ComicLink May Auction

[suspense39]

It seems to that HA has a more historic and diverse selection, strips heroes, underground, alternative etc,....and Click is more hero/nostalgia based....i find both of them very good but for different reasons. I think HA's results will give a better view of the overall heath/state of the hobby as a whole

[Ironmandrd]

Whoa--just noticed that the May lots have increased substantially since I last looked, including with Romita Daredevil and Ditko ASM and more Cockrum (X-Men), Kirby (FF, TOS, TTA, Cap), John Buscema (Silver Surfer, Thor, Avengers, Conan), and John Byrne (MTU, MTIO).

 

IMO, the May CLink auction looks a lot more interesting than HA (and has more things that I'll be bidding on than the one or two pieces in HA).

 

(FYI--none of the above are mine but I have already consigned some lower-end pieces to CLink).

[Ironmandrd]

It seems to that HA has a more historic and diverse selection, strips heroes, underground, alternative etc,....and Click is more hero/nostalgia based....i find both of them very good but for different reasons. I think HA's results will give a better view of the overall heath/state of the hobby as a whole

 

I would agree that HA's selection is more diverse but CLink has a lot of nice 60s/70s hero pieces.

[AKA Rick]

Comic Link has the Featured Auctions and the Focused Auctions, right?

 

The Featured ones are the ones where they send out the catalogs and tend to have higher end pieces.

 

The Focused ones are similar to how Heritage has their Sunday Internet Auctions, riddled with middle of the road pieces, no real grails.

 

As a buyer, it makes no difference which you support, since if you figure out the math in your head, there's no buyer's premiums with Comic Link, other than if you want to call it that, a surcharge for using a credit card (or one can say inversely, a discount for paying check/cash). Where with Heritage, there's an approx. Buyer's Premium you need to tag onto your offer when considering what your all-in out of pocket cost is (plus, I think Sales Tax for residents of CA, NY and TX).

 

As a seller, I'd think it makes a huge difference 'tho.

 

I think Comic Link with their recent momentum in getting key pieces is probably better than Heritage for the seller if they're able to attract the same amount of bidders and interest, which it looks like they're doing a good job at.

 

I speculate Comic Link is better, if all things are equal in terms of all buyers being the same offering the same "all in" money for a piece mathematically, I'd think it breaks down as:

 

If a buyer is willing to pay $5,000 out of pocket (incl. buyers premiums) then:

 

HERITAGE

 

Buyer's Final Bid = $4,166 (since there's a 20% buyer's premium to factor in)

Buyer Pays Additionally = $843 which is the 20% Buyers Premium

TOTAL DUE FROM BUYER for the purchase = $5,000

Seller is paid by Heritage on the final bid price of $4,166

Less the 20% Sellers Commission to Heritage = $833.20

SELLER'S TOTAL NET $ RECEIVED by selling via Heritage = $3,332.80

Heritage's Transaction Revenue = $1,676.20

 

COMIC LINK

 

Buyer's Final Bid = $5,000 (since there's no buyer's premium)

Buyer Pays Additionally = $0 (no premium)

TOTAL DUE FROM BUYER for the purchase = $5,000

Seller is paid by Comic Link on the final bid price of $5,000

Less the 10% Sellers Commission to Comic Link = $500

SELLER'S TOTAL NET $ RECEIVED by selling via Comic Link = $4,500

Comic Link's Transaction Revenue = $500

 

So, I think I have the math laid out right.. in that a seller is not only penalized so to speak, theoretically on that same $5,000 sale by not participating in the buyer's premium revenue... but also the seller is being charged a higher seller's premium, so the net in pocket revenue a seller received on the same $5,000 a buyer pays for a piece is much greater at Comic Link... a pretty significant difference to the seller, if my match is right...

 

The "X-factor" to Heritage VS Comic Link is of course the promotions, marketing, advertising and format.

 

I think that Heritage's format with the online, live and phone bidding with the whole "going once, going twice... wait... oh, another bid!" format lends itself to higher bids and more impulsive purchases with less bargain snipers. I also think Heritage does a wonderful job with their all inclusive catalog with every piece, compared to Comic Link's brochure formatted catalog with a few samples of only pieces they deem key.

 

Where with Comic Link, since I think it's all online with a finite end date and time, pieces may be penalized if bidders can't get in their best offers in before the auction closes, so you'll get more snipers and bargain hunters. Sometimes this format encourages higher bidding activity and buyers throw in a higher less tactical bid to try to ensure they don't lose out due to the time constraining format, so bidding wars accelerate potentially.

