Collection of Early 90s TSR Artwork
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Post Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 11:13 pm 
 

I'm respectfully asking the valuation committee to contact me confidentially to discuss a collection of original artwork related items that I have acquired.

I'm not a D&D player, but I have great respect for the iconic game.

I own a specialized industrial recycling company and am involved in factory / plant closures and often come across very unique items.

Last week I stumbled upon, and have in my possession, a collection of original TSR artwork related items from: BROM, Easley, Caldwell, Heyer, Fields etc.

These are documented 1 owner items with complete chain of custody history.

Please private message me.

Thank you

  

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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:28 am 
 

Hello oldgoldman, welcome to The Acaeum!

Although the valuation board certainly appreciates TSR related artwork, and would love to see what you have in your possession, The Acaeum probably isn't the best forum for providing assistance in art valuations.

Please feel free to share with the community what you have obtained.  The Acaeum community will certainly enjoy seeing it, and some of our members are very experienced in artwork from the artists you have mentioned.  They might even be able to help you verify the authenticity and value of your collection.

Fellow Acaeum members are certainly welcome to PM you for details, if they wish to do so.


Last edited by dbartman on Wed Sep 18, 2019 6:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  

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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:46 am 
 

Hello and welcome to the Acaeum, like dbartman wrote, the best option would be to openly post your findings here. This would hopefully bring you to a good audience for a first rough appraisal and kindof validation about history/ownership. You'd achieve even a third goal though: you might be able to find either a straight deal or good suggestions on how and where to sell your gems (i'm thinking to gencon or Paul's auctions).
Ciaoo


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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:41 am 
 

At least some of these artists have art for sale on their private web-sites which can give you a clue as to the lowest they'd sell for.  What this community can definitely do is provide some feedback regarding where your art might appear in or on collectible books and such.  Our strong suit is in role-playing history.  Like others have said, post pictures of your artwork here, and you'll likely get lots of helpful feedback, perhaps in some unexpected ways.  For example, I've been a part of a sub-group on these forums which produced limited edition prints of great TSR artists including Easley.  It's a way of making money from your find without having to part with it, perhaps more than a straight sale.   8)


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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:39 am 
 

Thank you for the thoughtful and respectful answers.  By no means am I attempting to be sneaky or sly about these.  I've sold many rare found objects over the past decade and have learned that slow and patient usually brings the best win-win outcome.  I can not be an expert in every field, so I let the experts ( you ) be the market, then I decide whether to market as is, incorporate into my own high end artwork, hold or destroy.

These are in the hold pattern right now.  I specifically made the photos not perfectly clear or square.  Here are a couple of samples from the collection ..

Stunningly detailed and beautiful.  There is no question of authenticity or I wouldn't waste your time or mine.

All my best,
OGM

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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 9:21 pm 
 

Can you look at the art under a magnifying glass and see if there is a dot pattern present? These look as though they may be prints. Or, perhaps they are repros used to make book/magazine covers? It used to be a thing to make a good photograph from the original paining, which could then be digitally scanned for insertion into a computer layout program.

The edges being perfectly straight (and having a border), plus the color swatches make me think they are a step between the original paintings and the book in which they were used.


Art of dragons doing what dragons do. Site of a friend. Dragonstuff

  


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Post Posted: Wed Sep 18, 2019 10:52 pm 
 

Hi Simpering Toad,

Thank you for your note and apologize that I'm unable to make the images more clear for you.

Under magnifying glass you see the lines of the canvas .. no dots.  On the ROBH you see acid free tape, plywood and thumb tacks as well.  On most of them you see the corner cut lines on the matte.

These Kodak films were taken on a Brown Presidential Series large format camera with a Goerz 70 MM lens ( which was also immensely valuable ).

My source and my company are based in WI.  My client had a long and direct relationship with TSR in Lake Geneva for many years.  They are insanely beautiful in every way.  They have not been seen or touched in over 25 years, until I discovered them while dismantling a vintage HELL printing machine last week.

What I want to know is .. are there any other original films with documented history in the world ?  I have the Green Lady from Fields .. is there another ?

Thank you

  

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Post Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:47 am 
 

Just for my interest: is there any work dated around 1995? I'd like to see if there is any chance to see a Planescape artwork.
Thanks and ciaoo


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Post Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 12:15 pm 
 

Fred Field's was kind enough to provide some feedback on these paintings:

Those paintings were done for the women of fantasy calendar. Ruppel used to paint on canvas tacked up on plywood. Those color swatches were attached to the paintings before they were photographed for later color correction. I painted on illustration board and taped off an area around the edges so that the painting could be handled. Clyde did the same. These may be originals. Maybe. Could you ask the gentleman to take a pic of the back of the green lady?


oldgoldman, Can you provide a picture of the back of Green Lady?

  


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Post Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 1:37 pm 
 

I'm curious to learn if any earlier artwork from the 1980s is within the cache?

Allan.


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Post Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 6:43 pm 
 

dbartman wrote in Collection of Early 90s TSR Artwork:Fred Field's was kind enough to provide some feedback on these paintings:



oldgoldman, Can you provide a picture of the back of Green Lady?

Ah! Cool! Thanks for the clarification.


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Post Posted: Thu Sep 19, 2019 10:58 pm 
 

Thank you all for the information !!

I can not provide a picture of the "back" of green lady.   All I can do is reverse the film.

Mr. Field's description matches exactly how the various works are mounted.

The only other new detail would be that I can also see that most of the paintings appear to be tacked with brass tacks.

The BROM pieces use a canvas with much more texture .. rougher and less refined.

Women of Fantasy Calendar explains why maybe Babette is there along with another ROBH painting of a virtually nude female warrior with gold chains on her feet and a long sword and shield.

Most work appears to be 1992 vintage.

Not sure exactly what the Planescape is despite googling it.

I plan on being back at the site tomorrow or next week and I'll keep snooping around.

Regards

  

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Post Posted: Fri Sep 20, 2019 8:00 am 
 

oldgoldman wrote in Collection of Early 90s TSR Artwork:
Not sure exactly what the Planescape is despite googling it.


Planescape - Wikipedia


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Post Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 7:28 pm 
 

Amazing paintings.

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Post Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2019 7:56 pm 
 

Hi Everybody,

Thank you for taking a look at the films.  My plan is to continue to look for more originals over the next couple of weeks, then I'll likely put some on eBay or another auction site that may be more suited to RPG.  At this time I will not be selling any of the BROM or ROBH

It is clear they are authentic originals and I will treasure and protect them even though I'm not a DND player.   They are spectacular pieces of history.

I'll also be looking to create custom projectors to display the pieces on walls or canvas with all of the remaining photographic gear in the factory.  Maybe the 10 best will go on a roadshow.

That's it from MKE.

OGM

  


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Post Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 8:41 pm 
 

so I've brought the films to life and plan to build more of these vertical steampunk like light boxes with the Kodak safe lights.

sorry the picture isn't great .. but it is just as clear and detailed as the original painting, just on a smaller scale.

thought you'd like

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Last edited by oldgoldman on Wed Dec 11, 2019 3:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
  

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Post Posted: Tue Dec 10, 2019 9:23 pm 
 

Nice!

  


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Post Posted: Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:05 am 
 

I wonder how long positives can hold up being lit up like that?

  
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