Recent Tradd Moore Doc Strange drop 2 2

[Hockeyflow33]

On 4/29/2023 at 4:39 PM, Michael Browning said:

If anyone says they buy art and don’t look at it as an investment or say they don’t care if they get their money back when they resell it, they’re lying. Original art costs too much cash to not consider it an investment.

Wholeheartedly agree. I buy what I like and most of my 500+ piece collection is between $200 and $500 so I'm not in the big pond but I don't know who like spending $300 for $50 worth of art. If I think a commission or page isn't worth close to what I'm paying I won't enjoy the piece knowing it's money out the window. 

I don't understand how never selling anything is a badge of honor. Unless you have unlimited space, collections need to be trimmed every now and then. I did a major culling last year of like 120 pieces and just sent another 40ish to auction this year. Tastes change and collections take new focuses so wanting your collectible to hold value is normal, it's part of what makes something collectible. 

[Rick2you2]

On 4/30/2023 at 2:36 PM, Hockeyflow33 said:

Wholeheartedly agree. I buy what I like and most of my 500+ piece collection is between $200 and $500 so I'm not in the big pond but I don't know who like spending $300 for $50 worth of art. If I think a commission or page isn't worth close to what I'm paying I won't enjoy the piece knowing it's money out the window. 

I don't understand how never selling anything is a badge of honor. Unless you have unlimited space, collections need to be trimmed every now and then. I did a major culling last year of like 120 pieces and just sent another 40ish to auction this year. Tastes change and collections take new focuses so wanting your collectible to hold value is normal, it's part of what makes something collectible. 

I wouldn’t call it a badge of honor. It’s just I know what I like, and my tastes don’t really change.

[Lobster Janson]

On 4/30/2023 at 8:36 PM, Hockeyflow33 said:

Wholeheartedly agree. I buy what I like and most of my 500+ piece collection is between $200 and $500 so I'm not in the big pond but I don't know who like spending $300 for $50 worth of art. If I think a commission or page isn't worth close to what I'm paying I won't enjoy the piece knowing it's money out the window. 

I don't understand how never selling anything is a badge of honor. Unless you have unlimited space, collections need to be trimmed every now and then. I did a major culling last year of like 120 pieces and just sent another 40ish to auction this year. Tastes change and collections take new focuses so wanting your collectible to hold value is normal, it's part of what makes something collectible. 

It is not a badge of honor, it's just different people doing different things. You like to do a major culling, I don't. That's both ok. 

[JC25427N]

On 4/30/2023 at 2:36 PM, Hockeyflow33 said:

Wholeheartedly agree. I buy what I like and most of my 500+ piece collection is between $200 and $500 so I'm not in the big pond but I don't know who like spending $300 for $50 worth of art. If I think a commission or page isn't worth close to what I'm paying I won't enjoy the piece knowing it's money out the window. 

I don't understand how never selling anything is a badge of honor. Unless you have unlimited space, collections need to be trimmed every now and then. I did a major culling last year of like 120 pieces and just sent another 40ish to auction this year. Tastes change and collections take new focuses so wanting your collectible to hold value is normal, it's part of what makes something collectible. 

I don't think anyone has anything against selling, I certainly don't. That wasn't the point anyone was making, its more nuanced than that. It's just some people buy pieces for their collection (can be their entire collection or a subset) where selling or investment aren't immediate concerns in their mind.

[Nexus]

As the seller of the art, I'll add my two cents for background/context. Not looking to change anyone's mind. Not much in here that I disagree with, anyway!

Will new art hold its value? Some will, some won't. Only time will tell. But if you were passing up John Byrne X-MEN art in 1980 because you believed it was overpriced for new art, and the artist was still young and there would be more supply coming...you probably wish you had a do-over.

Tradd's art IS priced high. Hence, the discussion his sales inevitably inspire. I think there was a similar thread here when we sold his SILVER SURFER: BLACK art circa 2019/2020. That art has since taken as much as a 10X multiple in value. I'm not saying DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE will follow a similar trajectory. BUT this art isn't just being chased by newbies who don't know any better. It's a veritable who's who of BSD collectors, new AND old, who have been after the art. These are guys who otherwise collect Frazetta and Wrightson and the like. After we did our livestream video last week, I heard from almost all of them asking about the upcoming drop. Including MULTIPLE well-established dealers! Which should tell you how they see things going from here.

