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The Notorious Counterfeit Cerebus 1
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123 posts in this topic

On 2/9/2019 at 8:21 PM, boomtown said:

Any opinions on this copy that is up for sale on ebay?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Cerebus-the-Aardvark-1-NM-9-2-Autographed-Dave-Sim-Original-1st-Print/392234262990?hash=item5b52fbe1ce:g:1HYAAOSw~TdcXhcn

It seems to pass most of the check points and is signed by Sim in his actual name (assuming that wasn't forged). My problem with it is that my go to check point has always been the "handle" of the sword in Cerebus hand and the outline on the shield. The original version has the black ink bleeding badly to the point it fills in noticeably. This one doesn't have the bleed. Other than that it appears to check out.

 

On 2/14/2019 at 7:13 PM, Stingrayiii said:

I disagree. If you look, this bidder is just bidding on this seller only. No other sellers, and bidding on 11 of the sellers books. Looks like a shill bids to me.

 

On 2/19/2019 at 9:49 AM, ygogolak said:

Yes, but as I said. There is a good chance they do not bid on a lot of items on eBay. There have been board members that have agreed that this is how their results may look as well because they are not active on eBay unless something special comes up.

Edit: Ah, I see you said they are bidding on multiples auctions of the one seller. I would agree as well then, thanks.

It's absolutely real.  I bought it.  Irrespective of any shill bidding, opportunities to buy this book in this condition are rare, and luck favors the prepared.   

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9 hours ago, FattyDaddyComics said:

 

 

It's absolutely real.  I bought it.  Irrespective of any shill bidding, opportunities to buy this book in this condition are rare, and luck favors the prepared.   

Well, big congrats on picking up a beautiful copy at an absolutely amazingly low price.  :applause:

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23 hours ago, lou_fine said:

Well, big congrats on picking up a beautiful copy at an absolutely amazingly low price.  :applause:

Thanks!  Along with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1, it was THE GRAIL to own when I was a kid in the 80's and impossible to find (pre-Internet days).  I'm delighted to finally own a copy -- especially one that is not so shabby!  I'll share the results once CGC grades it!  

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On 2/28/2019 at 7:14 AM, CDNComix said:

About a year ago, a comic collector (that I purchased many items from before and chatted with many times) contacted me because he knew that  I was Canadian and an underground collector. He wanted to know if I was interested in the real and fake versions of Cerebus #1 that he recently bought from someone else. At the time I did not have the funds to purchase the legitimate copy, but managed to strike a deal (under $100) for the counterfeit. This is what I had received from the seller:

cerebus.PNG

I contacted the seller to let me know that I thought that they had made a mistake and had mixed-up the real copy with the counterfeit, but they stated that I was wrong and were 100% certain I received the correct item. There was a slight suggestion that I was trying to scam them. The bag in which I received my item was tagged with "Cerebus Counterfeit" and I only could assume the seller or the original owner inadvertently switched the comics and the bags.

This is the counterfeit -  100% positive.  Go back a page and look at my earlier post.

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On ‎3‎/‎5‎/‎2019 at 9:12 AM, Stronguy said:

This is the counterfeit -  100% positive.  Go back a page and look at my earlier post. 

Its not, it's real. The scan is probably throwing you off.

It has non-glossy IFC. Cerebus is gray screen through out, not black. Any page and/or close-up, you want to see? The only non-match with your comparison is my "$1" and front soldier are pretty clean.

I posted an image of gray-screened, non-blackish Cerebus; a close-up of a soldier without any trapping of red ink (an older wider known tell); and a comparison of the gloss of the front cover to the non-glossy IFC.

Gray.jpgNo red trapping.PNG

Cover.jpg

 

The criteria of "real" examples having a dirtier black opposed to a crisp in the "S", "$1" and on the "red solider", as stated by Stronguy SHOULD NOT BE USED. Why? Because it is inconsistant within the print run. Some examples of "real #1s" are dirty, likes Stronguy's and some examples are not like mine. What's my proof? There are many examples of CGC Certified Cerebus #1 on Heritage Auctions, both real and fake. You can enlarge these images up and see for yourself. Although the fakes are consistently crisper, there is a wide range of quality with regard to the black print on the fronts of real Cerebus #1s. I am 100% positive that my find is real.

