealt with Anthony Snyder before, so I can't comment on him specifically, but I will say that I have been somewhat turned off by the way some dealers/reps communicate in this hobby as well.  While the vast majority of my experiences so far with collectors, artists, dealers, and reps have been positive, there is an "exclusive club" sort of vibe that inevitably hovers over the comic art world.  It can be intimidating and I've definitely found there to be a learning curve when it comes to knowing how to communicate with certain key players.  I can sympathize with dealers in particular who are likely being bombarded with questions/requests on a daily basis and need to be able to weed out the looky loos almost immediately so that they are able to devote time to known quantities, but I also know it can be devastating to a new collector trying to find their way to be given what feels like a cold shoulder.  I'm not much of a networker, so I know I'm never going to be on the "inside" with any of these people, but I've generally found that as long as you're direct and confident (without being overbearing), willing to put your money where your mouth is and don't take any of it too personally, you'll be fine. 

Whenever I lament about a lack of close friends in the comic world I always laugh at myself and think about Paul Rudd in "I Love You, Man".  Great film and very apropos here.  

The value question is an interesting one.  I'm assuming here, but I'd wager you didn't grow up with much exposure to Kirby or any of the other early titans, right?  So, guys who are 20+ years our senior...who are they going to sell to?  I'm also pretty certain that you and I absolutely have an appreciation for Kirby et al., but here is where nostalgia kicks in...it's just not my bag.  Counter to that, who am I going to sell to when I'm ready?  Will there be a strong market?  I certainly hope so for all the above.  

All this aside, I'd like to think that whatever I buy I will be mentally prepared to take a loss primarily because I love it.  Insert the old cliche, buy what you love and you'll always be happy.  But, to a degree that doesn't make much sense especially if I'm "investing" $2,000+ into a piece of comic book art.  And as I continue to grow professionally, that dollar figure I'm ready to spend will go up.  I've already spent several times that on individual comic books.

And I really didn’t mean to drag Mr. Snyder’s name into it, at second thought I should have left names out of it.  Again, I’m sure he receives many inquiries like mine.  In fact, I tried to preface my communication to him…something like “I’m sure you receive these questions a lot but can you please help me find…”  But it does speak to an issue of entrance into the hobby.  Cheers

[vodou]

10 minutes ago, Andahaion said:

Which makes very little sense to me because one of the themes I kept hearing in Felix's podcasts (aside from discussing Dark Knight) was "where is the new blood" or some form of "where is the new blood coming from" to sustain/grow the hobby.  And this is coming from stalwarts of the hobby who are rightly concerned that Gen Xers like myself won't get in.  So, here I am an affluent guy in his 30s looking to invest thousands of dollars into this hobby and I'm already disinclined.  But at the same time, I'm not too surprised.  It is a close community at certain levels.  Maybe Felix should get a group of guys like us on his podcast to discuss from our perspective.

It makes a lot of sense, Felix is talking to fellow collectors. Not dealers. (Except Albert twice, and one had to be pulled back down...) Collectors have a longer view than dealers that need to make it rain regularly. Which is no excuse for bad behavior and why more customer service friendly dealers like Mike Burkey (romitaman.com) are so often praised and appreciated by the hobby at large. Mike makes his money, and then some, but does it in a way where the buyer still walks away feeling good about the whole thing. That's what I try to do too (I deal fine art) and it does work to everybody's satisfaction, if that's a goal of a dealer. Not all dealers give a sht however, they do know that -to some extent- they've got it and you want it and that does turn the customer is always right thing sort of upside down. You as a buyer have to decide how much that matters to you though. The art remains the art (for a price) and maybe it doesn't matter who's doing the selling if the price is right? There's nothing wrong with Anthony (to address a different post) but he's from NY and...things are a bit more business first, drinks later there. Maybe that's what you bumped into. That's my experience with him too, but it didn't bother me. I have plenty of friends already, I don't go comic art shopping -among dealers- to try and make new ones. Those...you'll find plenty of opportunities to make right here on this board. Ya know?

