Awesome Find on Ebay....

[JollySipper]

I ran across this while perusing the auction site. How often does something like this come up for sale? I am guessing that these are pretty rare!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/AMT-AURORA-MONOGRAM-MPC-REVELL-MODEL-BOX-ART-49-MERCURY-CUSTOM-COUPE-1975/224219020405?hash=item34347ebc75%3Ag%3AbJ8AAOSwChheZPtc&LH_BIN=1

 

[Mark]

Well, there is only one of each.  They do turn up from time to time.  I have one, a side panel illustration for a Jo-Han kit.  Didn't pay anywhere near that much for mine...

[Snake45]

Seven pigs?I won't be bidding against you. 

[Tom Geiger]

5 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Seven pigs?I won't be bidding against you. 

I’m sure the lovely Mrs Snake would be honored to have that framed in her living room.

[Casey]

Steve Wlazlo is the artist who created that, and there are two other pieces of AMT art done by Steve currently on eBay, too. More info about Steve:

https://www.bonediggers.com/2-1/wlazlo/wlazlo.html

 

[thomascoffey1959@gmail.com]

Did you see the Tom Danial super digger box art print ? Only $1995.00. Insane !  How about OBSCENE ? !

[Casey]

Just now, thomascoffey1959@gmail.com said:

Did you see the Tom Danial super digger box art print ? Only $1995.00. Insane !  How about OBSCENE ? !

Not really. As Mark said, these are all likely the only one in existence, and Tom Daniel is kind well known and his designs wildly popular with many. 

Art like this is only going to increase in price, and while I may not desire to own such a piece, someone else might.

[thomascoffey1959@gmail.com]

Yes sir, I understand that, the market is dictated by what some one is willing to pay.   Its still obscene.  must be the commie in me railing against the intellectuals and, well I can't even spell it. I also understand that the originals  are indeed art, but a print produced by a machine ?? c'mon man, really ! ?  I've got some moon dust in a little jar from when I was a kid, now THAT'S rare! Yours for the poultry sum of $4995

[Snake45]

1 hour ago, Tom Geiger said:

I’m sure the lovely Mrs Snake would be honored to have that framed in her living room.

Then you have my permission to buy it for her. 

[62SY4]

39 minutes ago, thomascoffey1959@gmail.com said:

Yes sir, I understand that, the market is dictated by what some one is willing to pay.   Its still obscene.  must be the commie in me railing against the intellectuals and, well I can't even spell it. I also understand that the originals  are indeed art, but a print produced by a machine ?? c'mon man, really ! ?  I've got some moon dust in a little jar from when I was a kid, now THAT'S rare! Yours for the poultry sum of $4995

According to the listing, it's the original TD painting. It is also listed, i.e. asking for $1995, not sold... It's listed from a zip code that 2Gs is chump change

[Mark]

Those are the actual artwork, one of one.  I'd imagine a Tom Daniel piece would outrank the AMT items regardless of who the artist was for those.  And those would top my Jo-Han piece, as I couldn't tell you who did their box art.  All of them are unique, like the Car Model build article cars that came up a couple of years ago, a couple of us here latched on to some of them.  Sure, a '69 Rebel kit or '66 Valiant promo model is rare, but these artwork items are one of one items, "rare" is an inadequate word to describe things like them.

[slusher]

I would think there are many who have no idea the value and that they are looking at art.

[thomascoffey1959@gmail.com]

     That would be some one like me who just doesn't get it. When  I look at some art I Just don't see what some people see, I have no idea what I'm looking at. like most people wouldn't get my childish obsession with model cars.    I had a friend who told me I wasn't smart enough to appreciate modern jazz,, ok, I'm ok with that, sure.

[Spex84]

Whooooaaa, this is SO cool!

If I had stacks of spare cash sitting around I'd totally buy that Mercury art. Already have the box sitting in my stash, so I guess that'll do!

[Richard Bartrop]

I know that art from my youth.  If we are talking about actual, original art, then that is a bargain.

[Phirewriter]

14 minutes ago, Richard Bartrop said:

I know that art from my youth.  If we are talking about actual, original art, then that is a bargain.

Indeed it is! If one were to have Chip Foose, Steve Stanford, Keith Weezner or any other automotive fine artist or illustrator of your choice create a rendering of your car what do you think they'll charge you? $50 and a six pack? 

Edited April 4, 2021 by Phirewriter

[Richard Bartrop]

Also something to consider is that since Photoshop is pretty much the preferred medium of commercial art now, gouache illustrations like that are pretty much a lost art.   There aren't going to be any originals available of all that new box art, because they only exist as data.

[1930fordpickup]

3 minutes ago, Phirewriter said:

Indeed it is! If one were to have Chip Foose, Steve Stanford, Keith Weezner or any other automotive fine artist or illustrator of your choice create a rendering of your car what do you think he'll charge you? $50 and a six pack? 

That is a great question about what they would charge. I have talked to a few of the Artist in the basement at the Detroit Auto Rama about this. None of them gave a price. Yes I understand why. They were are interested at the time and gave a card with contact info. 

[JollySipper]

9 hours ago, thomascoffey1959@gmail.com said:

I had a friend who told me I wasn't smart enough to appreciate modern jazz,, ok, I'm ok with that, sure.

Jazz...... has.... a sense..... of humor....

 

[JollySipper]

What medium would this have been done in? It looks like some water color, airbrush, and some fine pens maybe? Mixed media, for sure....

[thomascoffey1959@gmail.com]

    I apologize,  TJ. I meant no disrespect. I should have kept my opinion to myself. 

[Richard Bartrop]

1 hour ago, JollySipper said:

What medium would this have been done in? It looks like some water color, airbrush, and some fine pens maybe? Mixed media, for sure....

It says gouache, which is a kind of opaque watercolor.  You can use it with a regular brush, or an airbrush.

A lot of the media commercial artists used were only intended to last long enough to be photographed, so it's impressive that that has survived to the present day in such good condition.

 

As for what original art costs, it's like anything else where you want someone to employ skilled labour for an extended period of time.

Edited April 4, 2021 by Richard Bartrop

[Mark]

It's commercial art, highly collectible.  People even collect the end product (the box): this being the first step in the process leading up to that box, is unique and even better.  Not everyone bothers with parts of the hobby outside of the building of the models themselves.  For those who are into the historical end of it, and are willing to step up and spend what it takes to own something like this, it's an opportunity, and those don't happen very often.

[tim boyd]

I saw a few instances of original box art when I was doing work for AMT in the mid 1970's.   They are at a whole 'nother level of impact when you look at them in person....TIM 

[Claes Ericsson]

13 minutes ago, Mark said:

It's commercial art, highly collectible.  People even collect the end product (the box): this being the first step in the process leading up to that box, is unique and even better.  Not everyone bothers with parts of the hobby outside of the building of the models themselves.  For those who are into the historical end of it, and are willing to step up and spend what it takes to own something like this, it's an opportunity, and those don't happen very often.

x2! Had it been the art for the '59 El Camino I wouldn't have hesitated.....