As for the disconnect between comic values and art values. Yes, generally speaking, art values follow comics. A valuable comic = valuable art. A comic that has a low value means there's low interest...and thus, there SHOULD be corresponding low interest in the art. But there are exceptions. Two I can think of are Michael Golden and Travis Charest comics. DOCTOR STRANGE #55 is Michael Golden's acknowledged tour-de-force. You can still find it in dollar boxes. But the art is worth a mint to OA collectors. Same with Travis' books. All dollar bin fodder. We would also all kill to own a page. So then goes Tradd's comics. I'm sure you can all come up with your own similar examples.

To the extent any non-fan cares to learn more, I do encourage you to check out the livestream we just did with Tradd. He's a genuinely good person. Very intelligent and thoughtful, too. I think it comes through:
 

 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Nexus

[Nexus]

Some more, again for anyone who is still curious.

I was maybe the first guy to buy art from Tradd after discovering his work in his first comic series, THE STRANGE TALENT OF LUTHER STRODE. This was in 2012. I was instantly a fan. A couple years later, I became an art rep. And a couple of years after that, he joined. At that point, he was still pretty unknown to collecting community at large. So that summer, we shot this video at SDCC 2016 as a way to introduce his art to a larger audience:

This one's only 5 minutes long; you'll get to see a lot of collectors in it as they view Tradd's art in person for the first time. Note, this is an older style. It's crazy...but nowhere near as bonkers as he would get with SILVER SURFER: BLACK and even further still with DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE.

In November 2020, we did this talk for Bill's Comic Art LIVE event. This was closest to SILVER SURFER: BLACK, for anyone who likes that work especially. But again, I think Tradd comes off well, which only helps people become fans of his work:
 

 

[Nexus]

Finally, I'm going to share clean, unwatermarked scans of all pages from our DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE #1 drop here. Love it, hate it, or indifferent to it...here's what all the fuss has been about:

 

[KirbyCollector]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:14 PM, Nexus said:

It's a veritable who's who of BSD collectors, new AND old, who have been after the art.

For a marketing genius you sure are crass

Edited May 1, 2023 by KirbyCollector

[Nexus]

On 4/30/2023 at 5:59 PM, KirbyCollector said:

For a marketing genius you sure are crass

You equate this art to "tulips and NFTs". The point I'm making is that based on the collectors who are buying it, if this is tulips and NFTs, then it's ALL tulips and NFTs.

You don't have to like it or understand it. Just add it to your already long list.

Also, if you find any of this crass and it bothers you, you should either stop reading this thread or put me on ignore. Because that was nothing for me.

Edited May 1, 2023 by Nexus

[jjonahjameson11]

Thanks for the clear scans, Felix.

I’m neither a buyer or seller, fan or hater of Tradd’s artwork.

What I do see in his artwork is something new, yet familiar and if I had to describe his style to someone, I’d say it’s an amalgamation of Beatles yellow submarine animated artwork with Gulacy and P. Craig Russell, and if i squint really hard, I can also see a bit of Steranko.

your mileage may vary, but that’s what I see 🤔

[KirbyCollector]

On 4/30/2023 at 9:42 PM, Nexus said:

You equate this art to "tulips and NFTs". The point I'm making is that based on the collectors who are buying it, if this is tulips and NFTs, then it's ALL tulips and NFTs.

You don't have to like it or understand it. Just add it to your already long list.

Also, if you find any of this crass and it bothers you, you should either stop reading this thread or put me on ignore. Because that was nothing for me.

I simply don't see the need for theatrics. The comics world is and has been filled with some of the most humble, self-effacing people I've ever met, from artists to dealers to collectors. The art does all the speaking, imo. Tradd's art spoke and buyers bought, great.

[Nexus]

On 4/30/2023 at 7:35 PM, KirbyCollector said:

I simply don't see the need for theatrics. The comics world is and has been filled with some of the most humble, self-effacing people I've ever met, from artists to dealers to collectors. The art does all the speaking, imo. Tradd's art spoke and buyers bought, great.

Heh. That's nice of you to say now, but before it was all "tulips, NFTs, and speculating". With a two year expiration date on the art.

You don't like that I've pointed out that the fan/collector base is wide and deep and includes some of the top collectors of our hobby. Who are unlikely to let this crash, as you predict. Not anytime soon, anyway.

Happy to let this play out over the next two years. SILVER SURFER: BLACK was four years ago. Beat similar naysayers' outlook already. And actually, even mine.

[alxjhnsn]

I'm happy for Tradd and Felix for the sales.

I'm happy for the buyers because they got art they like (I assume) at a price they found reasonable.

I'm happy for me because it's out of my wheelhouse so the prices are fine by me (if somewhat amazing).

