Current Comic Book Cover Art -- What Will You Pay?

Underdog07 · 11-23-2008, 01:59 AM

In poll 4 of my 87 poll series on money and original art, I now ask you when you are dazzled by a cover that has just been released, at what price point would it be a no-brainer for you to automatically purchase the art to that cover?

Obviously all artists are different in ability, popularity and price, and not all covers are created equal, but I have seen covers to new releases run the gamit from $300 to $8000 or so (I am not including Alex Ross' $25k covers). Personally I think $500 or $600 is my no brainer point (of course I really don't find much in that price range

).

**MONSTER** · 11-23-2008, 02:02 AM

I've never paid more that $800.00 for a cover. Ever.

I'm being completely honest.....

**MONSTER** · 11-23-2008, 02:04 AM

What I want to know is who's selling covers for $500-$750?

I picked $1000-$2000 because that seems to be the range where I will go after a cover I really like.

Underdog07 · 11-23-2008, 02:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONSTER

I've never paid more that $800.00 for a cover. Ever.

I'm being completely honest.....

Please don't share the details of what non-cash you tendered or exchanged to make up the difference

I pose this question just to get people's views because the pricing really is all over the map. For example, Kevin Maguire's latest run on Batman Confidential featured some pretty good covers featuring Batgirl, Catwoman and/or Batman. I'd easily buy them for $500 each, but they are priced at $1800 where they have sat unsold for months (even on sale for $1620 they have not sold).

Underdog07 · 11-23-2008, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONSTER

What I want to know is who's selling covers for $500-$750?

I picked $1000-$2000 because that seems to be the range where I will go after a cover I really like.

Not many. You need to really get something out of the bargin bin. You can find some Invincible covers in this range or if you go with covers to a tradepaperback.

I got these covers in that range and while they are not incredible, I liked them:

Generally it seems like $1500 is a safe bet for the minimum of what most covers cost.

**MONSTER** · 11-23-2008, 02:16 AM

That cover to issue 20 is pretty sweet.

I agree with you that pricing seems to be all over the place. I think many people are starting to be more selective and I wouldn't be suprised to see more and more covers sitting unsold unless the prices start to drop.

Underdog07 · 11-23-2008, 02:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONSTER

That cover to issue 20 is pretty sweet.

Yeah that is a pretty sweet cover and of the 4 its the one that should command the most money.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONSTER

I agree with you that pricing seems to be all over the place. I think many people are starting to be more selective and I wouldn't be suprised to see more and more covers sitting unsold unless the prices start to drop.

You might be right. I think artist's seller their own works are more apt to lower the price over time as they probably would rather have $1000 today than $1500 in June 2010. Dealer's on the other hand who are doing well may not want to see thier profits dip and might try to talk the artist's they rep out of lowering the prices too much. When the Artist's Choice posted their sale, I figured the Maguire BC covers would be 25% off to just get them out the door.

Scottsdale Saint · 11-23-2008, 03:41 AM

i can't part with the same cash as some of you big city rollers, but i have been fortunate enough to buy 3 covers that were at awesome prices, and i bought them, because I loved them, not because they were cheap, so I got pretty damned lucky.

I picked up the final cover to Midnight Nation (a true grail for me, as it's my favorite all-time limited series) by Gary Frank off of Ebay for less than $600.

(I will post link tomorrow, as the piece is on two pages, and a buddy will do some photoshop magic for me. meanwhile here's the published version.)

My second cover I picked up at from Matthew Clark, because on a lark, he brought it to SDCC2006, just for the hell of it. I got it for $200 bucks.

My last cover is a great cover by Brent Anderson for the second TPB of Rising Stars. the amount of work on this one is unbelievable and i picked it up for $250.

Argonus · 11-23-2008, 05:36 AM

I'd pay up to $3k, but it'd have to be the right artist, the right reminiscence (which numbers in the very few from "current" crop out there), and the right characters. Poses and inking jobs would play into it also. Obviously no color.

None of my pages have cost me $3k thus far... but that is my ceiling for art, nonetheless.

khazano · 11-23-2008, 05:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONSTER

What I want to know is who's selling covers for $500-$750?

plenty are availble in the 750 range as long as your a hawk on ebay. the donnellys usually take these ones home though, and mark them up about say, 1000%.

And 4ks my limit towards a cover... But, it also depends on the deal. If I got offered a Jim Lee Batman Cover from the Hush arc for 6k, basically something insanely low compared to it's real value, I'd spend it in a heart beat. (I know that'll never happen, but it's an example.)