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Segar, E. C. {Popeye] *

I have wanted to collect Thimble Theater/Popeye originals for many years. They seem to be more uncommon than originals of other comic strip series, probably about as scarce as Barney Google strips. I developed interests in both at about the same time, when Collectors Book Store had a number of eamples of both strips from the early to mid-1930s consigned to their auctions from a former assistant to a comic strip artist. I hadn't decided to start collecting stripe art back then (late 1970s, early 1980s), but most of the Barney Googles were bought by Sy Schecter while most of the Popeyes were purchased by Bruce Hamilton. After Schecter passed away, I was able to acquire the Googles that I had missed out on when they were first sold. And, although I was still longing for the many Popeyes that Bruce had bought over the years, I wasn't so lucky when it came to those after their first own died. In particular there was one daily and one Sunday which I wanted very badly. The daily, with the Jeep conveying his belief that Olive Oil was ugly, had been among the Popeyes auctioned by Collectors Book Store. The Sunday, wherein Swee' Pea escaped significant punishment for disobeying Popeye's instruction not to eat jam, was sold earlier by Collectors, as a direct sale to Hamilton -- I only knew of it from the catalogue in which it was offered. When I heard of Bruce's death, I began to have hope that I could somehow get the two Popeyes. Not that long after, I learned that a private wheeler-dealer in comic and animation art had obtained the estate. I knew that he was coming to the San Diego con, so I called him from my hotel room the evening before the convention began. He said that he was already in town, but that he couldn't see me that night. He knew what I was interested in buying but said that he would show them to me the following morning. When I called him the next day, I was told that he had sold both the daily and the Sunday the night before. Just Great!!! The new owner was someone who had worked with Diamond Comics. I didn't know him personally, and I sort of gave up on the Popeyes. But then, a few years later, the elusive Sunday original showed up in an auction...with the company I had issues with over the Blondie unger strike daily, as I outlined in my narrative about collecting Blondie originals. What happened with that strip pales in comparison to what I encountered, indirectly, in trying to buy the Popeye. Since I was boycotting the company (not that they knew or cared), I arranged for a close friend to bid on the Popeye. He wanted me to give him a strict maximum a mount to bid, which is a requirement I just hate since I don't adhere to maximums when I bid myself. In any event, I looked at the prices which had been realized at past auctions for Popeye Sundays and decided that the one I wanted would be likely to sell for less than $18,000, which is the upper limit I told to my friend. I followed the sale of the strip in real time, and, much to my extreme disappointment, it went for one bid above the maximum I had given. I wasn't happy, but I fully understood that anything can happen with an auction. What I didn't appreciate was what happened over the next several days. The day after the auction, my friend received a telephone call regarding the Popeye. He was informed that the buyer wasn't able to cover the amount he bid -- something a buyer usually doesn't realize so close to the date he actually made the high bid. But the representative of the auction company was happy to offer the Popeye to my friend for his last, unsuccessful bid. Of course, had the other, ostensibly deadbeat bidder not been bidding all along, the underbid by my friend would almost certainly never been reached. What would have been fair and appropriate was an offer to let him buy the piece tor an amount that was one bid higher than that bid by the third person who had bid, which is what the strip would have sold for if the offending bidder had never been involved. My friend and I discussed the situation, and he called the company back and declined their offer and suggested what was clearly the only fair resolution. They didn't back down, and, a week later they called back to ask if my friend changed his mind. Although I might have caved in, since I was the one who desperately wanted the strip, my friend was much more disciplined and again declined the offer. I then made significant attempts to track down the consignor, since I assumed he would be getting the original back after it failed to sell. I intended to offer him an amount which I thought would clearly exceed what he would have netted, after the commission, if it had actually sold, but I wasn't able to reach him. The strip was again offered several months later in one of the auction company's major sales, but, out of principle, neither I nor my friend participated. Continued under first entry, below...

There are 3 Pieces of Art In This Gallery.    

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Three Popeye Daily Strips from the same seqence 1936

Art Details

Artist:	Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	1239
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	7/6/2006

About the Owner

C E
Member Since:	April 2006

Three Popeye Daily Strips from the same seqence 1936
Artist: Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
1239 Views

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Popeye Daily with Eugene the Jeep March 30, 1937

Art Details

Artist:	Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	1123
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	7/4/2006

About the Owner

C E
Member Since:	April 2006

Popeye Daily with Eugene the Jeep March 30, 1937
Artist: Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
1123 Views

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Thimble Theater Daily, 20 Aug 1938 - Sixth To Last Segar Popeye Daily and the Last Segar Daily with Olive Oil

Art Details

Artist:	Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
Media Type:	Pen and Ink
Art Type:	Comic Strip
For Sale Status:	NFS
Views	1776
Comments:	0
Added to Site:	6/17/2006

About the Owner

C E
Member Since:	April 2006

Thimble Theater Daily, 20 Aug 1938 - Sixth To Last Segar Popeye Daily and the Last Segar Daily with Olive Oil
Artist: Elzie Crisler Segar (All)
1776 Views

There are 3 Pieces of Art In This Gallery.    

About the Owner C E Joined: April 2006 Last Login: August 2025 Country: UNITED STATES On CAF: C's Want List Artworks Commented On Liked Art Site Activity on CAF

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