Digital Comic Museum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Drusilla lives! on June 02, 2010, 12:03:28 PM

Title: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Drusilla lives! on June 02, 2010, 12:03:28 PM
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 (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=26493) 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.  :D   

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.  :)
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: darkmark (RIP) on June 02, 2010, 12:50:33 PM
This is not to be believed. 
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on June 02, 2010, 01:23:33 PM
Pretty amazing.  As they all say - it only takes one sucker...
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Drusilla lives! on June 02, 2010, 01:37:02 PM
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?
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on June 02, 2010, 05:22:02 PM
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
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: darkmark (RIP) on June 03, 2010, 04:12:25 AM
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.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: misappear on June 03, 2010, 03:21:01 PM
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?
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: OtherEric on June 03, 2010, 05:57:25 PM
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.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on June 03, 2010, 06:48:16 PM
Funny, that was my first thought as well.
I can think of many others that were better done.  *shrug*
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Drusilla lives! on June 03, 2010, 08:20:17 PM
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.  :) 
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Poztron on June 04, 2010, 12:01:28 AM
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.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: John C on June 04, 2010, 06:13:21 AM
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?
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on June 04, 2010, 10:07:59 AM
"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.'
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Drusilla lives! on June 08, 2010, 09:29:13 PM
Now this one I can believe... Frazetta cover to WSF breaks record (http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=26597).  

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?
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: GeneYas on June 25, 2010, 06:20:06 PM
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.

Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: cimmerian32 on June 27, 2010, 01:12:00 PM
This has always been one of my favorite covers from the DD run... It is a work of art, separate from being part of a story. Some of the other "better" covers mentioned, 158, 168, etc.... don't really stand as separate pieces of art to me, as they merely illustrate a segment of a story. The DD/Black Widow cover, on the other hand, tells no story whatsoever, yet encompasses some real emotive response imagery. When you look at it, do you think "passionate embrace" or "attack from behind"? Heh... sorry to lapse into unwanted verbosity, but as I said, this has always been one of my favorite DD Miller covers, and If I had the scratch, I would've been a third bidder to push the price to even higher "retarded" levels.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Drusilla lives! on September 09, 2010, 05:56:00 PM
A Flash ashcan is up for grabs according to this (http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2010/09/the-worlds-most-expensive-comic/) blurb on CBR... only asking 5M (USD).
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: cimmerian32 on September 12, 2010, 09:02:50 PM
This is only peripherally comic related...  but there was a nice HG group of the Planet Stories pulp on auction tonight on eBay...


   
PLANET STORIES (January 1951) 7   $23.00

PLANET STORIES (September 1951) 15   $32.66

PLANET STORIES (Summer 1947) 13   $67.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Spring 1940) 40   $288.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Fall 1945) 26 $129.50
      
PLANET STORIES (Spring 1948) 10   $23.50
   
PLANET STORIES (Fall 1948) 10   $65.00
      
PLANET STORIES (March 1953) 11   $64.00
      
PLANET STORIES (March 1951) 10   $46.00
      
PLANET STORIES (November 1950) 10   $55.00
      
PLANET STORIES (January 1953) 10    $57.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Winter 1949) 13   $70.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Summer 1949) 8   $24.37
      
PLANET STORIES (July 1951) 15   $62.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Summer 1950) 11   $64.00
   
PLANET STORIES (July 1953) 10   $59.00
   
PLANET STORIES (Fall 1949) 26   $160.00
   
PLANET STORIES (Summer 1944) 28   $149.50
   
PLANET STORIES (Winter 1942) 18   $89.01
   
PLANET STORIES (Winter 1941) 39   $268.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Summer 1940) 34   $331.00
   
PLANET STORIES (March-May 1946) 18   $83.00
      
PLANET STORIES (Spring 1944) 22   $50.95
      
PLANET STORIES (Spring 1949) 12   $28.55
      
PLANET STORIES (Winter 1948) 36   $67.00

All I can say is that, m108 must be a very happy camper this evening...  these books generally sell in the 20-40 range, with occasional bid-war exceptions.  But, in 6 years of watching them, I have never seen a group garner this much collective interest.  Granted, most of the higher end items were due to a bid war between two people, but even then, some of them were sniped by someone else!  Just an astounding auction to watch!

Thankfully, I only needed one of the ones available, which I won for 29.32 shipped :D
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on September 12, 2010, 11:28:08 PM
Thanks for the info CIMM!   ::)
Sorry!
:)
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: OtherEric on September 13, 2010, 09:47:27 AM
My copy isn't in very high grade, but I happened to get a copy of the Nov. 50 issue a few weeks ago; less than $20.  Unfortunately I figured out later that is was missing one page.  The story I specifically cared about was intact, though, along with the one I was interested in as long as I had the book, so I'm not terribly unhappy.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Geo (RIP) on September 13, 2010, 02:33:00 PM
We still need a lot of those issues as many are still in fiche, and need paper copies to replace them. I'm sure we'll see both of your copies up'd when your both done with the scanning and editing on them. Looking forward to them when there ready.

Geo
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on September 13, 2010, 03:20:07 PM
Hehe, Geo.
Those are FH pulps, not the Planet Comics.
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: cimmerian32 on September 13, 2010, 04:51:06 PM
Thanks for the info Darwin.
:)

Que?
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Yoc on September 13, 2010, 05:48:35 PM
Corrected.  Sorry about that Cimm.
:)
Title: Re: The incredible jaw-dropping auction results thread
Post by: Geo (RIP) on September 13, 2010, 10:42:35 PM
Hehe, Geo.
Those are FH pulps, not the Planet Comics.

Now that I've looked again, "I see said the blind man", DUH, my bad!!!

Geo