 

Hertitage CGC Certified Real #1.PNGHertitage CGC Certified Real #2.PNGHertitage CGC Certified Real #3.PNGHertitage CGC Certified Real #4.PNGMine.PNG

Edited by CDNComix
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By far the best measure of whether or not a Cerebus # 1 is authentic is the inside of the cover. If it's glossy it's fake. If not, it is almost certainly real (though the front cover should be glossy). Cerebus being grey screen throughout the book is the next measure of authenticity. If the character is washed out or black throughout the pages it is almost certainly fake. The quality of the color on the cover (is it red or orange?) is not a good measure because of the possibility of colour fading over time if stored incorrectly. As Dan says, the close-up of the soldier on the front cover is an old tell, as is the $1. However, neither are good measures of authenticity in and of themselves. Some people have also mused about the quality of the staples as being a tell, but I do not see this as a good measure at all. If the accumulation of tells all suggest that it is real, then it is almost certainly so. The copy Dan received is authentic and the seller messed up. Dan is a honest guy. I know other people who would have quietly kept the item and would not have notified the seller of their mistake.

The difficulty with all of this is that it is really easy to tell the difference if you are holding one in your hand. It is much more difficult to tell the difference if you are looking at pictures on eBay. The burden of correct information belongs to both the buyer and seller.

I have handled many Dave Sim autographs over the years and attended his last official signing in Halifax, NS in 2010 at Strange Adventures. My wife and I have several Sim autographs in our collections from different eras. His signature is not easy to fake and it stays relatively consistent over time. At the event in Halifax, Sim signed some fake and authentic copies of Cerebus # 1. He was easily able to spot the difference and educate owners. He has been inscribing originals and fakes since the fakes came to market with his determination of authenticity. My wife's authentic Cerebus # 1 has such an inscription.

Cerebus 1.jpg

Cerebus 1 (signed interior).jpg

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Looking at the gorgeous Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics purchased on eBay, I am inclined to think that it is real without seeing the inside front cover tell because of the signature. Raw specimens in this condition are like unicorns because of Sim holding back the best copies that he eventually sent to CGC. Sim's go-to inscription has always been "Best Wishes" and the signature on the comic in question looks correct for the era. When I met him at The Last Signing, I brought a Spawn # 10 with me to see how he would react. He made a big stink about it and called me out in front of the other people waiting in line. It was quite funny and I got the reaction I wanted. He personalized it for me, included a sketch and inscribed "Best Wishes" with the signature. He had been signing for four to five hours by this point and the signature is not as crisp as it would be if he wasn't so tired. However, the "Best Wishes" is consistent with other specimens I have seen, including the Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics recently purchased. Here is a picture of the Spawn # 10 in question with the postcard that Strange Adventures handed out at the event, which I kept in my files for the sake of provenance.

Spawn 10 signed.jpeg

Last Signing.jpeg

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On 3/7/2019 at 10:07 AM, ecgt said:

Looking at the gorgeous Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics purchased on eBay, I am inclined to think that it is real without seeing the inside front cover tell because of the signature. Raw specimens in this condition are like unicorns because of Sim holding back the best copies that he eventually sent to CGC. Sim's go-to inscription has always been "Best Wishes" and the signature on the comic in question looks correct for the era. When I met him at The Last Signing, I brought a Spawn # 10 with me to see how he would react. He made a big stink about it and called me out in front of the other people waiting in line. It was quite funny and I got the reaction I wanted. He personalized it for me, included a sketch and inscribed "Best Wishes" with the signature. He had been signing for four to five hours by this point and the signature is not as crisp as it would be if he wasn't so tired. However, the "Best Wishes" is consistent with other specimens I have seen, including the Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics recently purchased. Here is a picture of the Spawn # 10 in question with the postcard that Strange Adventures handed out at the event, which I kept in my files for the sake of provenance.