I'm inclined to say that the sell out indicates, if anything. that Felix priced them just right or a little low. Excellent work in either case.

[Rick2you2]

On 4/30/2023 at 10:30 PM, jjonahjameson11 said:

Thanks for the clear scans, Felix.

I’m neither a buyer or seller, fan or hater of Tradd’s artwork.

What I do see in his artwork is something new, yet familiar and if I had to describe his style to someone, I’d say it’s an amalgamation of Beatles yellow submarine animated artwork with Gulacy and P. Craig Russell, and if i squint really hard, I can also see a bit of Steranko.

your mileage may vary, but that’s what I see 🤔

Acid. Something even Cary Grant tried (and liked).

Edited May 1, 2023 by Rick2you2

[KirbyCollector]

On 4/30/2023 at 10:44 PM, Nexus said:

Heh. That's nice of you to say now, but before it was all "tulips, NFTs, and speculating". With a two year expiration date on the art.

You don't like that I've pointed out that the fan/collector base is wide and deep and includes some of the top collectors of our hobby. Who are unlikely to let this crash, as you predict. Not anytime soon, anyway.

Happy to let this play out over the next two years. SILVER SURFER: BLACK was four years ago. Beat similar naysayers' outlook already. And actually, even mine.

I guess we'll see

Edited May 1, 2023 by KirbyCollector

[Aahz]

Not trying to be flippant, but if the markets are going to be that bad, then it doesn't really matter if you are spending the $$$ on a page now ... unless the only reason you are buying the page is to resell it in short order.

[Nexus]

On 5/1/2023 at 4:59 AM, KirbyCollector said:

Appreciation of art is not linked to price. I've been in many of the world's most famous museums and seen the most famous works you can name, but the $400 Swedish landscape which hangs in my living room gives me just as much joy as the Picasso I saw in Paris last November which just sold for $22M. Prices do not dictate whether someone should appreciate art any more or any less. 

 

Good for you. I feel the same. Has nothing to do with what we've been talking about.

On 5/1/2023 at 4:59 AM, KirbyCollector said:

I said "tulips and NFTs" because I spend all my day in the finance market and there are things going on which tell me we have about two years (or less) left before the bottom falls out -- and by fall out, I mean a complete stock market crash followed by a decade of little to no gains, huge bank failures (to include very large ones like Capital One) and a possible repeat of the Great Depression. In that situation, as we have seen over time, the most speculative items priced at the very top take the largest loss. Now, you may very well be right -- your high net worth, elite buyers may be insulated from all this and prices will remain where they are. But considering the fact the wealthy are heavily invested in stocks and things like commercial real estate, it may be hard for them to avoid what is coming. 

Yeah, OK, but again...then it's ALL tulips and NFTs.

Anyway, in the scenario you describe, and I've considered the possibility, too...an OA collection with zero $ value is still going to rank amongst the least of my worries.

[IceHole]

I was fast and fortunate...I did purchase one of the Dr. Strange pages from the Tradd drop. 

Many thanx to Felix...I know there is a whole lotta work that goes into these drops.

And many "high fives" to Tradd...who didn't have to let go of any of his work, but did.  Forever grateful to you Tradd!!!

Felix let us know months beforehand that there might be something from Tradd coming out.  I'm just a low level union worker, so yeah...I saved for months knowing prices would be high, pages would me limited.  I am humbled to have a few pages from Tradd.  I know that work I put into it.  I reached out to Felix beforehand...knowing I might need timed payments and he gladly let me know I could.  Something important to know is that every time I've reach out to Felix around these drops, he's always gotten back to me.  It's all work on his end to make these pages available and get them out to us and I appreciate anyone putting in that kinda time for, lets face it...for me, for you...for us all's.

So many thanx again. 

[Michael Browning]

A Tradd Moore Marvel page went up for sale in a few Facebook groups about a week ago and the guy got no offers and it didn’t sell and he took it down. Not even the lowball offers that are always made. He was reselling it and I’d almost guarantee he was very disappointed that he couldn’t get a ROI.

[GotSuperPowers?]

On 5/1/2023 at 3:11 PM, Michael Browning said:

A Tradd Moore Marvel page went up for sale in a few Facebook groups about a week ago and the guy got no offers and it didn’t sell and he took it down. Not even the lowball offers that are always made. He was reselling it and I’d almost guarantee he was very disappointed that he couldn’t get a ROI.

Is this the Ghost Rider page with no main characters (or no costume characters), with no action?  That's not even close to a fair comparison if it is.  Different style, and lack of content.  But more lack of content than the style.