Single Grail Piece VS Quantity

[dholden007]

I am just curious what others thought about this.

I recently passed on an original Joe Jusko cover, which was at a low price (for a Jusko piece at least), but instead I bought multiple pages spread out over a little time from other artists (didn’t actually realize it at the time, but later thought, for the same price I could have just bought that Jusko cover). This is not the first time.

I love looking through CAF and seeing some amazing high-end collections. Museum worthy pieces that are definitive grails! Art by legends as well as modern masters like Frazetta, Eisner, Kirby, Wood, Kurtzman, Rozen, Infantino, Wrightson, Kaluta, Ditko, BWS, Alex Ross, Sam Kieth, Jim Lee, Mike Mignola etc etc. I would love to own some high-end pages by any of those artists (and of course some are impossible). However, I also really like artists like, Dan Spiegle, Bob Hall, Michael Lark, Lan Medina, JK Woodward, Joe St.Pierre just to name a few.

Now, anytime I think of pulling the trigger on a high-end piece, (nothing too extravagant but say an original Mignola Hellboy page) something always stops me. For one Hellboy piece (love Hellboy by the way), I can probably get about 50 pages of art by Lan Medina. Using this as an example it’s not quality over quantity…at least not for me. Lan is an Eisner award winning artist. I like them both a lot (their styles are completely different). It just hard for me to justify 1 expensive page at a time. Sure, the Hellboy page will maintain its value, maybe even increase and become a good investment, but for me it’s more about collecting, I don’t really intend to sell anything.

Anyone else feel this way? Would you rather have 1 really expensive grail page… or multiple pages by other artists you really like?

[BillC]

I see both sides, there's no right or wrong. I'd like to really streamline my collecting habits (and I have been for a bit) but OA collecting is a bit of an addiction and I have a tough time going without for long periods so I can save up for "big" pieces.

I do have a plan though...

[Simplyrob]

I wish I used to be as disciplined as I am today. When I was starting I just commissioned artists because I liked their style never really thinking much about the bigger fish. Ill only go after bigger fishy these days as far as commissions go. As far as OA pages, I really only buy a Invincible pages and they range from $150-$350 with covers around $1k-$2k. I suppose I could have a few covers in place of my pages, but, I only really buy pages that hold some kind of significance to me.

[MrYac]

i'd rather have 1 piece I really love then 10 that I think are kinda cool

[nbr3bagshotrow]

Originally Posted by MrYac

i'd rather have 1 piece I really love then 10 that I think are kinda cool

Ditto, as the ones i really love tend to end up framed and on the wall, where the others tend to go into a portfolio that i rarely pull out.

[Simplyrob]

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

Ditto, as the ones i really love tend to end up framed and on the wall, where the others tend to go into a portfolio that i rarely pull out.

Yeah, that flip through the portfolios kills me. Really no market for Invincible stuff. I know a few collectors that just get Invincible stuff, maybe time to shake that tree again.

[dholden007]

Originally Posted by MrYac

i'd rather have 1 piece I really love then 10 that I think are kinda cool

What if you really love those 10 pages as well. Unless that 1 piece is more special because its also worth a lot. Otherwise wouldn't you rather have 10 pages to look at.

Originally Posted by nbr3bagshotrow

Ditto, as the ones i really love tend to end up and on the wall, where the others tend to go into a portfolio that i rarely pull out.

I only frame a few pieces here and there, but it would be impossible to frame everything. I have a few portfolios and I do take them out quite often and look through them.

[Underdog07]

I keep my feet on the ground while reaching for the stars. Learned that from other collectors and have honed it to trying to get top tier pieces. I still like to get panel pages etc but think get fewer can be more impressive.

[MrYac]

Originally Posted by dholden007

What if you really love those 10 pages as well. Unless that 1 piece is more special because its also worth a lot. Otherwise wouldn't you rather have 10 pages to look at. .

well if that's the case then it's not really "grail vs" it's 1 page I like vs 10 pages I like equally as much and kind of nullifies the question IMO

[risingstar]

Originally Posted by MrYac

i'd rather have 1 piece I really love then 10 that I think are kinda cool

I completely agree.