Where's my $300 grail?

[Erato]

I agree with Thomas' post. The most I have spent on a piece to date is $125, and that just recently. But I have a few niche's that I tend to collect that I have been able to fill rather inexpensively.

 

I too, don't have many "grails". But a grail to me is not a traditional grail. If you don't like Byrne or X-Men, the best example of a Byrne X-Men splash page may mean nothing to you. But others will go gaga for it and be prepared to drop StooPid MoneY on it.

 

I've only bought one piece that I was disappointed in after I bought it. I've loved everything else, and still do. Even when I sell something for another piece, it's not because I don't like that piece. Something I liked better just became available(or the car broke down. ).

 

I really guess I'd just reiterate what Thomas said, "Buy what you like and what makes you happy to look at and own and you can't go wrong. "

 

Best Advice.

 

Brian

[chrisco37]

I really guess I'd just reiterate what Thomas said, "Buy what you like and what makes you happy to look at and own and you can't go wrong. "

 

That's the best advice you can get.

 

Buy what makes you happy. My "ultimate grail" piece is the final splash page to FF#57; Doom stealing the Surfers powers (Kirby pencils, Sinnott inks). Even if the page ever came onto the market, it's so far out of my price range, I wouldn't even bid. Even if I had the money, I'd never make a run at it (I'm not as well versred in OA as some of the guys here, but I'd put it at 25K+ easily).

 

I know my limits, and my "grail" is something I'll never obtain.

 

So, instead, I've set more "reasonable" goals. I've tried to find art from my favorite series or by my favorite artists. I've been pretty sucessful. In the past 5 years, I've been able to acquire art from the following artists/series:

 

-Eduardo Risso (my favorite modern artist): I currently have 5 pages from "100 Bullets", a "Batman" page, and (the jewel of my collection) a 100 Bullets Commission piece

 

-J.G. Jones: 2 pages from "Wanted" (including the first page from Issue #1; which is the best page from the entire series, IMO)

 

-Tim Sale: I think he does the best Catwoman ever, and I was lucky enough to pick up a great page from "Dark Victory" featuring Batman & Catwoman. I just recently picked up an outstanding page from "The Long Halloween" (one of my favorite storylines of alltime). The "LH" page was one of those situations that was about timing. It might acutally fall into your guidlines (it wasn't my favorite page from the series, but it was a grat page, and I got it for right around $300!)

 

-Another "timing/luck" page was within the past 2 months...."Sandman" is one of my favorite series of alltime. I've always wanted a page from the series. A few months ago, I ran into a guy that had a page from the series. Granted, it did not have Morpheus on it (so, not a "grail"), but it was still a page from the series. The price, I felt, was a steal, so I snapped it up. It was significantly less than $300. Not my "grail" page, but still a page from one of my most sought after series. I was extremely pleased.

 

Those are a few of my experiences. Also, one thing you should consider (based on your $300 budget).....if your "grail" is from a book that guides for more than $300 in NM, chances are, you won't find art from that book for that price. If your "grail" is a Kirby, Ditko, Romita, Steranko, etc...., sorry to burst your bubble, $300 isn't going to cut it (heck, $3000 isn't going to cut it).

 

So, what should you take from my ? Set your budget, and buy what makes you happy that falls w/in that budget. If a piece is out of your price range, "oh well". It's probably out of the price range of 95% of the collectors anyway.

 

Buy something that you will be able to pull out a year or more later and look at it, and say, "Man, that is one cool page!".

 

Good luck!

 

 

[*paull*]

I've said it before and I'll say it again.... I think that the term "grail" is a term that is thrown around loosely on the Boards. In my opinion, "grail" should apply to one or a few items that is your ultimate goal.

 

If that "grail" isn't attainable, find out what is. For instance, if page from that artist's series of reknown isn't possible, what about lesser work, or work from later in that artist's career? How about sketches, production art, non-comic book art (advertising, illustration, etc.), layouts instead of full pencils, etc?

