Near six figure MTG art sales 0

[Solar]

Besides the obvious mega-$$$ vintage cards, does a card's current status determine its price?

 

I.e. If I bought the art for a card that was awesome in 2002, but sucks now, will it sell well because people who were heavy into the game in '02 are nostalgic for it? Or does it tank because it's irrelevant now, kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

[vodou]

...kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

1988 Donruss Gregg Jefferies

http://blog.squeezeplaycards.com/?p=6

[Bronty]

Besides the obvious mega-$$$ vintage cards, does a card's current status determine its price?

 

I.e. If I bought the art for a card that was awesome in 2002, but sucks now, will it sell well because people who were heavy into the game in '02 are nostalgic for it? Or does it tank because it's irrelevant now, kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

 

If it was cool once, that's better than if it was never cool, but not as good as lasting coolness.. you know?

[Solar]

...kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

1988 Donruss Gregg Jefferies

http://blog.squeezeplaycards.com/?p=6

 

Man, my '88 Fleer Glossy Gregg Jefferies was my prize possession in third grade.

[Bronty]

...kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

1988 Donruss Gregg Jefferies

http://blog.squeezeplaycards.com/?p=6

 

Man, my '88 Fleer Glossy Gregg Jefferies was my prize possession in third grade.

 

Mint Adam Oates rookie card was my prized card

 

He had 150 points and won me my pool! His stats on the back of his cards were doing an exponential curve so I drafted him and it worked out great!

[Solar]

At least the Oates is still worth a couple bucks

[Eric Seffinga]

Re:

 

Make no mistake, this same formula that surprised you when applied to MTG is being applied around you, constantly.

 

Oh, I definitely get that! The prices for those McSpidey covers? Bleah!

I kid, McSpidey fans. Sorta.

 

But yeah, I get it. Just didn't know how harshly those rules applied to the MTG cards vs comics, and what the contrast is like. Pricing on a gradient, or more severe?

 

But yeah, the more beloved or groundbreaking the series, the more interest people have in wanting a piece = the more $ irregardless of how it looks. Which always makes me kinda sad, but we don't need to go there again.

 

 

[Terry Doyle]

.

 

. . . In a way, even to the works that you collect 'only for the art'.. because if they lack a content association of significance they will be priced without that additional premium.

 

 

For myself (as you know) I have zero interest in the game, so couldn't care less about all those factors you mention. Important to those collectors who have time in the game and also collect the art . . . yes, without doubt.

 

If a great painting . . . i.e. one that spurs my imagination and speaks to me on an emotional level (but fronting a weak card in the game), I'm delighted not to be having to pay a premium. As I say, my interests are totally divorced from the game.

 

Works for me, even if you might struggle to understand why?

 

Different strokes.

 

My collection is fairly ecclectic and the MTG stuff I have is only a small smattering of examples bought for the great artworks (not their standing in the game).

 

I do collect other stuff.

 

 

[Bronty]

Re:

 

 

But yeah, I get it. Just didn't know how harshly those rules applied to the MTG cards vs comics, and what the contrast is like. Pricing on a gradient, or more severe?

 

It's hard to make those comparisons. But, to give you an idea, that 35k necro is from a 1996 set called ice age. A garbage card from that set is 300-400 bucks maybe? I'm not sure if there's another card that would crack 10k in the set (thinking off the top of my head here) as that was a really "underpowered" set. Is there even another that would crack 5k?

 

There are LOTS of sets though. One every three months the past twenty years, basically. Each with 100-300 illustrations , although some are digital now

[vodou]

...kind of like modern sports cards and the whole 'hot rookie' syndrome.

1988 Donruss Gregg Jefferies

http://blog.squeezeplaycards.com/?p=6

 

Man, my '88 Fleer Glossy Gregg Jefferies was my prize possession in third grade.

