Do Signature Series comics grind anybody elses gears?

[daydreamscomics]

It make me irate when doing searches on CGC Marvel keys to find every other one signed by Stan Lee.

Why would anyone ruin an Amazing Fantasy #15, Tales of Suspense #39, etc. by having it signed?

YOU'RE DESTROYING A PIECE OF HISTORY!!!

And the guy is basically a robot these days! It's not like there's going to be a lack of signed comics available going forward. He's signing thousands of comics almost every weekend at conventions.

Does this bother anyone else as much as me?

[lorddunlow]

It make me irate when doing searches on CGC Marvel keys to find every other one signed by Stan Lee.

Why would anyone ruin an Amazing Fantasy #15, Tales of Suspense #39, etc. by having it signed?

YOU'RE DESTROYING A PIECE OF HISTORY!!!

And the guy is basically a robot these days! It's not like there's going to be a lack of signed comics available going forward. He's signing thousands of comics almost every weekend at conventions.

Does this bother anyone else as much as me?

Preach, brother!

To me a signed anything is really only worth it if you get it signed yourself. Then the signature is tied with a memory of that encounter. I agree, a signed AF #15 is a travesty. I also agree that Stan Lee has the least rare signature ever. Dude is a signature *SQUEE*.

[DirtbagSailor]

I have SEVERAL books signed by Stan Lee. Initially, there were not many SS books with his name on them, so I was pretty happy about it. I still am, but it's really jumping the shark now in terms of total amount of books he's signing.

In terms of "value" I don't foresee any SS Marvel book with Stan Lee's sig on it as potential for loss or a decrease in value. HOWEVER, the overall rarity of a CGC 9.8 SS book with Stan Lee's sig is getting very common now, which almost defeats the purpose.

I respect Stan Lee, what he has done and who he is, and am happy to have his sig on some of my key Marvel books. However, I do wish he signed a lot fewer books than he does/has.

[slym2none]

What people want to do with/to their books is their business. But in the same breath, what people think about signatures on books in general is their opnion and they are certainly allowed to have it.

I have a few signed books, most I had signed in person and long before CGC ever came about. They are also signed on the inside and not the cover.

A properly placed signature on the cover looks nice in my eyes, but before the CGC SS got so popular, I saw a lot of "ugly" signatures. One is the infamous Stan Lee "spider" sig. But a lot of collectors are wise to the placement of the signatures and use the "window box" method when getting them signed.



-slym

[ckb]

It's one thing to have a regular old used books signed. Love it. It's another thing completely to take a 30+ year old book that somehow has had the luck to survive as a 9.4+ and get that signed. That does irk me - especially if it is done for resale, but even somewhat for a personal copy. Get yourself a nice presenting 8.0 and have that signed!

[Aram]

meh.. I wrote a bunch then back tracked.. then changed my mind.. then started over, then thought it out some more..


I definitely agree being a sig *SQUEE* kills much of what makes a sig feel so special, at the same time.. I think it is ultimately always cool to have a book signed by someone that was important in the creation of what made that book in the first place.

I have Quite a Few VH1 books signed by Layton, all purchased second hand. By the 3rd or 4th.. they really didn't feel quite as special to me for a while.. then I learned that he was responsible for more things that I like and my perspective changed again and now I value them much more than before.

I can see both sides of signing a rare condition vintage book.. Personally there's no conceivable way I'd crack my 9.9 Unity Gold to be signed by ANYONE. Personally, I think it's crazy to crack a rare high grade book or one that is already signed to get more sigs, unless you are personally getting the sigs and you have an attachment to that specific book for sentimental reasons and really don't care about the end grade.

On the other hand.. some peopel just care about the money and not the book.. and I guess having it cracked and signed is better than someone reading it and then tossing it in the garbage or something.

In the end there are only 3 main reasons I buy CGCs; I want the best copy of a book I can get and when I get it I want it to be protected as much as possible and 3rd, I like getting sigs and the peace of mind from certification that a sig was witnessed.

In most cases I would and have even picked a 9.6 SS over a 9.8 all day long. Of course then I'd still want to find a 9.8 if possible later, lol..

Bah.. cgcs .

[chriskay99]

I'm probably in the minority of comic fans when I say I think a signature adds value to a book. Yes, Amazing Fantasy #15 is a rare book. Let's make up a number and say there are 10,000 in existence in various conditions. Now let's say 400 of those are signed by Stan Lee ove the years, so in my mind, the book is now even more rare. Whenever Lee passes, all of those other copies will still be out there, but not every one of them will be signed. I know, kind of a bad example since Lee is such a signature fiend/*SQUEE*, but hopefully that makes sense. The physical books will live on, the creators won't.

