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Spawn #1 - Signed: Should I get this graded?
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4 posts in this topic

Spawn #1 - Signed: Should I get this graded?

 I purchased a Spawn #1 cover done and signed by Chris Giarrusso, that also came with a COA.  Now I am aware of a CGC member needs to be there as a witness to make your comic a SS.  Question is to you the members, is it worth it to get it graded, even though it won't be classified as a SS and will be knocked down for "writing on the cover", even if the signature is authentic?   Also anyone know how many points it would be kocked down for that, or somewhere in a ball park estimate?  Below is picture of the actual comic in question.

 

Thanks

Nick

IMG_20170413_064102.jpg

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Is it "worth" it or not?

Only you can say...

but personally, I wouldn't bother.

The book would get a "qualified" green label, which is given to signed books without witness. A qualified 9.8 would get 68 points. A universal blue label 9.8 is worth 80 points on the registry and a witnessed yellow label would turn 88 points.

Unfortunately, in my opinion of course, neither the book or the artist are hot enough to warrant a green label. It's a neat comic, but I would leave it as is...or save up the money for an existing blue label, which can be had for cheap. 

 

 

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Thank you for the clarification with the green,blue, and yellow labels and their point systems.  I was watching the same book on ebay and it ended for $80.  I was able to get this one for $15, so does a signed book without witness really drop the price that much?  I know it's all in how much someone is willing to pay for it, but thought it was odd to get a signed book for $65 cheaper...?  So the actual score (9.4, 9.8) weather it is a blue label or green label is not effected if it's a witnessed signing or not?  Also does CGC authenticate the signatures at all that were not witnessed? 

I would get it done just for value of the book (to keep), seeing I paid $15 + cost of grade vs non signed that went for $80.

Thanks for the fast reply.

Nick

Edited by Nick2181
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On 4/13/2017 at 2:13 PM, Nick2181 said:

Thank you for the clarification with the green,blue, and yellow labels and their point systems.  I was watching the same book on ebay and it ended for $80.  I was able to get this one for $15, so does a signed book without witness really drop the price that much?  I know it's all in how much someone is willing to pay for it, but thought it was odd to get a signed book for $65 cheaper...?  So the actual score (9.4, 9.8) weather it is a blue label or green label is not effected if it's a witnessed signing or not?  Also does CGC authenticate the signatures at all that were not witnessed? 

I would get it done just for value of the book (to keep), seeing I paid $15 + cost of grade vs non signed that went for $80.

Thanks for the fast reply.

Nick

"...does a signed book without witness really drop the price that much?"

Most of the time, yes it does. There are very few exceptions to this rule, but 99.9% of the time a signature witnessed by the CGC (yellow label) will be worth more than an un-witnessed signature slabbed by the CGC and placed in a holder with a qualified (green) label.

"So the actual score (9.4, 9.8) weather it is a blue label or green label is not effected if it's a witnessed signing or not?"

The grade is not affected by a signature unless the signature caused other types of damage. Blue label (universal) means the comic is in "stock" condition with no signs of modification, alteration, or restoration. If a comic is signed and witnessed by representatives from the CGC, it receives a yellow (signature series) label. If a book shows a sign of restoration, such as color touch or sealed tears, it receives a purple label (restored). If a book shows signs of conservation, such as staple replacement, then it gets a blue/grey (conserved) label. Finally, green labels (qualified) are given to comics that were signed away from the presence of a CGC witness and to comic which have a significant defect, such as a missing coupon cut out of an interior page. More information can be found HERE.

"Also does CGC authenticate the signatures at all that were not witnessed?"

The CGC never authenticates signatures that were not witnessed by the company. There is a competitor to the CGC (use a search engine to find it) that will be happy to authenticate non-witnessed signatures, but this practice is generally frowned upon and the market prices reflect that.

Once again, I would leave the comic "as is" for now if your goal is to sell it. In this instance, a green label would hurt the value and desirability of the comic. If you want to keep it forever and you're confident and happy with your COA, then by all means proceed with the green label and be happy.

There is a small market, I suppose, for unverified signatures; however, the desirability of a CGC yellow-label slab have driven down the value of those books. Personally, I'd never purchase a comic with an unverified signature and many people now feel the same.

In case you were wondering, here are the registry values for Spawn 1 in CGC 9.8:

Yellow label - 88

Blue label - 80

Green label - 68

Purple labels - vary, but can dip as low as 10 points.

I'm not sure what the registry values are for your specific comic; I used Spawn 1 as an example to show you what kind of hit to expect if you proceed with getting it slabbed.

Welcome to the boards! Hope this helps.

 

 

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