how do you know/convince yourself it's time to sell....and then how do you decide how to sell? 1 1

[G.A.tor]

On 8/7/2023 at 9:28 AM, gumbydarnit said:

Andy Robbins was a guest on a Felix Comic Art Podcast, at 40 mins in he begins to talk about how he decides what pieces to sell. I think you'll find his thought process interesting and might be a bit helpful to you. If you haven't listened to Felix Lu podcast, then you are in for a treat, it's great!

Felix Comic Art :: The Felix Comic Art Podcast (Episode 7): Andy Robbins / ECCC Roundtable

thanks...I will check it out

 

[G.A.tor]

On 8/3/2023 at 5:11 AM, The Voord said:

You've probably answered your own question.

Just because you like (or love) the character, it doesn't mean that you should automatically be a fan of every SS drawing ever produced . . . though it does sound as though you've been 'bulk-buying' most SS art floated your way, because your OA collecting habits have been character-driven.  I can see where you're coming from but, if it was me, I'd just concentrate on the stuff that connects emotionally and aesthetically.  I mean, I'm a huge Ditko ASM fan (and, to a slightly lesser extent, JR, Snr. working on the title).  Outside those two artists, I have little or no in interest in most artists who followed.

If I were you, I'd place all the SS art in front of me and start weeding out those examples I don't really feel passionate about . . . and distill a collection of the best examples I couldn't do without.  Sometimes Less is More.

There are a range of auction houses you could go with . . . or you could always try being your own seller.

I currently have about 275 pieces of Surfer art...I had 10 right before covid...

an OA friend asked me "what is my goal" with regards to my surfer art collection...and I couldn't answer it easily...hence, my problem... admittedly I own some pieces that I scratch my head and say "why"...yet I find it somewhat difficult to even consider selling them

I did go through every page and finally list what I have, issue, artist, cost, etc...so, I've accomplished something!

[Sideshow Bob]

On 8/7/2023 at 9:28 AM, gumbydarnit said:

Andy Robbins was a guest on a Felix Comic Art Podcast, at 40 mins in he begins to talk about how he decides what pieces to sell. I think you'll find his thought process interesting and might be a bit helpful to you. If you haven't listened to Felix Lu podcast, then you are in for a treat, it's great!

Felix Comic Art :: The Felix Comic Art Podcast (Episode 7): Andy Robbins / ECCC Roundtable

Andy's discussion was transformative to my collecting. Understanding what is in your collection and where you rank it is forces you to make some serious evaluations of not only your inventory but also where you succeed and fail in acquiring new pieces.

To elaborate a little bit: Evolving as a collector takes a lot of learning, and unfortunately a lot of times that is from making mistakes. I found Andy's approach of ranking your collection (using Marie Kondo's approach of "does it bring me joy", not by fair market value) forced me to confront my mistakes and ask myself some probing questions:

1) Why did I buy this piece I suddenly find in the bottom half of my rankings? Was it an impulse decision? Was it strategic (trade bait, part of a bundle)? Was it a poorly executed commission? Was it to check a box in some ethereal checklist that I had poorly thought out?

2) How can I make better decisions to keep the impulsive "squirrel" purchases to a minimum? If I'm working on a checklist, why isn't it written down with some thought put behind it? Realistically, where do I want my collection to be and what do I need to do get it there? Do these pieces in the bottom half help me to get to that "future state"?

3) Now that I've identified the bottom half, what do I need to do next? Look for trade? Sell at the next auction and get what you get? Realize that no other collector would want this, so just hold onto it in a "for sale/trade" folder so you don't get pennies on the dollar?

Edited August 9, 2023 by Sideshow Bob

[Will_K]

I think it definitely takes a certain frame of mind.  For example, as far as this hobby goes, I think of my self as a "buyer".   I could never work in a Sales department. 

Ranking unique pieces of art is like a manager ranking every employee.  Some employees are obviously easier to rank over others but sometimes it's too close to call.  Using the Jack Welch approach and always getting rid of the bottom 10% of your workforce is pretty tough to do.  And from a collecting standpoint, that could just lead me to not getting rid of anything.  Sometimes your bottom 10% is still pretty damn good.

Edited August 8, 2023 by Will_K

[G.A.tor]

On 8/8/2023 at 4:31 PM, Sideshow Bob said:

Andy's discussion was transformative to my collecting. Understanding what is in your collection and where you rank it is forces you to make some serious evaluations of not only your inventory but also where you succeed and fail in acquiring new pieces.

