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Does Anybody Trade High End Art in 2023?
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Started by Messier3499,

38 posts in this topic

Messier3499

Messier3499

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For 30 years I've built a nice little collection on the back of trading.  And before this gets taken out of context, I mean 'fair' trading.  With well over 50 or so trades, only one was sour, and I 'undid' that one.  Good karma and all that.

Short version is, I'm looking for a Twice Up Marvel Splash, Full Page, Kirby pencils (not layouts).  What I am looking to trade?  Other Kirby Art, A+ type stuff (including a bronze Marvel Splash).  Good stuff.

Here are the responses from three Dealers when approached w the idea - keep in mind they had not seen or asked what I had in trade, they only knew what I was inquiring about.

1) "I'll trade but it has to be WAY in my favor.  WAY in my favor"

2) "I'll trade but I can't pay you market price, I need room to make some money"

3) "If I trade you art, I need to raise the value of my art before we begin to cover myself"

Good lord. 

If there is anyone out there left who would like to discuss a trade for your 2X Marvel Kirby Splash page for my 'other' Kirby (trade enough so we are both satisfied)

If so - hit me up via PM here - I get concentration - you get diversification (sell one of the two or three and keep the others etc) 

Lastly, for those about to ask, sorry but I am very private and won't be posting anything anyone emails me to look at, or what I have in return.

Just wanted to step out of the shadows for a moment to vent some frustration and make a general appeal to you guys

LMK 

Mess

 

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tth2

tth2

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On 2/18/2023 at 8:35 AM, Messier3499 said:

Here are the responses from three Dealers when approached w the idea - keep in mind they had not seen or asked what I had in trade, they only knew what I was inquiring about.

1) "I'll trade but it has to be WAY in my favor.  WAY in my favor"

2) "I'll trade but I can't pay you market price, I need room to make some money"

3) "If I trade you art, I need to raise the value of my art before we begin to cover myself"

Good lord. 

Good lord is right.  Even if they really believe it (which I'm sure most dealers do), why would they SAY it to you?!

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Michael Browning

Michael Browning

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On 2/18/2023 at 7:42 AM, Rick2you2 said:

Not surprised. They told you the truth.

(I want to preface this by saying I AM NOT A DEALER. I DO NOT WORK FOR ANY DEALERS. I HAVEN’T EVEN SOLD ANY OF MY ART IN A LONG TIME.)

True. Dealers aren’t in this to trade dollars for dollars, so, even 25 years ago when I first got into this hobby and dealers were more collectors than dealers, I knew that I had to make it worth their while to do a trade - meaning I had to give the dealer more value for the art I wanted from them. Here’s an example: if I find a piece on a dealer’s website for $5,000, I know that, unless he thinks he can price my $5,000 art at $10,000, then a straight-up trade isn’t going to happen. There’s no incentive for them to go to all that trouble. So, I make them an offer of $7,000 worth of art for their $5,000 piece. There’s no incentive for them to trade a $5,000 piece for a piece that’s going to sell for the same amount. They’ll just keep their $5,000 piece and let it ride, rather than go to all the trouble of taking it down from their website, packing and shipping the art, then getting your art in, scanning it and putting it up for the EXACT SAME AMOUNT. I don’t get why so many people get mad at dealers trying to make money. If you want to do a straight-up deal, sell your piece and buy the art straight up. If your art sells for higher, then you’ve got the piece you want and you’ve made a little extra.

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Michael Browning

Michael Browning

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On 2/18/2023 at 8:37 AM, Twanj said:

I hear you, but don't be mad they're being honest.

Like we see in the flip thread, normal dealers are 2-3x. And some items end up being 10x.

Not that I like it, I just think these threads keep people informed.

Many of the dealers are honest guys and are being honest when they tell collectors they can only give a percentage of the actual value of the art.

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The Voord

The Voord

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Posted (edited)
On 2/18/2023 at 12:35 AM, Messier3499 said:

 

For 30 years I've built a nice little collection on the back of trading.  And before this gets taken out of context, I mean 'fair' trading.  With well over 50 or so trades, only one was sour, and I 'undid' that one.  Good karma and all that.

