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Dangling with a painting

mjp

Founding member
And not a terrible painting, but not even close to $6500 worth either...

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I always expected these to rise in price from the days when they could be had for a grand or less, but recently the asking prices have pretty much doubled over what they were a year or two ago.
 
Jesus Christ. Is that book currently residing in "D Block" at Leavenworth? Photos look like they were taken in a jail cell or gym locker room.
 
12 Years on Abe... 28 days on eBay... Doesn't matter... Not even a top class New York hooker trying to bag an Investment Banker is gonna put out that kind of cash... But I agree, a nice painting...
 
we Will see even MUCH higher prizes for Bukowski's paintings and drawings. Maybe soon.

Whoever bought a piece of pictorial art from our man in the past is sitting on the equivalent of a Van Gogh around 1913.
(well, not exactly, but you get the message, right?)
 
The problem is that it sits in a book. Hard to show off. I wish they "tipped" them in or Buk sold them on the side. You just have to be a real geek to pull it from the bookshelf and then pass it around in a room full of drunks who may spill red wine on it... Causing the host to have cardiac arrest or killing a guest...
 
They are tipped in (glued). I assume you wish they were laid in (loose).

I think a lot of people would agree, but then most of the "illustrated" books would be missing their illustrations...
 
Agreed about the books being seperated from the paintings. I have seperated the book band from one copy of Crusifix to another, as an example.

Forgive the terminology. You can own as many signed firsts as you can get you hands on and still be ignorant about publishing and printing.
 
One sold at the Runfola auction in June '11 for $1800. Not sure about condition because that auction is no longer on PBA and I'm too lazy to get the catalogue out. The lettered Hot Water Music that He/She/It is selling for $12K right now went for $2000 in the Groff sale (lettered, no idea of condition) and a presentation copy went in June '11 for $2000.

Damn.
 
there's a lot of confusion over "tipped in" vs "laid in." one prominent publisher i know of uses "tipped in" to describe laid-in pages all the time.
 
so that's why your 'it catches' doesn't have the cover or you sell serigraphs seperated from the books

So, due to my own volition, I need to answer up to Roni’s questions.

The Catches purchase was due to ignorance, lack of research, and some moonshine that may neighbor gave me. (Nothing is free.) I saw the pictures, but was not as familiar with the book as I should have been… and bought it. I am now selling it for $300 less than I paid for it. (Bad day at the track, but I have already made it up.)

As for the Crucifix, I have two copies. One is in fine condition, but has a forged signature on the front page that was probably done by a child when Dad wasn’t looking. To me, it’s worse than an unknown owner’s signature, which is why I am selling it for $25 less than I bought it for. I was a young Bukowski fan then, not a “collector,” and just wanted to have the book very badly. Bad decision, but great book...

The other copy of Crucifix that I have on eBay has a great original drawing by Bukowski. It seems to be a drawing of him with a bottle, but not the little man we all know. I got that one on the “cheap” because the same seller had two items before it and there were bidding wars that went over the top (Can't remember what they were for sure, but pretty sure one was "Run with the Hunted" and went for $1,300). I assume the bidders blew their loads and fell asleep before they could bid on the third. Anyway, the band is from the first copy above, but since the second copy has the original art, I figured a collector with that kind of cash deserved the book band.

As for the serigraphs… I’m a little ashamed. I got them on the cheap, but am selling them for a cunt load. I probably will never get it. I just thought that some wife/girlfriend would buy them and put a cheap frame on them. They are unique and you can share them with drunken friends while they are protected under glass. If I do sell them, it’s a nice profit. If I do, I promise to send a little change to MJP for keeping the site alive… Unless he considers it blood money… In which case, I understand….
 
One sold at the Runfola auction in June '11 for $1800. Not sure about condition
This one? http://old.pbagalleries.com/search/item217424.php?

because that auction is no longer on PBA and I'm too lazy to get the catalogue out.
Runfola auction, for future reference: http://old.pbagalleries.com/live/sale_details.php?s=455

The lettered Hot Water Music that He/She/It is selling for $12K right now went for $2000 in the Groff sale (lettered, no idea of condition)
I couldn't see that particular copy w/painting in the Groff sale.
Groff auction, for future reference: http://old.pbagalleries.com/live/sale_details.php?s=354

a presentation copy went in June '11 for $2000.
http://old.pbagalleries.com/search/item217411.php?
 
Thanks, Hank. I searched "Dangling" in the new PBA site and those results did not show up. In fact, the auction history only goes back to mid-summer 2011.
 
One sold at the Runfola auction in June '11 for $1800. Not sure about condition because that auction is no longer on PBA and I'm too lazy to get the catalogue out.
The Runfola auction had 15 or 16 illustrated books and separate paintings. Just about everything in that auction sold for relatively bargain prices. It was just too much product at once.

It seems pretty clear that there is too much product in general when it comes to Bukowski - at least where collectors with the means to buy at any given moment are concerned - so "rarity" is in the eye of the beholder. But as someone who is generally open to parting with a couple grand for an illustrated book, the painting itself has to justify the price. And with a few exceptions, lately they just don't. Add to that the sudden increase in asking prices and you have a recipe for a lot of unsold books.

If you're judging the Bukowski paintings and drawings as art, the majority of them fall short. When he hits, he can hit hard, but when he misses, it's usually not pretty. Unlike his writing, where even most of the "lesser" works have moments of resonance and power.
Jesus, that was an epic auction, wasn't it. It will be a long time before that happens again.
 
If I do sell them [...] I promise to send a little change to MJP for keeping the site alive…
I appreciate the gesture, but don't send me any money.

We had "supporting memberships" here for a while, and I appreciated that as well, but ultimately I just don't feel right taking money from people who use the forum or the site.
 
As for the Crucifix, I have two copies. One is in fine condition, but has a forged signature on the front page that was probably done by a child when Dad wasn’t looking. To me, it’s worse than an unknown owner’s signature, which is why I am selling it for $25 less than I bought it for. I was a young Bukowski fan then, not a “collector,” and just wanted to have the book very badly. Bad decision, but great book...

Actually, I had a copy of Crucifix with the same weird squiggle signature on the front page... had to sell it a couple years back to pay bills, but... it was double signed. I'll dig around to see if I can find the thread I posted pictures in...
 

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