The thing that confuses me about Lee is when I see his signature on books like Gambit or Deadpool and things he had nothing whatsoever to do with.

[SnotDrip]

CGC SIG series has brought an important aspect to the Comic collectable business. The cards market went through trash a while ago over forged signatures on cards being sold as originals for high $$$$, sure still happens sure and no doubt.

When buying a comic with a sig on it, ask yourself if you would buy it with just a COA that anyone could have/can reproduce on a modern printer and quality paper. Although the CGC SIG series relies upon their designated witnesses it is some guarantee to authenticity/pedigree. In effect, a bit more integrity and reliability. Some high profile exceptions however include the recent #100 Retailer Variant Appreciation edition fiasco so it’s not perfect which stains the concept and CGC does wear it as anybody on the CGC boards can attest.

What the sig series also does is fuel the speculation market (sale spikes of signatories after death, etc) as well as the OCD in us to get the best/highest graded from a Registry point perspective. I "competition" in this sense is not my cup of tea and prefer Blue labels over Yellow in a heart beat. I only buy them when I have no other choice or the price is reeaaaaally good. If I wanted a gold or red well placed scibble on a comic, my kids can use their crayons and markers just as effectively like they did on my Turok #1s!!

BTW Stan makes a good penny off his con signings and he is exclusive to one company who can charge anything. The more he does the less meaning in the long run they have. Neil Adams charges an extra 10$ I think for any comics coming to him from a CGC witness so artists and writers are getting into the CGC act as they know if it is going to CGC it will be potentially a premium on FEEBAY afterwards. Try and get BWS to sign a VALIANT - near impossible so those that do have them are rarer then Stan's stuff and have more meaning which means more to a collector then to a speculator/seller/flipper. My 2cents

[DirtbagSailor]

The thing that confuses me about Lee is when I see his signature on books like Gambit or Deadpool and things he had nothing whatsoever to do with.

Yea, I have a copy of New Mutants #98 (1st appearance of Deadpool) CGC 9.8 SS by Rob Liefeld AND Stan Lee. True Stan didn't have anything to do with Deadpool, but his influence and connection to Marvel is without question. Rob on the other hand makes all the difference in the world on this one. I don't think I would have paid for JUST Stan Lee on this book. Perhaps other books, I could justify.

That said, I doubt that from a value perspective it drops the price, and in the unfortunate event that Stan passes you can certainly expect an increase in value regardless of how many sigs he pumps out; his name is beyond iconic in the industry.

[doodlebird]

I just want to mention that I'm not a fan of CGC,because it impedes the reading of comics. For me the only reason i buy any CGC is to have them SS where is a pretty damn good measure that the sig is authentic (even though i was there for a couple and know it is, it's still good for everyone who sees them on my wall as well). Yeah I have other signed books with COAs, but i like the CGC SS much better.

[lorddunlow]

My take on SS with regards to my ASM hunt: I don't like them. There seems to be an overabundance of SS (especially Stan Lee on books he had creative hand in - I know he created the character, but gimme a break) on nice copies of key issues. This poses several problems for me: 1. It makes these books more expensive for something I really don't care for. 2. I think the sign muck up the really nice covers (ASM #50 is a big one, and on the #31, there's really nowhere that a signature looks good on that particular cover - same with ASM #1) 3. I will be cracking open any CGC slabs I buy so the SS is pointless for me.

I really wish people would stop getting key ASM books signed by Stan Lee. The ASM #1 is too valuable and most of the others, I don't understand why anyone would want his signature on it as he didn't write most of them.

[hulk181man]

I agree it's a waste on higher grade keys that have survived in tact for so long, seems a crime...but I think it's cool for low end books. My only SS is a 1.8 FF # 1 signed by Stan, this same book also has a Kirby signature on the splash page but of course that can't be authenticated.

[Intrepidxc]

I agree it's a waste on higher grade keys that have survived in tact for so long, seems a crime...but I think it's cool for low end books. My only SS is a 1.8 FF # 1 signed by Stan, this same book also has a Kirby signature on the splash page but of course that can't be authenticated.

I completely agree. I wouldn't want a SS slab on any key books, but for something like the VEI Q&W relaunch getting a SS copy (especially when offered by Ed) is nice.

[doodlebird]

It really annoys me when Mona Lisa has that darn signature of Da Vinci on it.
Just saying original sigs are fine. Sure i wish sometimes that it wasn't like right in the drawing, but sometimes even that is cool. Heck if you are getting the writer to sign, why not right in the center ? Not sure why it's a big problem. Would you not like Captain America #1 signed by Simon and/or Kirby not matter how large or center placed ?