Any point buying signed comics? 0

[GettingBackIntoComics]

I read somewhere that a signed comic will either grade at qualified, or the signature counts as damage in the grading process. Does that mean that signed comics are a waste of time to collect? What if a comic has certificate with it proving the providence? would that be accepted by the graders are proof? or it still won't count?

[revat]

As always, it depends on your goals for your collections, as well as the comics.

For CGC SS (yellow label), a CGC authorized witness must actually see the signature occur for the comic to get the yellow label.  Any thing else does not get the yellow label (can usually choose between qualified green, or blue with lowered grade).

If you like collecting signed comics raw, then its not a waste of time to collect signed comics raw. 

If you like to maximize your value for potential resale in the near or long term future, it probably makes sense to have your comic signed with a CGC witness, if at all.

 

But there's a lot in between that has nuance and comes with experience.

 

FOR example:  Take New Mutants 25, 1st Legion.

Example 1.  You have a raw 9.8 copy.  Universal 9.8 is worth $150 (or something). Raw is worth $30 or something.  You get it signed for $5 for Bill Sienckewicz, plus grading fees ($35?).  Now its worth $225 in CGC SS 9.8.  But with the sig and no witness, its now a CGC 9.4 universal worth maybe $80.  Or you leave it raw and now its actually just worth $25 since it can't be graded 9.8 Blue anymore.  Sucks right?

 

Example 2.  You have a VF copy, worth maybe $10.  You pay $5 to get it signed, leave it ungraded.  Now you can sell it raw for maybe $25.  Much less sucky.  And it takes up less space and weight in your collection, easier to display in more places.  You can still read the comic too. 

 

And a lot of it will depend on how much you have into the comic already and your preferred ROI, and how much actual joy you might gain from actually owning a comic or meeting a creator.

 

Soooo...it depends.  There's no simple answers that work for everything.  And there's always math.  For more info on this topic, you should go to the signature subforum.

 

Most people would say collect what you like, and then as you gain knowledge with specific parts of the industry you can try to exploit that knowledge for gain.  But if you just go in thinking there's simple, hard, fast rules that everyone can follow to profit...well you wouldn't become a coffee or gold or commodities trader without a ton of research right? 

 

Also, nearly every thing is worth 'buying' or 'collecting' if you can get it for a lower price than you can sell it.

[mschmidt]

40 minutes ago, revat said:

FOR example:  Take New Mutants 25, 1st Legion.

Example 1.  You have a raw 9.8 copy.  Universal 9.8 is worth $150 (or something). Raw is worth $30 or something.  You get it signed for $5 for Bill Sienckewicz, plus grading fees ($35?).  Now its worth $225 in CGC SS 9.8.  But with the sig and no witness, its now a CGC 9.4 universal worth maybe $80.  Or you leave it raw and now its actually just worth $25 since it can't be graded 9.8 Blue anymore.  Sucks right?

An unverified signature on the cover that's counted as a grade-affecting defect (which it is in a blue label slab) will drop a 9.8 far below a 9.4.

Think 8.0/8.5 grade range.

For a high grade modern book, it's never worth it to take the grade hit by requesting a blue label.

Edited December 14, 2017 by mschmidt

[Yorick]

Or send it to another grading company that will verify authenticity.

I have signed comics from creators who have passed away.  No way will I send those to CGC.

[GaSouthernGrad]

I got my ASM #25 with JSC signature graded. I know its his sig because I bought it from his website with a COA.  To bad CGC does not recognize COAs.   I don't mind the green label. 

[Nightwingsbutler]

You guys think it would be worth purchasing Dceased comics signed and remarked by Stefano Gaudiano ? I enjoyed the Dceased line and want some more of the variant covers, and I found some of said variants for sale that are signed and remarked by him. I believe he was an artist/inker for the storyline. 

[William-James88]

On 12/14/2017 at 11:46 AM, GettingBackIntoComics said:

I read somewhere that a signed comic will either grade at qualified, or the signature counts as damage in the grading process. Does that mean that signed comics are a waste of time to collect? What if a comic has certificate with it proving the providence? would that be accepted by the graders are proof? or it still won't count?

If you want to only collect things that have a quantifiable worth and can grow over time, then yes signed comics would be a waste for you. Doesnt matter if they have a signed certificate or whatever, your signed comic has to be in a yellow label CGC case or else it's not part of the market where you can follow it's worth as a signed comic. 

[William-James88]

6 hours ago, Nightwingsbutler said:

You guys think it would be worth purchasing Dceased comics signed and remarked by Stefano Gaudiano ? I enjoyed the Dceased line and want some more of the variant covers, and I found some of said variants for sale that are signed and remarked by him. I believe he was an artist/inker for the storyline. 

Nope, only buy those if you intend on keeping them as is and not sending them for grading. that's why they havent been snatched up, nobody thought they could make money out of them.

[vonrachen]

I have a number of comics signed by Todd Macfarlane, and others, all from small local comic stores/swap meets where they'd sign for free, back in the '80's. I also still have some of the signing tickets etc, ranging up to '92. at local comic shows and halls around Vancouver. Are these early signatures worth as much as the official CGC present day signatures? Or are they now obsolete and considered vandalized or low grade. Seems the values now are based on "CGC" official signing events as provenance.  They should be worth more, signed at events when the comics, such as Spiderman 300 were newly introduced. All mine were stored in mylar immediately and never read, so straight off the shelf. I understand that new off the shelf still doesn't guarantee even a 9.0 grading. I'm thinking that CGC grading may devalue comics such as mine, favoring their "official" signing current day promotions, based on CGC witnesses at the events. Is there a special rating or header tab that states signed comics such as mine? Thoughts?