[PhilipB2k17]

3 minutes ago, vodou said:

It makes a lot of sense, Felix is talking to fellow collectors. Not dealers. (Except Albert twice, and one had to be pulled back down...) Collectors have a longer view than dealers that need to make it rain regularly. Which is no excuse for bad behavior and why more customer service friendly dealers like Mike Burkey (romitaman.com) are so often praised and appreciated by the hobby at large. Mike makes his money, and then some, but does it in a way where the buyer still walks away feeling good about the whole thing. That's what I try to do too (I deal fine art) and it does work to everybody's satisfaction, if that's a goal of a dealer. Not all dealers give a sht however, they do know that -to some extent- they've got it and you want it and that does turn the customer is always right thing sort of upside down. You as a buyer have to decide how much that matters to you though. The art remains the art (for a price) and maybe it doesn't matter who's doing the selling if the price is right? There's nothing wrong with Anthony (to address a different post) but he's from NY and...things are a bit more business first, drinks later there. Maybe that's what you bumped into. That's my experience with him too, but it didn't bother me. I have plenty of friends already, I don't go comic art shopping -among dealers- to try and make new ones. Those...you'll find plenty of opportunities to make right here on this board. Ya know?

I think the point is that unlike comic books (or at least historically), your local CB store owners was more than willing to talk shop with you. Unless, of course, he was busy, etc. OA dealers (not all) tend to be very transactional. They are not there to help educate you. It's just different.

[vodou]

11 minutes ago, PhilipB2k17 said:

I think the point is that unlike comic books (or at least historically), your local CB store owners was more than willing to talk shop with you. Unless, of course, he was busy, etc. OA dealers (not all) tend to be very transactional. They are not there to help educate you. It's just different.

Fair enough. But these guys don't have physical locations like your local CB. So you can't just walk in and engage the same way. Right? So maybe relationships don't grow the same way or at all, beyond transactionally? (Thought it has for some that have been around for a while - maybe you just need to put more time into this hobby first?) Do you have the same experience with mail order/internet only CB folks as you do with CB store folks? I'm thinking no, but you tell me.

[Twanj]

3 hours ago, Andahaion said:

Thank you all for the thoughtful replies.  If I'm being brutally honest with myself I believe my biggest issue is that aside from this board/computer screen I don't have any other outlets to discuss this stuff.  And so much gets lost in translation within these pixels.  None of my close friends are interested in this space (comic books/art).  And I think a lot of my concerns could be sorted out if I had someone to get a drink with who understands and shares love of this hobby.  That makes me sound lame, but none of my close friends share this interest, it's just how it is.

So I'll just put this out there and see what reaction it may elicit…

I'm 38 and grew up when Jim Lee and company were just about the coolest thing ever to a 12-year old.  And Infinity Gauntlet blew my mind.  I love Jim Starlin's cosmic stories (Warlock/Thanos) to death.  But Superman is still my champion.  I love Daredevil and would love to own something from both David Mazzucchelli and Alex Maleev's work on the title.  Ron Lim's Silver Surfer is the greatest.  There are many more characters and stories I enjoy, but those are the biggies in my world.

Now to the artwork I've looked at purchasing.  I lost at auction on a piece from SS #103 by Tom Morgan.  Being picky as I am, what kept me from going harder at it was the artist's signature placement.  Borderline ruined the page, in my opinion.  

I lost at Heritage’s last auction on a tremendous page from Infinity Gauntlet that featured Warlock/SS/Thanos.  I did my best research and put in what I thought was a strong bid only to lose by $1,000.  I wasn’t available to bid live, such is life I suppose.

Albert Moy has a nice example of Jim Lee's work on Superman Unchained (Issue #6, page 18).  It's $2K and has a great half splash of the protagonist giving the business to Wraith.  Batman is also on the page.  Aesthetically, I think it's great and I might be in the minority here but I really dig the story.

