MonkeyMcGee's Sketch Collection

[Spider-Fan]

There are a lot of good deals out there these days but I'm being super stingy because (1) I'm trying to save a bit for a weekend in New Orleans late February and (2) I have a couple pricey commissions planned for the next round, after I receive most of what I have outstanding

[monkeymcgee]

Jason Keith Phillips


Chris Foreman


While I'm posting, I'd like to apologize to the board for the "erasing the sketch" thread. I had been warned repeatedly that this topic could not be discussed without it turning into a mess. With hubris, I thought we could be different. Alas, it was not to be.

At least people are able to make some jokes about it now--even if some of the jokes are a little passive-aggressive towards the other side.

I think there's more to explore in the artist/collector tug-of-war, but I really have zero confidence we can talk about it without it becoming ugly. Ideally, it would be great if the artists could have their little area to bitch about collectors and get that out of their system. Collectors could do the same to bitch about the artists. And then maybe we could come back together to have an adult conversation about this *business* and how to make it more beneficial for both sides.

Anyway, I don't have a blog, so there's my post-mortem about that "discussion".

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

While I'm posting, I'd like to apologize to the board for the "erasing the sketch" thread. I had been warned repeatedly that this topic could not be discussed without it turning into a mess. With hubris, I thought we could be different. Alas, it was not to be.

Don't hold yourself responsible for other the actions of others.

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

I think there's more to explore in the artist/collector tug-of-war

I buy direct from artists I like when I can afford to. I buy "lottery tickets" in the form of sealed boxes to try and get cards from artists outside my budget. I think the tug-of-war is mostly between the artists and the people trying to make money off the artist's work. Honestly, the sketch card market the way it is today, if you are a collector with the money to buy cases, you are better off buying singles of exactly what you want.

Anyway, based on the definition of troll that I read, I have trolled up your PC thread like crazy! Sorry about that. I do have some relevant comments though... First of all, I think this is the first ever mail day that I received more than you! Time to update my post on your commission thread Second, I'm pretty freaking amazed these haven't sold yet. They are outside my price range, or I'd snap them up in a hot second.

[monkeymcgee]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

I buy direct from artists I like when I can afford to. I buy "lottery tickets" in the form of sealed boxes to try and get cards from artists outside my budget. I think the tug-of-war is mostly between the artists and the people trying to make money off the artist's work. Honestly, the sketch card market the way it is today, if you are a collector with the money to buy cases, you are better off buying singles of exactly what you want.

Anyway, based on the definition of troll that I read, I have trolled up your PC thread like crazy! Sorry about that. I do have some relevant comments though... First of all, I think this is the first ever mail day that I received more than you! Time to update my post on your commission thread Second, I'm pretty freaking amazed these haven't sold yet. They are outside my price range, or I'd snap them up in a hot second.

Yeah, you're probably right about that--it's sort of a three way ( ) dynamic with adding flippers to the mix. Buying singles is always the smart play, but sometimes you just need a little mystery in your life

Regarding those three cards, I am also surprised they are still around

Buying high and selling low is working out great for me

[aggie4ever]

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

While I'm posting, I'd like to apologize to the board for the "erasing the sketch" thread. I had been warned repeatedly that this topic could not be discussed without it turning into a mess. With hubris, I thought we could be different. Alas, it was not to be.

I don't think you have anything to apologize for. It was a good topic that a lot of people were interested in, and that a lot of people wanted to talk about. It's just too bad that a handful of people dragged the discussion off track and then took things too far and became mean or insulting.

I actually gained some good insights from several of the artists before the thread spiraled out of control. I just hope the board hasn't run off many of those artists based on how the thread ended.

What's really sad is that I have no problem with the amount of effort put in by any of the artists that have posted here on BO, and I've been happy with all of the sketches I've pulled from them. In fact, many top notch artists have popped in over the past year or so (unfortunately too often for only a handful of posts before they leave). I think very few of them get the sense that we appreciate their work in particular and would love to see them post more often, because all they see is a lot of threads with people bickering or complaining about low quality sketches. And that overshadows all of the praise for the great sketches that we see.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by aggie4ever

What's really sad is that I have no problem with the amount of effort put in by any of the artists that have posted here on BO, and I've been happy with all of the sketches I've pulled from them.

Here I go trolling Monkey's thread again I totally agree and unfortunately as I read things it looked like a couple of the very talented artists that put tons of effort into every pack card they do ended up taking a personal attack just because they were an artist trying to present the "artist's perspective" whether they agreed with it or not. It is clear that the internet is not the best place for friendly debate.

