Want Your Thoughts on Customs
- Posted: March 09, 2013 @ 2:00PM
- Category: Open Conversation
I recently received several "Customs" from different artists and the quality ranged from "rock solid" to "falling apart at the seams"... by quality I mean the pysical construction of the piece.
So OK, I get it, it's art... not meant for a three year old to bang on.
Am I crazy for expecting mechanical integrity?
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My next question is about value.
I'm a collector af many types of art but am new to this scene... still learning my way around.
Do customs hold their value... generally speaking?
I'm not a flipper, but they are expensive... am wondering If I would be better off collecting limited run production toys rather than customs. Thoughts?
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I know I threw a lot out there... any insight for a new collector appreciated.
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8 Replies
Definitely agree with Keegan on that one, it really has a lot to do with the background from which the artist is working, at least initially. The custom toy community is so new relatively, it still kind of functions as a small interactive art community, it's still hard to differenciate serious artists from hobbyist, and really hard to determine the lasting value of a custom piece. It's much more personal than the designer community at large, I love customs from artists that I love and who are friends, for adding value to my collection I production pieces are a much safer bet.
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
So ... what I've noticed over the years of collecting. Some customs I've seen up close look near production: Sergio Mancini, Jon-Paul Kaiser, Rsinart and others. While some guys, generally good 2D artists, don't do well in 3D and are still learning sculpey/painting techniques.
As far as holding their value, yes and no. I'm sure if you threw an older custom Dunny by Huck Gee then it would probably sell instantly. Another one from a lesser known artist ... maybe not. When your tastes change, or you want to shift what you're collecting, then sometimes you need to sell a few pieces to pay for. I feel production pieces are probably easier to move because they're more 'known' than a one-off custom, then again I've never tried to sell one of my customs yet. :)
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
You may want to just stick to artists that are doing customs that sell quick as far as first sale to resale. I would never buy a custom unless it was dirt cheap but it seems that artists like MAD, Sket One and Huck Gee are selling their stuff faster cuz they keep producing things where as other artist are just making a few here or there.......idk...bottom line is its a tough market to be in and try to determine an amswer to your question cuz its not really established yet let alone the designer toy world is not even a set in stone thing yet.
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
I have to agree with all the responses. My late boyfriend would purchase small edition production pieces to sell and would collect the custom pieces. Anything he bought was what caught his eye and if it didn't sell, he could keep it anyway because he enjoyed it. He collected what only made him happy. God rest his soul.
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
Personally, for me, in terms of collecting customs or limited edition i would just collect what i like the most and makes me happy.
I think collecting things which may have secondary market value should be a biproduct. Though, if collecting things for their value is the biggest part of your enjoyment then go for it.
Anyway, that's just my personal opinion, others may take a different view. Would be interesting to know for what reason people collect. :)
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
my personal thoughts on customs...
i think customs are great. the way i look at it, i would only get a custom from artists that i know. there are a lot of great artists out there, some well known than others; but to me, it doesn't matter as long as you like their style. if you like the artist and you are lucky to get a commission or custom from them, then value shouldn't matter....coming up w/ the money to pay for it is another topic...haha.
production pieces are great, but usually come out in huge numbers. but if you happen to get a custom piece, then you're likely to have the only one (1:1) or one of a few released. limited run pieces are hard to come by as well; some harder than others, and because of this, artist charge high off jump (ie huck gee, sket one). if limited pieces are you're thing, that's cool. imo, i would pay the $x00 for a custom that no one else has over a limited run piece. one other thing about a custom, if there's something wrong with it, the artist you got it from will be more likely to help you fix it to where compared to a production piece, companies are more likely to tell you you're s.o.l.
about 11 years ago · Comment ·
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