down to the grails

Simplyrob · 07-01-2012, 05:35 PM

well, im hanging up my spikes. gonna focus on just my grails from here on out. even though i have focused my collection on just Invincibles, something i pride myself on, i noticed i have soooo many different artists pieces.

asher and i are expecting over 50 pieces from a number of artists and have great (framing) plans for many of those pieces. honestly, my collection has gotten out of control. i love all the art i have, no question, but, i think ive got too much of it. not enough space and $ to keep framing everything.

needless to say, ill be taking a break for July/August to rethink and redirect my collection. i really only have the 4 grails to track down and im on Adis list for later this year, so, that really only leaves 3. hell, i still dont even have an OA page from my favorite book. instead of some of the commissions i have, i could have some gangster pages, but, no.

do you guys ever feel like this too?

MrYac · 07-01-2012, 05:42 PM

i've got nowhere near the collection as a lot of you guys, but even still i do sometimes sit back and think i have more then i need. it's nice to be able to just focus on the real prizes every now and then...though sometimes it can be hard to resist adding a new piece

kirthew · 07-01-2012, 05:46 PM

Sometimes I do.. I am just trying to complete the JLA by different artists, all I got done so far is Green Lantern and Superman... Batman Pencils are done, and Wonder Woman Pencils are done. That has been really my primary focus, except for the stray commission here and there.

I think focusing on a key project is more important to me than having 50 Booster Golds, or 50 Zatannas...

JMH · 07-01-2012, 05:50 PM

The only thing I try to keep myself from doing is the "impulse" buys at conventions. I also avoid artists I am not totally familiar with. Keeps me well in the budget I want to spend.

Sam · 07-01-2012, 06:24 PM

I've only been collecting comic art for two years now and I feel it already. I intend to cut down on the commissions because I'm running out of room AND money. I have plans for a Chris Stevens, and from there I'll prioritize everything. As for conventions, I only go to HeroesCon and I can center my convention around jams if I want to or just focus on a couple of artists at the convention. Last year's was my first as a collector and I ran around like a chicken with its head cut off. This year I still ran around a lot, but less than last year. Next year, I may attend just two days instead of all three just to cut down on my spending. Either way, I'm still working on my Cap villains jam, so I have a focused goal in my current state of collecting.

**MONSTER** · 07-01-2012, 06:43 PM

Quality over quantity is the way to go. I'm fine if I only pick up 2 or 3 pieces each year. My collection is at the point where I'm happy with what I have and don't mind just waiting for the right piece at the right price.

Argonus · 07-01-2012, 06:55 PM

I could be done with OA and Commissions tomorrow and be happy with what I have, as could 90% of the collectors on here...

... I'm not framing pieces right now as I'm in-between houses, but... I used to only buy OA/Commissions that I planned on/carried through with matting/framing immediately afterwards.

.. basically if I come away with one or two fantastic commissions a year, or one amazing piece of OA per year, I'm happy...

. Ken's absolutely right when he says "quality over quantity". Better that you have 10 amazing pieces (OA or Commissions, really) hangin' on your man-cave walls rather than 50 "spur-of-the-moment" (though still fantastic) pieces hidden away in your Itoya.

joefixit2 · 07-01-2012, 07:11 PM

Getting commissions can get out of hand quickly since there are some many great artists out there. I decided early on that I would focus mainly on OA that speaks to me and that I would only do commissions in my book during Heroes Con each year. There are of course a few exceptions but I try to stick to it and it has worked for me as I have gotten some nice OA pages but keeping some money on hand and waiting to strike when something comes up.

BillC · 07-01-2012, 09:16 PM

I definitely agree with going for quality over quantity. I also believe strongly in having a focused want list, whether it be for commissions or published pieces. There's so much good stuff out there that I would be lost (and very broke) if I didn't buckle down.

I actually have a list of all the commissions I'm looking to eventually obtain. As far as published pieces, I have files on my computer with scans of most all the pages I'm looking for. This helps me keep focused and collected.

Scion009 · 07-01-2012, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Simplyrob

do you guys ever feel like this too?

I went through the same kind of thing last year. I collected fantasy art (often by comic artists) featuring mainly elves/fairies for the better part of 8 years. But last year, after I got my third Enric Torres-Prat elf/fairy commission, I just thought "what am I going to get now that will beat these?" After coming up with no good ideas, I decided a change was in order (if not a huge one). I decided to stop collecting elves/fairies/fantasy art and got back into comic art. Eventually, I came to the decision that at least half of what I currently had, I didn't really "need". So I also decided to cull the collection.
Always been into the Norse myths (I'm Icelandic, myself), and so when thinking of what to do now, I decided to start focusing on the Norse Gods, mainly from Marvel. Always been a Valkyrie fan, but for the longest time, she wasn't in all that much. Lucky for me, she's had a major resurgence in recent times, and lots of new art is available. The new theme of my collection is "Norse Goddesses" (with a valkyrie focus) and I am once again excited about art collecting. Great for me, horrible for my wallet.

Erik Sveinson
http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryDetail.asp?GCat=78