[Guardian Comics]

Paull: I absolutely agree with your assessment of a grail. A grail should be a cover, front splash or at the least a DPS that everybody would go gaga over. You don't have to be able to afford it but if you had all the money in the world a "grail" would be the one piece that you made sure you bought. For instance if Neal Adams was your artist of choice and you ponied up for a panel page of Deadman, as awesome and as great as it would be to have and own it probably still wouldn't be your grail. The cover to GL/GA #76 would probably still be your grail piece.

 

Or another example to get my point across. I'm a Ross Andru/Romita Sr. guy.

 

 

This is a great page, and I never thought I would ever own it, but as much as I love the artist and owning the page, I'd kill for the covers of ASM#177-180. Those would be grails.

 

I also think there is a big difference between a personal grail and a grail in general. To be a grail I think the piece should be coveted by the general population of collectors as well. The cover to Jvstice Inc., might mean a lot to someone for personal reasons but could never be a grail, as not enough people would ever care.

 

Jim

[vodou]

I also think there is a big difference between a personal grail and a grail in general. To be a grail I think the piece should be coveted by the general population of collectors as well. The cover to Jvstice Inc., might mean a lot to someone for personal reasons but could never be a grail, as not enough people would ever care.

 

I disagree that "popularity of desire" is required. Let's go back to the original Holy Grail. Point in fact, this object would only be of interest to Christians and scholars. To be fair there's a lot of Christians out there, but that population is dwarfed by the Muslims (Christ was only a prophet to these guys), Hindus, Atheists, etc...or all non-Christians in combination. Add in the non-Christian scholars and the number doesn't go up that much.

 

Getting back to comic art, a Justice Inc. cover could be somebody's grail if that person attributed similar properties to it as a Christian would the Holy Grail. I'll leave it to others to discuss the "who,where,why,when,how" of "properties." Too early in the morning here on the East Coast.

 

My grail? Well, there's only one (by definition) and it changes daily if not hourly. There's so much art out there, most of it I like, including chubby, pale woman paintings that are cracking all over, to choose a single one over all is impossible. Yesterday I would have named one of Picasso's guitar player paintings, this morning I'm more in the mood for Cockrum's X-Men 146 cover. Really. My first X-Men from 1981. Sadly, Dave Mandel (Seinfeld writer) is looking for it too so I'd lose that bidding war.

[*paull*]

I definitely that that the concept of a personal instead of universal grail exists. I bought a piece earlier this year, something that I never thought I'd find, that I went absolutely ape-@$%# over, but I have my doubts that many people would raise an eyebrow.

 

My personal grails would be things like the cover to Cap 111, cover to Silver Surfer 4, etc. Not only do I doubt I'll see those for sale, but if I did, I wouldn't be in that game. So I have to be realistic... I have lesser pieces that I'd go crazy for if I could locate and purchase them.

[Tatterdamillion]

To each their own. If I somehow aquired an EC cover it would most definitely be the grail of my collection. However, short of someone selling said cover and sending it airmail to a highly regarded collecter in Venezuela where in flight the planes' fuselage breaks open sending contents earthbound and that cover falling in my lap, I'll never have that "grail". That last sentence was terrible, 1000 pardons. I think a $300 grail is attainable. If $300 is a lot of money to you then choose wisely and wait for art you love to come down the bend. I am unwealthy and I think my collection has a lot of great pieces. Some are more than 300, a lot are less. Playing with the big boys is absurd for me so I aim lower. I would also say save a little bit longer and buy something you are completely happy with. One of my favorite and best looking pieces I have was purchased for $35 and while no one including me would call it a "grail" I like it better than I like my Xmen 207?(the secret wars beyonder) cover. To give props the 35 dollar piece is a pencil Conan page by Tim Truman who I think knocked it out of the park.Thanks Tim.

[COI]

I also think there is a big difference between a personal grail and a grail in general. To be a grail I think the piece should be coveted by the general population of collectors as well. The cover to Jvstice Inc., might mean a lot to someone for personal reasons but could never be a grail, as not enough people would ever care.

