Has your collecting "style" changed over time 0

[sfilosa]

Thought it was time for a new topic so.

Has your collecting "style" changed over time.

I look at collecting original "comic" art as having three styles. I'm sure most of us have bought art thinking about all three styles but more interesting is what style are you in most of the time and has that changed over time.

Three styles:

* Collecting for investment - As in I bought this art because I think over time it will go up more than another piece that I also might be interested in.

* Collecting for the "art" itself - As in I love the way this artist draws (might be all of his art or a specific period) but the art catches your eye. Most people who want "commissions" would probably fit into this category. Yes, there are themes that you like, but you really like a particular artist who draws the character more than just the character them self.

*Collecting for the "context" of the art - As in, you collect all things Spider-Man, or this time period of Avenger issues because you grew up reading those. Or you want pages that are "historically" significant. Doesn't mean you don't like the art, but the nostalgia of the piece far out ways the visual appeal. 

For me, I do think of investment but not first. If I did, I wouldn't buy as many paintings, as they are at best, average investments compared to a lot of other art I could have spent my hard earned dollars on. That said, when I got back into collecting about five years ago, I would say my collecting habits would have been much more for the art itself. That's still true, but I now bid (still haven't won much, if any) based on context. In the latest Heritage Auction, most of my bids were for pieces where the context was the main focus. While I do see plenty of pieces that I think the artist did an excellent job (or was a good representation of their style), if the piece is a second or third tier characters from a non-descripted title/time period, I just pass.

So, has your collecting style changed over time.

 

[exitmusicblue]

Mix of 1, 2, and 3 for me today.  But 1 definitely used to be less of a factor back when I was green. Nowadays, I'd say all three are pretty evenly balanced in my decision-making.

[Lobster Janson]

It started as 2 and then 3 got in the mix. 3 as in: building a themed collection. 1 has never been a style for me. And will never be. If any art I picked up will sell for a profit later that's fine, but if it doesn't that's fine as well as I have enjoyed looking at it or enjoyed spending lots of time trying to complete my main 'theme' collection (contacting artists, talking with other collectors, reading and rereading books,...). The money I spend is money I can afford to lose. I just can't approach this as a stock market and don't want to rely on future sales. I for one will probably be happy if the OA market cools and some pages will become affordable again even if this means some of my art will have become less worth.

[Latverian Tourism Board]

Great topic! I would say I try to strike a balance between two and three, which would also keep in mind 1, even if I do not collect as a true investment. I determine the nostalgic “context” I’m looking for, then pass over lots of pieces until I find a piece that has the artistic quality I want. Of course, the notion of picking quality examples can be subjective, so success may vary in the eye of the beholder. It does start with nostalgia for me, though.

[exitmusicblue]

And no doubt, 1 alone in a vacuum will never do it for me...

[Rick2you2]

Nope, no change. I do, however, swing between original art and commissions if I can’t find a Phantom Stranger the artist did that was published, or there isn’t any.

I bought my first Phantom Stranger artwork in 1980, although I did take a long breather after I was married and then divorced. How did that old song go? “First love, true love ...” (my current better-half tolerates this affair).