Show Us Your Ducks! 15 15

[Transplant]

I wasn't clear enough tb. I think the line work is great by Barks. I like it very much. What I don't like about the cover is the massive red space above and around the line work. It has too "modern" a feel to the cover.

 

As for the OA, I'm convinced we would have a better chance to see the OA in person if it were in your collection versus a museum's. Museums tend to lock up these little pieces of art for too long between showings.

[ft88]

I saw some similarities here. I tell you, ounce for ounce some of the other cartoon covers are equal to or better than many of the Barks. If I didn't know about Barks ahead of time, I'd vote for the Bugs Bunny as the better cover.The interiors on the other hand...

[Transplant]

I'm not wading into a fight about the better cover artist for funny animals that easily. I think it's a given that there are numerous examples of better covers than any random Barks covers. I really like many of Walt Kelly's covers for WDC&S, for example.

[ft88]

Walt Kelly covers are some of the best, both WDCS and others.

 

I think its just the (deserved) adulation for Barks is typically for his interior work while his covers are often simply good. Other than FC 386, the Scrooge covers tend to be average, while the interiors are genius. The majority of the cartoon books of the 40's were exactly opposite, phenomenal covers (OK, not always) and atrocious interior stories.

[The Black Hand ®]

I've said this before, that if I could only have the works of one artist on a desert island, it would be Barks and his ducks, hands down.

[Bronty]

I've said this before, that if I could only have the works of one artist on a desert island, it would be Barks and his ducks, hands down.

 

well put and me too. Its impossible to get tired of his stuff.

[tth2]

Walt Kelly covers are some of the best, both WDCS and others.

 

I think its just the (deserved) adulation for Barks is typically for his interior work while his covers are often simply good. Other than FC 386, the Scrooge covers tend to be average, while the interiors are genius. The majority of the cartoon books of the 40's were exactly opposite, phenomenal covers (OK, not always) and atrocious interior stories.

FC 199 & WDC&S 140

 

But I agree with you that his great talent was to tell a story. Which perhaps is why some of his stand-alone art and paintings just don't do it for me. I love Barks' interior art, but it's hard for me to separate his art from his writing. It was the combination of both that made the duck books so magical.

[tb]

This WDC&S 88 CGC 9.2 had a close call during shipping. I can't see any damage to the book: looks like the inner holder protected it. The white envelope contains a less valuable book. Fortunately, it had slid to the opposite side.

 

[adamstrange]

That's scary!

[Transplant]

tb:

 

Looks like somebody tried to eat that package.

[bergdoll]

That's quite the damaged holder. I received some OA that was bent up the other day - NOT HAPPY! Fortunately, it wasn't insanely expensive OA.

 

Duck prices do seem to be on the rise - or at least demand seems to be increasing. My theory is that they have been under-valued in comparison to other genres and as the super-hero books from the Golden-Age become crazy expensive, collectors start looking to other areas: Horror, War, Funny Animal, Western.

 

What then happens is that the supply is seen for what it really is - pitiful! There are very, very few high-grade Ducks out there. (don't even TRY to find high-grade horror and war from 1955-1975).

 

My first love are the ducks, so it's difficult to see them rising in value as much as they are. (although, I'll pay whatever I need to pay... I just love them that much).

 

I'm seeing the same trend in high-grade Archie's lately.

 

The thing with the Archie's and Ducks is that they had high print runs, but this was foiled by the target audience and survival rates. So low-grade isn't too hard to find. High grade - almost getting impossible.

[tth2]

That's quite the damaged holder. I received some OA that was bent up the other day - NOT HAPPY! Fortunately, it wasn't insanely expensive OA.

 

Duck prices do seem to be on the rise - or at least demand seems to be increasing. My theory is that they have been under-valued in comparison to other genres and as the super-hero books from the Golden-Age become crazy expensive, collectors start looking to other areas: Horror, War, Funny Animal, Western.

 

What then happens is that the supply is seen for what it really is - pitiful! There are very, very few high-grade Ducks out there. (don't even TRY to find high-grade horror and war from 1955-1975).

 

My first love are the ducks, so it's difficult to see them rising in value as much as they are. (although, I'll pay whatever I need to pay... I just love them that much).

 

I'm seeing the same trend in high-grade Archie's lately.

 

The thing with the Archie's and Ducks is that they had high print runs, but this was foiled by the target audience and survival rates. So low-grade isn't too hard to find. High grade - almost getting impossible.

Very good post, and I agree with much of what you say except that you make it sound like Ducks are only moving up now, and I would say they've been skyrocketing for around 3-4 years now. It's definitely not a recent phenomenon.

