Show off your Weekly Finds.

[skully]

Wow, Horrorhunter,  really great conversations here with you.  Don't underestimate your collection in comparison, I'm sure it would knock the socks off me and others.  And I'm quite sure there are other collections out there that we don't even know about that would make us both drop over!  It's really going to be interesting to actually see just what is going to become of these items we hold so precious down the road.  Be it the collectible factor to see if it remains strong as it is now, or just wane slowly as with other collectibles of this particular type.  Eventually all things go through the cycles of want.  Case in point,  the last few Allentown toy shows that I attended had many high end cast iron and tin type toys, early type stuff,etc.  A few pieces did change hands with a few collectors and dealers, some for good money, and some at greatly reduced prices.  These are still really good toys and the like,  but,  the generation for them is getting smaller,  but damn,  a lot of people were looking for the 50's through 70's type toys and collectibles, any type of rare monster toy that was there got close to full attention,  and 80's toys weren't far behind either!!

[Buzzybean]

Horrorhunter,  true words indeed.  I once mentioned that at one time, I had over 6000 vintage un-built boxed model kits, the 2 car garage was literally bursting at the seams with carefully stacked rows of metal shelves barely being able to walk through the rows created by them, but still rather orderly.  That is only part of what I collected,  not including all of the monster stuff, monster magazines, and the piles (literally) of original art I once owned.  I can fully understand the magnitude with 15 or 16k comic books and magazines, that's impressive.  As with everything mentioned,  even though prices have risen to such degrees,  comics, magazines, model kits (with possibly the exception of the mint in box Godzilla's Go-Cart  I once owned),  pieces like this can still,  with a little luck,  be eventually found again for future purchase, even if it's for an arm and a leg price wise.  However, the art that I once had, (dozens and dozens of original Aurora paintings, monster magazine covers, all 6 monster wallet paintings, etc.) will never be had again, art is a one of a kind collectible, and once it's gone, it's gone.  Don't get me wrong,  I still kept a few dozen pieces of my original art pieces, along with practically all of my monster mags, probably close to 7 or 8 hundred mags, along with a good portion still of the monster toys, quite a few model kits,  and my ever-growing Halloween stuff.  Sad what I sold, but quite happy with what I have left.

Did you ever think to scan in any of those original aurora paintings to make a nice set of prints?

[skully]

Hi Buzzybean.  Actually, with just a few, and with regret not more.  A good friend, which I honestly haven't seen in quite some time  took pictures of the 6 monster wallets and blew them up to full size of them along with the almost entire run (everything except the Creature which I didn't own) of the Aurora Monsters of the Movies series.  I can look at model kit box art with the actual models and see what I used to have, figures, planes, cars, ships, etc. and honestly when I see them I almost turn away, along with the monster magazine covers and everything else.  I once owned 15 various Warren magazine cover paintings to his various publications, I sold 8 of them. I also owned other types of art work such as mens magazine art pieces and covers, the action war scenes along with the beautiful women were great subject matter, I owned many pieces of illustration art which I collected with a passion. Some were quite large, such as the Aurora Hunchback piece which had Bama's underlying paint and images underneath the glow portion that was added years later.  On any given day I can look and see something that I had the original artwork to, and it actually pains me to see and remember what was.

[Buzzybean]

Hi Buzzybean.  Actually, with just a few, and with regret not more.  A good friend, which I honestly haven't seen in quite some time  took pictures of the 6 monster wallets and blew them up to full size of them along with the almost entire run (everything except the Creature which I didn't own) of the Aurora Monsters of the Movies series.  I can look at model kit box art with the actual models and see what I used to have, figures, planes, cars, ships, etc. and honestly when I see them I almost turn away, along with the monster magazine covers and everything else.  I once owned 15 various Warren magazine cover paintings to his various publications, I sold 8 of them. I also owned other types of art work such as mens magazine art pieces and covers, the action war scenes along with the beautiful women were great subject matter, I owned many pieces of illustration art which I collected with a passion. Some were quite large, such as the Aurora Hunchback piece which had Bama's underlying paint and images underneath the glow portion that was added years later.  On any given day I can look and see something that I had the original artwork to, and it actually pains me to see and remember what was.

Yeah, I've seen many of the Men's Pulp magazine cover art on Heritage Auctions as well as some of the Aurora paintings too. I wish I would have persued that more 20-25 years ago when the stuff was priced much lower. I love a lot of the pulp magazine and model kit art.

I think sometimes it's just as cool to have a nice, high quality and affordable print of the art to enjoy.

