The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread

[Drusilla lives!]

I dunno... it was either here or on the other site... but I vaguely remember someone had mentioned that a CGC graded copy of Wolverine #1 (in 10.0) with a cover penciled by Frank Miller went on the auction block and eventually fetched a record $10,000.  Now I've read this article regarding a piece of Miller Daredevil cover art that has set another record at Heritage. 

Just incredible imho... I'd definitely want to consign my stuff with Heritage... if I had anything I though was worth it, that is.     

Btw, feel free to add other "jaw-dropping" auction results to this thread as they arise... somehow, I don't think this will be the last. 

[darkmark (RIP)]

This is not to be believed. 

[Yoc]

Pretty amazing.  As they all say - it only takes one sucker...

[Drusilla lives!]

I should add that it's a nice looking cover... I went over to the GCD to take a look at it... the inked page must look really good, but over 100K for it?  I guess it's more a shock to me because I don't even think I was reading comics anymore by 1981 or 82!  At least I'm sure I wasn't reading Daredevil at the time if I was.  Looking at some of the other covers by Miller, I think he was a really decent artist... but then again, judging again by some of the covers from that period, so was this guy Klaus Janson... so go figure?

[Yoc]

I was a big collector in the late 80s.
Miller and Janson had a great run on the title which was used as the plot for the forgettable movie.
I was a big fan of Miler at the time.  Janson took over and I was not impressed.  I dropped the title after a few issues.  Miller evolved his noddle style with Ronin which revolted me to look at.  I stopped reading him after that.

I can't see the buyer of this artwork ever making a profit from it.  I hope he's just a very well off fan and never regrets overpaying for it.  Personally, if you've got money to burn like that you might get Miller to do something spectacular for you as commission.

-Yoc

[darkmark (RIP)]

Miller can be great and he can be revolting.  It's all in whether or not he crosses the line.  All too often, it's the latter.

[misappear]

Funny thing (to me).  Miller's "piece of art" was not designed to even be consumed as such.  It's production art; a piece of a larger effort which included coloring, reduction, duplication, printing......

I used to own Marvel Team-up #50.  All interior story pages and a cover by Gil Kane.  I bought it complete for $65.00 in 1979.  I got bored with it and sold it in 1980 for $85.00.  31% profit.  Am I not a financial whiz?

Fooey.  That's my "one that got away."  What's yours?

[OtherEric]

I could almost understand some of Miller's DD covers from that era going for 6 figures.  158, 168, 179, 182, and 181 in particular are all fairly famous images.  But #188?  Yep, that's a cover, all right.  Just not a particularly impressive one, in my opinion.

[Yoc]

Funny, that was my first thought as well.
I can think of many others that were better done.  *shrug*

[Drusilla lives!]

I could almost understand some of Miller's DD covers from that era going for 6 figures. ...

See, that's the thing... I can't.  I can't see why any cover art from Marvel or DC from that era (late 70s, early 80s) should sell in the 6 figures at this time.  Once you break into that kind of price range you could just as easily buy a piece of fine art.  Perhaps even a lesser work from one of the better known impressionist painters of the last century... which would certainly hold more of its value in my opinion.  My guess is it must be some middle-aged fan of Miller's who hit it big (money wise) somehow over the years who wasn't satisfied with just owning the comic, but wanted the original art as well.   

[Poztron]

I used to own Marvel Team-up #50.  All interior story pages and a cover by Gil Kane.  I bought it complete for $65.00 in 1979.  I got bored with it and sold it in 1980 for $85.00.  31% profit.  Am I not a financial whiz?
Fooey.  That's my "one that got away."  What's yours?

I used to own X-Men #1, but sold it for $5 back c. 73-74 when I was hard-up for cash. Sold off a bunch of other early Marvels at similar (Price Guide "good") prices.  But I have to be philosophical about it. It helped pay the rent back then.

[John C]

Once you break into that kind of price range you could just as easily buy a piece of fine art.

Heck, with that kind of money, forget about the art, you can buy an artist!  Not "commission a work," but get a multi-year contract for him/her to show up at your house every day and make stuff for you...

I suppose I don't really understand the collector mindset, though, and don't really feel Miller contributed much except importing the manga aesthetic to American comics...and that's not necessarily something that's praiseworthy...

But hey, it sells.  What do I know?

[Yoc]

"Frank Miller - here's a cheque for $10,000.  For the next, oh month I own you!
Now go paint a mural on my wall and make it Freaking Good!"

... yeah, sounds smarter than 'I own some so-so coverart I really overpaid for.'

[Drusilla lives!]

Now this one I can believe... Frazetta cover to WSF breaks record.  

This guy Halperin got it on the cheap IMO.  

What I can't understand is why it wasn't bought up by the Smithsonian... I think they have a few pieces of Ditko Spider-Man art... why not the art to arguably one of the most famous comic covers in history?

[GeneYas]

I could almost understand some of Miller's DD covers from that era going for 6 figures.  158, 168, 179, 182, and 181 in particular are all fairly famous images.  But #188?  Yep, that's a cover, all right.  Just not a particularly impressive one, in my opinion.

I agree. Plenty of nicer pieces out there.
Art prices at the San Diego comic con started spiking after the economy collapsed. Don't expect prices to start dropping. Once these people spend that kind of money, it's unlikely they are going to let the piece go for less.