Quick Pitch: Sketch Maven is an online marketplace where dealers, collectors and artists buy and sell original comic book artwork.
Genius Idea: Founded by comic book connoisseur Mike Todasco, Sketch Maven claims to be the world's greatest comic art marketplace. Claims like that are difficult to verify, but we're confident in calling the site an excellent resource for collectors who appreciate these formerly unappreciated works of art.
Sketch Maven doesn't sell prints or finished comic books. Rather, it sells the original artwork, hand-drawn by the artist. These are the same works that comic book publishers add colors and speech bubbles to before they print thousands of copies. These works are usually black and white pencil drawings inked in with India ink, but the site also sells color guides — copies of the original drawings that are
hand-colored by the artist for use as a guide by publishers.
The site serves both buyers and sellers. Sellers list and upload digital images of their work at no cost. Buyers browse the site ad-free to find pieces they're interested in adding to their collections. Artists can either list prices or invite buyers to make offers that they can accept or deny.
Sketch Maven makes its money by charging a small base fee (only $0.30) and a percentage of the final sale price (5-10%, depending on the sale amount) upon the completion of the transaction. The numbers are more favorable for the seller than they would be at eBay or PayPal.
The basics have already been implemented, but Todasco has published a roadmap of upcoming options such as auctions, want lists, international support and opportunities to buy and sell sketches. Collectors certainly have more to look forward to from this site.
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