Keeping pages together as sets 2 2

[Darkly]

Hi all,

I was wondering what your opinion was on keeping pages together as sets. Is there any value add to have all the pages of a scene or an important moment in a key comic (if the moment is over a couple of pages) together? Or is basically each page worth what it’s worth and there really isn’t a market to owning all of the pages of let’s say Joker’s first fight with Batman?

Thanks

 

[grapeape]

On 4/6/2022 at 2:23 PM, Darkly said:

Hi all,

I was wondering what your opinion was on keeping pages together as sets. Is there any value add to have all the pages of a scene or an important moment in a key comic (if the moment is over a couple of pages) together? Or is basically each page worth what it’s worth and there really isn’t a market to owning all of the pages of let’s say Joker’s first fight with Batman?

Thanks

 

Time has shown that breaking up a story.... is more profitable than selling it as one commodity.

The same goes for sets I would argue. Spreading out 3 pages of an important fight scene between Batman and Joker at auction should generate a greater fever. The perception is that maybe a collector has a shot of winning at least 1 of the 3 important pages and that can create rabid bidding on all the pages. Putting a high price on a set can dull the belief that an individual can raise enough to buy them. It may limit the actual offers you get.

As a collector though if you have a set of pages that go together resign yourself to keep them together. Selling one of the pages, breaking up a sequence, you will always regret it. Keep it together than sell them all at the same time,  but as separate listed pieces (in my humble opinion.)

 

[Twanj]

I don't really know, but I'm going to guess no. Seems like most publicly sell solo or as a whole story. Maybe privately?

[RBerman]

It's fun to try to reunite sets of pages. It's also the worst of both worlds. You're likely to end up paying more for specific pages than you would pay for similar pages. Yet the set isn't actually worth more once you have it.

[Darkly]

Hmm it’s what I suspected, and I assume you’re correct, but it still seems a little odd.

 

Not a direct comparison, but I also collect watches. A watch that doesn’t have its original box and paperwork is worth less than a watch with them. You can get a new box, you can have the manufacturer issue archive papers and the watch can be authenticated, it still isn’t the same — having everything together matters.

 

I assume most of us collect published comic art not simply for its artistic value. If that was the case commissioned art would be just as valuable as published art by the same artist. A part of it, at least for me, is collecting history. These pages are the feats that create the legend of our childhood heroes; when ink touches paper, that is the moment Batman/Thor/whoever did that thing that makes the character special. When the comic reaches the shelves of the comic store, you’re buying it to find out what that thing was.

 

Stories aren’t told in single pages, and context for actions matter. Let’s take Injustice as an example. A page of joker’s face saying “boom” may look cool, but it doesn’t have meaning without the page next to it of the daily planet disintegrating. Superman’s face crying when he emotionally breaks is an important page, but it seems lost without the page before it showing Lois dying or the page before that showing superman was the one who killed her. I don’t know, I feel like keeping those story moments together should matter.

 

I’ll get off my soapbox. I just don’t want to view this hobby as collecting Pokémon cards and I find it weird the market is setting value that way.

[Rick2you2]

On 4/7/2022 at 12:37 AM, Darkly said:

Hmm it’s what I suspected, and I assume you’re correct, but it still seems a little odd.

 

Not a direct comparison, but I also collect watches. A watch that doesn’t have its original box and paperwork is worth less than a watch with them. You can get a new box, you can have the manufacturer issue archive papers and the watch can be authenticated, it still isn’t the same — having everything together matters.

 

I assume most of us collect published comic art not simply for its artistic value. If that was the case commissioned art would be just as valuable as published art by the same artist. A part of it, at least for me, is collecting history. These pages are the feats that create the legend of our childhood heroes; when ink touches paper, that is the moment Batman/Thor/whoever did that thing that makes the character special. When the comic reaches the shelves of the comic store, you’re buying it to find out what that thing was.

 

Stories aren’t told in single pages, and context for actions matter. Let’s take Injustice as an example. A page of joker’s face saying “boom” may look cool, but it doesn’t have meaning without the page next to it of the daily planet disintegrating. Superman’s face crying when he emotionally breaks is an important page, but it seems lost without the page before it showing Lois dying or the page before that showing superman was the one who killed her. I don’t know, I feel like keeping those story moments together should matter.

 

I’ll get off my soapbox. I just don’t want to view this hobby as collecting Pokémon cards and I find it weird the market is setting value that way.

The market sets value in lots of strange ways, something which has been mentioned often. You mention artistic value? There can be excellent pieces for sale that are relatively cheap due to the artist not being the right fan-favorite name, or on a different book. 

I do agree with your theory, however.

By the way, I would expect 2 page splashes to be worth more than 2 separated pages.

[RBerman]

On 4/7/2022 at 6:32 AM, Rick2you2 said:

The market sets value in lots of strange ways, something which has been mentioned often. You mention artistic value? There can be excellent pieces for sale that are relatively cheap due to the artist not being the right fan-favorite name, or on a different book. 

I do agree with your theory, however.

By the way, I would expect 2 page splashes to be worth more than 2 separated pages.

I bought a splash yesterday which turned out to be half of a double page splash. Will I look for the other half? Yep! Will I find it? Probably not...

[Rick2you2]

On 4/7/2022 at 8:06 AM, RBerman said:

I bought a splash yesterday which turned out to be half of a double page splash. Will I look for the other half? Yep! Will I find it? Probably not...

I have a half of a splash page, and I know where the other half is. Can I get him to sell it? No response to my earlier attempts.

And he has the better half. ☹️

[malvin]

On 4/7/2022 at 5:06 AM, RBerman said:

I bought a splash yesterday which turned out to be half of a double page splash. Will I look for the other half? Yep! Will I find it? Probably not...

I also once bought a splash and realized later that it was half of a DPS.  I did manage to unite it after 4 years, and another 3 years to get the uninked half inked!

Full story and scans on my CAF:

https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=1282125

Malvin