Short version is, I'm looking for a Twice Up Marvel Splash, Full Page, Kirby pencils (not layouts).  What I am looking to trade?  Other Kirby Art, A+ type stuff (including a bronze Marvel Splash).  Good stuff.

Here are the responses from three Dealers when approached w the idea - keep in mind they had not seen or asked what I had in trade, they only knew what I was inquiring about.

1) "I'll trade but it has to be WAY in my favor.  WAY in my favor"

2) "I'll trade but I can't pay you market price, I need room to make some money"

3) "If I trade you art, I need to raise the value of my art before we begin to cover myself"

Good lord. 

If there is anyone out there left who would like to discuss a trade for your 2X Marvel Kirby Splash page for my 'other' Kirby (trade enough so we are both satisfied)

If so - hit me up via PM here - I get concentration - you get diversification (sell one of the two or three and keep the others etc) 

Lastly, for those about to ask, sorry but I am very private and won't be posting anything anyone emails me to look at, or what I have in return.

Just wanted to step out of the shadows for a moment to vent some frustration and make a general appeal to you guys

LMK 

Mess

 

Well, unless you actually post the art here that you're looking to trade, it's difficult to say if what you're looking to offer is worthwhile.  (shrug)  And, yeah, I get that you like your privacy but if you want some informed opinions you need to bite the bullet and show what you got.  2c

No dealer I know of is going to trade you like for like.  That might work with other collectors, but dealers work on profit and your proposal needs to be worth pursuing . . . in their favor.

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babsrocks31

babsrocks31

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Weighing in as someone who could likely never afford the Kirby market but understands the distinctions between those calling themselves dealers and collectors.

Collectors are generally people looking to collect what they "want". If you and another collector have pieces each of you want, you are likely to make a fair swap provided the value of the pieces isn't ridiculously one sided.

Dealers, however, are generally in it for the money. So as many others have stated, expecting an equal swap with them is probably not realistic. You will always have to offer more. 

This info applies to lots of hobbies, not just ours.

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Fischb1

Fischb1

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I'm surprised no one's made the obvious comment yet.

It's a given in any collectible market that 4 quarters are worth less than a dollar bill. (It's the same reason that you have to give up so many pieces to get a mega-star in sports.) It's relatively easy to find a quarter-piece in the wild (or at auction) but a top piece? A "dollar bill piece" is much harder to obtain.

No collector I know would give up a primo top piece for it's "equal value" in a lot of smaller pieces. The same way you wouldn't trade your Kirbys for 50 Isherwoods. 

I think your expectation is unrealistic. 

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babsrocks31

babsrocks31

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On 2/18/2023 at 10:39 PM, Fischb1 said:

I'm surprised no one's made the obvious comment yet.

It's a given in any collectible market that 4 quarters are worth less than a dollar bill. (It's the same reason that you have to give up so many pieces to get a mega-star in sports.) It's relatively easy to find a quarter-piece in the wild (or at auction) but a top piece? A "dollar bill piece" is much harder to obtain.

No collector I know would give up a primo top piece for it's "equal value" in a lot of smaller pieces. The same way you wouldn't trade your Kirbys for 50 Isherwoods. 

I think your expectation is unrealistic. 

You make a valid point that is 100% accurate, but I must say I think Isherwood is underrated haha.

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Michael Browning

Michael Browning

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On 2/19/2023 at 1:39 AM, Fischb1 said:

I'm surprised no one's made the obvious comment yet.

It's a given in any collectible market that 4 quarters are worth less than a dollar bill. (It's the same reason that you have to give up so many pieces to get a mega-star in sports.) It's relatively easy to find a quarter-piece in the wild (or at auction) but a top piece? A "dollar bill piece" is much harder to obtain.

No collector I know would give up a primo top piece for it's "equal value" in a lot of smaller pieces. The same way you wouldn't trade your Kirbys for 50 Isherwoods. 

I think your expectation is unrealistic. 

What is realistic, though, is that, if the OP has been around for 30 years, he would already know this. I cannot imagine that he has been able to make straight-up trades to build this great collection of original art he’s saying he has now without giving up more on his end in these trades — or burning other collectors. It just ain’t possible, and we all know that.

I would sure love to see what he has, but I don’t believe that will happen because he’s been silent since he made this post.

 

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