Hello anybody, and welcome back to some other edition of the Mirror Gallery. If you've been following along with my other column this week over at the Art Marketplace Minute, y'all've tracked the sales of Bitterblossom, Fulminator Mage, and yesterday Eternal Witness, all from the upcoming Ultimate Chief'due south set. Each of these works was successfully sold in a unlike mode, and each brought a notable last price. But every bit I mentioned in the Eternal Witness Art Market Minute, there is one traditional work missing from the group, that of Filip Burburan'south Tarmogoyf.

The story on that work is as follows: Mike Linnemann posted that the painting and all preliminary pieces had been sold via Twitter final week on November 7th. So earlier this week, while we were discussing an Fine art Market place Minute, another MTG art collector that had made an offering for the painting informed me that the final price realized was $18,000. Yesterday, Vintage Magic posted this to their Instagram:

And then yesterday the artist appear on the MTG Fine art Market that the Tarmogoyf suite, the first original works for a fauna that inverse the game of Magic, sold for $18,000 to the highest individual offer, Daniel Chang of Vintage Magic.com, LLC. They are an incredible few pieces of fine art; an admittedly infrequent color study, a super detailed sketch, and the tour-de-force final painting. Equally a trio, they are a phenomenal value for the price. The sale likewise included all the alternate sketches, seen for the start time in this post.

What I'm almost to say next is going to surprise a few people. The lack of a public auction for these three pieces of fine art nigh likely left money on the tabular array for the artist. In a year where nosotros have seen Magic art achieve prices never before imagined by auction process beyond all platforms; a landmark piece like this, where there is literally no ceiling, had unlimited possibilities were it to be placed on the cake within a public forum. It has motivated me to write an commodity for buyers and sellers, collectors and artists, on where to detect original Magic art to acquire.

The Venues

I've tried to cover all the bases and places where original Magic artwork can be found, exist it collectors exchanging pieces or creative person's offering a painting or sketch for the first fourth dimension. This is not comprehensive or exceptionally detailed, but the nuts. The Exploration is one-half the fun

MTG Fine art Market place

In 2018 the MTG Art Market place on Facebook has become the place to find original pieces of Magic: the Gathering art, plain and simple. Many past and nowadays artists are active here, and in that location are a handful of tried and true community members that human activity as brokers willing to assist artists sell fine art. It's where forgotten collections are unearthed, brand new pieces are sold, and everything related to Magic art is discussed. For collectors, being a fellow member of this group is essential.

The Art Market is where many Magic artists call HQ for selling their recent paintings, including Volkan Baga, Ryan Pancoast, Sidharth Chaturvedi, Lars Grant-West, Lucas Graciano, Alexander Deruchennko, Milovoj Ceran, Howard Lyon, and several others.

Screenshots from a recent MTG Art Marketplace sale: Knight of Fall past Ryan Pancoast, auction facilitated past Mike Linnemann.

Some artists run the auction themselves, but many artists utilise an aforementioned trusted banker to run their auctions. The broker fields bids at all hours, makes payment and aircraft arrangements, and promotes the auction on social media. Percentages vary depending on the broker, artist, and the piece of work; but in my observation the correct broker makes all the difference to the terminal sale price and is still cheaper than other outlets. Artists, if you need a recommendation, I'd be happy to give y'all one. I cannot recommend an MTG Art Market place auction enough; information technology has simply become the best way to sell a piece of Magic art in this current marketplace.

eBay

For the last decade, eBay has been the go to place to auction or sell collectibles exterior of a major sale house, and many artists employ this as the vehicle to sell a recently released work. Chris Rahn, Matt Stewart, Terese Nielsen, and a scattering of other artists apply eBay for simply about everything new they create. Other artists like Steve Belledin and Wayne Reynolds use information technology every bit an arena when there are enough interested parties, they must have an auction to determine the final possessor and appropriate amount.

Screenshot from my eBay Watch List of closed items.

Yous'll also detect collectors reselling work and past MTG artists selling pieces institute equally they clean out their studios and storage. eBay has become famous as a place where y'all never know what volition turn upwards, and the original Magic art on the site is no different. Many collectors accept a handful of saved searches fix to see things every bit soon as they enter the market, and often pieces sell within hours or even minutes.

From a sales perspective, eBay is worldwide, takes intendance of all the bidding, payment, and logistics, and provides a consummate platform for selling. Simply this does come at a price, unremarkably no less than 13% and sometimes upwardly to 15% of the final hammer price. In that location is no guarantee that the winning bidder will complete the transaction, and unlike the Facebook community or a individual deal between collectors, there is no threat of adjournment or blackball due to the anonymity of the behest process. eBay works, of this there is no doubt. Just sellers, artists included, must pay a premium for their service.

Heritage Auction

While having e'er been the "large" auction house of choice for Magic art, Heritage hadn't been on the radar for a majority of Magic art buyers until the $72,000 sale of Shahrazad in July. Since and so a handful of other works accept crossed the block, and this venue is certainly going to exist in the conversation for future auctions of high level and of import works of Magic art. There is currently a painting on the block as of the writing of this article, Realms Uncharted by Volkan Baga. We'll meet how it fares in a future Art Market place Minute.

Artist'south Websites

Some artists don't utilise the MTG Fine art Market or eBay, simply preferring to field initial inquiries about previewed works and placing pieces unsold in their website store for after viewing and purchasing. In that aforementioned vein, in that location are lots of by and present MTG artists that maintain a digital storefront or PDF list with their old work that is nevertheless uncollected. There are simply also many artists and websites to list; merely if yous have a favorite artist, burn up a Google search and go looking for a store. If you can't find i, ask the creative person for a listing, or what they might take. Merely good can come from conversation, and y'all never know if your favorite piece might all the same be waiting for you.

