Comiclink or Heritage?

[AnkurJ]

Which is a better option for consigning art? Heritage charges a big buyers premium while Comiclink does not. Both have great track records for selling high priced art.

Who would you go with?

 

AJ

[AnkurJ]

160 views and no one has anything to say?

[Doc Joe]

HA takes such a big bite its hard to imagine its worthwhile yet clearly it is for people. At least with HA you can set a reserve; Clink will do it but reluctantly. I dont know how wide the Clink reach is overseas

 

 

[pkveronese]

I'd argue that a piece on Heritage will sell more than a piece on comiclink due to the extended reach of Heritage, but that's nigh impossible to prove - you can't sell the same piece of art on both and the same time as OA is unique.

[Tokay]

I think the final price will probably be higher at HA but take home will likely be higher at CL. Just my .02.

[AnkurJ]

Both are allowing me to set a reserve. I guess if I set a higher one with Heritage, it would compensate for their fees.

[pinupcartoonguy]

Both are allowing me to set a reserve. I guess if I set a higher one with Heritage, it would compensate for their fees.

 

Maybe, maybe not. A reserve can effect the amount you pay in seller's fees.

[Mephisto]

I think a lot depends on if you have higher end pieces. Things under 10K I would think you would probably see more money due to less over all fees. I was happy with the last batch of art I sent in to CLink.

[AnkurJ]

I am leaning towards Comiclink as they have lesser overall fees vs Heritage. Even though I have to pay a 10% sellers fee, a big plus is no buyers fee which I think makes buyers bid a little stronger. Heritage did offer me zero sellers fee, but their buyers premium is huge (19.5%).

 

The pieces I am thinking about selling are a Alex Ross finished painting, and a large Frank Cho Superfriends vs. DC Universe finished piece.

[blowout]

I am leaning towards Comiclink as they have lesser overall fees vs Heritage. Even though I have to pay a 10% sellers fee, a big plus is no buyers fee which I think makes buyers bid a little stronger. Heritage did offer me zero sellers fee, but their buyers premium is huge (19.5%).

 

The pieces I am thinking about selling are a Alex Ross finished painting, and a large Frank Cho Superfriends vs. DC Universe finished piece.

 

I know it sounds crazy, but have you considered going the eBay route?

 

Probably less exposure overall, but sometimes the prices realised can surprise.

[AnkurJ]

Ive had the Ross painting on ebay with a buy it now and make offer. Have gotten nothing but low ball offers.

[Ares]

Ive had the Ross painting on ebay with a buy it now and make offer. Have gotten nothing but low ball offers.

 

can you post a link to painting?

 

[AnkurJ]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290746475361&index=19&nav=SELLING&nid=76068917411

[Pete Marino]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.com/viewitem?itemId=290746475361&index=19&nav=SELLING&nid=76068917411

 

It's not the lack of high end listings imo, it's how many items on Ebay sell for over 1k.

 

I think 1k - 1.5k is about the "general" max that things go on ebay... go look at the completed listings and see where the sales start kicking in.... You have outliers here and there, but most of the time, the top price of most sales is around $1500.

[AKA Rick]

I think Heritage is great for the artwork over $10,000 where you have serious collectors not looking for a bargain, but looking for an opportunity.

 

It's similar to when CAF tried to hold auctions for art and when Yahoo tried to compete against eBay, if you don't create a good buyer/seller market, at the end of the day, sellers are better off paying more in fees to get their products in front of the most and best set of eyes.

 

Their commissions at Heritage are somewhat meaningless in that, as a seller, you probably will get incrementally greater action (higher bids) because of the forum (Heritage). Where if you sold the same piece via personal offers, eBay or any other auction house, I generally tend to think you'd get less. Heritage does a good job at attracting a buying and bidding frenzy for high end items. As a buyer, Heritage is expensive in the sense that the fees you pay in total is significant. Generally speaking, after you pay their nearly 20% premium and if you have sales tax and shipping/insurance, you're in for an additional 1/3 of your bid price, so generally speaking if I want a piece and am bidding $3,000, I know I'll have to shell out $4,000, and inversely, when I bid, I look at my "all in" out of pocket, so if I want a piece and am willing to pay $4,000, I'd only go as far as to bid $3,000 in the auction knowing those fees.

 

Heritage runs a good auction with their advertising, publicity and the quality catalogs they produce, all incur overhead where part of those commissions goes to and they're also running a business, so need to remain profitable.

 

I think they're not that great for small ticket items under $3,000, which is better left for eBay or other means of sale 'tho.

[alxjhnsn]

I have one test case on Heritage versus eBay.

 

Front Cover of Sheldon Mayer's Santa and Rudolph on Heritage: $2008.25

Back Cover of Sheldon Mayer's Santa and Rudolph on eBay: $ 862.65

 

The two covers are directly comparable since the tell a story in two panels. There seems to be no justification for the price difference (230%) other than the venue.

 

I can't prove that H beats eBay by 230% on each sale, but the is at least one indication that they earn their 19.5% (or less) from the seller (plus 19.5% from the buyer).

 

For the link averse, I offer the four pieces (top: printed; bottom: OA):

 

 

[Weird Paper]

Alex, I think the front cover would still tend to go higher, even though they're part of the same overall image. This would be a really interesting comparison if the back cover had been on Heritage, and the front cover on ebay... imho.

[malvin]

Alex, I think the front cover would still tend to go higher, even though they're part of the same overall image. This would be a really interesting comparison if the back cover had been on Heritage, and the front cover on ebay... imho.

 

I agree with Roger, front covers should have a premium compared to the back cover, even if the images are similar. What that premium is however, I don't know.

 

If I were to guess, the premium should be less than 230% though. At least it is for me.

 

Regards,

 

Malvin

[Timely]

[alxjhnsn]

Re: Front Cover vs. Back Cover

I agree with you. I would expect to see some difference, too, but not 230%.

 

I suspect that there's a front and back cover to something in the Heritage Archives, but...

 

 

In any case, they look nice on the wall in the den.