Spawn 10 signed.jpeg

Last Signing.jpeg

Thanks for the compliment on, and show of support for, my Cerebus #1 being the real deal!  As I mentioned in an earlier post, I will share the CGC results with this group once the comic gets graded!  Stay tuned.

 

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8 minutes ago, Wolverinex said:

It just amazes me that Cerebus 1 has been counterfeited but Hulk 181 hasn't...

If you look at the counterfeits from that era, you can tell why they were done. They were not of the quality of the Big 2. And this could be reproduced easily and look similar, because, well they were probably using the same machines to make the counterfeits as the originals.

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On 3/7/2019 at 10:07 AM, ecgt said:

Looking at the gorgeous Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics purchased on eBay, I am inclined to think that it is real without seeing the inside front cover tell because of the signature. Raw specimens in this condition are like unicorns because of Sim holding back the best copies that he eventually sent to CGC. Sim's go-to inscription has always been "Best Wishes" and the signature on the comic in question looks correct for the era. When I met him at The Last Signing, I brought a Spawn # 10 with me to see how he would react. He made a big stink about it and called me out in front of the other people waiting in line. It was quite funny and I got the reaction I wanted. He personalized it for me, included a sketch and inscribed "Best Wishes" with the signature. He had been signing for four to five hours by this point and the signature is not as crisp as it would be if he wasn't so tired. However, the "Best Wishes" is consistent with other specimens I have seen, including the Cerebus # 1 that FattyDaddyComics recently purchased. Here is a picture of the Spawn # 10 in question with the postcard that Strange Adventures handed out at the event, which I kept in my files for the sake of provenance.

 

 

What was the stink about?

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On 3/9/2019 at 11:58 PM, ygogolak said:

What was the stink about?

Essentially, the idea was that only a poser would bring a Spawn comic to a Cerebus signing.

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On 3/9/2019 at 10:58 PM, ygogolak said:

What was the stink about?

13 minutes ago, ecgt said:

Essentially, the idea was that only a poser would bring a Spawn comic to a Cerebus signing.

Ah, like you aren't a "true fan". Did you ask him what the air was like up on his throne?

:roflmao:

 

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28 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

Ah, like you aren't a "true fan". Did you ask him what the air was like up on his throne?

:roflmao:

 

There was no need: before he started signing a single item, he stood up and sang his own rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way." That was all we needed to know. In reality, he was quite humourous and his jabs and jests were not meant to be mean spirited.

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Just now, ecgt said:

There was no need: before he started signing a single item, he stood up and sang his own rendition of Frank Sinatra's "My Way." That was all we needed to know. In reality, he was quite humourous and his jabs and jests were not meant to be mean spirited.

Wow, in trying to find some info. on the issue with Spawn 10 over the weekend, I stumbled on a bunch of articles. He is truly a unique character.

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14 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

Wow, in trying to find some info. on the issue with Spawn 10 over the weekend, I stumbled on a bunch of articles. He is truly a unique character.

Meeting him in person left no doubt in my mind.

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3 hours ago, ecgt said:
3 hours ago, ygogolak said:

Wow, in trying to find some info. on the issue with Spawn 10 over the weekend, I stumbled on a bunch of articles. He is truly a unique character.

Meeting him in person left no doubt in my mind.

Maybe we should ask Deni for her opinion of Dave?  :slapfight:  lol

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15 minutes ago, lou_fine said:

Maybe we should ask Deni for her opinion of Dave?  :slapfight:  lol

Or Colleen Doran, she'll give you an earful. And it ain't positive.

I find him to be a humble and modest individual, a far cry from his hedonistic heydey. We've talked on the phone, I once called him drunk to thank him for some art he sent me but thankfully he didn't pick up then.

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