New to OA Collecting, Advice, tips? 9 9

[Twanj]

On 12/17/2021 at 1:49 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

If you had to pick 10 or 15 of the following, who would it be?

Jorge Jimenez, Stephen Segovia, Paulo Sequeriera, David Finch, RB Silva, Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Bachalo, Rod Reis, Ivan Reis, Leinil Yu, Pepe Larraz, Philip Tan, Jim Cheung, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Marcio Takara, Ryan Stegman, Clayton Craig, Dan Mora, Javier Fernandez, Brett Booth, Marcio Takara, Mark Brooks, Jason Fabok, Clay Mann, Tony Daniel, JP Mayer, Guillem March, Mahmud Asrar, Mike Deodato, Rags Morales, Humberto Ramos, Mikel Janin

Segovia, Kubert, Bachalo, Cassaday, Yu, Cheung, Rivera, Booth, Asrar

[Webhead2018]

Personally I would stick to artists and character you like and follow the most. For example I am big spiderman fan. Pretty much all my sketch covers and commission art board pieces have been spiderman related. And I recently got into page art this summer. And got a bunch of asm/ spiderman life story pages. All from Mark bagley.

[Rick2you2]

On 12/17/2021 at 1:49 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

If you had to pick 10 or 15 of the following, who would it be?

Jorge Jimenez, Stephen Segovia, Paulo Sequeriera, David Finch, RB Silva, Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Bachalo, Rod Reis, Ivan Reis, Leinil Yu, Pepe Larraz, Philip Tan, Jim Cheung, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Marcio Takara, Ryan Stegman, Clayton Craig, Dan Mora, Javier Fernandez, Brett Booth, Marcio Takara, Mark Brooks, Jason Fabok, Clay Mann, Tony Daniel, JP Mayer, Guillem March, Mahmud Asrar, Mike Deodato, Rags Morales, Humberto Ramos, Mikel Janin

One of the peculiarities of this hobby is that the subject matter can so dictate pricing. Don’t just pick artists you like, pick books and characters you like which particular artists have drawn.

[Alex Keyfes]

That's a great point and one I learned with Jim Lee.  I really wanted a few X-Men pages.  Found a few Superman/Unchained ones and thought, well, the X-Men gotta cost about the same.  Boy was I wrong!  More like tens of thousands IF you can find them, otherwise its waiting until one comes up for auction I guess.  So then when you pick the ones you like, could you also include what they are known for.  Like Jim Lee is X-Men and Batman.  Ryan Stegman is Venom/Carnage.  Bagley would be Spiderman.

For the ones Twanj picked: Segovia, Kubert, Bachalo, Cassaday, Yu, Cheung, Rivera, Booth, Asrar.  Who are the top character/book representations of each of these artists?

[Twanj]

On 12/17/2021 at 8:14 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

That's a great point and one I learned with Jim Lee.  I really wanted a few X-Men pages.  Found a few Superman/Unchained ones and thought, well, the X-Men gotta cost about the same.  Boy was I wrong!  More like tens of thousands IF you can find them, otherwise its waiting until one comes up for auction I guess.  So then when you pick the ones you like, could you also include what they are known for.  Like Jim Lee is X-Men and Batman.  Ryan Stegman is Venom/Carnage.  Bagley would be Spiderman.

For the ones Twanj picked: Segovia, Kubert, Bachalo, Cassaday, Yu, Cheung, Rivera, Booth, Asrar.  Who are the top character/book representations of each of these artists?

Ok, sorry I misunderstood, were those artists you want to pick up something from? And you're asking which character?

It should be whichever stuff you love or feel a connection to.

Personally, I would take your time before buying anything right now if you're new. Unless it's something you have to have. Prices have skyrocketed lately.

I would just observe, get a feel for things, then dip in.

I picked up a new Segovia cover about a week ago. I've been following him a while, I enjoyed his Hellions stuff, and have been looking for the right opportunity to get something. It finally came up.

I also have a Kubert Wolverine cover. Out of the others, I've looked at things but haven't picked anything else up.

