It's funny; I was big time into comics when I was in my 20s and I turned away
when prices and grading got ridiculous; it was a visit to Comic-Con here in San
Diego, however, that also introduced me to folded one-sheets. As I got older,
I got really into, then turned away, but now I'm back into 'em again, signed
first edition books. Yet movie posters were always an "undercurrent" hobby,
because I had them TACKED and TAPED to my walls, treating them like
throw-aways. When my career took off, I got serious and into big-time buying
all the classic movie titles of films I LIKED. My litmus tests were I would
only buy posters of films I LIKED - AND - they had to be country of origin
posters. I treated posters like first edition books, e.g., country of "first
publication," even if they were British like "Lawrence of Arabia." The only
exceptions I made were Fonda-Raquel Welch movie posters. Many big scores, but
one that stands out (though I didn't know it then), was a mint, unfolded 14 x
22 Raquel Fantastic Voyage pin-up advance I got in the 70s at Comic-Con for
$5.00. (Heritage sold one for $$$$ in July). Over the years, I've gotten a
good feel for what's really RARE, vs. what is only "purported and marketed to
be rare." I remember when I once thought the "Peeping Tom" quad was rare; and
I vaguely recall trying to trade for a U.K. "The Third Man" with another
collector who was set on "Peeping Tom," saying it was a $3K poster; I didn't
have it anyway and we couldn't deal, but I've since seen prices for those dip
way below $1K, while first-issue quads or UK one-sheets for "The Third Man" are
still high, if you can find them. Rarer still is the UK Quad for "Brief
Encounter." Only own a near mint pressbook but the images of the posters are
knock-outs.
> Date: Thu, 2 Sep 2010 16:11:08 -0700
> From: [email protected]
> Subject: Re: When was the quality peak year for your collection?
> To: [email protected]
>
> David
>
> back in the 1970s in an interview, the great artist of the Dick Tracy
> comic strip - Chester Gould - was asked what was his favorite episode
> was in the 46 years had been doing the strip. His answer ..... "the
> one I'm working on right now"
>
> my feeling is the same. The collection I'm working on now is "my peak year".
>
> however, if you mean "what year did you spend the most $$ on your
> collection" or "acquire the most great items".. probably 1990, when I
> was still collecting comic art. But you know what.. my peak years of
> 1986-1992 were directly followed by my "sparest years". years in
> which I turned away from my hobby. In 1992 I had one of the very best
> collections of comic book & comic strip art known to exist and I
> started selling it off in it's entirety in 1994, largely because
> prices had gotten to where I would no longer buy for my collection
> and preferred to move away from the hobby because I felt it had
> become overpriced.
>
> so it's possible that my peak years were peaked because:
> 1) prices were spiking, so I had to spend higher prices to get what I wanted
> and
> 2) it was the period in which I was both one of the very top dealers
> and very top collectors in that field
>
> then the flame burned out & I added just a single piece of
> inexpensive art to my collection ($200) and sold myself down to about
> 20 pieces I'm keeping (from about 1300 pieces of art that was only in
> my collection. I had 3000 other pieces as well)
>
> Now I'm spending money on posters instead.. and I love it!!
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