ComicLink Spring Auction

[Mr. Machismo]

$8100 on Raf A (crazy! sold for 5K originally) and $1600 on Michael Allred (spelling may be off.)

[comix4fun]

I was underbidder on the 2 Keown End pages. Maybe I'm out of touch but I should have been blown out of the water. If I didn't have too much on the go already I would have bid higher. Oh well.

 

Malvin

 

 

Well, without my bid and your bid the better End splash would have sold for $2300 instead of $3100.

 

The Keown splash from the regular IH title went for $4800, and regular run art (Like ASM art vs all other spidey art) is always going to command a premium over one shots when it gets into auction action. So I don't think you should have been blown out of the water. Maybe a few hundred more, but nothing dramatic.

 

The other splash, the pencil one, didn't grab my interest. It's beautifully rendered like all of Keown work. However, the Hulk getting his eyes and liver eaten by buzzards isn't exactly what the mainstream Hulk fan might be looking for.

 

 

[Matches_Malone]

Falling prices are what I am hoping for...

Not in the cards. Broadly that is. There was a time when this was a possibility, I believe that time has passed though.

 

Meanwhile, $8600 for the Capullo Spawn cover. That's a bit of a letdown for $15-$30k crowd I bet. But not for the winner (not me, but I do like it!)

 

The Capullo was mine. I drank the Kool-Aid and saw a gigantic ROI coming my way. I will have to hold off in my private island purchase.

 

The result does feels like a letdown, but in reality, at the end, it was a fair value. Im satisfied. Not elated. Congrats to the winner. Me wonders if Capullo and Miki (@ Spencer Beck) will reconsider their asking prices.

 

[Peter G]

The Negative Nancy in me continues to wonder at what point supply overwhelms demand (aka earmarked disposable income that won't cost you your marriage!) The black hole collections (mine own included) also represent an artificial supply constraint on vintage. At some point a large group of those aged 40-60 will go from net buyers to net sellers. And as each year passes, the body of 'vintage' on the whole expands faster than the loss/destruction (birth/death rate, if you will) of same. Most of the stuff we collect is created with high quality materials; nearly all will 'live' longer than us, even if not stored ideally.

 

In 20 years time, the pieces purchased today, mostly for nostalgic reasons, will probably under perform, at least in real dollar terms.

 

In nominal dollar terms, people will probably be fooled into thinking they did ok.

 

Very tricky to buy based on emotion.

 

That X-men 211 cover is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

 

 

[delekkerste]

In 20 years time, the pieces purchased today, mostly for nostalgic reasons, will probably under perform, at least in real dollar terms.

 

In nominal dollar terms, people will probably be fooled into thinking they did ok.

 

Very tricky to buy based on emotion.

 

That X-men 211 cover is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

 

I think Adam (Filter81) said he was the underbidder on both the X95 and X211 covers (and I think the XF1 page). Just shows you the influence that ONE person can have on the final prices, and also how these prices cannot necessarily be counted on in the case the owner(s) need/want to resell. I mean, if both the 95 and 211 were to be reauctioned again, would Adam be there for both of them, or would he be satisfied if I got one of them (or maybe he gets something else that scratches the itch in the meantime)? And, it sounds like he's been pursuing X-material for awhile, so how many other prices has he helped to drive up in the process? Not that the buyers are necessarily counting on these pieces appreciating or holding their value (people often just want to pay for the enjoyment of owning the art, even if they lose money/opportunity cost over time - at least I do), but, from a purely financial point of view, buying is an implicit bet that other buyers will eventually get to the price paid (and more). Clearly you can't always count on the underbidder being there, especially when you realize that it may just be one person (who has shown the restraint to settle for second place multiple times) that is the underbidder on a collectively large $$$ amount of wins.

 

Same with those reserve auctions like the Adams X-page - I don't think that page gets anywhere near $12K if it were to be resold in a no-reserve auction. I think one of the biggest fallacies in this hobby is that auction prices are (almost) always reflective of FMV. Oftentimes they just reflect what one or two people were willing to pay on that particular day.

[delekkerste]

Anyone see what the dkr 3 covers went for?

 

Albuquerque went for 8100 and Allred at 1600.

 

Allred doesn't get the respect he deserves.

[Lucky Baru]

Deodato Jr. pages seem to be holding or increasing.

 

[Peter G]

In 20 years time, the pieces purchased today, mostly for nostalgic reasons, will probably under perform, at least in real dollar terms.

 

In nominal dollar terms, people will probably be fooled into thinking they did ok.

 

Very tricky to buy based on emotion.

 

That X-men 211 cover is a perfect example of what I'm talking about.

 

Not that the buyers are necessarily counting on these pieces appreciating or holding their value (people often just want to pay for the enjoyment of owning the art, even if they lose money/opportunity cost over time - at least I do), but, from a purely financial point of view, buying is an implicit bet that other buyers will eventually get to the price paid (and more). .