[skully]

Hi Buzzybean.  Well, the truth of the matter is I was really lucky to land most of the pieces by being offered them when they were available,  original art isn't everyone's cup of tea, a lot of collectors wouldn't really care to own the art to a model kit box or magazine cover,  they are quite happy and satisfied with owning the actual model kit or magazine, I was one of only a few,  years ago looking and seeking this stuff out.  Prints are great, they have their place, but I actually never cared for them, and some of those too can get expensive, let alone cost of framing to do it up right.   

[horrorhunter]

Hi Buzzybean.  Well, the truth of the matter is I was really lucky to land most of the pieces by being offered them when they were available,  original art isn't everyone's cup of tea, a lot of collectors wouldn't really care to own the art to a model kit box or magazine cover,  they are quite happy and satisfied with owning the actual model kit or magazine, I was one of only a few,  years ago looking and seeking this stuff out.  Prints are great, they have their place, but I actually never cared for them, and some of those too can get expensive, let alone cost of framing to do it up right.

The general attitude toward original art has changed very much over the years. When I first started collecting in the '70s I would see stacks of original comic book art pages on dealers tables for $5-$10 each if it was just common pages by artists who weren't fan favorites. Now those same pages might bring $100-$500 each, or more in some cases. They used to just throw the stuff away back in the '60s and before. I doubt if original paintings ever got thrown away, but they sold for a small fraction of what they would bring today.

These days most people can't afford much in the way of original art. Prints are the best most collectors can afford now with maybe a few cheap original pieces like convention sketches. Those original pieces you grabbed back in the day were very good fortune which hasn't been seen by most in the last few decades, skully. You were wise to buy them when you had the chance. I just wish I had bought more back then, but as we say, "life get's in the way".

[skully]

Horrorhunter, yet another keen observation here on your part.  I always liked original art that was pleasing to the eye, colorful, even if it was a monster or horror subject which a non-collector would find repulsive.  I just can't believe what some of the black and white pen and ink comic pages are bringing now,  it's astounding.  As far as pieces being thrown away in the past,  here's a story for you.  Years ago at Renningers I was walking through the inside rows of other dealers early one Sunday morning,  and I spotted a piece of art that caught my eye.  On a gut feeling, I bought it.  Paid 300 dollars for it.  I asked the dealer if he had any history on it.  He had no idea what it was,  he was at an auction somewhere in Pennsylvania and bought a few prints that were very old because he liked the frames they were in.  He took out the prints to sell the frames,  and in doing so,  he discovered that one of the backing boards used for the print was this piece of art that was turned inside it on the back so it just looked like a plain piece of backing board.  Turned out to be an actual cover by Leo Morey for an issue of Amazing Stories from 1929!!!  Who knows just how many more pieces were used for this purpose back in the day!!!

[horrorhunter]

Horrorhunter, yet another keen observation here on your part.  I always liked original art that was pleasing to the eye, colorful, even if it was a monster or horror subject which a non-collector would find repulsive.  I just can't believe what some of the black and white pen and ink comic pages are bringing now,  it's astounding.  As far as pieces being thrown away in the past,  here's a story for you.  Years ago at Renningers I was walking through the inside rows of other dealers early one Sunday morning,  and I spotted a piece of art that caught my eye.  On a gut feeling, I bought it.  Paid 300 dollars for it.  I asked the dealer if he had any history on it.  He had no idea what it was,  he was at an auction somewhere in Pennsylvania and bought a few prints that were very old because he liked the frames they were in.  He took out the prints to sell the frames,  and in doing so,  he discovered that one of the backing boards used for the print was this piece of art that was turned inside it on the back so it just looked like a plain piece of backing board.  Turned out to be an actual cover by Leo Morey for an issue of Amazing Stories from 1929!!!  Who knows just how many more pieces were used for this purpose back in the day!!!

Or, used to wipe your feet on. I've read, and saw videos of, interviews with old comic book pros talking about how old pages of original art were spread on the office floors when it rained so people could wipe off their shoes and not get the floors muddy. This happened regularly in the Charlton offices, and probably also happened at other publishing locations prior to the '70s. I think by the '70s it was common knowledge that the collecting community would pay a few bucks for this stuff so they quit treating it like trash. This kind of behavior is mind-blowing these days. A literal fortune in original art just casually destroyed over the years because most people didn't understand how special it was. The word "unique" gets bandied about these days when the person actually means "unusual", but original art is literally unique, one of a kind, the only one in existence. Whether it's a drawing, painting, sculpture, or whatever, there is only one. To think that people commonly destroyed it for so many years never ceases to amaze me... and hurts, as well.