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

Buying high and selling low is working out great for me

You'd be a great rip-n-flipper Seriously though... good luck with those sales. I think there are a lot of great cards there and eventually they will sell. As "good" Halls become more rare, the ones you have will come into demand! You are going to have to be a more patient seller than you were a buyer

[monkeymcgee]

Thomas Boatwright


Mauro Fodra



Also, a little teaser: I picked up a very nice Batman AP with some funds from selling some nice cards that I didn't really want to keep with my new collecting approach. That's the great thing about this hobby--you can get something you like and then turn it into something you like even more

[sdoug76]

Well the current round of Batman sketches wont be cheap for us, looks like we are both going after the same cards from Jeffys.

[monkeymcgee]

I commissioned this Ghost Rider sketch variant cover from Patrick Canter





Danielle Soloud (I guess that's her proper "artist name") had some really cool Bettie Page APs. I was trying to get 2 of them, but apparently someone else wanted them too. So, I ended up with only one, but Danielle threw in a cool "thank you" sketch and envelope doodle (yes, I actually save these ).

[justice41]

You a big GR fan Monkee I have two GR variant covers avaialble through jake Mckessey over at sketch card fanatics. If they were sold he owes me some cash. I'm asking 75 for each but he'll probably want 100-125 as they are also GCG'd let me know if he still has them or if he sold them.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...25-d521p0a.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...f9-d521qa4.jpg

[monkeymcgee]

Originally Posted by justice41

You a big GR fan Monkee I have two GR variant covers avaialble through jake Mckessey over at sketch card fanatics. If they were sold he owes me some cash. I'm asking 75 for each but he'll probably want 100-125 as they are also GCG'd let me know if he still has them or if he sold them.
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/20...25-d521p0a.jpg
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...f9-d521qa4.jpg

Wow--those are incredible! I'll check into those and see if Jake still has them.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

Danielle Soloud (I guess that's her proper "artist name") had some really cool Bettie Page APs. I was trying to get 2 of them, but apparently someone else wanted them too. So, I ended up with only one, but Danielle threw in a cool "thank you" sketch and envelope doodle (yes, I actually save these ).

Nice pick-up on the Soloud AP. I was watching those and must have lost track because I don't ever remember them ending No surprise on the heavy competition though, she has a pretty strong fan base. I heard that Soloud (so loud) was a nickname she picked up as a DJ... don't know if its true or not. It looks like she is mostly signing stuff with here real name or just DG these days though.

[monkeymcgee]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

Nice pick-up on the Soloud AP. I was watching those and must have lost track because I don't ever remember them ending No surprise on the heavy competition though, she has a pretty strong fan base. I heard that Soloud (so loud) was a nickname she picked up as a DJ... don't know if its true or not. It looks like she is mostly signing stuff with here real name or just DG these days though.

I guess I should have explained--she included 2 business cards: one for Danielle Soloud and one for Danielle Gransaull. The PSC says Danielle Soloud on the back. The AP was signed Danielle "Soloud" Gransaull. I try to use the preferred nomenclature (dude), but I'm not sure what she prefers

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by monkeymcgee

I guess I should have explained--she included 2 business cards: one for Danielle Soloud and one for Danielle Gransaull. The PSC says Danielle Soloud on the back. The AP was signed Danielle "Soloud" Gransaull. I try to use the preferred nomenclature (dude), but I'm not sure what she prefers

hehe I'll let you know what comes with my Marvel Premier AP when she gets to it (should be soon!)

[aggie4ever]

Wow, Danielle is fast at sending out cards, I just saw those 4 Bettie Page cards end a couple of nights ago! I was also watching all of them with interest, but they quickly went out of my price range. Congrats on the pickup!

[monkeymcgee]

Originally Posted by aggie4ever

Wow, Danielle is fast at sending out cards, I just saw those 4 Bettie Page cards end a couple of nights ago! I was also watching all of them with interest, but they quickly went out of my price range. Congrats on the pickup!

Thanks! Yeah, I was not expecting them so soon, but I'm not complaining

[justice41]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

Don't hold yourself responsible for other the actions of others.



I buy direct from artists I like when I can afford to. I buy "lottery tickets" in the form of sealed boxes to try and get cards from artists outside my budget. I think the tug-of-war is mostly between the artists and the people trying to make money off the artist's work. Honestly, the sketch card market the way it is today, if you are a collector with the money to buy cases, you are better off buying singles of exactly what you want.

