Humberto Ramos Sketch card question

[TheOneRingKing]

Hi all. I just got a Humberto Ramos Sketch Card from Crimson 2001 Dynamic Forces and am finding it difficult to find comps for pricing. I see he is a popular artist with Spider-Man but nothing comes up for Crimson in recent sales. Any help would be appreciated.

[finfangfan]

Due to rarity, I’d throw it up for $800-$1k if no comps and then drop down as needed if no sale and/or you need the cash more quickly.

[cmixer]

Here are mine.
Good luck!

[TheOneRingKing]

Originally Posted by cmixer

Here are mine.
Good luck!

Very cool. Thank you. How much do you value yours at?

[cmixer]

It doesn't matter what I was paying in 2001-2004.
They dried up.
I haven't picked up a new one in almost 20 years.
With only 250 out there, they are now in personal collections.
So it's now whatever the market wants.
Here's a potential problem ...
If collectors 20 years ago were picking these up $75 each,
then they might only value them at $75 now.
You need a new collector who has never owned one, but wants one.
I'm very interested & good luck!

[TheOneRingKing]

Thank you for some insight @cmixer. Wow, you have a nice chunk of them then. I will have to look into these some more and then list it on COMC. Have a great weekend. PM if you would want to make an offer.

[Rictor]

Considering Crimson is a long dead and forgotten comic book that ended in 2001 and is found in comic bargain bins, I would think the fan base for these sketch cards would be pretty small. They aren't going to fetch the premium a Spider-Man card would, but collectors of this comic artist's original artwork would definitely be interested in them. I'd guess in the $200 range, which is what his black and white CGC authenticated sketches sell for.

I do miss when comic book sketch cards were actually sketches and not full-blown, elaborate paintings though. The whole point of sketches like this is that they take the artist a minute or two to complete, not hours. Comic artists used to do small head sketches like this for free or cheap at comic book conventions. So sketch cards were meant to be the trading card version of a quick convention head sketch, not a full-color, completed piece of artwork. I think we'd see more sketch cards from professional comic book artists if they were still only expected to do quick pencil head sketches.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Rictor

I do miss when comic book sketch cards were actually sketches and not full-blown, elaborate paintings though. The whole point of sketches like this is that they take the artist a minute or two to complete, not hours. Comic artists used to do small head sketches like this for free or cheap at comic book conventions. So sketch cards were meant to be the trading card version of a quick convention head sketch, not a full-color, completed piece of artwork. I think we'd see more sketch cards from professional comic book artists if they were still only expected to do quick pencil head sketches.

This is interesting since people generally seem to want more detail in sketches. I mean given the choice of the two, I admit Im choosing elaborate over less elaborate. Your point is fair about the comic artist possibly not getting involved because of not doing pencil sketches now...Im sure it could be a $ thing as well, and for comic cards Im sure UD doesnt want to pay whatever rates they would require.

If someone were to give me the option if I could somehow choose if sketches today would be all in the style of the old marvel sketchagraphs from '98, pencil portraits (even with the artist legends), vs what it is today, Im not so sure Im picking the former. I think I'd prefer today since Im more of a finished art-kind of guy and it's just so much more variety and colors and takes. Those 98 sketchagraphs as a whole just seem a lot more homogeneous, not only because the repeato-sketches but B&W portraits just seem more similar. It becomes less about the art itself and its quality and more about just 'who did it'. The example in the extreme is the Stan Lee sketches which can go for well over $1k. I guess I just find it interesting when it's about the art more. I can see how people might go either way with that above decision though.

This is not taking away from OP's at all, B&W sketches from well-known artists can surely do great, as Ive seen in marvel. I have no idea on the value, but it's true the relevancy of the content/brand is a factor. Just how the market is, but not being like Marvel/Star Wars/DC could be a hit against it. I dont know enough about the brand in question. But if famous artist, sure it could be in the couple or few hundred range.

Edit: just realized how contradictory the above might sound coming from someone with an Art Adams pencil art card print as his avi but I really would be choosing the modern sketch landscape.

[webjon]

Per Terapeak the last sale of a Ramos Crimson sketch was in June for $56.

[natbornkiller]

Originally Posted by webjon

Per Terapeak the last sale of a Ramos Crimson sketch was in June for $56.

eeeek
a simple spider-man sketch would probably have a zero at the end

[webjon]

Originally Posted by webjon

Per Terapeak the last sale of a Ramos Crimson sketch was in June for $56.

To be clear it was a Crimson sketch card like the one shown above, but a different character.

[PurplesaurusRex]

Originally Posted by natbornkiller

eeeek
a simple spider-man sketch would probably have a zero at the end

Yeah you need all 3 of these if you want to sell a sketch for a high dollar amount.

1) Great Artist
2) Popular Character
3) Licensed set.

If any one or those is missing prices drop. And that's great if you're buying.

[TheOneRingKing]

Lots of fun insight from everyone. Maybe I'll put it for around $300 and see how it does

[Rictor]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

This is interesting since people generally seem to want more detail in sketches. I mean given the choice of the two, I admit Im choosing elaborate over less elaborate. Your point is fair about the comic artist possibly not getting involved because of not doing pencil sketches now...Im sure it could be a $ thing as well, and for comic cards Im sure UD doesnt want to pay whatever rates they would require.

