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Signature Verification and grading effects
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9 posts in this topic

I recently submitted a TMNT comic with signatures from both Eastman & Laird , but it was rated very low with a comment of "writing on inside". So my question is if I don't have proof of signatures, does that reduce the rating? Also is there anything I can do to get it reconsidered?

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signatures that are unwitnessed by CGC are treated as defects. Just unspecified writing, the same as if some kid wrote his name there.

In order to get it reconsidered, you can submit the comic to CGC with a special note to have CGC ignore the writing and grade the book ignoring the signatures.  This will result in a green 'qualified' label, but you will not have the grade drop.  You will have to pay another submission fee.

Any evidence you present regarding authenticity will have no impact.  CGC does not verify or authenticate signatures.  They do (for a fee) witness signatures in person with authorized CGC witnesses, which results in the CGC SS yellow label.  Any other signatures are treated as defects or ignored (per special request resulting in a green 'qualified' label). 

There is a 'signature room' subforum with more information and discussion of signatures and CGC SS (including a 'newbie' thread' with a lot of info).  You can dig around there for information.

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Thanks for the quick and thorough reply. Can you please tell me what two signatures would reduce my rating, or who to contact to find out specifically how it affected my book? Also is there any signature Verification service you will accept for authentication?

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A small amount of writing on the interior (including signatures) generally has a negligible effect on the CGC grade. If CGC gave your book a lower grade than you were expecting, you probably missed something. They also don't care who wrote on the book, unless one of their SS witnesses saw it happen and the book was properly dealt with afterward.

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It's tough to say the impact writing can have on a comic without taking its overall condition into consideration.

For example, if it's otherwise in the 9.2-9.8 range, I'd knock it down a .2 peg.

Maybe it's mid-grade and the writing imprints in the page(s)? That's reduces its condition as well.

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There are generally grader notes available.m to tell you about your defects.  For more information on how to get your grader notes, I suggest contacting Cgc or digging around their website.

but the impact of unwitnessed signatures depends on size, placement, indentations, possibly messiness or smudging, and possibly other factors including the original grade of the comic.  Hard for any of us to say without seeing it.

 

i accept all kinds of stuff for signature verification.  But the more rare or valuable the signature, or the more valuable the comic, the more evidence I’ll require:  

13 hours ago, KYSS said:

Thanks for the quick and thorough reply. Can you please tell me what two signatures would reduce my rating, or who to contact to find out specifically how it affected my book? Also is there any signature Verification service you will accept for authentication?

- a certificate of authenticity.

- a certificate of authenticity signed by the creator

- a picture of the creator holding the signed book

- a picture of the creator and a priest holding the signed book.

- a video of the creator signing the book at church

- notary evidence 

- sworn affidavit from creator saying he signed

 

these are all generally good evidence for me.

 

But CGC doesn’t accept any of these for verification of signatures.  Probably because as I stated before, they don’t verify signatures.

 

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Do you have a scan of the front and back of the book? As was said, regular, unobtrusive interior signatures generally don't drop a book into the "rated very low" category. I would also check the grader's notes and report back to this thread.

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I've submitted - for clients - a good number of signed on the inside of front cover TMNT 1's. One graded 9.8. There have been several in the 9.2-9.6 range. 

So while unwiitnessed signatures on the interior of the book are treated as a defect, it is a very, very tiny defect. With minimal impact on grade. 

If your book graded "very low", there are other defects - maybe lots of other defects - that is affecting the grade. 

Edited by Tony S
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26 minutes ago, Tony S said:

So while unwiitnessed signatures on the interior of the book are treated as a defect, it is a very, very tiny defect. With minimal impact on grade. 

If your book graded "very low", there are other defects - maybe lots of other defects - that is affecting the grade. 

Agree 100%. I've seen TMNT books with large signatures and a fairly detailed sketch on the interior cover still grade in the Very Fine/NM range or higher. This is a very common occurrence on the TMNT books, and most of the graders at CGC are mind-numbingly aware of this. If the book graded low, it most likely wouldn't be because of the signatures---there would have to be some other issues as well, IMO...

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