damaged art question

doom__1 · 09-11-2010, 09:05 PM

Hi all, have a question for you- has anyone had original art damaged in the mail? I just received an awesome cover in the mail the other day but it was bent in half-the entire page- it is not horrible-didn't crease but you can still see a the bend to it. He insured the art, but I don't think the damage is that bad, but it does effect its value (beyond my love of the page). My question is can I claim insurance from the post office(he did insure it) for part of the value(like half or a third of purchase price?) and still keep the art? Or claim with Collectibles Insurance (I have them insure my art)? Anyone had an experience with this? I plan on keeping it no matter what but just didn't know if I could get some compensation for the damage but still keep the cover.
I have talked to a few friends about it but wanted to ask here also. Thanks for any help or suggestions. Thanks............DOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SilverPhoenix · 09-11-2010, 10:14 PM

If the art was insured through the USPS, you may be able to get a partial payment if you submit a claim for repair. Not sure if the bend is something that can be repaired.
Maybe two or three years ago I had two pages that had somehow been pierced through the packaging. Following the instructions on the USPS website I obtained estimates to repair the artwork. Submitted that information along with the claim paperwork and they approved the claim for that amount. You just have to really read the claims process and dot all i's and cross all t's.
There was some trouble with the local post office. As part of the claim process, I had to take it to the Post Office and they held onto it till the claim was processed. After the claim was approved, I went to retrieve the art work, but the Post Office didn't want to give it back. Claiming that if the insurance claim was submitted they keep the damaged item. Which would be true if full value was submitted for the claim, but not true if the claim is for repair.
After a few phone calls to the claim office and a conference call with the claim office, the postmaster and myself, I did get the art work back.

marvelboi77 · 09-11-2010, 10:29 PM

Maybe take it to a framer and put it under a sheet or something and have them use that hot press... It might be able to take out some of the crease.

I had a cover sent from Italy by the artist Adrea Divito. Most artists treat the comic art like work. So he chucked it in a Fed Ex Box with no packing or anything in it. Well the Fed Ex Driver took the box and stood it up in sliding door of the truck and slammed it a few times. At least that's what it looked like when it arrived the box was half the size it should have been now from being crushed. I still have the piece and I put it between Masonite for a few weeks. All the wrinkles are still there, but at least it's flat now. The artists did not insure the piece. But he did draw me a free cover quality commission for free. The art was $750 and I sold the commission for $350, so it ends up only being $400.

It is devastating though, I had a Avengers Perez piece that the USPS person just chucked in the yard during a rain storm since there was no insurance why not....Bastards.

The Batfan · 09-11-2010, 11:12 PM

I just went thru this a few weeks ago and the usps told me there is no way to assure the value of a commission even with proof of what you just paid for it.. so my claim was dismissed.. over the years I have had lost or damaged over 6k in art thru the usps. All of which were insured and out of all the claims 99% were turned down for BS reasons or red tape crap I feel is an excuse for them to NOT pay you. I had a claim on a packaging containing 4k worth of art that was insured for 4k I received 400 bucks from the usps as that's what they deemed the value of it to be in the long run even thou I had proof of what I had paid. To me the usps insurance is a scam.

Underdog07 · 09-11-2010, 11:35 PM

collectibles insurance might be the way to go

Underdog07 · 09-11-2010, 11:36 PM

also, make sure the crease is not just an acetate overlay

The Batfan · 09-12-2010, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog07

also, make sure the crease is not just an acetate overlay

or that the art has a huge satellite dish on the side distracting from the rest of the piece now see if the satellite dish was ON an acetate there would be no problem well then besides the crease in it LOL

doom__1 · 09-12-2010, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Batfan

or that the art has a huge satellite dish on the side distracting from the rest of the piece now see if the satellite dish was ON an acetate there would be no problem well then besides the crease in it LOL