Getting to 'Square Two'

[thethedew]

Hello all,

 

I can, right this instant, tick off my fingers at least 5 different artists with whom I've had cheerful email interactions, who have to a man confirmed that they have (or 'might have') pages I'd like to acquire stashed away. Each has made initial intimations of being interested in selling said pages, but when gently pressed to actually produce them, have responded in a range varying between straight-up silence to 'can't find them right now,' 'moving' etc.

 

First off the bat, I'm as sensitive as the next collector about coming across as a pest, and I feel I'm deft enough with my words and wise enough with my contact intervals to not be annoying anyone.

 

But I'd like some suggestions on if there are any further ways I'm missing to motivate an artist to actually go spelunking.

 

(Funny, it strikes me that in some ways the above frustrations are similar to getting a late commissioned artist off square one, too)

 

Each case is of course different. Perhaps, in no particular order:

- some have agents, but would rather I deal directly with them instead (which removes the agent's leverage, of course)

- some live in different continents,

- some have New Jobs away from comics, can't take the time just now

- some would apparently rather I just purchase an on-hand, newly-published piece, rather than take the time to dig around for older, obscure pieces which might not fetch as much (in a way I understand this one)

- some might find they're more attached to the art than they'd originally thought

 

or, maddeningly, some blending of the above.

 

The ones that drive me crazy the most are the Sudden Dead Silence. I know that in this day and age of poor manners, that Silence is supposed to be interpreted somewhere between 'No' and '-sigh- Get a Clue and Go Away' - though there is a great part of me that rejects that modern lazy attitude. To me, silence is simply an absence of information, neither a Y or an N, or anything else for that matter. I would truly rather get a real 'no' and be able to really cross a goal off my 'list' and bugger off rather than get the Silent Treatment.

 

I stress again that these are all cases where there has been an initial successful, positive contact. I realize I am not owed a reply from a cold contact.

 

The times I have been successful have been almost always timing issues - i.e. I lucked into contacting the artist right at the correct financial time for him, be it health, holiday, taxes, whatever. But maybe that's always going to be the only way to do it - right time at the right place with the right amount of cash.

 

I want to try to get some of these moving. Has anyone else had success with different strategies? Got to be cash, I suppose- Would some sort of 'research premium' work? Offer a bonus to an agent to really push his client? Etc.

[Bird]

It took a specific number for Wayne Faucher to go searching through his stuff for a Starman page he inked over Mark Buckingham. And that number was slightly higher than market value. If it is a specific dollar amount I find the artist is more motivated.

[ashrael]

Pay them for their time searching?

[Pete Marino]

I would say, buy something from them, to tell them you're serious.

 

A lot of the time, people bug them for stuff, and when it comes times to pull the trigger they slink away.

 

I'd be slow to act as well, if I had fans bugging me to look for stuff, just to waste my time in the past.

 

 

[blowout]

You definitely need to make an offer. If an artist is not actively selling the work you are looking for, they are going to need an incentive to 'find' the art.

[Bird]

[Rodey]

Give them beer?

[thethedew]

Give them beer?

 

 

If I could just find a way to do it without having to fly to Argentina, I'd be up for it.

[mister_not_so_nice]

Patience is a Virue