[alexanderjk]

On 12/14/2017 at 8:46 AM, GettingBackIntoComics said:

I read somewhere that a signed comic will either grade at qualified, or the signature counts as damage in the grading process. Does that mean that signed comics are a waste of time to collect? What if a comic has certificate with it proving the providence? would that be accepted by the graders are proof? or it still won't count?

If collecting signed comics makes YOU happy, then it’s not a waste of time.

[StillOnly25Cents]

On 6/9/2022 at 12:32 PM, vonrachen said:

I have a number of comics signed by Todd Macfarlane, and others, all from small local comic stores/swap meets where they'd sign for free, back in the '80's. I also still have some of the signing tickets etc, ranging up to '92. at local comic shows and halls around Vancouver. Are these early signatures worth as much as the official CGC present day signatures? Or are they now obsolete and considered vandalized or low grade. Seems the values now are based on "CGC" official signing events as provenance.  They should be worth more, signed at events when the comics, such as Spiderman 300 were newly introduced. All mine were stored in mylar immediately and never read, so straight off the shelf. I understand that new off the shelf still doesn't guarantee even a 9.0 grading. I'm thinking that CGC grading may devalue comics such as mine, favoring their "official" signing current day promotions, based on CGC witnesses at the events. Is there a special rating or header tab that states signed comics such as mine? Thoughts?

first if you have something signed by Todd Macfarlane it isn't going to be worth much and would actually devalue the book 

now assuming you meant Todd McFarlane, I don't know of many that put a premium based on when a book was signed and CGC certainly doesn't care when the book was signed only if they witnessed the signing or not (or if an authorized facilitator of theirs did) ....if you sent your books to CGC they would not authenticate the signatures and you would not receive a yellow (signature series) label  ... so I guess in some bizarre way this "devalues" your book 

there are other companies out there that may authenticate the signatures and slab the books for you with that notation

[lostboys]

I buy signed copies as window dressing to a nice run or a limited series but I also always buy an unsigned copy as well.

This way, if I ever decide to sell my collection, I dont have to worry about buyers being turned off by a book with writing on the cover.

I know some folks dont like sigs unless certified.

 

 

[ExNihilo]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:56 AM, StillOnly25Cents said:

I don't know of many that put a premium based on when a book was signed

Stan's sig is the only creator I can think of where there's a correlation between value and when he signed.  I have to imagine people put a premium on books that weren't signed in the last two years of his life when his signature became practically unrecognizable.

[revat]

On 6/9/2022 at 10:32 AM, vonrachen said:

I have a number of comics signed by Todd Macfarlane, and others, all from small local comic stores/swap meets where they'd sign for free, back in the '80's. I also still have some of the signing tickets etc, ranging up to '92. at local comic shows and halls around Vancouver. Are these early signatures worth as much as the official CGC present day signatures? Or are they now obsolete and considered vandalized or low grade. Seems the values now are based on "CGC" official signing events as provenance.  They should be worth more, signed at events when the comics, such as Spiderman 300 were newly introduced. All mine were stored in mylar immediately and never read, so straight off the shelf. I understand that new off the shelf still doesn't guarantee even a 9.0 grading. I'm thinking that CGC grading may devalue comics such as mine, favoring their "official" signing current day promotions, based on CGC witnesses at the events. Is there a special rating or header tab that states signed comics such as mine? Thoughts?

Generally, the answer is it depends on a bunch of stuff, the issue, the grade, the buyer, the aesthetics, the selling venue, etc.  But CGC doesn't devalue anything, but probably there are some of your comics for which there may not be obvious economic benefit to submitting.

I'll give you an example:

A raw ASM 300 FINE condition can probably get $250-$300.

A signed (if the sig looks good) copy probably $20-$30 more (maybe $50 if you're lucky).

BUT it would now probably cost you $150 minimum to get a TODD SIG CGC SS added to an unsigned raw FINE, but you won't get $450-$500 for a CGC SS 5.0 signed by Todd, plus you'd have to part with your money and the book for 4-6 months.

SO it just depends.  But yes for high grade keys, it would in most cases be better to have a CGC SS, but that doesn't mean your book has no value.  There just may be less value to getting slabbed by CGC.

But as others have said, there might be value to considering other grading companies.  

Just like anything else, the more you learn about grading and values the better decisions you'll make. If finances matter, just look for ways to maximize your value, not reasons to be mad about decisions you made 30 yrs ago.

[rexinnih]

Pretty much what has already been covered. If it's good for you, then go with it. I have many from my days growing up in San Diego and going to the con that are signed on the first page, not the cover as it was "back in the day," and enjoy those. I've submitted some that have a CGC notation. If you want graded, with CGC be prepared for Qualified or a deducted blue label or "another" company as suggested. Depends on what your end game is. I have a duo Kirby and Stan Lee signed book on the inside cover I have displayed but will never submit for grading because I like to display it. 

[shadroch]

On 6/9/2022 at 1:08 PM, ExNihilo said:

Stan's sig is the only creator I can think of where there's a correlation between value and when he signed.  I have to imagine people put a premium on books that weren't signed in the last two years of his life when his signature became practically unrecognizable.

I'd wager a cult will grow up based on getting the very last books he signed.