To elaborate a little bit: Evolving as a collector takes a lot of learning, and unfortunately a lot of times that is from making mistakes. I found Andy's approach of ranking your collection (using Marie Kondo's approach of "does it bring me joy", not by fair market value) forced me to confront my mistakes and ask myself some probing questions:

1) Why did I buy this piece I suddenly find in the bottom half of my rankings? Was it an impulse decision? Was it strategic (trade bait, part of a bundle)? Was it a poorly executed commission? Was it to check a box in some ethereal checklist that I had poorly thought out?

2) How can I make better decisions to keep the impulsive "squirrel" purchases to a minimum? If I'm working on a checklist, why isn't it written down with some thought put behind it? Realistically, where do I want my collection to be and what do I need to do get it there? Do these pieces in the bottom half help me to get to that "future state"?

3) Now that I've identified the bottom half, what do I need to do next? Look for trade? Sell at the next auction and get what you get? Realize that no other collector would want this, so just hold onto it in a "for sale/trade" folder so you don't get pennies on the dollar?

I had some illusion that I would/could get an example of all the artists that drew the Surfer, and even thought Id take it one step further and collection an example from every surfer issue...it took a little bit for me to realize that that is likely an impossible goal for a myriad of reasons... so that was my first "turn" in my collecxting focus...from "get an example" to " get a great image" regardless of where or what issue

[Garf]

On 8/8/2023 at 9:31 PM, Sideshow Bob said:

2) How can I make better decisions to keep the impulsive "squirrel" purchases to a minimum? If I'm working on a checklist, why isn't it written down with some thought put behind it? Realistically, where do I want my collection to be and what do I need to do get it there? Do these pieces in the bottom half help me to get to that "future state"?

That one really helped me out. When I decided to actually keep a written list of what I want to "complete" my collection it eventually highlighted how unrealistic my goals could get.

It started off as a solid list of all the things within a reasonable price range that I wanted $100 - $1000. It was fairly easy to compile too as I only had to glance over at my Omnibus and TPB collection to work out which books were dear to me, and they were usually the ones I had read and re-read time and again. Gradually I started to weed out the "nice to haves", and sometimes things would weed themselves out because pieces would sell before I got to them.

Then as the list shrank I tried adding in a few bigger ticket items just to see what that change would feel like, and you know what I didn't like it one bit. Putting them on there made me think long and hard about how they would have a much larger impact on everything else I enjoy. If you have a list for OA then it stands to reason that you should have lists for other goals, and putting these side by side cemented that I should keep all things OA in the fun zone.

Now I am actually only two pieces away from finishing the list  

Maybe I will finally get to transition to being a collector who buys max one or two pieces a year 

[Michael Browning]

On 8/9/2023 at 4:09 PM, Garf said:

That one really helped me out. When I decided to actually keep a written list of what I want to "complete" my collection it eventually highlighted how unrealistic my goals could get.

It started off as a solid list of all the things within a reasonable price range that I wanted $100 - $1000. It was fairly easy to compile too as I only had to glance over at my Omnibus and TPB collection to work out which books were dear to me, and they were usually the ones I had read and re-read time and again. Gradually I started to weed out the "nice to haves", and sometimes things would weed themselves out because pieces would sell before I got to them.

Then as the list shrank I tried adding in a few bigger ticket items just to see what that change would feel like, and you know what I didn't like it one bit. Putting them on there made me think long and hard about how they would have a much larger impact on everything else I enjoy. If you have a list for OA then it stands to reason that you should have lists for other goals, and putting these side by side cemented that I should keep all things OA in the fun zone.

Now I am actually only two pieces away from finishing the list  

Maybe I will finally get to transition to being a collector who buys max one or two pieces a year 

One or two pieces a year? Why so low a number? I buy what I like and can afford and don't set a limit each year.

[Garf]

On 8/10/2023 at 2:00 AM, Michael Browning said:

One or two pieces a year? Why so low a number? I buy what I like and can afford and don't set a limit each year.

It's a fair question. There are so many reasons. The main two are that I have already gone past the amount I can comfortably display and rotate, and I am also in a pretty happy place when it comes to having a collection that spans a lot of titles which I have really enjoyed reading. I need to work out where to go from here, and slowing right down will make that a lot easier.