Other Third Political party Websites

At that place are a handful of other websites outside the artist'due south own website where y'all tin view, purchase, and discuss original Magic art. Comic Fine art Fans and Original Magic Art are two of the larger compilation sites with an larger than average offering of Magic art, and in that location are several others admitting a bit harder to find and with a more express selection. If y'all are a collector, they are a groovy resource and something to check from fourth dimension to time.

The Community

I of my favorite parts nearly collecting original Magic fine art is the customs of artists and collectors, many of whom I now call my friends. In building these relationships nosotros larn what each other collect, our preferences for art, and help one some other find and acquire those pieces missing from our collections nosotros desire nearly. Sometimes it'southward an ongoing conversation betwixt a potential buyer and seller that eventually ends with "Certain, it'south available now." Or maybe it'southward a random 2pm Facebook bulletin out of the blue that says "Get get it buddy" when a longed for painting finally turns up and someone doesn't desire you to miss out (Thanks again, Sid).

Pieces are sold, traded, and otherwise exchanged at a number agreeable to both parties, and amongst veteran collectors the process is usually smoothen. While 2 people may not exactly agree on what a painting or sketch is worth, there is plenty respect betwixt collectors to have a civil discussion during a transaction. For me, this has transcended being a hobby and turned into a passion, and the people that are a part of this community have made all the difference. Whether yous are buying or selling Magic art, getting to know the people and players in world of Magic art; for me that has been a privilege in itself.

My Tarmo-Accept

We've looked at a bunch of places to discover original Magic art, from Facebook groups to eBay, and easily searchable artist sites to other places on the web that might only have a handful of works bachelor. Everyone has their preferences on how and where to buy. As a collector I think the all-time place to discover things is the MTG Art Market and through networking within the community. And for a seller, I can think of no amend manner to have a work get the most attention and bring the highest final bid than beingness auctioned within the MTG Art Marketplace, especially with the employ of a seasoned and trusted broker.

And then let's come effectually full-circle, back to the piece of work that spurred this chat in the first identify.

I am not a "hot-take" kind of person. I like to think through things, to analyze them, find patterns, and to describe connections that construct narratives. My Tarmo-Take, a championship suggested by my Art Market place Infinitesimal editor David McCoy, is this: Tarmogoyf would have involved a larger audience of potential bidders, and in turn realized a higher price, if auctioned within the MTG Fine art Market with a banker. This would have resulted in more than money for the artist with a still happy collector, fifty-fifty if that wasn't the same person equally before.

Is it piece of cake for me to say that $18,000 isn't enough for this group of works? Certain. This level is beyond my collecting ways, and I accept no peel in the game. Information technology was agreeable by both heir-apparent and seller, and at face value there is nothing wrong with that. I'thousand glad to see the work sell for a substantial amount. An artist got paid for their piece of work, what else could I desire?

Just this year nosotros accept seen the following pinnacle-tier art sold, and this just scratches the surface:

  • Carl Critchlow's Arcbound Ravager SOLD for $45,200 via an MTG Art Market auction
  • Kaja Foglio's Shahrazad SOLD for $72,000 at Heritage at auction
  • John Avon'due south Unstable Isle SOLD for $20,000 via an MTG Art Market auction
  • Terese Nielsen'due south SDCC Planeswalkers SOLD for a combined $157,720 at eBay auction
  • Julie Baroh's Underworld Dreams SOLD for $31,000 via an MTG Art Market auction

That'southward just this year, and just a snapshot of what was public knowledge.

What do I want?  An artist to attain maximum value for their piece of work whenever possible.

The market for original Magic fine art has proven fourth dimension and time once again the fashion to do that is by fashion of auction, and a strong frontrunner is through using a trusted MTG Art Market broker. Please don't remember I am against collectors offering money to artists for their work either—I'm not, and I do information technology all the fourth dimension. For a lot of Magic art this is but fine, and everyone is happy. Only some paintings just should be auctioned, and the proof is correct here. This piece of work is as as of import every bit the one's mentioned in a higher place. Volition every auction be successful? Of form not. But the only ones that can't be successful are the ones that never happen.

Many of us within the Magic art customs are both collectors and advocates for the artist, and it creates an interesting position. I remembered something from a few months ago that has really stuck with me; the largest compliment you tin can pay an artist. I was able to reach out to the original person that said it to get it in his words. Here'due south Rob, found on Twitter @BibliovoreOrc:

For the artists nosotros love, we know that there's a 24-hour interval coming, and coming soon, when the earth is going to grab on to how corking they are. And, when that mean solar day comes, even though it probably means that we're not going to be able to buy all the paintings we'd love to buy anymore, no one will be happier about that than us, because these artists are our friends, and we want them to do well. Seeing their prices go up makes the states happy. It ways that they're doing well.

In that location yous have it folks. I can't say it whatsoever better than that. Go follow Rob on Twitter and check out his fiction and his awesome #flavoradded. He's an asset to the #mtgart and #vorthos community.

Wrapping Up

I'll step off my soapbox with this:

If y'all're a collector, sometime or new, let's talk. I want to know what you're looking for and aid you lot find information technology.

If you're an artist, old or new, let'southward talk. I want you to get the well-nigh you lot perchance tin for your work. Even if that ways I can't purchase it.

Thanks for reading, and I'll run into you next fourth dimension here in the Mirror Gallery on Hipsters of the Coast.

Donny Caltrider has been playing Magic since 2002 and collecting original Magic art since 2017. He has an K.A. in Museum Studies from Johns Hopkins University and enjoys telling stories about art, objects, and the intersection of fantasy with real-life. You can find him on Twitter talking about #mtgart, museums, and other #vorthos related goodness. Follow along and proceed the conversation!