Anthony Snyder has a couple pages I've looked at.  One from Infinity War (Issue #6, page 40).  It's the one of Thanos talking to himself in the cornfield at the end of the story.  I like this page more from a character perspective.  Plus, there’s actual text on the work!  I realize he represents Maleev, but when I inquired about said work I was not impressed with the reply.  I would think that a representative would approach their business in a different way...you know, to produce a sale.  I don’t mean to be snarky/rude, maybe there was a legit reason for the curt reply.  Just doesn’t lend itself to me feeling good about moving forward with a purchase.

Romitaman has a pretty interesting piece from a historical perspective, being Mignola’s early work on Daredevil.  I like the chiaroscuro effect very much.

More budget friendly pieces abound…some on Anthony’s site (Trinity Bagley art); Felix’s site (Black Road); and Black Line Fever has a neat Starlin page from Death of New Gods.  Never read that though.

Thanks for indulging the lengthy post and happy Friday. 

So, I feel you as far as having no local friends into comic art, but lots of friends into comics, going back to when we were younger.

You & I both like some of the same stuff. Ron Lim's Surfer is the tops.

If there's something to a page that borderline ruins it, move on! It happens to me all the time, I try to talk myself into it but I just can't if there's a proportion that's off or something looks weird.

I might not dip my toe into buying Infinity Gauntlet right now.

I haven't had much with dealers, I wouldn't bother unless they have a page you really love. Sounds like the Jim Lee one is close.

Once you find something you really love, it'll be easier to pull the trigger. But it's wise to be cautious at first!

[rocket1312]

17 minutes ago, Andahaion said:

The value question is an interesting one.  I'm assuming here, but I'd wager you didn't grow up with much exposure to Kirby or any of the other early titans, right?  So, guys who are 20+ years our senior...who are they going to sell to?  I'm also pretty certain that you and I absolutely have an appreciation for Kirby et al., but here is where nostalgia kicks in...it's just not my bag.  Counter to that, who am I going to sell to when I'm ready?  Will there be a strong market?  I certainly hope so for all the above.  

All this aside, I'd like to think that whatever I buy I will be mentally prepared to take a loss primarily because I love it.  Insert the old cliche, buy what you love and you'll always be happy.  But, to a degree that doesn't make much sense especially if I'm "investing" $2,000+ into a piece of comic book art.  And as I continue to grow professionally, that dollar figure I'm ready to spend will go up.  I've already spent several times that on individual comic books.

You are correct that I did not grow up with Kirby and company.  In fact it's only really been in the last 4 or 5 years that I've even begun to go back and read a lot of comics from the 60's and 70's.  Some of that has to do with Marvel Unlimited (aka the greatest invention in the history of comics), but a lot of it actually has to do with getting interested in OA and feeling the need to go back and do my homework.  While I have absolutely zero nostalgia for the comics themselves, I've actually become a reasonably big Kirby fan.  I've also found that despite the early 90's being my nostalgic sweet spot, my tastes in art generally seem to skew a bit older.  That said, I'll never spend 5 figures on a piece of Kirby art.  It's just not going to happen.  But I'm also not likely to ever spend 5 figures on any other art either, so it's kind of a moot point.  I suppose that's not good news for the 50 and 60 somethings that will be looking to cash out in the near future, but I'm just one guy, so who knows.  In all honesty though, beyond what I can and can't afford on a given day, I don't really worry to much about values.  If I were "investing" tens of thousands of dollars in OA I'm sure I'd feel differently, but right now I buy what I like with no intention of getting my money back.

[Squeezy McSphincter]

9 hours ago, rocket1312 said:

I don't really worry to much about values.  If I were "investing" tens of thousands of dollars in OA I'm sure I'd feel differently, but right now I buy what I like with no intention of getting my money back.

This is essentially where I am as well, as I buy stuff that I intend to hold for a long time.  I can see myself gradually turning lesser pieces into greater ones, but my assumption is that by the time I liquidate my collection the market will already be very different.  It isn't hard to imagine that a trickle of older collections at auction will turn into a waterfall at some point, though I could be ignorant here.  I will likely invest in higher end pieces at some point, but it will probably have to be with real play money.

