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Do creators charge too much for signatures?
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450 posts in this topic

6 minutes ago, JollyComics said:

I missed it out everything until I started my interesting in the comic books in 2008.

Just wondered those creators signed the books at no charge long before CGC was founded.

Then along came the flippers and they said wait a minnit-

 

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In my mind, autographs are a memento of a personal encounter, not something you stand in line like a head of cattle to pay for. I don't want anyne's sig that way as a collector. 

I understand some people do it for profit; I'm not going to make my living standing in line. Profit or no, it feels demeaning to me. And I cannot understand the mindset of the buyer who did not stand in line to get it themselves and at least meet the person. (Or course, with dead people, it's impossible. If you love someone's work, I get that it can seem cool to have their sig.)

I generally don't like writing on my comics. I have come to like the writing of original owners on GA. I won't pay for someone to sign, nor will I choose to buy books with signatures. I do sometimes buy collections with sigs in them; I usually sell those. I admit it's kinda neat to have Dan DeCarlo and Joe Kubert on a couple otherwise worthless books. I wouldn't know what to charge for them if I could be bothered selling them. 

I have a few sigs that are genuine mementos of actual encounters with creators. If I keep any, I guess it's those. I also have OA signed sketches from the same creators, so I may well sell the comics.

I also bought an OA collection of Classics Illustrated from a completist; there was a Dan Kushner sig on the 3rd HRN of Gulliver's Travels. I offered it once; now I think it's kind of cool. But really I think it matters to me who the next steward is; I would sell to someone to whom it seems CI matters, I guess.

Those are my sig thoughts laid bare; thanks @kav

 

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33 minutes ago, Readcomix said:

In my mind, autographs are a memento of a personal encounter, not something you stand in line like a head of cattle to pay for. I don't want anyne's sig that way as a collector. 

I understand some people do it for profit; I'm not going to make my living standing in line. Profit or no, it feels demeaning to me. And I cannot understand the mindset of the buyer who did not stand in line to get it themselves and at least meet the person. (Or course, with dead people, it's impossible. If you love someone's work, I get that it can seem cool to have their sig.)

I generally don't like writing on my comics. I have come to like the writing of original owners on GA. I won't pay for someone to sign, nor will I choose to buy books with signatures. I do sometimes buy collections with sigs in them; I usually sell those. I admit it's kinda neat to have Dan DeCarlo and Joe Kubert on a couple otherwise worthless books. I wouldn't know what to charge for them if I could be bothered selling them. 

I have a few sigs that are genuine mementos of actual encounters with creators. If I keep any, I guess it's those. I also have OA signed sketches from the same creators, so I may well sell the comics.

I also bought an OA collection of Classics Illustrated from a completist; there was a Dan Kushner sig on the 3rd HRN of Gulliver's Travels. I offered it once; now I think it's kind of cool. But really I think it matters to me who the next steward is; I would sell to someone to whom it seems CI matters, I guess.

Those are my sig thoughts laid bare; thanks @kav

 

I like frazetta's sig and would like it on books but if he drew action #1 I would not want his sig on it!!!!  AF15 with sigs seem such a waste to me.  If there were 2 AF15s in same condition and one had stan lee sig I would pay $1000 more for the unblemished copy.

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4 minutes ago, kav said:

I like frazetta's sig and would like it on books but if he drew action #1 I would not want his sig on it!!!!  AF15 with sigs seem such a waste to me.

I guess that's at least a part of what I'm saying; that is one of my perspectives. On the other hand, I have an Avengers #4, sweet copy other than original owner's sig on the splash page lower margin. Acquired it as a high schooler in the 80's; prevailing mindset was it was a form of damage on an otherwise nice book. Glad today it's not regarded so harshly.

Maybe I'll buy me one o' them Dell Otto's and write my name and address on the cover :luhv:

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4 hours ago, Blastaar said:
4 hours ago, kav said:

Due to people just flipping for profit, not for actual enjoyment of the medium?

IMO it's unique to the creator. People like Neal Adams use it as a money maker, others like Mike Grell loves the fans and charges the them a measly $5 per sig. Most use the $20 to $60 tag to keep profiters from coming in with a handful of merch. 

To me, $5 seems like it should be top of the mark for active con guests.  Kneel Atoms is an outlier.  Non regular guests could/should charge a bit more. It is just a sig, I don't know why it has become a big deal...other than "the market".  Artists can make pretty good money drawing at a show these days. 

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1 minute ago, Spidey 62 said:

To me, $5 seems like it should be top of the mark for active con guests.  Kneel Atoms is an outlier.  Non regular guests could/should charge a bit more. It is just a sig, I don't know why it has become a big deal...other than "the market".  Artists can make pretty good money drawing at a show these days. 

Kneel was happy signing for cheap then he became aware people were selling his cheap sigs for big bux on ebay.  That soured him on the cheap sigs.  More power to him charging as much as he wants especially if he knows its a dealer.  

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2 minutes ago, kav said:

Kneel was happy signing for cheap then he became aware people were selling his cheap sigs for big bux on ebay.  That soured him on the cheap sigs.  More power to him charging as much as he wants especially if he knows its a dealer.  