 

I disagree. The non-spiritual definition of a Grail is "the object of any prolonged endeavor". Let's say that someone can only set aside $100 a month for art purchases. For them, a $3000 to $5000 cover that they covet is a "grail" because it's something that's going to take them a long time to aquire. The difficulties in aquiring OA are not just financial, but also have a lot to do with the availability of the piece. So even if this person can get the money together over the course of a few years, there's still no guarantee that they can get the piece they want if it's residing in someone else's collection. What does any of this have to do with what other collectors covet? Not everyone plays at the same level and considering the subjectivity involved with art, not everyone is going to want the same things. To cheapen someone's personal quest for a specific piece by weighing its value against what other collectors think is ridiculous. For anyone to aquire anything that they previously thought was out of reach is an acomplishment, whether the piece in question is worth $5000 or $500,000, because of the discipline and dedication required.

[comicartfan]

Coming from someone who doesn't technically have a "grail", rather there are pieces that I would rather own more than others.

 

I think a grail can be whatever someone thinks it is regardless of price, historical importance or desireabilty of other collectors. A big ticket item is not a grail. Just because something cost 5, 10, 25 grand does not make it a grail...it just makes it expensive.

 

Grails above all things should have a viseral impact to the person seeking. It has to pack an emotional wallup. The first comic you ever read, one that you stayed under the covers to read with a flashlight as a kid falls into this category. The cover art for a book that you just couldn't stop staring at....that made you realize that Batman (Spider-man, Superman, etc..) was the most important super hero out there...in your eyes. Maybe it was a story that you kept reading over and over and you just want a page, any page, from this issue....

This is why I don't have a grail. I never read comics as a kid and didn't start collecting until I was in my thirties...and I realise I am probably alone in this fact. But the Batman 497 cover really made me want to read comics...as compared to just stuffing them in a box. So for this fact, it is my most sought after piece...and probably not obtainable.

 

I don't think a commission or a newly published piece would classify as this type...You may want it more than others, but that is not a grail. It may be you want a piece by a particular artist that is out of your reach, but it's not a grail.....

[batman_fan]

Having just begun the process of paying for what I call my "grail", I define it as a piece of artwork that has inspired or sparked something inside you. For me it is a cover from my youth that I bought off the news stand (still have it!). I remember distinctly re-drawing the cover because of what I deemed "perfect form". For me, having the opportunity to actually own the original is just mind boggling. I could never have imagined actually owning something I admired so much in my youth. Of course I am making payments on it, but it will be great to finally have it in my collection.

[RaccoonRaccoon]

I agree with the sentiment that a grail is more of a personal choice as opposed to a "popular choice".

 

Here is the question I pose: Would you rather own a cover that has a "market value" of $1000 that you really do not like to look at..

 

OR

 

own a cover that has a "market value" of $500 that you absolutely love to look at?

 

Now im not going down the road of, well I would sell the $1000 cover to buy OA that I liked... that is not the point.

 

The point is, you should by art that you enjoy admiring, looking at and generally feel something for, as opposed to "well this piece is popular" so I will get this.

 

Just my opinion.

[batman_fan]

I agree with the sentiment that a grail is more of a personal choice as opposed to a "popular choice".

 

Here is the question I pose: Would you rather own a cover that has a "market value" of $1000 that you really do not like to look at..

 

OR

 

own a cover that has a "market value" of $500 that you absolutely love to look at?

 

Now im not going down the road of, well I would sell the $1000 cover to buy OA that I liked... that is not the point.

 

The point is, you should by art that you enjoy admiring, looking at and generally feel something for, as opposed to "well this piece is popular" so I will get this.

 

Just my opinion.

 

No question, a $500 cover (or page) that I love. There are several things that fit into that catagory for me. I absolutely LOVE Batman the Animated pages. Interiors can be had for less than $50 and I still love looking at them.

[matewan1990]

I've never based my grails on what others like.

Many times, one person's grail isn't my grail and mine isn't theirs. I think of a grail as that one piece or few pieces that you can't hardly live without, the piece/pieces that are going to haunt you the rest of your life unless you acquire it/them.

I have been blessed to get all but two of my grails.

