Looks like the next round of HA and CLINK auctions should have some good stuff

[Lago32]

I sold the Romita ASM #69 page and had very mixed emotions. When I dropped it off to Doug at C2E2 I walked the floor debating whether to pick up the piece and back out, but obviously didn’t go that route.

 

I kind of have a “Collectors Policy Statement” where I want one representative piece for each of my favorite ASM villains, and I was lucky enough to score a great Cockrum/Romita Kingpin cover from Thomas Fish while firing out offers after a few beers one night That meant letting the 69 page go, but the owner will be very happy; it’s a killer page.

 

I thought it went for a very strong price. I’ve often wondered about the data for the “A-level Panel Page Valuations” thread with Romita ASM small-art going for 10-20K (which was true when Mike put the list together a couple years ago) and large art 30-40k (which was always off-base by a mile). Spider-man is arguably the most popular super-hero around, and Romita really popularized his look, so it will be interesting to see if the recent ASM strong sales (another 69 page went for 29K last Comiclink auction) continue. And I’ve never, ever had Romita ASM large-art pages shopped to me for even close to 30-40K. If someone knows where they are please let me know…

 

Congrats to the winner!

 

Hey Bill, congrats on the sale!

 

Just a quick comment re your questioning the Romita valuations in that thread....there is no doubt that both small and large Romita art have increased in value since Hari and I pulled together that list. That being said, I would remind you that it was based on A-level pages and not A+ level pages. There is a big and unpredictable leap between those two grades and your ASM69 page and most of your 2x ASM pages are in that A+ camp.

 

Mike

[delekkerste]

An interesting auction to say the least, with lots of consignors feeling the need to advertise their auctions. I don't see that sort of activity going on with the Heritage auctions so are the consignors more nervous about the low prices at the time of Clink's closing an feel they have to direct collectors to their listings?

 

On another note, this auction proved to me that I don't understand the OA market at all. Just when I think I've got it figured out, I see numerous things sell for a pittance, while other more desirable items sell for STOOPID money (well, stooped to me). There are too many examples to cite here, but if you've been around the block a few times, I'm sure you can find plenty of examples for yourself.

 

I will say this:

 

1. Kirby art, no matter how fugly, has followers. There was some uuuuuugly Kirby in this auction, and they all sold for strong prices. I'm talking fourth and fifth tier Kirby

 

2. Miller Elektra cover. I thought there would have been more discussion, more hype, and a significantly higher closing price so what happened with this one?

 

3. Clink really, really needs to upgrade their auction features and format to make it a more user-friendly experience. There's been threads on this topic before, but its really becoming a hindrance to buyers and sellers alike

 

4. Congrats to the winner of the killer Romita Sr ASM page!

 

That Miller cover did what I thought it would - I thought it was $20-$25K and it finished dead in the middle of that range. Most people I've spoken with just don't like how Miller drew Elektra around that period. Collectors like how she looked in the DD series and then the very stylized version from Elektra Lives Again, but the Elektra Saga version is just kind of a red-headed stepchild. Didn't help that the better front cover image had most of her face obscured, and nobody seems to like that back cover image. Of course, being an all-Miller Marvel wraparound cover featuring Elektra, it can only go so low, but I think a big discount even to the third-tier Miller DD covers (like the #186 which sold at Heritage 3 months ago) I think is very warranted. I think it sold for FMV.

 

That ASM #69 page is nice, but I think that price is

 

I really liked that Perez NTT #32 cover, which unfortunately took a bath for the consignor. The market just isn't strong enough to support quick flips, even on most quality material. I know of other recent examples where sellers fared poorly.

 

Yes, there were some things that fell through the cracks, but, overall, this was the strongest auction I've seen in a while. The craziest thing is that I felt the auction was packed with a lot of lower-tier material but a lot of stuff fetched prices from the next-higher tier (examples of which have already been cited). Not sure if there was just a lot of pent-up demand after a couple of weak auction cycles, or whether people are reading too much into the Modern/Contemporary art euphoria, or whether there was just a lot of dumb/noob money coming into the market, but I think a lot of people paid too much in this sale. If anything, it makes me want to dig through my collection and consign some things to the next one!

[Verbow]

I sold the Romita ASM #69 page and had very mixed emotions. When I dropped it off to Doug at C2E2 I walked the floor debating whether to pick up the piece and back out, but obviously didn’t go that route.

 

I kind of have a “Collectors Policy Statement” where I want one representative piece for each of my favorite ASM villains, and I was lucky enough to score a great Cockrum/Romita Kingpin cover from Thomas Fish while firing out offers after a few beers one night That meant letting the 69 page go, but the owner will be very happy; it’s a killer page.

