• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Not A Verified Signature. Does it Decrease My Book’s Value?
0

9 posts in this topic

Hey everyone,

I own a Silver Age X-Men, issue #5 that has “Stan Lee’s” signature on the first page. I did not witness him signing it nor do I have any proof that’s it his signature. Does this degrade the value of my book?

0F0A56DC-1874-40D8-96DB-03DC167C0C96.jpeg

F840F95A-AB04-49DC-8DF8-6D52F2796F9E.jpeg

Edited by finalfan7asy
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Absolutely not - to most collectors. There are absolute purists who demand that there be no writing, but even CGC will not deduct (unless, possibly, if it is ultra high grade)  for a clean sig on the splash page.  Also, that is almost certainly an authentic Stan Lee signature.  It looks fantastic!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, seanfingh said:

Absolutely not - to most collectors. There are absolute purists who demand that there be no writing, but even CGC will not deduct (unless, possibly, if it is ultra high grade)  for a clean sig on the splash page.  Also, that is almost certainly an authentic Stan Lee signature.  It looks fantastic!!!

I was able to contact the original owner and he told me it was signed in the 70s. Apparently they didn’t do “COA” during that time.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎12‎/‎1‎/‎2017 at 8:40 PM, Mercury Man said:

Stan has signed so much stuff during his lifetime, that soon there will be a premium for unsigned Stan Lee comics ¬¬

Yes my unsigned Detective Comics #27 will be going for a premium since Sheldon Cooper had all the other known copies signed by Stan Lee 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am a bit new to this whole CGC and Signature Series thing but it is pretty easy to grasp the whole manufactured rarity concept that it creates. I think most common sense people understand that given his long life and involvement with the fans, a Stan Lee autograph will never be rare or difficult to find. Will these SS values hold or is it just creating a bubble that will burst down the line? Only time will tell. Recently we met Stan at a convention and after getting a few comics signed I chose to go the whole route to get them graded. I must admit the process is a bit of a circus that kind of leaves you thinking that you just got took in a shell game.

Given the original post on this thread I have noticed that CGC either has the signature series or "Name written on cover in marker" stating that CGC neither has the skill or talent to authenticate an autograph they didn't see. So if finalfan7asy wanted to get the comic graded what would be the reason to use CGC over another grading service that provides signing unseen authentication? I understand the process is not as reliable as the signature series but it certainly is not unreliable.

Of course, getting a comic graded with the signature on the inside falls under the guise of a Jedi mind trick. Still I cant think of any use or desire for "Name written in marker" on my book.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12 hours ago, Mykdude said:

I am a bit new to this whole CGC and Signature Series thing but it is pretty easy to grasp the whole manufactured rarity concept that it creates. I think most common sense people understand that given his long life and involvement with the fans, a Stan Lee autograph will never be rare or difficult to find. Will these SS values hold or is it just creating a bubble that will burst down the line? Only time will tell. Recently we met Stan at a convention and after getting a few comics signed I chose to go the whole route to get them graded. I must admit the process is a bit of a circus that kind of leaves you thinking that you just got took in a shell game.

Given the original post on this thread I have noticed that CGC either has the signature series or "Name written on cover in marker" stating that CGC neither has the skill or talent to authenticate an autograph they didn't see. So if finalfan7asy wanted to get the comic graded what would be the reason to use CGC over another grading service that provides signing unseen authentication? I understand the process is not as reliable as the signature series but it certainly is not unreliable.

Of course, getting a comic graded with the signature on the inside falls under the guise of a Jedi mind trick. Still I cant think of any use or desire for "Name written in marker" on my book.  

I would say generally, unless one is super knowledgeable and has the cash to make real money on real keys, there's generally shouldn't be too much profit motive in getting Stan's sig on things.  If you want a Stan sig and can afford it, get it for yourself, independent of expected future earnings.  Enjoy Stan and the hobby.  Obviously if money is key to you, do the math and see what's what, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't (but one could say that about any business). 

I think ultimately the Stan CGC SS books that will have the most value (vs their blue counterparts) in the long run will be older comics that STan worked on in high (but not ultra high grade), like early ASM's and FF's in the 8.0-9.2 and low-to-mid-grade megakeys that Stan worked on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On ‎1‎/‎25‎/‎2018 at 5:27 PM, revat said:

I would say generally, unless one is super knowledgeable and has the cash to make real money on real keys, there's generally shouldn't be too much profit motive in getting Stan's sig on things.  If you want a Stan sig and can afford it, get it for yourself, independent of expected future earnings.  Enjoy Stan and the hobby.  Obviously if money is key to you, do the math and see what's what, sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't (but one could say that about any business). 

I think ultimately the Stan CGC SS books that will have the most value (vs their blue counterparts) in the long run will be older comics that STan worked on in high (but not ultra high grade), like early ASM's and FF's in the 8.0-9.2 and low-to-mid-grade megakeys that Stan worked on.

Yeah, I can't really disagree with any of this. My son and I had the experience of meeting him (if that's what you want to call it) and getting a couple books signed. They were somewhat key issues, Star Wars 1, Howard the Duck 1 and First Appearance of Dead Pool but after doing the math (including getting to the con) it will be some time before I break even. 

I think that has become a problem with this whole process in that the initial cost more often than not leaves you fairly deep in the hole. One can do much better waiting out some auction on Ebay than to get the job done themselves. I see many of Stan's CGC SS books go for less than the cost of the grade and the signature. Maybe the people who have the resources to submit 200+ items to one of his personal signings get a much better deal.   

Fortunately, I have no aspirations to make a habit out of this for any signature. It was a one time deal and we enjoyed ourselves. It seems to me that trying to line up convention activity with the availability of a CGC witness already starts the whole process as one big pain in the butt.

Edited by Mykdude
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
0