Sept Heritage Signature Auction 3 3

[J.Sid]

That's not the question. The question is: If you have 150k to spend on a great Daredevil page, does it matter if you get one Frank drew vs. a page he didn't? 

[Michael Browning]

On 8/31/2023 at 4:20 PM, buttock said:

Does it really matter?  I know the underlying rationale, but does it really matter?  You're getting the published image.  Would you rather have that or the original Miller pencils?  

That's what I've been saying this entire time.

[Bronty]

It’s an interesting page to consider from this valuation perspective because it really doesn’t look like Miller in the first place.    
 

 

 

[grapeape]

On 8/22/2023 at 5:37 PM, jjonahjameson11 said:

One of the highlights of the auction?  

The drawings good, but you rarely see a Stan Lee signature. Should bring about spirited bidding. 

[Michael Browning]

On 9/2/2023 at 3:15 PM, grapeape said:

The drawings good, but you rarely see a Stan Lee signature. Should bring about spirited bidding. 

Careful. You'll bring out the "Stan Lee Didn't Create Spider-Man - Jack Kirby Did - So Stan Shouldn't Have Signed It" group.

[Ecclectica]

Not in the Signature auction, but in the following Wednesday's, this convention sketch that already appeared on the market several times since a few months ago :

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/sketches/john-byrne-and-john-newberry-red-sonja-convention-sketch-original-art-1976-1979-/p/322338-67002.s

It's seems HA is less cautious than the last owner who had carefully expressed some doubts about it in his own auction...

I would rather say it's a genuine one (with arguments about this assertion), butchered by an amator inker, but nevertheless some elements in the drawing really bug me, like the two cuts in the gauntlet. In other same period sketches Byrne did of the Thorne version, he rendered the gauntlets faithfully with only one cut. See for example this one currently sold by Anthony Snyder : https://www.anthonyscomicbookart.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=87575

Any thoughts ?

Edited September 3, 2023 by Ecclectica

[Rick2you2]

On 9/2/2023 at 9:39 PM, Ecclectica said:

Not in the Signature auction, but in the following Wednesday's, this convention sketch that already appeared on the market several times since a few months ago :

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/sketches/john-byrne-and-john-newberry-red-sonja-convention-sketch-original-art-1976-1979-/p/322338-67002.s

It's seems HA is less cautious than the last owner who had carefully expressed some doubts about it in his own auction...

I would rather say it's a genuine one (with arguments about this assertion), butchered by an amator inker, but nevertheless some elements in the drawing really bug me, like the two cuts in the gauntlet. In other same period sketches Byrne did of the Thorne version, he rendered the gauntlets faithfully with only one cut. See for example this one currently sold by Anthony Snyder : https://www.anthonyscomicbookart.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=87575

Any thoughts ?

I think you may be right. The inker seems overenthusiastic, adding needless lines. Burn’s work was always pretty clean, and back then, he did not do his own inking.

[stinkininkin]

On 9/3/2023 at 9:11 AM, Rick2you2 said:

I think you may be right. The inker seems overenthusiastic, adding needless lines. Burn’s work was always pretty clean, and back then, he did not do his own inking.

Byrne was his own primary inker during this period in 1976. He was doing a bunch of comics then for Charlton (Doomsday +1 and Space 1999 for example) and inked all his own work. As for the sketch, I'm guessing it's an amateurish, badly inked Byrne sketch, including the signature (which looks off).

Edited September 4, 2023 by stinkininkin

[Rick2you2]

On 9/3/2023 at 5:38 PM, stinkininkin said:

Byrne was his own primary inker in during this period in1976. He was doing a bunch of comics then for Charlton (Doomsday +1 and Space 1999 for example) and inked all his own work. As for the sketch, I'm guessing it's an amateurish, badly inked Byrne sketch, including the signature (which looks off).

In that case, something must have changed by 1980 when he got to Marvel. I met John at a convention in NYC, along with Joe Rubenstein and others, and asked John to do a Phantom Stranger drawing for me. He said that he did not do his own inking, and asked me if it was okay if Joe did it (I said yes). He also said, incidentally, this was the first time he was ever asked for a drawing of the Phantom Stranger. 