 

I thought it went for a very strong price. I’ve often wondered about the data for the “A-level Panel Page Valuations” thread with Romita ASM small-art going for 10-20K (which was true when Mike put the list together a couple years ago) and large art 30-40k (which was always off-base by a mile). Spider-man is arguably the most popular super-hero around, and Romita really popularized his look, so it will be interesting to see if the recent ASM strong sales (another 69 page went for 29K last Comiclink auction) continue. And I’ve never, ever had Romita ASM large-art pages shopped to me for even close to 30-40K. If someone knows where they are please let me know…

 

Congrats to the winner!

 

Hey Bill, congrats on the sale!

 

Just a quick comment re your questioning the Romita valuations in that thread....there is no doubt that both small and large Romita art have increased in value since Hari and I pulled together that list. That being said, I would remind you that it was based on A-level pages and not A+ level pages. There is a big and unpredictable leap between those two grades and your ASM69 page and most of your 2x ASM pages are in that A+ camp.

 

Mike

 

Hi Mike! Point taken, though I think you meant ALL of my 2x pages are A+ But still, Mike Burkey and I have had several conversations about the Romita 2X values on your list - where's the data to support it? But don't want to derail the thread...

[comix4fun]

And don't forget about Romita Jr. first run X-men artwork. Blown out of the water in my own playground. Super strong numbers. I guess it's finally getting it's due respect.

 

Those were very strong prices, but I don't think it was because of JRJR getting his due respect. UXM #191 guest-starred the Avengers, and we all know that almost anything Avengers-related from the late Silver to Copper Age has been the hottest part of the market for a while. I'm guessing this was a very issue-specific phenomenon, with indiscriminate Avengers buyers bidding up the pages.

 

The #193 page went strong too, but that's the first Starfire in comics and that is surely the reason why it fetched what it did. Meanwhile, the UXM #178 and 179 pages from the last CLink auction sold for $701 and $802, respectively, which I suspect is closer to where the real JRJR UXM market actually is.

 

 

Actually I think the market is between those two sets of figures (clink now and the 178 and 179 pages).

 

That was $3,000 for that 191 page with a little Scarlet Witch and a dash of Vision.

 

The 178 and 179 pages didn't have any action or main characters on them, did they. Weren't they out of costume, no Wolverine, no Colossus pages?

 

I mention that because I have been a buyer (and a trader/seller) for JRJR X-men with Wolverine or Colossus or the team in action on them in the $1250-2000 range for a couple of years now.

 

I haven't been able to touch anything with Wolverine on it for under a grand in at least 5 years.

 

Those pages from 178-179 would have been $300-400 just a couple years ago.

 

I expected the 191 to be around $1800-1900.

[dgillock]

I think it's fake too. But even if it wasn't...UGLY.

 

Who'd want it, for any money, even if Herb did it??? Ruben's rant is dead on. Caveat emptor. $1 for the paper it's on and $4,999.00 stupidity premium is what is being paid here. And yes, shame on ComicLink for accepting the consignment (unless there's some really good backup that wasn't made public.)

 

Agree with everything you said. When I saw that one with such a strong bid I was surprised.

 

It looks like a bad lightbox or projector job.

 

Hi All. Just wanted to post and let everyone know that I am looking into this piece. Honestly, it was not one that was on my radar, but it is now.

 

Obviously if we can not get a clear confirmation that the piece is what it is purported to be, we will void the sale.

 

-Douglas Gillock

Consignment Director, ComicLink

[Bronty]

Ouch!!

[Bronty]

I think it's fake too. But even if it wasn't...UGLY.

 

Who'd want it, for any money, even if Herb did it??? Ruben's rant is dead on. Caveat emptor. $1 for the paper it's on and $4,999.00 stupidity premium is what is being paid here. And yes, shame on ComicLink for accepting the consignment (unless there's some really good backup that wasn't made public.)

 

Agree with everything you said. When I saw that one with such a strong bid I was surprised.

 

It looks like a bad lightbox or projector job.

 

Hi All. Just wanted to post and let everyone know that I am looking into this piece. Honestly, it was not one that was on my radar, but it is now.

 

Obviously if we can not get a clear confirmation that the piece is what it is purported to be, we will void the sale.

 

-Douglas Gillock

Consignment Director, ComicLink

 

(thumbs u

[Bronty]

I sold the Romita ASM #69 page and had very mixed emotions. When I dropped it off to Doug at C2E2 I walked the floor debating whether to pick up the piece and back out, but obviously didn’t go that route.

