Michaeld Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 How many is too many "grails"? How many pieces in your gallery would begin to dilute the title of "Grail"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twanj Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 ask Dave Mandel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Peck Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 More than one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mister_not_so_nice Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 If you're looking to fund a new purchase and the only thing you have to sell is one of your recently purchased "grails," than you have too many. Or "grail" doesn't mean what you think it means. Mr. Machismo and ESeffinga 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malvin Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I have no grail. By definition, a grail is unattainable. One is too many. Malvin marktom, GotSuperPowers?, John E. and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 3 minutes ago, malvin said: I have no grail. By definition, a grail is unattainable. One is too many. Malvin Lots of folks attained the grail (I think. Right?) Gawain, Galahad and Percival I think. I myself hold to the one true grail definition, one piece above all others. None of my collection qualify, although the one coming tomorrow may be closest. I quested for it and finally attained it on foreign soil. But it is not my true grail. (Which I would consider the PCR spread of Doctor Strange from Ultimate blah blah blah. If I got this I might indeed consider stopping.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadpoolJr. Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 It depends what people define as a grail. For me it changed where I now have multiple "grails" where I define it as - Something you would not sell -Would be willing to sell other pieces to afford -Be willing to pay over market for it without hesitation if offered. -Consider it one of if not the best of the example artist work, or character done. So much so that if you obtained it you would stop, or at least wouldn't actively seek other examples of that work out. -Have a can't believe I own this moment whenever you see it. -Be happy owning it even if it might be something not a lot of people would be interested in. -[Optional] Nostalgia driven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThothAmon Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 2 hours ago, Michaeld said: How many is too many "grails"? How many pieces in your gallery would begin to dilute the title of "Grail"? By definition I would say that there is only one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadroch Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 16. Maybe less but 16 is definitely too many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeGiant Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 In the strictest sense I think of grail as a singular item. The single piece that you identify clearly and easily above all others. It does not change. Most collectors do not have their grail. In the more commonly used sense, most collectors have a number and it changes occasionally and sometimes frequently. It used to bother me how frequently the term gets tossed around but I have come to accept it means very different things for different people. The only thing that makes me shake my head these days is when people call something a grail only to see it listed for sale later. GotSuperPowers? and Mighty Hal 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IngelsFan Posted May 7, 2017 Share Posted May 7, 2017 I have one Grail. At present, it is unattainable because the current owner has already expressed on multiple occasions that he has no interest in selling it. When he does, if I'm lucky enough to buy it, one of the other pieces that are high on my want list currently will no doubt become the new Grail. One term that I feel apt is when people use the adjective "Grail-level" piece. It's vague, but also conveys the fact that it's good enough/striking enough/rare enough that it is likely someone's Grail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twanj Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 I could see having a grail for each of your favorite artists or characters that would make you stop searching for other examples. Or one true grail over everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RabidFerret Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 I'm firmly in the camp of there being "one true grail". The single piece I wanted above all others, more than every cover, pinup, complete book, and absurd piece of art on the planet. You could offer me the art for Action #1, AF15, FF1, or any other truly iconic piece and I'd pass. I would(and did) pay an obscene amount for it that didn't connect to any real market value. And by the same notion, it's something I will never sell no matter the price. It's a piece I will hold for life and have in my will to donate to a museum afterwards. That said, I've always thought there needs to be a term for the tier below that. The pieces I would still love to find, the crown jewels I covet above all the little diamonds and gold baubles of the world. Those pieces I'd pay far over market value for, but there is a limit to their value, and they could certainly be pulled away for truly obscene amounts of money. My grail is priceless. JadeGiant and IngelsFan 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comix4fun Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 21 hours ago, Michaeld said: How many is too many "grails"? How many pieces in your gallery would begin to dilute