 

Spending 50k for the mere enjoyment of looking at art that doesn't appreciate in value or even loses value in real or nominal terms is evidence of "something" amiss. Don't ask me what because I don;t have the insight to know what it is. It just seems like irrational behavior to me.

 

[Claudio]

50k to some is like $500 to others... I'm sure a lot of people on this board wouldn't blink an eye to spend $500 on a cool piece of art without considering future appreciation. It is all relative.

[comix4fun]

50k to some is like $500 to others... I'm sure a lot of people on this board wouldn't blink an eye to spend $500 on a cool piece of art without considering future appreciation. It is all relative.

 

 

And...as if buying comic artwork and making distinctions between the price paid for "claws out" and "claws retracted" is rational from the get go.

[delekkerste]

Spending 50k for the mere enjoyment of looking at art that doesn't appreciate in value or even loses value in real or nominal terms is evidence of "something" amiss. Don't ask me what because I don;t have the insight to know what it is. It just seems like irrational behavior to me.

 

If enjoyment of owning the art > expected price depreciation, then it's still worth it. If one is living hand-to-mouth and money concerns are always top of mind, then maybe one's enjoyment/pride of ownership is invariably going to be less than any financial hit taken. But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money, then sometimes you're willing to pay up for the privilege of ownership even if it's not your best financial/investment option.

 

And, hey, even if paying $51K for a nostalgic piece that few will care about in 30 years isn't the wisest financial option, there are probably even worse things you can do with your money (and, no, I didn't go for the X211 - it's in the nostalgic sweet spot, yes, but there are numerous covers from that era that I personally remember more fondly!)

[comix4fun]

Spending 50k for the mere enjoyment of looking at art that doesn't appreciate in value or even loses value in real or nominal terms is evidence of "something" amiss. Don't ask me what because I don;t have the insight to know what it is. It just seems like irrational behavior to me.

 

If enjoyment of owning the art > expected price depreciation, then it's still worth it. If one is living hand-to-mouth and money concerns are always top of mind, then maybe one's enjoyment/pride of ownership is invariably going to be less than any financial hit taken. But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money, then sometimes you're willing to pay up for the privilege of ownership even if it's not your best financial/investment option.

 

And, hey, even if paying $51K for a nostalgic piece that few will care about in 30 years isn't the wisest financial option, there are probably even worse things you can do with your money (and, no, I didn't go for the X211 - it's in the nostalgic sweet spot, yes, but there are numerous covers from that era that I personally remember more fondly!)

 

 

 

That's true, it is all relative, isn't it?

 

To some people, free from the worries of expenses and monetary survival will have other priorities and ways to achieve satisfaction. The % ROI on any given piece isn't their primary (or even secondary) concern.

 

The higher up the ladder the less the arbitrary dollar figures matter. Hell, the buyers premium on just single piece of fine art is more than the full sale price of every single piece in this auction and then some.

[Peter G]

50k to some is like $500 to others... I'm sure a lot of people on this board wouldn't blink an eye to spend $500 on a cool piece of art without considering future appreciation. It is all relative.

 

I look at financial matters differently. We can't ALL be oil sheiks now, can we ? There must be some objective measure of our actions. No ?

[Peter G]

Spending 50k for the mere enjoyment of looking at art that doesn't appreciate in value or even loses value in real or nominal terms is evidence of "something" amiss. Don't ask me what because I don;t have the insight to know what it is. It just seems like irrational behavior to me.

But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money,

 

Having the money today and having it tomorrow is the issue !

 

I see both sides of this issue.

 

Maybe the Xmen 211 cover is a financial wind fall. Maybe its a giant mistake that will be regretted. Only Allah knows.

 

http://tonylutz.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=35&Itemid=177#page-22

[JadeGiant]

I was underbidder on the 2 Keown End pages. Maybe I'm out of touch but I should have been blown out of the water. If I didn't have too much on the go already I would have bid higher. Oh well.

 

Malvin

 

 

Well, without my bid and your bid the better End splash would have sold for $2300 instead of $3100.

 

The Keown splash from the regular IH title went for $4800, and regular run art (Like ASM art vs all other spidey art) is always going to command a premium over one shots when it gets into auction action. So I don't think you should have been blown out of the water. Maybe a few hundred more, but nothing dramatic.

 

The other splash, the pencil one, didn't grab my interest. It's beautifully rendered like all of Keown work. However, the Hulk getting his eyes and liver eaten by buzzards isn't exactly what the mainstream Hulk fan might be looking for.

 

 

Were you the under bidder on page 40? My thoughts were similar to yours – I felt that this page was far superior to page 39 and the bidders apparently agreed. Where did you have the IH splash pegged prior to auction? Do you feel this was high/low/about right?

[Nexus]

If enjoyment of owning the art > expected price depreciation, then it's still worth it. If one is living hand-to-mouth and money concerns are always top of mind, then maybe one's enjoyment/pride of ownership is invariably going to be less than any financial hit taken. But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money, then sometimes you're willing to pay up for the privilege of ownership even if it's not your best financial/investment option.