I really don't mind taking my foot off the gas, it will probably be a good thing. I only have so much time and energy and there is a lot of change going on in my life over the next couple of years... house, bigger job, kids going to college. I got back into all things comics when my life felt more settled after starting a family, and now things are a lot busier.

 

... I mean I could do that, or I could just become Captain Compulsive with his trusty OA crack pipe (as I do still very much enjoy this part of the hobby) and claw my way up the buy/sell/trade ladder 

 

[The Voord]

On 8/10/2023 at 10:44 PM, Garf said:

It's a fair question. There are so many reasons. The main two are that I have already gone past the amount I can comfortably display and rotate, and I am also in a pretty happy place when it comes to having a collection that spans a lot of titles which I have really enjoyed reading. I need to work out where to go from here, and slowing right down will make that a lot easier.

I really don't mind taking my foot off the gas, it will probably be a good thing. I only have so much time and energy and there is a lot of change going on in my life over the next couple of years... house, bigger job, kids going to college. I got back into all things comics when my life felt more settled after starting a family, and now things are a lot busier.

 

... I mean I could do that, or I could just become Captain Compulsive with his trusty OA crack pipe (as I do still very much enjoy this part of the hobby) and claw my way up the buy/sell/trade ladder 

 

Good response that makes sense.  

Personally, I don't set myself any limits on what I buy but do need to justify to myself future purchases on a sort of, "Do I really need this?" basis (and affordability) whenever something of potential interest comes my way.  I'd class myself as a collector, not a hoarder!

Edited August 11, 2023 by The Voord

[exitmusicblue]

Try not to sell your best example of a given artist / character / series etc. that you like (unless necessary to upgrade).  Simple rule for me.

[christosgage]

I'm a big "buy what you like" guy, so if your tastes have changed and you don't like a piece any longer (which happens), I'd personally think about selling those pieces to get ones you do like. BUT, if you haven't identified other pieces you want right now, or can afford to just pay for those, and you don't money for other things, I'd say keep them for the same reason others have: they're likely to appreciate in value, so when you do find something you want, you'll be better able to get it. That's my two cents, but of course do what's best for you. Happy collecting!

[ThothAmon]

On 8/8/2023 at 3:57 PM, G.A.tor said:

I currently have about 275 pieces of Surfer art...I had 10 right before covid...

 

 

On 8/8/2023 at 3:57 PM, G.A.tor said:

I did go through every page and finally list what I have, issue, artist, cost, etc...so, I've accomplished something!

Having such a ledger is an enviable accomplishment for sure. Sadly the time to sell is usually when you need the money and that’s invariably when the market is depressed. Something to consider is art held for less than a year is subject to your regular income tax rate while art held longer gets capital gains rates. Personally if I didn’t need the cash quickly I’d sell through eBay’s buy it now and occasionally run some no reserve auctions. The results can shock. Other than that I’d ship it all off to one of your auction house friends that so nobly sold off your beautiful Centaurs. 

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/8/2023 at 1:57 PM, G.A.tor said:

an OA friend asked me "what is my goal" with regards to my surfer art collection...and I couldn't answer it easily...hence, my problem... admittedly I own some pieces that I scratch my head and say "why"...yet I find it somewhat difficult to even consider selling them

I never thought about a "goal" as that seems to be that you envision an end to the hunt - I don't know if I'd want to have an end goal for my art. (Comics, sure - but not art).

However, not having a "goal" opens the door to problems. My collecting focus is very ambiguous: collecting Bad Girl art from the 90's. Of course, I only buy the pieces I like, but the subject matter can change with my mood - this is where a checklist would come in handy. BUT: Do you pass up a piece that you like because it doesn't fit the focus on your checklist? I don't have the discipline to do that, which is why some newer pieces show up in my collection.

I recently got into picking up a few commissions. Not really part of my collecting focus, but I like the artists. I have to pull back on those because it seems really easy to go down the rabbit hole for commissions, and I don't need to create another subgenre within my collection. Those situations are where having that checklist would come in handy.

Is it inevitable to end up with stuff in your collection that you slap your forehead and say "Why did I buy that?" Probably. I am definitely checking out that video, but part of me wants to find that happy medium of buying something I enjoy that fits a collecting focus - but not hyper-manage my collection so much that the only thing I see is my "goal" rather than the art itself.

