-
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.
-
Posts
9,081 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
CGC Journals
Gallery
Events
Store
Everything posted by Mr. Zipper
-
Facsimile comics being sold on eBay...
Mr. Zipper replied to RockMyAmadeus's topic in Comics General
I believe these would be easy to detect in hand. From the dryness, color and feel of the paper to the toning on the staples, etc etc... it would be nearly impossible to create a replica that could fool experts -- or even most astute collectors. As someone mentioned, even the cut doesn't look right. These are the kind of fakes you may see crop up in disreputable antique shops or flea market vendors. They get the kind of buyers who may just take the bait thinking they are getting an under-priced gem. A con often requires a greedy buyer who thinks HE is putting one over on a naive seller. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
This is from page 1 of the forger's handbook. I've seen it 1,000 times. When confronted: Assert you make a lot of money/have a high profile profession Brag about your wealth and attractive partner Tell accuser to mind his own business and stop living in parent's basement. Prolific use of profanity and emojis Of course, the alleged "wealthy and successful" fake seller also has the writing and grammar skills of a drooling cretin. -
An "authenticator" who does not authenticate the three most popular signatures in the genre. Interesting approach.
-
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
Yet this bottom-feeder has turned a stack of ten-for-a-dollar comics into hundreds of dollars in the past year. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
My initial reaction was that the Stan signed Wolverine 4 was likely authentic... very ugly but probably ok. Frankly, I think a forger would tend to do a neater job forming the "an." I believe there were a lot of backroom deals for bulk submissions, so it's probable the person did not pay the full retail signing fee for this. As odd as it may seem, a lot of people did bring him books to sign that he did not write or edit. I don't get it... especially when dollar bins are full of books or reprints of books he did write... but it is what it is. Of course, the so-called PGX authentication will cast doubt on this... and the sloppy sub-prime signature... not a desirable item IMO. If you gave it to me for free, the first thing I'd do would be to crack it out of the heinous slab. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
The disgusting reality is that forgery sellers know how to target casual buyers, like those looking for holiday gifts. The worthless fraudulent COAs and shiny stickers are often all a casual buyer needs to see to think that they’re getting the real deal. Kitchen table forgers don’t make their money from experienced collectors falling for their fakes… their bread-and-butter are casual and impulse buyers. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
$40 for a signature that bears almost no resemblance to an authentic example. Who says crime doesn't pay? -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
I believe the Kirby on FF 13 is good. Bear in mind, just a few years ago, Kirby was an inexpensive signature and generally not the target of forgers. It has only become so in the last few years as his signature skyrocketed. I believe this is partially due to the realization among many collectors that "KIrby" signatures previously thought to be authentic -- 1990s lithos, books, etc. -- are now suspected to be proxy signatures. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
Thye guys doing Stan Lee on dollar bin books are kitchen table forgers -- ebay hack bottom feeders. The really skilled forgers are doing Beatles Albums, Babe Ruth baseballs, etc. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
A forger has to learn a signature, and because it is learned and repeated exactly the same way every time, they have no natural variation. "Cookie cutter" fakes. This is how and why you are able to identify specific forgers. Could also be some sort of trace job as mentioned by someone else. -
Stan Lee forgeries, a general thread
Mr. Zipper replied to James J Johnson's topic in Comics General
I hate to tell you, but the signed cast posters with "studio" holograms are all fake. The "movie premier cast signed poster" is a huge scam that has been going on for years. Marvel Avengers Cast Movie Poster with letter and holograms Fake Autographed Premiere Poster Crisis? -
Another thumbs up.
-
In my opinion the Cap 102 signature is authentic.
-
Opinions on Viewing Comics From Dealers at Cons
Mr. Zipper replied to ExodusGear's topic in Comics General
BINGO. I always ask if I can take it out. If the answer is, "No," I politely hand the book back and walk away. Simple. Just happened to me at a show with a book priced at $80. How do I know there are not rusty staples, cut coupons or any variety of things that could make it a $5 book? #WalkAway -
Jack Kirby Signatures Verification Help !
Mr. Zipper replied to Gumba213's topic in The Signature Room
The J in the "Best Wishes" examples all appear to be one continuous stroke to me. One example loops over itself at the bottom, but does not appear to be a separate stroke where the pen actually lifts. A larger image would help. Another thing to look for is slant. Real Kirby signatures have a hard right leaning slant... the stem of the K will be at around 45 degrees. The questioned examples are typically more upright... around 70 degrees. There are other indicators I am not going to go into in a public forum. -
Jack Kirby Signatures Verification Help !
Mr. Zipper replied to Gumba213's topic in The Signature Room
I agree that the two signatures with the "Best Wishes" sentiment are authentic. I do not believe the other three are authentic. One thing to look for is in the J. I would avoid any Kirby signature in which the J is pieced together using two or three separate strokes. This is not a trait you find in authentic verified examples. -
In my opinion, this is authentic. It has exactly the tremulous, scratchy look he had in the late 80s/90s. To a trained eye, there is a difference between "slow and shaky" because someone is copying a signature and "slow and tremulous" due to old age. In my view, this is certainly an old age signature. And one look at this signature will show you why the smoothly signed Dynamic Forces reprints and multitude of 90s signed limited edition books are to be questioned.
-
Will Stan Lee be at SDCC 2018 signing books?
Mr. Zipper replied to Adrian Murphy's topic in The Signature Room
This x 1000 Never understood getting his sig on books he did not write, yet see it all the time. You need to know when to call it a day. Stan should spend his remaining time on this earth enjoying the fruits of his success... not grinding out signatures over stacks of comics, toys, statues, silly helmets, etc etc. -
I believe this to be authentic and appears to be a later 1980s style signature -- tremulous with uneven pressure and a hard right leaning slant. I have a number of 1980s exemplars consistent with this style. And looking at these 1980s infirm signatures is exactly what makes the smooth flowing 1990s signatures look suspect.
-
-
Will Stan Lee be at SDCC 2018 signing books?
Mr. Zipper replied to Adrian Murphy's topic in The Signature Room
Yikes. Sad, but not surprising news. -
Will Stan Lee be at SDCC 2018 signing books?
Mr. Zipper replied to Adrian Murphy's topic in The Signature Room
After seeing videos of that recent debacle where Stan seemed barely conscious, I hope the cattle call signings days are over for him. Another signing or two like that one could kill him. -
"DPX" has zero credibility when it comes to signature authentication. They have a track record of certifying obvious and laughable fakes. The other company has credible authentication that at one time was led by David Roman of CSA Comics, who is a UACC approved authenticator. The pin sets have not passed authentication with them. To submit an item, contact David through his website.
-
In this post I outline some of the concerns. In summary, they have failed credible professional authentication and there are substantive differences from verified authentic exemplars in my opinion. There is much discussion on this on the chat board for the distinguished competition and videos on youtube. Out of respect for CGC, I don't think it's appropriate to post direct links, but the info is out there if you look for it.
-
Back in the 90s, I purchased Captain America 50th anniversary signed prints. I also purchased the Dynamic Forces signed X-Men 1 and Fantastic Four 1 and spent hundreds of dollars adding Stan Lee through CGC SS. Like everyone else at the time, I believed these pieces to be authentic based upon the reputations of the companies that were distributing them and the claims of them being signed under supervision. But after doing the analysis, research and networking with others, regrettably, I’ve lost confidence in these pieces. I have to follow the evidence, not what I want to be. It has been a bitter pill to swallow.