The Donruss Jefferies was a high number card. Without getting deep into it, on the (clear) cello packs you could see the back of the last card in the pack. From there you could use the formula (yup) to identify if a Jefferies was in there or not. That was my first big sweep as a speculator. At one point I had hundreds of Jefferies at pennies each that I got $8-$15/ea for swapping with other collectors and wholesaling to card shops. Some of the swaps I remember were three loose Jefferies for sealed rack packs with a single Jefferies on the top (showing). Those I got $50 for from dealers at card shows. Dealt maybe twenty of those over the course of a year. It was really good while it lasted and (luckily) I was dodging and weaving enough that when the dust settled I only ended up holding six (three empty pocket on a nine pocket sleeve!) Still have them...a cheap and wonderful reminder of those days. From there I went into comics (somehow I figured out cards were dead before it actually happened!) with Death of Superman baggeds, McSpidey #1 golds, cases of Spawn #1, Youngblood #1, Next Men #1, Bloodshot #1, etc etc. Made back my money many times and some I still have, sealed Diamond cases...all in storage....ooooh imagine all the 9.8 and 10.0 'keys' lurking the darkness. Scarcity. Hmmm. It's all bs. All of it. No different than that Donruss Jefferies.

[Bronty]

@Eric

 

To add to the thought, I think you have to have experienced opening packs to fully get it. You don't know what you're going to get, you read through each one trying to understand its application. If it sucks you literally never look at it again. If it's awesome you'll use it every time. So your memories will be weighted heavily towards the better cards. The weak ones you pretty much read once and then toss

[Bronty]

@Terry

 

No struggle at all. I understand what you're doing, it's no mystery. I just think it's impossible to strip the subject matter away 100%, as I've said. If you like the look and think they are nice pictures for the money, then great. But those pieces wouldn't look the way they look if they were for a different product or even if not for product at all.

 

If you just want to appreciate the images that's great but... how can I say this without offending anybody? Admiring 'just the images' is not a deeper level of appreciation than collecting with all that and context in mind. Sometimes it seems like those that collect 'Just for the image' seem to think its a "purer" or "deeper" route. It's not; it's just different. Because I can just as easily assert that it's a shallower level of appreciation if all you are going by is whether it's a pretty picture or not. Taken to the extreme (not saying you) accumulating in that manner leads to the biggest concern being whether it's pretty (or whatever look we prefer) and will match the drapes . Because if image is 100% of our concern, we are at some point just collecting decorations for the home (or art folder).

 

Again I'm not saying one way is better or worse. Just that the 'pure' route is just as 'shallow' as the other route. Either we go for image or context; neither route is better/worse so I don't view either as a badge of honor

[Eric Seffinga]

Oh, I was there during the opening of hundreds of packs. As I said, my friends/coworkers were heavily into this for many years. They had "Magic" nights once a week. I used to sit around during lunch breaks when we'd go to comic/card shops so I could look at books and they'd shop for the latest series cards. I'd listen to the banter as they whooped or groaned, or just silently sifted through the packs as they opened them. Listened to them work out occasional trades. Etc and so on. And I eventually got them to let me see what they got each time, so I flip through and look at the art to see how many people I knew personally had work in them. It was a weekly ritual at the office. Really good times that I look back on very fondly.

 

 

[Terry Doyle]

@Terry

 

. . . But those pieces wouldn't look the way they look if they were for a different product or even if not for product at all.

 

 

I understand were you're coming from, Dan.

 

The bulk of my small MTG collection (with the exception of a single painting by Steve Belledin) are the works of Kev Walker and Volkan Baga.

 

Kev has produced a lot of comic-book work over the years (some of it painted, which is comparable to his MTG stuff). Volkan is a trained/educated painter whose roots and influences lie in the classic works you see hanging in art galleries.

 

Neither guys are one-trick-ponies.

 

MTG has certainly helped promote their work, and provided a regular paying gig, but their respective talents were not shaped by the company.

