(attempted) Flip of the Day! 12 12

[grapeape]

On 8/9/2022 at 6:20 PM, aqn83 said:

I had reached out about an inked Josh Middleton Catwoman cover in 2019 and the outrageous cost for it was $3,950.

Figuring they had a slow pandemic, I reached out again in Sept 2021, and the price had gone up to $9,950 (which included a $1,000 discount lol).

Dusty artifacts, indeed.

 

Yes. Refuse to acknowledge reality. Strategy always is, you didn’t want it at $3,950? Now you can pay $9,950.

Punishing us for our insolence. Taxing us for not paying 5x guide. Now you can pay X multiples of that price. Still don’t want it? See what we’re charging for it next year.

yuck

 

[Rick2you2]

On 8/10/2022 at 12:30 AM, grapeape said:

Yes. Refuse to acknowledge reality. Strategy always is, you didn’t want it at $3,950? Now you can pay $9,950.

Punishing us for our insolence. Taxing us for not paying 5x guide. Now you can pay X multiples of that price. Still don’t want it? See what we’re charging for it next year.

yuck

 

And yet, they remain in business. 

[grapeape]

On 8/10/2022 at 4:02 AM, Rick2you2 said:

And yet, they remain in business. 

Are they though? As a business model doing what they do wouldn’t keep most businesses viable.

🍎 and 🍊 maybe but cars that sit on a lot unsold either stay the same or drop in price.

in normal markets 🏡 for sale that sit stay the same price or drop in value.

Thats an acknowledgment that what was for sale was unattractive or not doable for potential buyers. Sellers usually adjust to move inventory.

Theres a common sense admission that a business owner comes to in order to survive and flourish. My inventories not moving. Maybe I need to look at what I’m asking the buyer to pay for the goods and service I’m offering.

Opinion only. At this point Los Bros Inc  is a fun hobby and a chance to show off. Nothing wrong with that. I’m sure they do sell some high priced items. They’ve cornered significant samples of available markets so inquire inquire inquire 😞 In person they are nice guys.

I will say this. In the mid nineties they actually did have some pricing that was reasonable and even public knowledge. Back than I thought they undervalued many key pages, maybe because they had no personal interest in them? I had a buddy grab a page out of DD #37 with Doom and DD all over the page for maybe $150.’Felt like a steal then.

Is their approach today a reaction to some missed valuations from 95-99? I don’t know enough about their strategies until online 2000 forward.

I am tongue and cheek obviously to a point. I know they are a “business.” The guys are very friendly in person. It’s just many of their ways of doing business drive me nuts! Also not a fan of cut and paste snip snip art design logos and such. Inquire on 99% of inventory tedious and always produces anxiety waiting for the sticker shock response because I showed interest.
 

 

 

[KirbyCollector]

On 8/10/2022 at 11:27 AM, grapeape said:

Are they though? As a business model doing what they do wouldn’t keep most businesses viable.

🍎 and 🍊 maybe but cars that sit on a lot unsold either stay the same or drop in price.

in normal markets 🏡 for sale that sit stay the same price or drop in value.

Thats an acknowledgment that what was for sale was unattractive or not doable for potential buyers. Sellers usually adjust to move inventory.

Theres a common sense admission that a business owner comes to in order to survive and flourish. My inventories not moving. Maybe I need to look at what I’m asking the buyer to pay for the goods and service I’m offering.

Opinion only. At this point Los Bros Inc  is a fun hobby and a chance to show off. Nothing wrong with that. I’m sure they do sell some high priced items. They’ve cornered significant samples of available markets so inquire inquire inquire 😞 In person they are nice guys.

I will say this. In the mid nineties they actually did have some pricing that was reasonable and even public knowledge. Back than I thought they undervalued many key pages, maybe because they had no personal interest in them? I had a buddy grab a page out of DD #37 with Doom and DD all over the page for maybe $150.’Felt like a steal then.

Is their approach today a reaction to some missed valuations from 95-99? I don’t know enough about their strategies until online 2000 forward.

I am tongue and cheek obviously to a point. I know they are a “business.” The guys are very friendly in person. It’s just many of their ways of doing business drive me nuts! Also not a fan of cut and paste snip snip art design logos and such. Inquire on 99% of inventory tedious and always produces anxiety waiting for the sticker shock response because I showed interest.
 

 

 

15+ years ago I contacted them about a page and they quoted me a price 100% over market. I called and talked to Steve about the price and he told me, "It will be worth twice that in a few years." I liked it so much I bought the page anyway... and yes, Steve was proven right on the pricing a few years later.