 

I kind of have a “Collectors Policy Statement” where I want one representative piece for each of my favorite ASM villains, and I was lucky enough to score a great Cockrum/Romita Kingpin cover from Thomas Fish while firing out offers after a few beers one night That meant letting the 69 page go, but the owner will be very happy; it’s a killer page.

 

I thought it went for a very strong price. I’ve often wondered about the data for the “A-level Panel Page Valuations” thread with Romita ASM small-art going for 10-20K (which was true when Mike put the list together a couple years ago) and large art 30-40k (which was always off-base by a mile). Spider-man is arguably the most popular super-hero around, and Romita really popularized his look, so it will be interesting to see if the recent ASM strong sales (another 69 page went for 29K last Comiclink auction) continue. And I’ve never, ever had Romita ASM large-art pages shopped to me for even close to 30-40K. If someone knows where they are please let me know…

 

Congrats to the winner!

 

congrats on the sale!

[vodou]

As a long-term observer (and participant) in this hobby, it's a lot of fun to watch a very linear progression continue to unfold.

What progression, you ask?

Mainstream Marvel superhero that is!

 

This Paul Ryan FF went last night for $306. From 1994.

 

 

Not take anything away from Paul (a friend I somehow lost touch with years ago, actually), but this price action has little to do with Art (or Paul, or the inker or anything like that) and a lot to do with fannish demographics. Because ten years ago, a similar FF panel page from 1984 would have gotten about the same thing. And ten years before that, about the same for a 1974. See the trend? Ever so linear too. Decent FF panels from circa twenty years ago tend to garner $300 (or less when you get back into the nineties and eighties prices). Will this continue? I bet it will. What do you think? Those that follow other mainstream Marvel superhero books, leaving the superstar artists behind, do we see the same thing? I bet so. You tell me though...

 

Another thought, what of the panels from today in twenty years? The kids knocking those things out are already charging $300 for them, often uninked or blue-line pencils underneath and no balloons...still $300 in twenty years or what??

[J.Sid]

And don't forget about Romita Jr. first run X-men artwork. Blown out of the water in my own playground. Super strong numbers. I guess it's finally getting it's due respect.

 

I thought so, too. I went in thinking I might finally add one to my collection, but got blown out of the water.

 

To be fair, the ones I was looking at were very strong pages (Vision/Colossus brawl, Firestar 1st app)

[delekkerste]

That was $3,000 for that 191 page with a little Scarlet Witch and a dash of Vision.

 

Dude, that's all it takes when the Avengers are involved these days.

 

[delekkerste]

And don't forget about Romita Jr. first run X-men artwork. Blown out of the water in my own playground. Super strong numbers. I guess it's finally getting it's due respect.

 

I thought so, too. I went in thinking I might finally add one to my collection, but got blown out of the water.

 

To be fair, the ones I was looking at were very strong pages (Vision/Colossus brawl, Firestar 1st app)

 

Exactly. I don't doubt that JRJR pages are getting more respect than they used to, but these prices reflect more the Avengers appearance and Firestar 1st appearance much more than any newfound respect for JRJR.

 

If $2-3K is the new normal for JRJR UXM pages, it's time for me to pull the ripcord and parachute out of this hobby.

 

 

[J.Sid]

 

2. Miller Elektra cover. I thought there would have been more discussion, more hype, and a significantly higher closing price so what happened with this one?

 

 

I bid hoping it would slip even a bit farther. I really liked it.

 

A couple of thoughts:

 

1. Though it reprinted DD stories, It wasn't a DD cover from "the run"

2. There was some CrafTint solution splattered on the face in the big head shot

3. It's arguably the worst of the 4, and the only one where you don't get a shot of her full face on the main cover

 

That being said, I thought it would go a lot higher. There are Elektra panel pages that would sell for that amount ($22k) or more.

[comix4fun]

And don't forget about Romita Jr. first run X-men artwork. Blown out of the water in my own playground. Super strong numbers. I guess it's finally getting it's due respect.

 

I thought so, too. I went in thinking I might finally add one to my collection, but got blown out of the water.

 

To be fair, the ones I was looking at were very strong pages (Vision/Colossus brawl, Firestar 1st app)

 

Exactly. I don't doubt that JRJR pages are getting more respect than they used to, but these prices reflect more the Avengers appearance and Firestar 1st appearance much more than any newfound respect for JRJR.

 

If $2-3K is the new normal for JRJR UXM pages, it's time for me to pull the ripcord and parachute out of this hobby.