[Bronty]

@Terry

 

. . . But those pieces wouldn't look the way they look if they were for a different product or even if not for product at all.

 

 

I understand were you're coming from, Dan.

 

The bulk of my small MTG collection (with the exception of a single painting by Steve Belledin) are the works of Kev Walker and Volkan Baga.

 

Kev has produced a lot of comic-book work over the years (some of it painted, which is comparable to his MTG stuff). Volkan is a trained/educated painter whose roots and influences lie in the classic works you see hanging in art galleries.

 

Neither guys are one-trick-ponies.

 

MTG has certainly helped promote their work, and provided a regular paying gig, but their respective talents were not shaped by the company.

 

Right, fair enough (thumbs u

 

But that volkan baga gorgon... I don't even have to look at the card to know that she's likely a creature card, and likely has some kind of special ability (hence her tallying her victims on the stone wall).

 

The piece says "I'm a MTG original" on its own.

 

(in the same way india ink on bristol with a logo and corner box says "I'm a comic cover")

 

It looks the way it does because of what it is. The two can't truly be separated (even if we choose to only appreciate one half of that inseparable tandem).

[Terry Doyle]

@Terry

 

. . . But those pieces wouldn't look the way they look if they were for a different product or even if not for product at all.

 

 

I understand were you're coming from, Dan.

 

The bulk of my small MTG collection (with the exception of a single painting by Steve Belledin) are the works of Kev Walker and Volkan Baga.

 

Kev has produced a lot of comic-book work over the years (some of it painted, which is comparable to his MTG stuff). Volkan is a trained/educated painter whose roots and influences lie in the classic works you see hanging in art galleries.

 

Neither guys are one-trick-ponies.

 

MTG has certainly helped promote their work, and provided a regular paying gig, but their respective talents were not shaped by the company.

 

Right, fair enough (thumbs u

 

But that volkan baga gargoyle... I don't even have to look at the card to know that she's likely a creature card, and likely has some kind of special ability (hence her tallying her victims on the stone wall).

 

The piece says "I'm a MTG original" on its own

 

It's a gorgon, not a gargoyle!

 

The piece speaks to me in a different way.

 

She's saying, "I need to add Bronty to my tally!"

 

 

 

[Bronty]

@Terry

 

. . . But those pieces wouldn't look the way they look if they were for a different product or even if not for product at all.

 

 

I understand were you're coming from, Dan.

 

The bulk of my small MTG collection (with the exception of a single painting by Steve Belledin) are the works of Kev Walker and Volkan Baga.

 

Kev has produced a lot of comic-book work over the years (some of it painted, which is comparable to his MTG stuff). Volkan is a trained/educated painter whose roots and influences lie in the classic works you see hanging in art galleries.

 

Neither guys are one-trick-ponies.

 

MTG has certainly helped promote their work, and provided a regular paying gig, but their respective talents were not shaped by the company.

 

Right, fair enough (thumbs u

 

But that volkan baga gargoyle... I don't even have to look at the card to know that she's likely a creature card, and likely has some kind of special ability (hence her tallying her victims on the stone wall).

 

The piece says "I'm a MTG original" on its own

 

It's a gorgon, not a gargoyle!

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah I saw and fixed that earlier but I guess you caught me pre edit I'll give you that one

[BCarter27]

There's been boxes of MTG originals at Illuxcon in past years. I can't recall particular artists, but the show is this weekend in PA.

[Nexus]

And yes, Felix art is a lovely institution

There you go... some concensus!

 

 

Wow...thanks fellas!

[Phantalien]

There's been boxes of MTG originals at Illuxcon in past years. I can't recall particular artists, but the show is this weekend in PA.

 

I wanted to go to get cards signed but I didn't know if that would be perceived as tacky. There are at least 20-30 artists who also did art for MTG. There are so many people who do some amazing art and they just happen to have done MTG art, Omar Rayyan and Rebecca Guay.