 

I think Comic Link will eventually need to move towards a non-fixed close time format eventually to compete against Heritage to get the bigger dollars, but I could be wrong. They also need to put out a more all-inclusive catalog for higher profile promotions of the auctions.

 

As of now, I'm seeing a lot more buyers and sellers gravitating towards Comic Link, so they definitively have positive momentum in earning their market share.

[jbud73]

Or ..... you could forgo the auction houses and list the pieces on the Boards or CAF First.

 

This past year I have made three offers for pieces (one in the 5K, one in the 7K and one in the 10+K range), in all three instances I was not able to come to a deal with the seller. In all three instances those pieces ultimately ended up at Auction (1 at Heritage and 2 at Comiclink) ...... and in all three cases the seller NETTED LESS that my highest offer pre-auction. On the 7K pieces they netted 1500 less. I enjoy the 4 auction seasons as much as everyone, but they are in the end just middle men - last time I checked Halperin and Josh were not creating comic art.

[DocR]

Or ..... you could forgo the auction houses and list the pieces on the Boards or CAF First.

 

This past year I have made three offers for pieces (one in the 5K, one in the 7K and one in the 10+K range), in all three instances I was not able to come to a deal with the seller. In all three instances those pieces ultimately ended up at Auction (1 at Heritage and 2 at Comiclink) ...... and in all three cases the seller NETTED LESS that my highest offer pre-auction. On the 7K pieces they netted 1500 less. I enjoy the 4 auction seasons as much as everyone, but they are in the end just middle men - last time I checked Halperin and Josh were not creating comic art.

 

The same thing has happened to me. I have made offers on pieces that were turned down by the owners and then they realized less on the hammer price at auction. I'm not even counting the bath they then took on fees. Some pieces I eneded up not bidding on at all and some I eneded up getting cheaper at auction than I had offered. The allure of auctions is that you have a chance of hitting the lottery though I would say for a great many pieces we can safely predict within a +/- 15% range where a piece will end up. I have recently consigned some pieces to a dealer and have been very happy with that avenue compared to my previous auction consignments.

[batman_fan]

+1

 

Putting the Hulk 181 pg. aside, the Clink offering for the first time I can remember has far more depth of quality than the Heritage Auction. (thumbs u

 

per my taste and collecting interest, HA is still better than the May CLINK offering.

[Bird]

its all in the eye of the beholder and all that. I have 3 pieces consigned in the may clink, so I obviously loved them enough to buy at one time even if they have to go now. But the HA is amazing to me as I am becoming more enamored of strip art than I have ever been. And there's other stuff I like as well.This one has tons of Alex Raymond, a nice Moebius, Hal Foster Tarzan and Prince Valiant, a Little Nemo (I took this to $2500 yesterday, now at almost $4K), and some nice crumb pieces. Sadly, the "you have been outbid" emails have been flying in all day!

 

On the bright side, I am winning a Mutt and Jeff at $1, maybe that will stand up!

[Bird]

I was looking at HA again and I really love that Alex Raymond Flash Gordon. It is out of my league though. But it has such great characters and great lines everywhere. Simply beautiful.

[suspense39]

I was looking at HA again and I really love that Alex Raymond Flash Gordon. It is out of my league though. But it has such great characters and great lines everywhere. Simply beautiful.

 

Those are just super!

[jbud73]

+1

 

Putting the Hulk 181 pg. aside, the Clink offering for the first time I can remember has far more depth of quality than the Heritage Auction. (thumbs u

 

per my taste and collecting interest, HA is still better than the May CLINK offering.

 

Got it, I'm just saying in terms of the foundation of the OA market, which is SA/BA Superhero, CLink has the depth of goods this time around.

[AKA Rick]

Here's a page I just put up on Comic Link for their MAY FEATURE AUCTION starting on May 14th...

 

http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2Fauctions%2Fpreview.asp%3Fcode%3D2014may%26itemtype%3D1%26pg%3D4%26x%3D9%26y%3D7%23Item_1013252&id=1013252

 

 

Marvel Graphic Novel #1 : The Death of Captain Marvel - Page #44

 

Since Comic Link tends to just show a picture of the piece that says a thousand words without much additional information, I figured to add the notations of this piece as follows to maybe best describe the piece:

 

* Cover Date: April 1982 (released January 1982)

 

* This is oversized artwork in thick illustration board.