To me they are are similar to the sellers on American Pickers -- all really nice folks, but psychologically attached to their possessions, so much so they make parting with those possessions as hard as possible. I wish I could buy more of their art, but understand the psychology and don't hold it against them.

[Rick2you2]

On 8/10/2022 at 4:57 PM, KirbyCollector said:

15+ years ago I contacted them about a page and they quoted me a price 100% over market. I called and talked to Steve about the price and he told me, "It will be worth twice that in a few years." I liked it so much I bought the page anyway... and yes, Steve was proven right on the pricing a few years later.

To me they are are similar to the sellers on American Pickers -- all really nice folks, but psychologically attached to their possessions, so much so they make parting with those possessions as hard as possible. I wish I could buy more of their art, but understand the psychology and don't hold it against them.

So, I should buy all of their stuff, even at 100% over market, because in a few years, I will be rich? Funny, I never thought of them as humanitarians. I guess that’s also the reason they sometimes like to improve their art with fake cover logo’s and the like before selling them. Just acts of kindness by really special people.

[RBerman]

If you're sitting on a big pile of resources and have enough liquidity to meet your lifestyle obligations, there's no pressure to sell.at FMV. And if on top of that you're a collector who gets pleasure from owning and gazing at (or at least having potential to gaze at) the art in question, that pleasure has value too. The occasional sale at double FMV (or triple, or...) fuels more easy living. Such is the blessing of those who come into possession of an apparent pile of refuse that turned out to be extremely valuable after the fact.

[vodou]

I guess today the apologists came out to play, oh please, they touch up art with markers, undisclosed and non-archivally…that’s garbage. The End.

[KirbyCollector]

On 8/11/2022 at 1:36 PM, vodou said:

they touch up art with markers, undisclosed and non-archivally

[RBerman]

On 8/11/2022 at 12:36 PM, vodou said:

I guess today the apologists came out to play, oh please, they touch up art with markers, undisclosed and non-archivally…that’s garbage. The End.

That, I can't defend.

[MyNameIsLegion]

On 8/11/2022 at 10:17 AM, RBerman said:

If you're sitting on a big pile of resources and have enough liquidity to meet your lifestyle obligations, there's no pressure to sell.at FMV. And if on top of that you're a collector who gets pleasure from owning and gazing at (or at least having potential to gaze at) the art in question, that pleasure has value too. The occasional sale at double FMV (or triple, or...) fuels more easy living. Such is the blessing of those who come into possession of an apparent pile of refuse that turned out to be extremely valuable after the fact.

This.  Los Bros aren't in the comicart business. It's not a business. they did not make a living of comic art. It's not subject to the "normal" rules of business and the laws of supply and demand. Los Bros used to have booths at SDCC that had nothing to do with comics or art, but some sort of talent agency, artist rep things. they may have since sold that, but they used ot be involved in that as their real business. Hollywood money and such. the got lucky and scooped up tons of art along the way, but their business was the entertainment business. Once you accumulate tens of thousands of pages of comic art pre-1990 you are set for life and and set whatever rules you want. Their pathology to horde, and fix/fake art is afforded them by their extremely ridiculous accumulated resources.   

Edited August 19, 2022 by MyNameIsLegion

[barneythecantankerous]

A lot of folks frequently criticise these guys and ultimately to everyone upset with them the reality is you just have to suck it up. No amount of complaining about them is going to get them to drop their prices or change anything. 

 

They bought the absolute ugliest Mike Dringenberg Sandman piece I've ever seen and managed to flip that in just a couple of months of it being at auction.

 

The biggest reality check we all need is this business model works for them. Yes, even with them touching up art, people don't give a mess and still buy from them. :shrugs:

 

The cost of running a site that looks as bad and outdated as theirs is really not that much today either, so I doubt their overheads are that much that they probably don't mind holding onto a lot of the art. I don't know them, nor do I care to, it's just my observation, rightly or wrongly.

 

I frequently use the wayback machine and am shocked by the amount of stuff I regularly find still out there for a number of reps and dealers. Yet they still won't budge on 10 year old art for a now forgotten indie series. It's irritating but all sellers are guilty of setting arbitrary prices in their heads they don't want to let go of, regardless of stuff not moving or auction results proving their pricing wrong. 

[wurstisart]

On 8/13/2022 at 10:09 PM, barneythecantankerous said:

A lot of folks frequently criticise these guys and ultimately to everyone upset with them the reality is you just have to suck it up. No amount of complaining about them is going to get them to drop their prices or change anything. 

 

They bought the absolute ugliest Mike Dringenberg Sandman piece I've ever seen and managed to flip that in just a couple of months of it being at auction.