[Michael Browning]

I used to have a goal -- Charlton covers. Then, my goal changed to Jonah Hex art. But, I learned after awhile that that limited me and I was missing out or trading away some great pieces to achieve my goals. I dropped my goals several years ago and I buy what I like. I bought a TMNT Urban Legends cover yesterday at a local show. I don't collect TMNT Urban Legends art, but it was a cool cover and the price was right. Another collector told me the other day that I have no focus to my collection and that it was very eclectic. It makes me happy, though, and that's all that matters.

[Rick2you2]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:25 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I never thought about a "goal" as that seems to be that you envision an end to the hunt - I don't know if I'd want to have an end goal for my art. (Comics, sure - but not art).

However, not having a "goal" opens the door to problems. My collecting focus is very ambiguous: collecting Bad Girl art from the 90's. Of course, I only buy the pieces I like, but the subject matter can change with my mood - this is where a checklist would come in handy. BUT: Do you pass up a piece that you like because it doesn't fit the focus on your checklist? I don't have the discipline to do that, which is why some newer pieces show up in my collection.

I recently got into picking up a few commissions. Not really part of my collecting focus, but I like the artists. I have to pull back on those because it seems really easy to go down the rabbit hole for commissions, and I don't need to create another subgenre within my collection. Those situations are where having that checklist would come in handy.

Is it inevitable to end up with stuff in your collection that you slap your forehead and say "Why did I buy that?" Probably. I am definitely checking out that video, but part of me wants to find that happy medium of buying something I enjoy that fits a collecting focus - but not hyper-manage my collection so much that the only thing I see is my "goal" rather than the art itself.

The biggest advantage of having a goal, I find, is saving money for the important stuff. There are times I have seen art I like, but I know that buying it will interfere with the next big thing that comes my way. So unless there is something special about it, which happens, I skip it. Sure enough, something within my area of interest comes my way afterward. Lately, I have been having a different problem: too much little stuff is coming up that I want, when a few years ago, there could be 6 month stretches when there was nothing I wanted to add. So, for now, I guess I go into “deficit spending” mode and hope nothing big comes up for a while. 

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/13/2023 at 10:15 AM, Rick2you2 said:

The biggest advantage of having a goal, I find, is saving money for the important stuff. There are times I have seen art I like, but I know that buying it will interfere with the next big thing that comes my way.

Oh boy, do I have that problem. It's hard to build the war chest for something big when you get a lot of smaller pieces thrown at you. "Do I want 10 small pieces or one big piece?" That is a constant struggle.

But, I like how you phrased that - I'm going to put that on my mental chalkboard of "Things I have to work on."

[Rick2you2]

On 8/13/2023 at 1:33 PM, Dr. Balls said:

Oh boy, do I have that problem. It's hard to build the war chest for something big when you get a lot of smaller pieces thrown at you. "Do I want 10 small pieces or one big piece?" That is a constant struggle.

But, I like how you phrased that - I'm going to put that on my mental chalkboard of "Things I have to work on."

Most collectors are smarter than I am when picking subjects. So you have any idea how hard it is to find decent (let alone good) images of the Phantom Stranger from artists I don’t have? 

[Dr. Balls]

On 8/13/2023 at 3:17 PM, Rick2you2 said:

Most collectors are smarter than I am when picking subjects. So you have any idea how hard it is to find decent (let alone good) images of the Phantom Stranger from artists I don’t have? 

 And I thought I had a tight focus. I'm loosey-goosey compared to that. How often do you unearth older Phantom Stranger pieces?

Edited August 13, 2023 by Dr. Balls

[Michael Browning]

On 8/13/2023 at 5:17 PM, Rick2you2 said:

Most collectors are smarter than I am when picking subjects. So you have any idea how hard it is to find decent (let alone good) images of the Phantom Stranger from artists I don’t have? 

Speaking of the Phantom Stranger, I saw the cover Anthony had up for a couple years finally sold recently. I hate that you didn't get that one.

[Will_K]

On 8/13/2023 at 5:17 PM, Rick2you2 said:

So you have any idea how hard it is to find decent (let alone good) images of the Phantom Stranger from artists I don’t have? 

Given that you don't really like D ick Dillin, have you ever seen any Dillin Phantom Stranger art that you do like ?