Sunday, August 11, 2013

What would you sell this for?

I'm selling it for at least 15 bucks. Had a good run on Ebay just this past week. I'll have made close to 500 bucks on artwork I have hauled around in my miscellaneous sized tubs for 25 years.
This warrior in a tree piece was done shortly after I moved there. May even date back to pre-San Diego in Dallas. 1985. I remember showing it to Shel. This and a piece featuring a nearly naked black man having his sword stolen by a Princess as a really bad Tiger menaces them. Shel was kinda "Oh my." about the black guy in it. Littel too much black ink, little too much minstrel.  I'll see if I can find that and add it to the post. Sold most of this art to a guy in Escondido.
I think I'll paint into this. Art direct it to a level I'm happy with.
Here it is. Someone plopped this right back onto the market. Bought it from me for about 50 bucks. Looked for it again the other day and couldn't find it.

10 comments:

Davis Chino said...

Ellis, these are so great! Man, I hope you get top dollar for 'em. Love the archer/tree piece...it carries a period specific scent that just can't be faked. So great.

And the sword-stealer--fantastic scene! Love the detail...I read the black guy's lip as the teeth in a snarl at first, maybe pushing thatt could tone-down any unintented minstrelism? (this is the funny thing about drawing--sometimes a drawing that comes out looking like a bad ethnic stereotype is just...bad drawing! You try to get a likeness and....oof.)

Tom Moon said...

Hi all. Been out of touch. We just got back from vacation last night. Sorry I've missed out on all the great art posts last week. Good to be back home.

Ellis. Fifteen bucks??!! Are you kidding me? You've been selling your stuff way too cheap! This is why artists need agents and marketing people. It's so hard for artists to know the value of their own stuff.

You can't present these pieces as "so-so drawings by some unknown guy". These are "Recently-discovered, early Ellis Goodson drawings, very rare original pieces by a prominent fantasy artist whose work in video games is known around the world."

I know it sounds like I'm being facetious but I'm really not. How much would you pay for one of those early Kirby comic book originals? A lot, right? But Kirby had to learn his craft over time just like everyone else, and his early drawings are just... bad. It doesn't matter though because he's Kirby, right? And you are Ellis Goodson, "well-known fantasy artist..." etc. etc.

It won't hurt to price your stuff high at first, at least two or three hundred bucks. See what happens. So often, especially in the arts, perceived value IS value.

MrGoodson2 said...

Yes Tom. You're 100 percent right. I think I've prompted a similar response before.

My probably identical reaction is that if I drop dead, prior to that, I'd rather have all my art dispersed into a marketplace circulation.

I need to draw some today. I'm withering up in the creative department. Got to water the garden.

Tom Moon said...

Ellis, you're such a great artist, but please, please care about money, just a little. I can understand and respect it if you don't care about buying fancy cars and houses, if you just want to live to create. But money can also get you the very thing you want and deserve. To have your work seen and appreciated by a wide audience.

MrGoodson2 said...

I care about money. It's just hard to make appear out of thin air. Takes a concentrated effort and constant belief in yourself. I'm light in those areas.
I get a dozen ideas a day about how to make money. Just don't follow through.

Davis Chino said...

I second Tom's demand. I missed the part about you selling these for $15 bucks (CRAZY). Set the reasonable price--at least it will bring a higher caliber of clientele. Bottom line--if you don't value your own work, who else will??

And Tom, glad to see you're back. Your absence was noted and lamented. Hope you guys had a great vacation (Mt. Ranier?).

Tom Moon said...

Yes. Mount Rainier and Lake Cavanaugh.

We're just saying you're undervaluing your work Ellis and it's painful to us. :)

So to answer your original question to the group, "What would you sell this for?" I say, $300. Write some good copy hypeing its significance, and see what happens. You can always lower the price. If you sell a whole sketchbook of drawings, make it $3000-$5000, depending on the number and quality of the sketches. If the sketches have historical video game significance, like for Vector Man, price it on the high side. Hope to catch the attention of that fan who grew up on the game and has since acquired money to burn.

Tom Moon said...

Love the Steampunk Polar Bowler piece Rick! And the Teen Ellis and Cartoon Hound Marty and Ronnie!

Joseph Sanabria said...

Marketing is everything Ellis.

The guys are right, you're going way to low. Leave yourself some room to negotiate.

This is an original after all :) You should consider selling copies at that price. Saving that original and all rights so you can continue to make more money.

MrGoodson2 said...

After my next auction, this Cameron guy in Escondido will have as much of my art as I have.