the title of "Grail"? nrad1968 and RabidFerret 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Machismo Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 (edited) Oddly had a chance at my grail last week. But it's stupid expensive and I'm not willing to make the necessary sacrifices, so I guess it wasn't a grail after all So 0, I suppose! Edited May 8, 2017 by Mr. Machismo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquareChaos Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 I can see it going two ways based on whether the person defines 'grail' as the piece of art that is the absolute pinnacle of the medium in their eyes (whether it is seen as such due to aesthetics, or some other personal connection), or as the piece they most want, but do not yet own, at any given time. For the first definition, there is only one grail - I think this context is how most use the word... at least outside of this hobby. It is something to be sought after, and to suffer over. The second definition just seems to refer to whatever someone most wants at any given point in time... if you attain it, then whatever was #2 on the list gets promoted. Only the first definition seems special enough to me to warrant the phrase, but I can see how big time collectors could use the phrase to try to keep themselves involved in the hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JadeGiant Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 8 hours ago, RabidFerret said: I'm firmly in the camp of there being "one true grail". The single piece I wanted above all others, more than every cover, pinup, complete book, and absurd piece of art on the planet. You could offer me the art for Action #1, AF15, FF1, or any other truly iconic piece and I'd pass. I would(and did) pay an obscene amount for it that didn't connect to any real market value. And by the same notion, it's something I will never sell no matter the price. It's a piece I will hold for life and have in my will to donate to a museum afterwards. That said, I've always thought there needs to be a term for the tier below that. The pieces I would still love to find, the crown jewels I covet above all the little diamonds and gold baubles of the world. Those pieces I'd pay far over market value for, but there is a limit to their value, and they could certainly be pulled away for truly obscene amounts of money. My grail is priceless. I call those my cornerstone pieces, of which the rest of the collection is built upon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delekkerste Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 (edited) Count me in the Highlander camp - there can be only one. And, it can't just be something like "a page from __________ issue" is my Grail. It has to be a specific page, your favorite page (and there better be a good reason why it's that page and not the cover, as well as why it's that issue above all others.) It can't just be "a piece by ______" either. It's got to be THE piece that means the most to you by that artist. Otherwise, it may be "Grail-level" or an "attainable Grail" or a "cornerstone", but it's not THE grail. I don't believe in arbitrary numerical guidelines for what defines a Grail - it is a personal and emotional decision. I don't believe that one has to be willing to trade the rest of one's collection to acquire one's Grail. Some people have collections where that would make zero financial sense. If a Grail is a 10/10 for you, if you could have that one 10 or a thousand 9.9s...well, c'mon, that's just stupid to say that you have to be willing to give up everything else and eat cat food for the rest of your life or else it's not really your Grail. Plenty of people can identify the one piece in the hobby that means more to them than any other. A few people might have the means, motive and opportunity to even acquire that one piece. To say that a Grail is always unattainable just isn't so - somebody in this hobby owns the art (if it still exists). This isn't the cup of Christ, this is identifying your most meaningful piece of comic art in the hobby (and most of those pieces are probably still in existence). Now, if your favorite/most meaningful piece is something which no longer exists...well, then, yes, I would say that your Grail is unattainable and that your next most meaningful piece is not your one true Grail. Edited May 8, 2017 by delekkerste Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KirbyJack Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 It's tougher to delineate for OA, but I think it should be your one, single most desired piece. In comic collecting, FF1 was The Grail before I owned one, and it's still The Grail now that I do. FoggyNelson 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CartoonFanboy Posted May 8, 2017 Share Posted May 8, 2017 I'm not a member of clan Mcleod. I also find it funny we're using that as a metaphor since there has kinda been more than one Highlander given the various mythos changes and re-tooling that franchise has gone through ... but I digress. I'm more of a one piece per favorite artist Grail guy. For me there are a handful of pieces - each by a different artist - that are Grails to me. Realistically most of these I'll never own except the one that I'm fortunate enough to have. To me these Grails are the one example I hold above all others, regardless of content, historical significance, value etc. Even if I was offered a more valuable piece by that artist or one that is generally considered more desirable by the collecting community, I'm still keeping that personal Grail (outside of some absurd offer/trade that would be life changing of course). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