Anyway, based on the definition of troll that I read, I have trolled up your PC thread like crazy! Sorry about that. I do have some relevant comments though... First of all, I think this is the first ever mail day that I received more than you! Time to update my post on your commission thread Second, I'm pretty freaking amazed these haven't sold yet. They are outside my price range, or I'd snap them up in a hot second.

I'd say the fact that Cap is wearing red shorts may have something to do with that cards non sale. Maybe the attempt at some sort of optical effect on Cap's shield by Hall isn't working either. Details details details.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by justice41

I'd say the fact that Cap is wearing red shorts may have something to do with that cards non sale. Maybe the attempt at some sort of optical effect on Cap's shield by Hall isn't working either. Details details details.

Cap has been around for a LONG time and I'm not much of a comic book reader, so I didn't realize that was a costume inaccuracy. I would never stipulate that I'm familiar with all of the slight costume variations that have appeared over time for these 30+ (or about 50+ I think for Cap) year old characters. One of my biggest sketch card peeves is when cards with costume inaccuracies get approved. What is the point of the approval process? Just to make sure you own the license on all the characters on the cards? Seriously... its ridiculous. It is a very nice card though and I remember there being quite the bidding war so Monkey clearly wasn't the only person interested. At least one person was willing to pay up to $1 less than he did. The fact that nobody has taken a stab at it since he has relisted still surprises me.

As for Hall, some of his cards are very good but I agree that many of them are not. I do like this particular one, despite the funny shield effect. Based on its current list price compared to other single character and/or "incomplete" Halls, I'm surprised it is still around also. Generally speaking though, for the same price there are other artists I prefer. One reason I won't be adding a Hall to my collection anytime soon unless its a pack pull (and that will probably be sold/traded for a high priced artist I prefer).

[justice41]

Well it being an Upperdeck product may also be a factor. Some product have very short shelf life so waiting for a specific card or artist is the best bet.

[Rian Fike]

One of the biggest selling points for sketch cards is the nearness to the release date. Any time a new set releases, the prices are high as collectors scramble to add the new set to their collection.

Two months later, prices drop drastically. I don't know if it is a competition thing among collectors during the first few weeks of release, or if the collectors complete master sets and then move on to the next new release.

[Spider-Fan]

Originally Posted by Rian Fike

One of the biggest selling points for sketch cards is the nearness to the release date. Any time a new set releases, the prices are high as collectors scramble to add the new set to their collection.

Two months later, prices drop drastically. I don't know if it is a competition thing among collectors during the first few weeks of release, or if the collectors complete master sets and then move on to the next new release.

Yes, I totally agree BUT Upper Deck products do tend to stand the test of time (compared to Rittenhouse at least). I assume just because the scarcity relative to the Rittenhouse releases. There are way less sketch cards to begin with, they are inserted less than every box, and the artists numbers for the "hits" are generally pretty low in comparison (100 is quite a bit for a modern Upper Deck set, below average for a Rittenhouse set). You can argue the Upper Deck boxes contain other "hits", but only top autos pull the same as a sketch. Holos and plates generally don't make back the box price.

[Rian Fike]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

Yes, I totally agree BUT Upper Deck products do tend to stand the test of time (compared to Rittenhouse at least). I assume just because the scarcity relative to the Rittenhouse releases. There are way less sketch cards to begin with, they are inserted less than every box, and the artists numbers for the "hits" are generally pretty low in comparison (100 is quite a bit for a modern Upper Deck set, below average for a Rittenhouse set). You can argue the Upper Deck boxes contain other "hits", but only top autos pull the same as a sketch. Holos and plates generally don't make back the box price.

Actually there is a HUGE difference that you didn't mention.

Rittenhouse had a controlled release date, with loyal major dealers who release thousands of sketches all on the same day.

Upper Deck, not so much.

[Spider-Fan]

Yes... its much more of a slow leak for Upper Deck. And for sets like Captain America that did poorly, it was an even slower leak...

Okay Monkey, I think you can have your thread back now

[monkeymcgee]

Originally Posted by Spider-Fan

Yes... its much more of a slow leak for Upper Deck. And for sets like Captain America that did poorly, it was an even slower leak...

Okay Monkey, I think you can have your thread back now

LOL--thanks

I'm not going to theorize on why my own cards aren't selling

It's not like this is a Premier-wide problem, though. I've sold over $3k in Premier cards over the last month.

[lucky4444]

Hey Monkey have you seen the Ghost Rider Kokkinakis did it is out of this world.