[Rick2you2]

On 12/17/2021 at 8:14 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

That's a great point and one I learned with Jim Lee.  I really wanted a few X-Men pages.  Found a few Superman/Unchained ones and thought, well, the X-Men gotta cost about the same.  Boy was I wrong!  More like tens of thousands IF you can find them, otherwise its waiting until one comes up for auction I guess.  So then when you pick the ones you like, could you also include what they are known for.  Like Jim Lee is X-Men and Batman.  Ryan Stegman is Venom/Carnage.  Bagley would be Spiderman.

For the ones Twanj picked: Segovia, Kubert, Bachalo, Cassaday, Yu, Cheung, Rivera, Booth, Asrar.  Who are the top character/book representations of each of these artists?

To be candid, I wouldn’t be in a position to buy any of them. I collect to the character, and hope for the best when it comes to the artist who produced them. I do, however, have 3 Phantom Stranger covers by March, and a drawing by Tan that is amazing. I also have a mediocre page by Ivan Reis, and scads of pages by other artists, many of whom are older. 

For your purposes, consider asking yourself whether you buy with the intent to trade or sell later, or, to keep until your bones grow cold in your  grave. Since I’m in the latter category, future value is irrelevant and actually a bit annoying as it reduces my ability to buy. I also tend to ignore trends, as today’s hot artist won’t necessarily stay that way. Ivan Reis is a good example. He looked like the next superstar after Blackest Night, but then, buzz settled down along with pricing even though his work remains excellent.

 I agree with Twanj; learn the market before you blow your bucks. Also, keep your spending low as you learn from your inevitable mistakes. And, I suggest you stay away from commissions except for giggles and laughs, or a major yearning. They will almost never appreciate in value much, and certainly not like published OA.

One last thing: by definition, professional artists are good. In my opinion, the artwork mostly varies by style and subject matter. These days, I like a moodier look, like Aaron Campbell. In past times, I have liked a more heroic look, like Adams/Byrne/Lee. But if the basic page structure, scenes, and detailing are nice, you will always have something nice. So, don’t sweat the artist too much.

Edited December 18, 2021 by Rick2you2

[alxjhnsn]

On 12/16/2021 at 9:03 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

Hello everyone! I am new to the hobby.  I have collected comic books in the past, x-men, spiderman, batman, spawn, venom and carnage.  I recently realized that there is such thing as original art and am hooked.  I have yet to buy anything but have been looking and familiarizing with the lay of the land.  I first realized there is way more artists and art that I like than I could ever buy.  Moreover, I don't have a budget such that I can just buy stuff I think is cool with no regard for its price and future price as well.  The purists may say just buy what you like, but with art costing thousands and tens of thousands or more certainly once a collection is put together as the total value, it would be nice to have an expectation that the prices will at least hold up.  

@Alex Keyfes, you might find this thread of use to you - Pricing Comic Art. Click on the spoiler text (Reveal hidden contents) in the first post. It covers a lot of basics and offers general advice. Let me know if you find it useful or have suggestions.

Edited January 14, 2022 by alxjhnsn

[Will_K]

Asking total strangers to pick artists and pick their subjects in order for you to buy art is generally not a good thing.  It's like you having a random personal shopper spending your money.

You SHOULD approach your purchases with a "buy what you like" mentality.  Not that you should actually buy something.  But decide what is important to YOU first.

Edited December 30, 2021 by Will_K

[Webhead2018]

Agree there if you like certain artists or select characters. Go with thst. As you know what you like and know by looking up x artist what to expect out of them.

[Terry E. Gibbs]

Finch, Ivan Reis, Booth, Humberto Ramos. All of those are from particular runs that resonate for me. Character + Story content is very important in pricing. All those artists will have talking faces pages with them working their own style.

Also every character has certain style points that can add value. GL charging his ring, SA Flash changing costume at speed.

Last point is the Micronauts thing. There will always be something "hot" today that will demand a premium, but if the character has not got legs into the future you will have a smaller group of fans buying it. (kinda of why I stepped back from that Swan LSH page this month - love the title love the page, love the art - but people my age seem to be a smaller group each year)

[alxjhnsn]

On 1/27/2022 at 11:33 AM, Terry E. Gibbs said:

(kinda of why I stepped back from that Swan LSH page this month - love the title love the page, love the art - but people my age seem to be a smaller group each year)

I stepped away because it was too darned expensive! I don't care about resale (I'll be dead), but I do care about upfront cost.  (and, yes, a Shooter/Swan/Klein page is WAY up on my want list).