I grew up working in a comic shop in the late 80s/early 90s so my timeline is similar to the other new guys.  I also couldn't see what the guys in their early 40s (at the time) saw in Kirby, but I turned around a bit on that a few years ago when I bought a Thor Masterworks and read comics for the first time in about 17 years.  I've also turned around on some of the guys I loved at the time, and don't appreciate them as much.  Unlike Kirby, I always loved Ditko, and Romita as well to a lesser extent.

I also don't know anyone into comics anymore, having relocated a couple of times since the good ol' days.  It doesn't bother me, but I do miss going into my old LCBS.  It was cool hearing The Ron and the Ronettes speak on Felix's podcast and hearing the camaraderie.

[PhilipB2k17]

On 7/14/2017 at 3:05 PM, Twanj said:

So, I feel you as far as having no local friends into comic art, but lots of friends into comics, going back to when we were younger.

You & I both like some of the same stuff. Ron Lim's Surfer is the tops.

If there's something to a page that borderline ruins it, move on! It happens to me all the time, I try to talk myself into it but I just can't if there's a proportion that's off or something looks weird.

I might not dip my toe into buying Infinity Gauntlet right now.

I haven't had much with dealers, I wouldn't bother unless they have a page you really love. Sounds like the Jim Lee one is close.

Once you find something you really love, it'll be easier to pull the trigger. But it's wise to be cautious at first!

Infinity Gauntlet proper pages are pretty inflated right now. And may always be. But, you can still pick up  Infinity Gauntlet tie in pages for more reasonable prices, IMHO. 

[Joao Antunes]

I found this topic very interesting, I could relate with lots of suggestions that were given, I'm new to the forum of CGC but I collect original comic art for almost 14 years now, so being this topic opened since 2011 I hope that in the 6 years that passed it helped a lot of new collectors, because informations is really a key factor to enjoy the opportunity to own something you love and can have the pleasure of looking at it (and learning from it) whenever you want.

I would like to take the opportunity to make an analogy with another thing I love (fortunately much less expensive), music! There are people that only listen to classical music, indie music, jazz, comercial music, folk music, electronic music (with lots of variations), rock music, death metal music, world music, and so on, and will only listen to one kind of music all their lives, but there's always great (and even fantastic) musics and musicians despite the genre, and we have the chance to get to know them if we are just curious and willing to go after it and not judging instead just because it's not the thing we like to hear the most, who knows, as several people already said, it's very likely your taste will change after a period, and what we consider in a given time that was fantastic, even a grail, a few years after is something we can still have the same feeling (and that's wonderful) or it's something we just like and we love a wider range.

Personally, I live in Portugal and until a couple of years ago I didn't even knew anyone else that collected original comic art in my country, so my knowledge of original comic art collecting was very limited (self maid) and with very little information, almost 14 years later I'm still learning, and that is crucial in this hobby.

I LOVE my collection but I'm sure I had pulled the trigger in a lot of art that I had the opportunity of buying and let them go away (almost no regrets even so ), but going back to music I have my preferences but I'm always open to new sounds/bands (just starting or even if they are much older than me), and regarding original comic art some of the most enjoyable pieces I was able to get in the last years came from that curiosity (and some didn't even are from the USA or from Europe), so my advice is to search for what you love, use CAF (look for what collectors that have something you like also collect, you might have some great surprises of art and artists you never heard about before), 2D, this forum, podcasts like Felix, comic art shops (not only from the States but also form Europe), and try to be open to new things, hopefully you'll know when it's time to buy and what to buy (if you can afford it of course) that will bring you much happiness, and if you can't afford a particular piece you wanted I'll say what my wife always says to me: you can't have everything and there is always new and wonderful pieces and artists appearing (with the difference that she refers to 'fine art' and not 'comic art', but she and our daughters might love our collection some day as I do, who knows ).

 

[Mighty Hal]

Welcome, Joao! It is always a pleasure to meet a fellow collector. You have a terrific philosophy in regards to collecting, and it's one I need to remember. A balanced approach to this hobby will serve you well.