I posted a similar thread on CBCS and got some great feedback and answers, so hopefully I can get some more help here.
I am very distantly related to Steve Ditko through marriage, and many years ago at a Christmas party, he signed a bunch of comics for me. I submitted them to CBCS, and they refused to authenticate them. I believe their reasons were BS, but they basically told me that no one could have so many books signed by Ditko. Moreover, in order to certify them, they wanted me to write Ditko and have him verify their authenticity.
Unfortunately he passed away, and I am unsure of the status of the last letter I wrote him, requesting he contact cbcs. I do however, have the following:
1. The last letter and stationary Ditko wrote to me ( I had other letters from my childhood, but my dumb didn't save them)
2. Family photos of Ditko that have never been publicly released
3. An email from Ditko's long time friend and editor for the past 40 years, Robin Snyder, confirming the signatures authenticity, and the veracity of my story. Ditko would sign comics, especially for family when he returned home to Johnstown PA
4. I also have a ancestry.com printout showing our distant connection
I was a huge collector when I was a kid. Recently, I got back into the hobby. I have consulted with various "industry experts", and shared my story with many on google plus communities. All are in agreement that the value is unknown, and I should contact an auctioneer to establish if there is any interest in them. I would like to get the comics certified and preserved first. I want to keep most if not all in the family to pass down, but I would be willing to part with a few.
So my question to the community is, how would you proceed from here if you were me????