Fantastic Four #286 quest to complete the book has ended.... 0

[Brian Peck]

Fantastic Four #286 quest to complete the book has ended....

I have decided to end my quest to complete this issue. Its been over 30 years I have tried to collect it but I am only just over half way there and the prices keep going up even for the minor pages. I have all but one page I really want from the issue, page 7 which I am still actively looking for but I decided it just isn't worth completing the book anymore. The known pages are in collections which will never let them go and the rest the location are unknown (but I suspect Terry Austin owns them). The quest has been an adventure, I have bought pages from the issue from many in the field but I have had my worst experience in collecting when I acquired page 2 which took 3 years and many many migraines to aquire. I still really like the story but have found my taste have evolved and I want to expand my collection with other artists I do not yet have examples of.

I have posted in the CGC OA Marketplace the pages FF 286 I have decided to part with and what I would be looking for in trade. I will decide later if I will part with any more from the issue and post in my CAF. I have still kept most of what I have of Fantastic Four #286 for now, nice consecutive run of the last half of the book (minus the final page) plus Jean's first appearance. Check out the CGC OA Marketplace if you are interested.  I will decide later if I will part with any more from the issue and post in my CAF.

 

Edited June 9, 2017 by Brian Peck

[Mighty Hal]

Giving thirty years to a comic art quest is darned impressive. Most marriages don't make it that long! So many questions come to mind:

Why quit now, instead of next year or a week ago? Did you ever ask Terry Austin about the missing pages? If T.A. has all of the missing pages and will sell them to you this instant but at a price that would keep you from expanding your collection of other artists for, say, five years, would you go for it?  

In short, is this a divorce or a trial separation?

And what's the story behind the page 2 challenge? 

[Brian Peck]

Even if Terry had all the pages I dont know their locations it would still be alot of money. While they are Byrne/Austin many are pages that only interest me to complete the book. After not winning the cover a few years ago the drive to complete the book has diminished. I loved the story but it doesn't have the nostalgia that other stories do like DD 47 (which I am looking for any interior pages) or Uncanny X-Men 153. 

Only one page really interests me that I will still look for but not a MUST have for me. Things change, I would rather get a nice example of artists I dont have pages from like Sprang, Neal Adams, Joe Shuster, Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, and Al Feldstein. Just been thinking about this for a while and made the decision.

[NoMan]

46 minutes ago, Brian Peck said:

Even if Terry had all the pages I dont know their locations it would still be alot of money. While they are Byrne/Austin many are pages that only interest me to complete the book. After not winning the cover a few years ago the drive to complete the book has diminished. I loved the story but it doesn't have the nostalgia that other stories do like DD 47 (which I am looking for any interior pages) or Uncanny X-Men 153. 

Only one page really interests me that I will still look for but not a MUST have for me. Things change, I would rather get a nice example of artists I dont have pages from like Sprang, Neal Adams, Joe Shuster, Johnny Craig, Graham Ingels, and Al Feldstein. Just been thinking about this for a while and made the decision.

Like the other poster asked: what were the troubles in acquiring page 2 you mentioned?

[Bronty]

Good luck Brian and the right call IMO

[thehumantorch]

6 minutes ago, Bronty said:

Good luck Brian and the right call IMO

Agreed, after 30 years your priorities have changed and there are other pages you want more.

[John E.]

Sorry--sometimes I check the Marketplace first and I didn't see this post. A move like this from a long-time collector like yourself is a reality check about completing a book. I know we've discussed this topic in the recent past, but if I ever seek this type of endeavor on a "nostalgia" book, my mindset can't be, "I'm trying to put that book back together," it has to be more like, "I collect pages from that issue."

Again, I wish you luck in finding examples from your new want list. 

[Brian Peck]

3 hours ago, NoMan said:

Like the other poster asked: what were the troubles in acquiring page 2 you mentioned?

I had to go dig up an old post (which I had to edit a bit). But here is how I aquired FF #286 page 2.

 

 

Back in November 1999 I paid for the FF#286 page 2 which JP Voinot which he had for sale on his site (he lived in France). I didn't pay for shipping insurance because it was tough enough with the language barrier (I knew little french and he knew about as much english) just to complete the deal. About a three weeks later I had not received the package, which JP said he mailed out. A month later still not page I emailed JP. After that JP either didn’t respond to me or or when he did it was a lie. First it was lost in the mail with no tracking number. Next it was back in french customs but JP never picked it up and he e-mailed me a scan of the shipping receipt which I couldn't read (what could I do with it anyways I'm in the states). After many e-mails which got no responses, I gave up and listed it as lost in the mail at Red Sector Art. JP took the page down from his site but then posted it back on the site a couple of months later. Through all of this I ended up getting assistance from fellow collectors to help translate his emails (I also started to use on line translators)

I tried to get him to take the page down and JP told me contact his "brother" Romain since he runs the site. After many e-mails Romain said he can take the page down, but also informs me that he has the page (SURPRISE, SURPRISE). Romain said he had picked up the page from French Customs (after a year) and had it in his possession. At no time had JP or Romain contacted me about the page being back from customs, stolen property as far as I was concerned!

Romian informed me it would cost me $150ºº get the page back, even though I had paid twice that in the first place (I have a list member who will back me up on this since he helped translate many of Romain's e-mails from french to english). As most know I decided to pay the extortion money (stupid decision on my part). Romain informed me he was coming to the states for a Janet Jackson tour and would be in my area in October 2001. We could then make the transaction in person (the only way I would trust him). As usually he never contacted me in October about a meeting place. I have e-mailed him every couple of months since then but have NEVER received a response. He had been lied to, cheated, and someone even tried to extort more money out of me. Overtime I delt with JP or “Romain” I would get migraines just having to deal with that mess again. This was as of May 2002

Later in 2002 I was contacted by a fellow collector Thomas Vanderstappen (lived in Europe) who knew of my plight with JP. He informed me he did a deal with JP Voinot and was going to pick up his art from JP Voinot. I emailed Romain/JP and got him to agree to give the page to Thomas. Just after Thanksgiving I received the page from Thomas. 

This deal shows the best and worst of this hobby. Thomas Vanderstappen is one of the best and JP/Romain…. May he rot in prison.

 

 

 

 

[Mighty Hal]

Brian, thanks for sharing. No wonder that page (that seller) gave you migraines! May you have better luck in expanding your collection.

[gumbydarnit]

What a tangled mess we find ourselves in while acquiring pages we really covet, sorry for your 2002 experience. The waiting for a deal to unwind itself to a final conclusion can be painful. So happy that you eventually pushed through the mess to get your page.

I suppose at the end of the day it's what art brings the biggest feeling of joy and satisfaction is the most important. With the realization that the quest is next to impossible, the trading of these pages for ones that are more impactful to you makes total sense. 

Steve