 

And the transformation of Gene 1.0 to Gene 2.0 is complete!

[Peter G]

Spending 50k for the mere enjoyment of looking at art that doesn't appreciate in value or even loses value in real or nominal terms is evidence of "something" amiss. Don't ask me what because I don;t have the insight to know what it is. It just seems like irrational behavior to me.

 

If enjoyment of owning the art > expected price depreciation, then it's still worth it. If one is living hand-to-mouth and money concerns are always top of mind, then maybe one's enjoyment/pride of ownership is invariably going to be less than any financial hit taken. But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money, then sometimes you're willing to pay up for the privilege of ownership even if it's not your best financial/investment option.

 

And, hey, even if paying $51K for a nostalgic piece that few will care about in 30 years isn't the wisest financial option, there are probably even worse things you can do with your money (and, no, I didn't go for the X211 - it's in the nostalgic sweet spot, yes, but there are numerous covers from that era that I personally remember more fondly!)

 

 

 

That's true, it is all relative, isn't it?

 

To some people, free from the worries of expenses and monetary survival will have other priorities and ways to achieve satisfaction. The % ROI on any given piece isn't their primary (or even secondary) concern.

 

The higher up the ladder the less the arbitrary dollar figures matter. Hell, the buyers premium on just single piece of fine art is more than the full sale price of every single piece in this auction and then some.

 

It all seems "relative" until it doesn't. I can't put my finger on the underlying irrationality here but something is amiss.

[comix4fun]

I was underbidder on the 2 Keown End pages. Maybe I'm out of touch but I should have been blown out of the water. If I didn't have too much on the go already I would have bid higher. Oh well.

 

Malvin

 

 

Well, without my bid and your bid the better End splash would have sold for $2300 instead of $3100.

 

The Keown splash from the regular IH title went for $4800, and regular run art (Like ASM art vs all other spidey art) is always going to command a premium over one shots when it gets into auction action. So I don't think you should have been blown out of the water. Maybe a few hundred more, but nothing dramatic.

 

The other splash, the pencil one, didn't grab my interest. It's beautifully rendered like all of Keown work. However, the Hulk getting his eyes and liver eaten by buzzards isn't exactly what the mainstream Hulk fan might be looking for.

 

 

Were you the under bidder on page 40? My thoughts were similar to yours – I felt that this page was far superior to page 39 and the bidders apparently agreed. Where did you have the IH splash pegged prior to auction? Do you feel this was high/low/about right?

 

 

Malvin was the underbidder, I was the one behind him.

 

I had the 381 page 1 splash at roughly $4k maybe a little more...so it went over what I expected. It's a nice splash with a better Hulk image than many of the Keown IH covers I've seen available lately, from the main run, nicely inked, so the extra $500-$800 isn't too surprising. I think people, when they collect from these main runs, grab splashes when they can and a premium gets easily rationalized if its something they really want.

[JadeGiant]

If enjoyment of owning the art > expected price depreciation, then it's still worth it. If one is living hand-to-mouth and money concerns are always top of mind, then maybe one's enjoyment/pride of ownership is invariably going to be less than any financial hit taken. But, if comic art is what you love and you have the money, then sometimes you're willing to pay up for the privilege of ownership even if it's not your best financial/investment option.

 

And the transformation of Gene 1.0 to Gene 2.0 is complete!

 

I missed this.

 

Completely agree with Gene's assessment and is pretty much how I evaluate art purchases. But, I always have the struggle with my inner self that doesn't like paying above FMV. I will go up a little but I am not going to get in line for a D-bros type fleecing.

[JadeGiant]

I was underbidder on the 2 Keown End pages. Maybe I'm out of touch but I should have been blown out of the water. If I didn't have too much on the go already I would have bid higher. Oh well.

 

Malvin

 

 

Well, without my bid and your bid the better End splash would have sold for $2300 instead of $3100.

 

The Keown splash from the regular IH title went for $4800, and regular run art (Like ASM art vs all other spidey art) is always going to command a premium over one shots when it gets into auction action. So I don't think you should have been blown out of the water. Maybe a few hundred more, but nothing dramatic.

 

The other splash, the pencil one, didn't grab my interest. It's beautifully rendered like all of Keown work. However, the Hulk getting his eyes and liver eaten by buzzards isn't exactly what the mainstream Hulk fan might be looking for.

 

 

Were you the under bidder on page 40? My thoughts were similar to yours – I felt that this page was far superior to page 39 and the bidders apparently agreed. Where did you have the IH splash pegged prior to auction? Do you feel this was high/low/about right?

 

 

Malvin was the underbidder, I was the one behind him.

 

I had the 381 page 1 splash at roughly $4k maybe a little more...so it went over what I expected. It's a nice splash with a better Hulk image than many of the Keown IH covers I've seen available lately, from the main run, nicely inked, so the extra $500-$800 isn't too surprising. I think people, when they collect from these main runs, grab splashes when they can and a premium gets easily rationalized if its something they really want.

 

Thanks for sharing.