 

* Jim Starlin, writer, penciler and inker

 

* Signed by Jim Starlin, autographed at the bottom.

 

* This page features Captain Marvel on his death bed succumbing to cancer with prophetic dialogue. A fictional super hero dying of a very real human disease. So, in today's world of original art without dialogue, this is a poetic piece.

 

* This page features Drax the Destroyer (now of of The Guardians of the Galaxy, to be featured in the 2014 movie, portrayed by Dave Bautista, best known simply as Bautista, the WWE wrestler, the six (6) time World Heavyweight Champion, and longest reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion) visiting Captain Marvel on his death bed.

 

* This page features Drax with his daughter Moondragon (who ends up killing Drax in Avengers #220, but Drax is later resurrected), as well as a cliffhanger type last panel.

 

* This release was one of the earliest if not first mainstream (major publisher, Marvel Comics) releases known as "The Comic Book Graphic Novel", a now popular format that differs from sequential episodic comic book issue releases or trade paperback/collected editions.

 

* Article about this Death of Captain Marvel story: http://www.scifinow.co.uk/blog/the-death-of-captain-marvel-and-the-birth-of-modern-superheroes/

[AKA Rick]

I also put up a Jack Kirby 1963 Fantastic Four piece on Comic Link for their MAY 2014 Feature Auction starting 05/14/14...

 

http://www.comiclink.com/auctions/item.asp?back=%2Fauctions%2Fpreview.asp%3Fcode%3D2014may%26itemtype%3D1%26pg%3D2%23Item_1012925&id=1012925

 

Fantastic Four Annual #1 - Page #44

 

* Twice Up Silver Age Original Art / Image Area: 12.5" x 18.5"

 

* Released September 1963 (same date which Fantastic Four #18 was released)

 

* Written by Stan Lee, Pencils by Jack Kirby, Inks by Sol Brodsky

 

* Splash Page / Pin-Up entitled "Inside the Baxter Building"

 

* Signed by Jack Kirby. Since he's deceased, and a legend, it maybe is notable and a value add, and anyone who wanted to get this signed by Stan Lee subsequently would have a great piece signed by the tandem.

 

* Architectural Diagram / Detailed Floorplan / Design - I think this would be very appealing to a professional who is into architecture who collects original art.

 

* Wikipedia listing with some trivia on the Baxter Building: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baxter_Building

[suspense39]

+1

 

Putting the Hulk 181 pg. aside, the Clink offering for the first time I can remember has far more depth of quality than the Heritage Auction. (thumbs u

 

per my taste and collecting interest, HA is still better than the May CLINK offering.

 

Got it, I'm just saying in terms of the foundation of the OA market, which is SA/BA Superhero, CLink has the depth of goods this time around.

 

Just went through it, a lot added, I agree a lot of depth in SA/BA area.....a lot, probably a buyers market.

[J.Sid]

Maybe.... but maybe not since the Heritage auction is pretty thin, compared with previous auctions they've been putting out.

[Peter G]

Lotsa nice stuff keeps being added here

[Silver Surfer]

Funny that this is the first I have seen or heard of the Comicsvalue site.

[Bird]

I got my first comiclink catalog today for the may auction, original art highlights. I was disappointed to NOT see any of my pieces, thought one was worthy but I guess not. But still, the catalog was a nice touch and I thought it looked nice.

[DeadpoolJr.]

I have over fifty pieces in my favorites, but I know I'll be lucky if I can get 1 or 2 on my list.

[Bird]

That tiny little Moebius Starwatcher piece fascinates me. It is so tiny at 3.5 X 5 but so so beautiful I wonder if I can get it with the cash my 3 consigned pieces bring. I seriously doubt it but if so would I then spend serious bucks on such a small illustration? Aargh! It is a real dilemma.

 

And who knows where it may take me. "Hey look at this everybody...all I could afford was this 2x2 square of lines that used to belong to a Prince Valiant Sunday but since I could never afford a full Sunday, or even a daily, or even a tier from a Sunday, or even a panel from a daily, or even a figure from a panel from a daily, or a panel from a tier from a Sunday, I bought this square full of lines. They are just lines but lines drawn by Hal Foster...by Winsor McKay,...by Herge. Look at my collection of tiny pieces from the pens of the greats! These squiggles right here are the curve of Charlie Brown's head and some of his hair. That piece there is the edge of Juliet Jones' lips, some of her hair and some paneling from the background! Those lines are the speed lines from a thrown brick! Really! I know, I can't believe I got my Herriman either."