 

[stinkininkin]

On 9/3/2023 at 3:45 PM, Rick2you2 said:

In that case, something must have changed by 1980 when he got to Marvel. I met John at a convention in NYC, along with Joe Rubenstein and others, and asked John to do a Phantom Stranger drawing for me. He said that he did not do his own inking, and asked me if it was okay if Joe did it (I said yes). He also said, incidentally, this was the first time he was ever asked for a drawing of the Phantom Stranger. 

 

Byrne might have been referring to never inking his convention commissions, rather than the comics themselves. I NEVER saw him ink his convention sketches from this period. And yes, when he got to Marvel, I rarely if EVER saw him ink his own work until he got on his post Xmen Fantastic Four run in 1981.

[Ecclectica]

On 9/3/2023 at 11:38 PM, stinkininkin said:

Byrne was his own primary inker during this period in 1976. He was doing a bunch of comics then for Charlton (Doomsday +1 and Space 1999 for example) and inked all his own work.

... and he even inked Steve Ditko for Charlton Bullseye.

[Kryptic1]

On 8/23/2023 at 10:35 AM, Bronty said:

well THIS should be interesting.

Frazetta 1.8m death dealer 6 being resold at this auction.   https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/paintings/frank-frazetta-death-dealer-vi-painting-original-art-1990-/a/7341-91006.s?ic4=GalleryView-Thumbnail-071515

Just how much of a loss will the consignor experience?    I'd be very surprised at a gain.

A $1.5M reserve was just posted for Death Dealer 6.  After juice, that would be flat to the sale price from over 5 years ago.

[Bronty]

More reserves posted than I can remember in a long time in fact.   IIRC five or six significant lots have them.     One or two jittery consignors I guess.

[tth2]

On 9/9/2023 at 10:13 AM, Bronty said:

More reserves posted than I can remember in a long time in fact.   IIRC five or six significant lots have them.     One or two jittery consignors I guess.

It's dumb.  Makes it less likely that the pieces will sell, because bidders won't feel as much urgency to bid aggressively.  The thing about "No Reserve" auctions is that as a bidder, you know if you don't win it, then someone else definitely will and maybe you'll never get a chance at it again.

[Bronty]

Let's talk everyone's favorite artist:   Boris.   What's the prediction for the Savage Sword 12 cover?    I am bullish on it and think 72-78k. 

Admittedly, it was more of a hot take while the price was still down, but I see the strength in good borises atm and this is a nice one.

Edited September 9, 2023 by Bronty

[Bronty]

On 9/8/2023 at 10:18 PM, tth2 said:

It's dumb.  Makes it less likely that the pieces will sell, because bidders won't feel as much urgency to bid aggressively.  The thing about "No Reserve" auctions is that as a bidder, you know if you don't win it, then someone else definitely will and maybe you'll never get a chance at it again.

well, we can see both sides right.    While what you say is 100% true sometimes people just aren't comfortable taking the risk - and there is a risk - that it bombs.

[tth2]

On 9/9/2023 at 10:19 AM, Bronty said:

good borises

Oxymoron Alert! 

Edited September 9, 2023 by tth2

[tth2]

On 9/9/2023 at 10:21 AM, Bronty said:

On 9/9/2023 at 10:18 AM, tth2 said:

It's dumb.  Makes it less likely that the pieces will sell, because bidders won't feel as much urgency to bid aggressively.  The thing about "No Reserve" auctions is that as a bidder, you know if you don't win it, then someone else definitely will and maybe you'll never get a chance at it again.

well, we can see both sides right.    While what you say is 100% true sometimes people just aren't comfortable taking the risk - and there is a risk - that it bombs.

Excluding Frazettas where the reserve was based on a pre-arranged sale price, my guess is that the sell through rate on Heritage lots with reserves has been less than 1/3.

So if you're that unconfident of selling at a strong price, you're probably better off not listing at all, rather than damaging the perceived value of your piece by having it go RNM.  

[tth2]

So looking at the pieces that I'm tracking that now have a reserve, here are my predictions on which ones will sell:

Frazetta Death Dealer VI, $1,800,000 -- doesn't seem like a pre-arranged sale, and it's well after his prime period, so my prediction is RNM. 

Meskin Leading Comics #1 cover, $150,000 -- RNM

Ray & Robinson Detective #58 cover, $270,000 -- RNM

Bolland Batman #400 p.53, $48,000 -- RNM

[Bronty]

I like the tec cover best so I’d like to see that meet reserve but  I agree with your comments.  
 

there is also a reserve on the Byrne iron fist 15 page btw (or at least there was last I looked).