I bought a superman #50 batman #50 from him at a con that he signed for $100 total, I asked if he could throw a quick remark on it he said "That'll be $300". He looked down at my two little boys on each side of me and drew a batman and superman on them for free. The benefits of bringing children! They are getting older and losing their "cuteness", I need to capitalize while I can!

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4 minutes ago, Blastaar said:

I bought a superman #50 batman #50 from him at a con that he signed for $100 total, I asked if he could throw a quick remark on it he said "That'll be $300". He looked down at my two little boys on each side of me and drew a batman and superman on them for free. The benefits of bringing children! They are getting older and losing their "cuteness", I need to capitalize while I can!

I hope it was actually for them.

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8 minutes ago, Blastaar said:

I bought a superman #50 batman #50 from him at a con that he signed for $100 total, I asked if he could throw a quick remark on it he said "That'll be $300". He looked down at my two little boys on each side of me and drew a batman and superman on them for free. The benefits of bringing children! They are getting older and losing their "cuteness", I need to capitalize while I can!

It sucks that dealers have ruined what used to be cheap way to make kids happy.  I dont blame Kneel at all.  

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1 minute ago, Blastaar said:

My 12 year old and I wrote Todd McFarlane last year and he sent us back two signed books. Yes I gave them to my son. He also sketched a large spider on the back of backing board!

 

20190225_214441_HDR.thumb.jpg.bdc22bf66bbb1d035c5ba58a7c1887b4.jpg

Stan Lee draws better spiders.

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I'm not a big fan of sigs.  I got one from Frank Brunner on HTD 1 because he was just sitting at a convention table with nobody around.  I think I got an Ernie Chan one too with a small drawing but it wasn't on a comic and is long since lost (or maybe not lol!).  The Jack Kirby sig was a total surprise that I did not remember seeing until I inspected my books 6 months ago.  These were not my books originally.  I remember at conventions huge lines of people waiting an hour or more but I do not recall guys plopping down 20 books at a time.  I think that would have been rude.  I think it was the dealers/flippers/sellers or whatever you want to call them that kind of pushed the artists into charging money.  I am not necessarily against it but if your whole goal is financial gain I don't see why an artist shouldn't get his/her share.

I really like the fact that Kirby signed the inside of the book instead of the cover because it showed he respected his art and this was before the time of slabbing!  What is up with these giant sharpie sigs that are barely legible?

Am I ever going to sell my Brunner or Kirby signed books?  Probably not.  After I croak you can get your grubby hands on them!  I think that's what the artist would have preferred.

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It honestly depends on the artist as cliche as that seems.

When Stan Lee was alive it made more sense to shop on eBay given the price of a Stan Lee signature and the style of his autograph.  His autograph had started to become more and more of a blemish than a signature over the past five years.  So if you wanted a decent signature with decent placement you had the option of rolling the dice and doing it in person OR finding the book you wanted with the signature placement and condition that you desired for in many cases less than it would have cost you to put that whole package together yourself. 

Artists like Skottie Young have drastically increased their prices for any books going to CGC.  Okay then, what that does is in effect completely turn me away from your table. When the artists jack up the prices I fear it has a negative impact on the long term. 

Skottie Young and Neal Adams raised their prices which means I do not even approach Skottie Young's table anymore. 

Someone like Larry Hama is a cheap autograph.  I go to Larry Hama, get a free signature, I buy a sketch if I am early on the list and then I wind up buying a couple of other things while I am at his table. 

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The last time I went to a con was in the late 1990’s. Every artist and writer there that I wanted signed my books for free. I have paid witnesses to obtain signatures for me from cons I could not  attend but other than that, I feel if you meet a man/woman face to face and ask for them to sign some nostalgic item for you, it should be free. If Frank Miller says to me it’s $20 to sign my ratty torn first copy of DKR then the meeting loses something and ceases to be a cool moment. I wouldn’t pay it but wouldn’t lose any respect for him.

 

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12 hours ago, Karl Liebl said:

I'm not a big fan of sigs.  I got one from Frank Brunner on HTD 1 because he was just sitting at a convention table with nobody around.  I think I got an Ernie Chan one too with a small drawing but it wasn't on a comic and is long since lost (or maybe not lol!).  The Jack Kirby sig was a total surprise that I did not remember seeing until I inspected my books 6 months ago.  These were not my books originally.  I remember at conventions huge lines of people waiting an hour or more but I do not recall guys plopping down 20 books at a time.  I think that would have been rude.  I think it was the dealers/flippers/sellers or whatever you want to call them that kind of pushed the artists into charging money.  I am not necessarily against it but if your whole goal is financial gain I don't see why an artist shouldn't get his/her share.

I really like the fact that Kirby signed the inside of the book instead of the cover because it showed he respected his art and this was before the time of slabbing!  What is up with these giant sharpie sigs that are barely legible?

Am I ever going to sell my Brunner or Kirby signed books?  Probably not.  After I croak you can get your grubby hands on them!  I think that's what the artist would have preferred.

Sharpie sigs are horrible. Eventually, they will spread and discolor totally ruining the book. I have almost always asked for a signature on the splash page or first page of the artist’s work. I also hand them a ball point pen. Will always be crisp and legible.

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2 hours ago, oakman29 said:

I think I collect Kav signatures.  I think I have like 50 of em.hm

And i paid him well for this folks.

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