 

The biggest reality check we all need is this business model works for them. Yes, even with them touching up art, people don't give a mess and still buy from them. :shrugs:

 

The cost of running a site that looks as bad and outdated as theirs is really not that much today either, so I doubt their overheads are that much that they probably don't mind holding onto a lot of the art. I don't know them, nor do I care to, it's just my observation, rightly or wrongly.

 

I frequently use the wayback machine and am shocked by the amount of stuff I regularly find still out there for a number of reps and dealers. Yet they still won't budge on 10 year old art for a now forgotten indie series. It's irritating but all sellers are guilty of setting arbitrary prices in their heads they don't want to let go of, regardless of stuff not moving or auction results proving their pricing wrong. 

To me it’s not just the pricing, but the undisclosed alterations they undoubtedly do to a lot of the pieces is
an absolute no go!!

[crnbrd]

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1846727&GSub=228206

This was either $1200 or $1500 on Albery Moys earlier this year.

[Ecclectica]

On 8/21/2022 at 10:54 AM, crnbrd said:

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1846727&GSub=228206

This was either $1200 or $1500 on Albery Moys earlier this year.

I just checked : it was $1500.

[lobrac]

Tim Vigil FAUST piece sold on eBay on July 03, 2022 for $292: 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/384964823154?hash=item59a1b10872%3Ag%3AfVQAAOSw8S1isoLJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCjLDSVNpV9G1HtVEhToSELcgqK874zddNk0%2BKDHYYrJFjJVbaGDiPfL6m8pD7okB6Btz%2F8UohCUcVj4hvhxfwhvS0rwUlbadgxAizURkjzgEReixn6R6Wfb3oDH0JW4+41qZAB5TqwDVs7isZUOVTXgxFLjBXQlAa3i%2Fx2aW3IMm8opDO2ciriMiQXkCgiIXn245AhBNxYT08ks5wwiy8%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6DQtODaYA&nma=true&si=sIbj0mV5EgvTRAv5AzLaPbjkpKs%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Now on CAF for $325. For the Love of the Flip!

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1566412&GSub=7582

[GotSuperPowers?]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:24 PM, lobrac said:

Tim Vigil FAUST piece sold on eBay on July 03, 2022 for $292: 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/384964823154?hash=item59a1b10872%3Ag%3AfVQAAOSw8S1isoLJ&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCjLDSVNpV9G1HtVEhToSELcgqK874zddNk0%2BKDHYYrJFjJVbaGDiPfL6m8pD7okB6Btz%2F8UohCUcVj4hvhxfwhvS0rwUlbadgxAizURkjzgEReixn6R6Wfb3oDH0JW4+41qZAB5TqwDVs7isZUOVTXgxFLjBXQlAa3i%2Fx2aW3IMm8opDO2ciriMiQXkCgiIXn245AhBNxYT08ks5wwiy8%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR6DQtODaYA&nma=true&si=sIbj0mV5EgvTRAv5AzLaPbjkpKs%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Now on CAF for $325. For the Love of the Flip!

https://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1566412&GSub=7582

The piece in CAF has been there since 2019, so I'm not sure what is going on, but might not be a flip but instead a sold piece not removed from CAF. 

[Will_K]

George (on CAF) isn't really a flipper.  He does take on consignments.  So it could be that it didn't sell on CAF.  And he (or the consignor) put it on ebay.  The ebay listing says the seller is in Wisconsin.  And I'm really sure George uses his name as his ebay ID.  I think George used to live in Wisconsin.  But I know he moved out of that state a few years ago.

[vodou]

On 8/25/2022 at 1:30 PM, GotSuperPowers? said:

The piece in CAF has been there since 2019, …

That date field doesn’t mean much because the title and image and every other field is editable, so really it just means that George uploaded “something” in 2019 which he later changed (when?) to this.

I’ve been on CAF since inception, maybe I should edit-in some new art that just was drawn in the last year or two to one of my vintage 2003 uploads, that might mess with a few minds 

 

[vodou]

On 8/25/2022 at 2:31 PM, Will_K said:

George (on CAF) isn't really a flipper.

You’d be surprised.

[grapeape]

On 8/25/2022 at 12:06 PM, vodou said:

You’d be surprised.

 

On 8/25/2022 at 11:31 AM, Will_K said:

George (on CAF) isn't really a flipper.  He does take on consignments.  So it could be that it didn't sell on CAF.  And he (or the consignor) put it on ebay.  The ebay listing says the seller is in Wisconsin.  And I'm really sure George uses his name as his ebay ID.  I think George used to live in Wisconsin.  But I know he moved out of that state a few years ago.

Point taken. It’s hard to confess. But if I could come clean and speak freely there’s a little bit of flipper in all of us.