Edited February 1, 2022 by alxjhnsn

[delekkerste]

On 12/29/2021 at 10:04 PM, Will_K said:

You SHOULD approach your purchases with a "buy what you like" mentality.  Not that you should actually buy something.  But decide what is important to YOU first.

[AnkurJ]

On 2/4/2022 at 11:15 PM, delekkerste said:

Yes. But if you like modern comics and characters, you can still buy what you like without breaking the bank.

[RBerman]

How archival are the bags in which Heritage ships art to us? I normally put my art in Itoyas, but for pricier pieces, I was thinking it might be good to keep them in a sealed bag to minimize the risk of damage when moving between Itoyas occasionally. Maybe leaving the backing board in place as well?

[Rick2you2]

On 2/13/2022 at 8:53 PM, RBerman said:

How archival are the bags in which Heritage ships art to us? I normally put my art in Itoyas, but for pricier pieces, I was thinking it might be good to keep them in a sealed bag to minimize the risk of damage when moving between Itoyas occasionally. Maybe leaving the backing board in place as well?

I’m not sure that’s a backing board, just a shipping board. I don’t think the bag’s are archival, either. I keep a fair number of pieces in basic Itoya’s and away from sunlight or heat. 

[RBerman]

On 2/14/2022 at 3:51 AM, Rick2you2 said:

I’m not sure that’s a backing board, just a shipping board. I don’t think the bag’s are archival, either. I keep a fair number of pieces in basic Itoya’s and away from sunlight or heat. 

Is it detrimental to the art if I use it to back the art long-term?

[Rick2you2]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:25 AM, RBerman said:

Is it detrimental to the art if I use it to back the art long-term?

I honestly don’t know.

[BCarter27]

On 2/14/2022 at 10:25 AM, RBerman said:

Is it detrimental to the art if I use it to back the art long-term?

If you're talking about that thin cardboard-colored chipboard, you will want to swap that out for buffered mat board. The poly bags and Itoyas are fine for anything sub $1k or post 2000. Otherwise, use mylar.

Edited February 15, 2022 by BCarter27

[aqn83]

On 12/17/2021 at 7:14 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

That's a great point and one I learned with Jim Lee.  I really wanted a few X-Men pages.  Found a few Superman/Unchained ones and thought, well, the X-Men gotta cost about the same.  Boy was I wrong!  More like tens of thousands IF you can find them, otherwise its waiting until one comes up for auction I guess.

 

This alone tells me you have a lot of research you need to do before you even think about buying ANY art from ANY artist. A Jim Lee Xmen panel page will probably run you a minimum of 15k. 

On 12/17/2021 at 12:49 PM, Alex Keyfes said:

If you had to pick 10 or 15 of the following, who would it be?

Jorge Jimenez, Stephen Segovia, Paulo Sequeriera, David Finch, RB Silva, Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Bachalo, Rod Reis, Ivan Reis, Leinil Yu, Pepe Larraz, Philip Tan, Jim Cheung, Paolo Rivera, Danny Miki, Marcio Takara, Ryan Stegman, Clayton Craig, Dan Mora, Javier Fernandez, Brett Booth, Marcio Takara, Mark Brooks, Jason Fabok, Clay Mann, Tony Daniel, JP Mayer, Guillem March, Mahmud Asrar, Mike Deodato, Rags Morales, Humberto Ramos, Mikel Janin

Jorge Jimenez and Mikel Janin are all digital.

Kubert, Bachalo, Rivera, Brooks are all outside your price range. Covers usually start around 8-9k.

Fabok, Finch, Mann, and Daniel all price themselves like they're legends. Covers for each general start around 5k assuming it features a prominent character.

Actually, just thinking on this now.. if what you're after is a published piece of art, you're likely in for some sticker shock.

Otherwise, you might try to buy an old sketch off of someone.

[aqn83]

On 2/14/2022 at 9:25 AM, RBerman said:

Is it detrimental to the art if I use it to back the art long-term?

I have a piece still in the bag and backing that I got from Heritage. Been a few months, just been lazy about it, but i'm not sweating it.

Any type of acid migration between materials takes a LONG time. If you plan on doing something with it soon, i wouldn't worry too much about it. But if you plan on keeping it indefinitely in there, I'd advise you to get some mylar, but good luck getting larger sized bags!