I just checked the Heritage Auction has anyone else?

[delekkerste]

Not knowing prices in this area, how do Elvgren prices compare to Vargas?

 

For pieces of comparable quality, I think the Elvgrens are a little less expensive, though there are plenty of Elvgrens which are as or more expensive than much of Vargas' work. I like Elvgren's style better, though; Vargas used a lot of airbrush and the results look a lot more contemporary versus the more "classic" style of Elvgren's oil on canvas paintings, which also have substantial backgrounds in addition to pretty women. Just my personal preference.

 

Prices for both artists' work seems to be highly variable, though. Elvgren's less desirable early work generally goes for 4 figures from what I've seen, his very late commercial work goes for the mid to high teens, the typical piece from the mid-1940s through the mid-1960s are usually $20-$30K (less for his commercial evening wear work, though) and the better pieces from his prime have been fetching up to the low $70Ks on Heritage of late (the record I believe is around $85-$90K from a Sothebys or Christie's auction a few years ago, which still has not been surpassed).

[Aman619]

how many are there? Talking about the pinup series... Yours is the style Id like. I like his work much better than Varga's. Varga is cold and "artsy". I prefer the commercial Sundblom brushstroke style better.

[delekkerste]

how many are there? Talking about the pinup series... Yours is the style Id like. I like his work much better than Varga's. Varga is cold and "artsy". I prefer the commercial Sundblom brushstroke style better.

 

There are about 500 Elvgren pin-ups in the definitive "Gil Elvgren: All His Glamorous American Pin-Ups" by Martignette and Meisel. If you exclude his pre-Brown & Bigelow early work, his evening wear work and later advertising work, I'd estimate that there are approximately 380 pin-ups in his classic style. I'm not sure how many still exist, though.

 

That may seem like a lot of paintings, but it helps that there are enough of them out there so that pieces come up for sale fairly regularly and people stay interested in them as a result.

[Aman619]

that does seem like a lot. at least 3 times as many as I would have thought... So maybe I can wait for on ethat umm, strikes my fancy. I just checked the 3 now at Heritage and as much as I like many parts, they just dont do it.... Ill keep looking though.. Do you subsribe that that website that tracks what art selld for? You pay a fee each month or year. Its mostly for dealers and avid buyers I guess...but would be really valuable info should I start buying...

[delekkerste]

I subscribed to AskArt.com before I bought the Elvgren that I own to get a sense of the market, but do not at the moment. It is pretty useful, but I've seen firsthand where most of the pieces have sold for at the various auction houses in the past year or two, so I haven't needed to subscribe to the service. Heritage has offered the most lots by far over the past couple of years, so you can get a good sense of the market just by searching their auction archives.

[Aman619]

thanx

[Straw-Man]

I just got my catolog today.It is the thickest I have ever seen.

This is the 1st time however that They do not have a MEGA BOOK for sale.

I guess Parrinos stuff is all gone?

 

might not be 'mega,' but i'd sure like to have eldon's cap 1.

[jokersrevenge]

do either of you have any elvgren art links. i searched heritage and came up with zilch.

[jokersrevenge]

I love this one...

[comicseekers-migration]

I love this one...

 

[Aman619]

back to Heritage, I just leafed thru the catalog and was struck by the near total absense of OLD LABEL slabs. The only ones I see are 9.4 and 9.6s or Pacific Coast copies. I just have to think that this implies a tendency for them to resubmit, and not just for esthetic reasons related to the prettier new labels. Any thoughts?

[Forbush-Man]

I'm thinking you are correct.

[delekkerste]

do either of you have any elvgren art links. i searched heritage and came up with zilch.

 

http://www.thepinupfiles.com/elvgrenindex.html

 

The links to the images are on the lower *right* hand side of this web page, not the usual left. "Air Conditioned" from 1950 has the distinction of achieving the highest price at auction to date.

[jokersrevenge]

that's a great link. Thanks. I've never seen the original model for that one. noticed that there is someone holding the towel, not really a machine....Quite an imagination. I originally saw one of those machines in "the carousel of progress" in disney world, ( I don't think that ride is even open now, but it's been a while since I have been there.

[Aman619]

do either of you have any elvgren art links. i searched heritage and came up with zilch.

 

http://www.thepinupfiles.com/elvgrenindex.html

 

The links to the images are on the lower *right* hand side of this web page, not the usual left. "Air Conditioned" from 1950 has the distinction of achieving the highest price at auction to date.

 

wow. I looked at all of them. And I want em! Funny, I saw only one nude painting. Is that true? Is there a special story attached to that one?

[jokersrevenge]

Here's what I see on ebay right now thru heritage.... ebay 1 ebay 2 ebay 3

[ronm3-migration]

do either of you have any elvgren art links. i searched heritage and came up with zilch.

 

http://www.thepinupfiles.com/elvgrenindex.html

 

The links to the images are on the lower *right* hand side of this web page, not the usual left. "Air Conditioned" from 1950 has the distinction of achieving the highest price at auction to date.

 

I see you one day owning a Rockwell.

[tth2]

back to Heritage, I just leafed thru the catalog and was struck by the near total absense of OLD LABEL slabs. The only ones I see are 9.4 and 9.6s or Pacific Coast copies. I just have to think that this implies a tendency for them to resubmit, and not just for esthetic reasons related to the prettier new labels. Any thoughts?

Perhaps there is also the possibility that comics have been slabbed for the first time?

 

Nah, what am I saying? Obviously everything is a press and resub job. So everyone stay far far away from this auction! Heritage`s books are the work of the devil, I tell you!

[jkrk]

Am I missing something or are there no pictures of the back covers?

[ronm3-migration]

back to Heritage, I just leafed thru the catalog and was struck by the near total absense of OLD LABEL slabs. The only ones I see are 9.4 and 9.6s or Pacific Coast copies. I just have to think that this implies a tendency for them to resubmit, and not just for esthetic reasons related to the prettier new labels. Any thoughts?

Perhaps there is also the possibility that comics have been slabbed for the first time?

 

Nah, what am I saying? Obviously everything is a press and resub job. So everyone stay far far away from this auction! Heritage`s books are the work of the devil, I tell you!

 

I would agree with you but its too late. I dont want anyone to bid as well so i can get the books cheap. I will bet that if I bid 5k on a 500 book in this auction it will go for 4k.