[Hepcat]

A literal fortune in original art just casually destroyed over the years because most people didn't understand how special it was. The word "unique" gets bandied about these days when the person actually means "unusual", but original art is literally unique, one of a kind, the only one in existence. Whether it's a drawing, painting, sculpture, or whatever, there is only one.

Oh everybody at the time understood that those pages were original and thus unique. What they neither believed nor understood was that those pieces were "art". Comics and other items that targetted kids were simply considered trash.

[horrorhunter]

Oh everybody at the time understood that those pages were original and thus unique. What they neither believed nor understood was that those pieces were "art". Comics and other items that targetted kids were simply considered trash.

By them not understanding how special it was I just meant they didn't value it. I added that bit about people misusing the word "unique" because it bugs me to hear people use "unique" when they really mean "unusual". Yes, it was common knowledge the original art was one of a kind. As you say (and as I said), they just treated it like trash.

[skully]

Hep,  yes,  these items were treated like trash,  I once read somewhere that in the "world of art",  true art lovers actually consider illustration art not worthy,  only fine art and actual masterpieces  are considered true art.  Those people were referred to as art snobs.  However,  this attitude has certainly changed over the last decade or 2,  with me I always looked for pieces that were actually used for an illustration that actually got published one way or another.  Yet, there are many pieces of art out there for sale right now, really great looking pieces, monster and horror related, that weren't ever used for publication that are really, really good.  It's just that many of these artists aren't really known yet in the world of mainstream art,  they have their own sites selling their pieces, and I have to tell you,  some of this stuff is really terrific.  I've been tempted to spring for a few of these pieces lately.  Some of the subject matter doesn't fit into true Universal monster types,  but are wild enough and bizzare enough to make you go WOW,  look at this art!!

[horrorhunter]

I once read somewhere that in the "world of art",  true art lovers actually consider illustration art not worthy,  only fine art and actual masterpieces  are considered true art.  Those people were referred to as art snobs.

If anything is subjective it's certainly "art". It depends on each person's opinion as to whether or not the so-called art is good, has meaning, or has worth. It's the extreme example of personal preference.

I find snobbish, snooty, behavior unpleasant and sometimes downright ugly, whether it's about art, movies, comics, or anything that's worth caring about by anyone. As much as I grew up loving Raquel Welch she diminished in my opinion when she looked down her nose and belittled One Million Years B.C. on a talk show by calling it disdainfully a "dinosaur movie". She looked like she smelled $H!+ when she said that. News for you, sister, it put your A$$ on the map. Also, I had rather look at Frazetta and Wrightson artwork all day as to go to the Louvre in Paris and hobnob with snooty p!$$heads who think they're superior to comic book collectors. Our very genres of choice were ridiculed for decades as being beneath so-called respected theater, and movies without fantastic elements. Give me a fun monster movie any day over some boring highly acclaimed drama or play. Nothing is better than anything else except to the individual deciding for themselves how good it is. And, critics and experts can blow it out their patoots if they try to force-feed me their idea of what's good.

[skully]

Horrorhunter,  terrific thoughts and certainly mirrored here too.  With art, (and women), and anything else for any category,  "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"!!!! 

[marsattacks666]

Imagineering Evil Teeth(1977)

[Hepcat]

If anything is subjective it's certainly "art". It depends on each person's opinion as to whether or not the so-called art is good, has meaning, or has worth. It's the extreme example of personal preference.

I find snobbish, snooty, behavior unpleasant and sometimes downright ugly, whether it's about art, movies, comics, or anything that's worth caring about by anyone. As much as I grew up loving Raquel Welch she diminished in my opinion when she looked down her nose and belittled One Million Years B.C. on a talk show by calling it disdainfully a "dinosaur movie". She looked like she smelled $H!+ when she said that. News for you, sister, it put your A$$ on the map. Also, I had rather look at Frazetta and Wrightson artwork all day as to go to the Louvre in Paris and hobnob with snooty p!$$heads who think they're superior to comic book collectors. Our very genres of choice were ridiculed for decades as being beneath so-called respected theater, and movies without fantastic elements. Give me a fun monster movie any day over some boring highly acclaimed drama or play. Nothing is better than anything else except to the individual deciding for themselves how good it is. And, critics and experts can blow it out their patoots if they try to force-feed me their idea of what's good.

Well said. I agree.