 

From my own perspective, the world changed around that time period when some gorgeous 9.4 FCs came up on eBay. I had already set aside some space in my collection to slot those beauties because I'd had the field all to myself for the few years and couldn't imagine that I wouldn't win the books. Then I got blindsided by some Scandinavian arrivistes. Then Gambaccini started auctioning off more gorgeous FCs and WDCSs on eBay and the pockets of the winners (mostly Scandinavians, but some Americans as they started to raise their game) seemed to be limitless. And it really hasn't stopped since.

 

[tb]

[...]My first love are the ducks, so it's difficult to see them rising in value as much as they are. (although, I'll pay whatever I need to pay... I just love them that much).

 

I can definitely relate .

 

Here are a couple of fun scans from some early sheet music.

 

Note the chorus to the "German version" of the lyrics (not from the same publication as the first scan).

 

 

[CoinAddict]

Thought this was a cool cover so I had to pick it up.

WDCS #69

 

[BB-Gun]

I posted this animated cover on BZ's thread but it should be here too.

bb

[Transplant]

WDCS had so many great covers and that Walt Kelly is one of them.

[adamstrange]

Thought this was a cool cover so I had to pick it up.

WDCS #69

 

That's hilarious! What a great cover!

[gnat1000]

That's quite the damaged holder. I received some OA that was bent up the other day - NOT HAPPY! Fortunately, it wasn't insanely expensive OA.

 

Duck prices do seem to be on the rise - or at least demand seems to be increasing. My theory is that they have been under-valued in comparison to other genres and as the super-hero books from the Golden-Age become crazy expensive, collectors start looking to other areas: Horror, War, Funny Animal, Western.

 

What then happens is that the supply is seen for what it really is - pitiful! There are very, very few high-grade Ducks out there. (don't even TRY to find high-grade horror and war from 1955-1975).

 

My first love are the ducks, so it's difficult to see them rising in value as much as they are. (although, I'll pay whatever I need to pay... I just love them that much).

 

I'm seeing the same trend in high-grade Archie's lately.

 

The thing with the Archie's and Ducks is that they had high print runs, but this was foiled by the target audience and survival rates. So low-grade isn't too hard to find. High grade - almost getting impossible.

Very good post, and I agree with much of what you say except that you make it sound like Ducks are only moving up now, and I would say they've been skyrocketing for around 3-4 years now. It's definitely not a recent phenomenon.

 

From my own perspective, the world changed around that time period when some gorgeous 9.4 FCs came up on eBay. I had already set aside some space in my collection to slot those beauties because I'd had the field all to myself for the few years and couldn't imagine that I wouldn't win the books. Then I got blindsided by some Scandinavian arrivistes. Then Gambaccini started auctioning off more gorgeous FCs and WDCSs on eBay and the pockets of the winners (mostly Scandinavians, but some Americans as they started to raise their game) seemed to be limitless. And it really hasn't stopped since.

 

Yeah I was watching the heritage/ebay auctions last year with all the high grade WDCSs. I was interested in several of them but they all closed for at least double the current grade value at the time. Some were triple or even higher. It was crazy but it shows that there are some serious buyers out there for high grade WDCSs.

[bergdoll]

It's true - the prices have been on a 3-4 year rise. It just seemed like yesterday.....

 

An area that I also think we'll see some price increases in are the books from the late 60's to the late 70's. (on Uncle Scrooge that's the post-Barks issues to issue #209).

 

Personally, I noticed some price pushes a few years back, but no "catalogue" adjustments. Similar to Archie's, many Dealers will tell me "They aren't worth anything" - yet they never seem to have large amounts in high-grade to give me for free!

 

In this case, I think it's something that had little value because they were books that few local collectors collected. So they would move slowly as the local collector (or two) slowly picked away at them. Of course, this also trained the collector to have patience and buy them slowly.

 

Now that we see internet demand getting these sold, they are "buy them when you see them" books. The way I see it, the current challenge for buyers are the ungraded Internet offered books. They are often sold as "really old comic in great shape!" - and they are VG copies from 1975.... so we have unsophisticated sellers offering them to a larger, but skeptical group of buyers.

 

CGC them....the story changes. Now we have sophisticated sellers, sophisticated buyers, and a world-wide audience. I dare say that a 9.6 copy of a book such as Uncle Scrooge #112 would sell for an amount that defies any price guide. (I just chose that issue randomly, there's nothing particularly special about it....except finding a 9.6 copy!).

 

Okay....best let everyone get back to the thread I just high-jacked....bad, bad, comic collector.

[BB-Gun]

I really liked these books when I was a kid. There are several in the series and they all have nice illustrations. Does anyone else collect them?

bb