 

 

 

I had always thought the relative value of interior page prices to the prices JRJR covers from the same run fetch was disproportionate.

[J.Sid]

Ha! I am catching up on this thread and it appears that Gene and others had already mentioned a few of the things I've posted.

[J.Sid]

 

I had always thought the relative value of interior page prices to the prices JRJR covers from the same run fetch was disproportionate.

 

It all depends on which covers we are comparing them to.

 

A few of his covers were cool. A few weren't bad. A few were decent but had lame character content..... and a few were some of the worst X-Men covers ever published (my 2 cents of course):

 

[delekkerste]

As a long-term observer (and participant) in this hobby, it's a lot of fun to watch a very linear progression continue to unfold.

What progression, you ask?

Mainstream Marvel superhero that is!

 

This Paul Ryan FF went last night for $306. From 1994.

 

 

Not take anything away from Paul (a friend I somehow lost touch with years ago, actually), but this price action has little to do with Art (or Paul, or the inker or anything like that) and a lot to do with fannish demographics. Because ten years ago, a similar FF panel page from 1984 would have gotten about the same thing. And ten years before that, about the same for a 1974. See the trend? Ever so linear too. Decent FF panels from circa twenty years ago tend to garner $300 (or less when you get back into the nineties and eighties prices). Will this continue? I bet it will. What do you think? Those that follow other mainstream Marvel superhero books, leaving the superstar artists behind, do we see the same thing? I bet so. You tell me though...

 

Another thought, what of the panels from today in twenty years? The kids knocking those things out are already charging $300 for them, often uninked or blue-line pencils underneath and no balloons...still $300 in twenty years or what??

 

Good observation, and I think there's probably a lot of truth in the demographics you described.

 

I'd be very surprised if today's panels in 20 years follow the same trend, though. Why? Because FF comic sales are down to about 40K/month and the OA product just isn't as good as it used to be. I'm not saying that the reading experience isn't as good, but the original art - often uninked, no word balloons, decompressed storytelling (meaning far less happens on one page), etc. I mean, it's not like most people think of FF circa 1994 as being the pinnacle of comics, but, that page you posted by Paul Ryan is really nice - there's a lot going on and it has a lot of dialogue. You just don't get that with most modern OA. My guess is that most OA from today is "no bid" 20 years from now as a result, and that the generational pattern will be broken, because so much has changed in the past 20 years - everything from how the art is produced and how stories are told to comic book reading grabbing a much smaller slice of mindshare after losing many readers in the 1990s between the Marvel bust and the nearly infinite amount of other cheap entertainment options that have been created since then.

[suspense39]

That was $3,000 for that 191 page with a little Scarlet Witch and a dash of Vision.

 

Dude, that's all it takes when the Avengers are involved these days.

 

I wish some told that to the set of bidders on the avengers page I consigned to the last heritage auction!

[delekkerste]

 

I had always thought the relative value of interior page prices to the prices JRJR covers from the same run fetch was disproportionate.

 

It all depends on which covers we are comparing them to.

 

A few of his covers were cool. A few weren't bad. A few were decent but had lame character content..... and a few were some of the worst X-Men covers ever published (my 2 cents of course):

 

 

I have mixed feelings...a lot of those covers weren't great, but those early JRJR UXM issues are squarely in my nostalgic wheelhouse and so I love them anyway. Basically, if it's a 60 cent-priced UXM cover, I love it.

 

I love that #179 cover even if nobody wants to see a tearful Kitty at the altar with Caliban.

[comix4fun]

 

I had always thought the relative value of interior page prices to the prices JRJR covers from the same run fetch was disproportionate.

 

It all depends on which covers we are comparing them to.

 

A few of his covers were cool. A few weren't bad. A few were decent but had lame character content..... and a few were some of the worst X-Men covers ever published (my 2 cents of course):

 

 

 

The range of cover values has been disparate as well.

 

I can go back about 15 years and the range was between $5k for the worst and $25k for the best.

 

At the same time pages were $35 for the worst and $150 for the best.

 

A couple of the covers have leaped well beyond the $25k but even the lowest rung have jumped up. Still the best panel pages seem to be less than 10% the best cover.

 

I remember selling one particular cover, not the best cover, but a memorable one, about 8-9 years ago for $12,500 at the same time I was buying good/not the best interior pages for $200. The gap on the highest covers to sell from the run and the pages that just sold are more than 10 to 1.

 

Wider gap than I remembered from other runs and titles where the cover and interior artist were the same.