If someone were to give me the option if I could somehow choose if sketches today would be all in the style of the old marvel sketchagraphs from '98, pencil portraits (even with the artist legends), vs what it is today, Im not so sure Im picking the former. I think I'd prefer today since Im more of a finished art-kind of guy and it's just so much more variety and colors and takes. Those 98 sketchagraphs as a whole just seem a lot more homogeneous, not only because the repeato-sketches but B&W portraits just seem more similar. It becomes less about the art itself and its quality and more about just 'who did it'. The example in the extreme is the Stan Lee sketches which can go for well over $1k. I guess I just find it interesting when it's about the art more. I can see how people might go either way with that above decision though.
.

Sure, but those aren't sketches. A sketch is a sketch. What companies are calling sketches now should have a different name, like mini painting or something, since there's no sketching involved.

Part of the appeal of an actual sketch is that it shows an artists talent, in that they can draw a recognizable character with so few lines. It's also its own art form. But the original draw was being able to own a piece of art by a comic artist at a reasonable price. More power to those that collect sketch cards from artists that have never drawn a comic book, but I have no interest in amateur art. I only want original art from actual comic book artists.

[DynaEtch]

Originally Posted by Rictor

Sure, but those aren't sketches. A sketch is a sketch. What companies are calling sketches now should have a different name, like mini painting or something, since there's no sketching involved.

Part of the appeal of an actual sketch is that it shows an artists talent, in that they can draw a recognizable character with so few lines. It's also its own art form. But the original draw was being able to own a piece of art by a comic artist at a reasonable price. More power to those that collect sketch cards from artists that have never drawn a comic book, but I have no interest in amateur art. I only want original art from actual comic book artists.

I agree about the terminology. True 'sketches' in marvel essentially ended with the 2007-08 Marvel Masterpieces series.

I dunno what you'd call them now, most arent actually paintings.... I guess the basic term "art cards" would be more apt. But changing established terminology is very difficult and won’t happen.

Your points are fair, I think I just disagree as a personal preference. Collecting sketches wouldnt be nearly as interesting to me if were all pencil drawings and portraits, gets a bit old. I like color. Plus notice how many of these old sketches are repeato-sketches, that makes sense since when you're drawing a head portrait, not a ton of room for creativity, and usually just artist's standard interpretation is given.

Whether we are calling them amateurs or professionals, these sketch artists have a ton more capability than me! If we're calling Nar, Glebe brothers, Ash, fred.ian and so many others amateurs (strictly speaking at least a few of them arent), it doesnt matter to me, I like the art. The one thing about modern sketch artists is they are totally used to working with the 2.5x3.5 card medium- outside of the oversized cards like marvel premier, it's really their bread and butter. If you take some of the famous published artists, I know some of them including Jusko expressed something approaching disdain for the trading card size format, and just hammered them out. Whereas some of the veteran 'sketch artists' might spend more time trying to make a mini-masterpiece on a sketch card, a detailed work of art. Im more about the art than just 'who did it'. I have no desire to buy a Stan Lee sketch for $2-$3k, basically a stick figure head drawing of Spiderman's head. May as well just buy a Stan Lee auto, it's close to being the same thing.

Maybe we'll get the best of both worlds soon enough here. Marvel Platinum due to release early 2024 is supposed to have to some artist legend sketches including Bill Sienkiewicz. This will be a very popular set.

[PurplesaurusRex]

I agree with you Dyna. I welcome the evolution from pencil sketches to full blown art pieces. Think about it from the artist perspective. This is their chance to be associated with an official product, to have a spotlight on their work. It makes sense to put your best foot forward and bring all your skills to the table. Today's amateur is tomorrow's celebrity artist.

[TheOneRingKing]

Gonna be putting it up for auction via COMC. Just let it ride and see what happens. Hope you all have fun bidding.

[TheOneRingKing]

Will put a link to the auction once it's up

[DynaEtch]

You might get the thread moved to the Ebay/COMC Spam your listings section. There is a section on here devoted to just that, posting your ebay/comc listings.

[TheOneRingKing]

Originally Posted by DynaEtch

You might get the thread moved to the Ebay/COMC Spam your listings section. There is a section on here devoted to just that, posting your ebay/comc listings.

Thank you. I will be putting up a thread on there when it goes live and will just let everyone know that it is in that thread so they can follow the link if they want to bid on the card. Really appreciate everyone's helpful info. Have a great night.

[TheOneRingKing]

Hi everyone. The card is set to start a 7 day auction on 12/4/2023 8:11:07 PM

Will put it in spam my COMC/Ebay listings when it is live. Thank you all again and happy bidding.

[TheOneRingKing]

It's live on the bay. Thank you and yes I will post in spam my listings as well. Thank you for interest and bids.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/33514415710...tomid=&mkevt=1

[TheOneRingKing]

Bump!

[TheOneRingKing]

Bump!

[DynaEtch]

Really not the section to be bumping ebay auctions. This thread should be moved to the ebay spam auctions section.