The one piece I never, ever thought I'd get was the first grail I got and that was Doom Patrol 1's cover by Steve Lightle. Thanks to Tom Fleming for trading me that one.

When I first found comicartfans.com, one of the first things I checked for was the cover to Flash 323, which I was fortunate to be able to get via a cash/trade deal.

The third piece I got was Super Team Family 9's cover by Rich Buckler and then I traded to get Super Powers Vol. 1 No. 2's cover by Jack Kirby. Those last three all came from the collection of Jim Cardillo, who has, thankfully, done many great trades with me.

A major grail for me was the cover art to Saga of the Swamp Thing 3 cover art. My dad bought me that issue at our local grocery store and I'll never forget picking it off the spinner rack. Cost me 63 cents. The cover cost me an arm and a leg, way more than it should have cost. But, when I got the opportunity to own it, I had to have it, so I agreed to the deal with the collector/dealer. Even though I gave double its true value, I have never regretted making the deal because that cover is a grail to me.

I never looked at any of these because others called them grails.

The Doom Patrol 1 and Flash 323 covers were from comics my Granny bought me as a child and I carried them both around until they were nearly worn to death. The Super Team Family 9 cover was bought for me by my Granddad and is the cover to the first comic I ever owned. The Super Powers cover is from a comic I bought while staying in Tennessee with my grandparents. I bought it at a gas station there and was overjoyed when I found the Super Power toys at a local Roses store in Newport, Tenn.

So, grails to me aren't what SOMEONE else likes. It's what I like and really, really want. All the rest are trade items.

Mike B.

[Point Five]

Just passing through...

Great post Mike.

[sistinas-migration]

My question, then: Is it possible to find a ‘grail’ piece for $300 or so? By this, I mean, a significant piece of comic art by a renowned artist working during his or her prime – and a piece of comic art that would be recognized as a grail by the majority of comic art collectors?

 

Have any of you found your grail in the budget bin?

 

Actually yes.... the vast majority of my collection has been $500 and under, only 2 pieces in my whole collection cost more than $1000 and I am extremely happy with what I own. Whether others would recognize it as a "grail" is immaterial to me though.

 

My taste is fairly eclectic and I buy what I love and don't really care what others seek.

 

Maybe it helps that I got into comics in the late 80s and my favorite artists are mostly current and thus more affordable than golden/silver/bronze age artists and i have bought most of them directly from the artists. I don't care if a piece has been published or not and have found many wonderful unpublished pieces tho I have a decided preference for covers, splash pages & pinups over interior pages. Likewise I don't care about resale value as I'm pretty much a "black hole" when it comes to collecting.

 

One of my absolute favorite pieces I purchased two years ago for $300 from a fellow collector on the Comic art fans site after admiring it many many times in his gallery before it was marked for sale & every day I look at it hanging in my dining room and it makes me smile

 

My Michael Zulli "Death and the Windy Day"

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=107302&GSub=7015

 

my "budget" collection -

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=2096

[Nexus]

You're "budget" collection is most impressive!

 

I've admired your gallery many times before. Continued success with your collecting.

[Hart1000]

my "budget" collection -

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=2096

 

Great "Budget" collection!!!

 

Especially the Grendel collection! I really dig your Geldhof/Snyder Grendel T-shirt design art!!! Takes me back to my youth!

[comicartfan]

You're "budget" collection is most impressive!

 

I've admired your gallery many times before. Continued success with your collecting.

 

I agree with Felix....Very impressive collection. Although it doesn't run along the lines of my collecting tastes, it's a terrific mix of various artists...

[Pirate]

my collection isn't super but i have never paid more than $100 for a piece and I'm happy.

[irchooker]

Before Elizabeth had a CAF gallery I would stalk her homepage. We have pretty similar tastes in artists and themes. And she has a fantastic Pander Bros collection, which I envy and admire. I wait for the day Tiger Army is touring and there isn't a seat sale, then perhaps I'll finally have a Pander Argent page. I really should have done a better job tracking ebay auctions though, she's got me twice that way!

 

http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=299

Robert