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JOE SIMON and STAN LEE- THE BEST SIGNING EVER~! Details Inside

Started by NYComics,

140 posts in this topic

NYComics

NYComics

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Hey all,

 

I am heading out of town for a wedding in Philly right now. If anyone has questions steer them to CollectingStanLee. I will do my best to get back to everyone as soon as I can.

 

Best,

Sean

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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So, if you do another double signing in the future after this one, it won't be nearly as successful as this signing? It's too soon to peak, guys. :)

 

Joel

 

Don't worry Joel, all our dual signings will rock the house! Stan Lee and Joe Simon are a great combination of creators to get on a single book. Plus don't forget Sean's John Romita signing. Certain Cap books feature Romita covers.

 

I picked up Captain America 193, cover by Romita and Kirby. This copy is signed by Kirby on the splash page. I'm going to send it to Sean for Romita, then it's off to Simon and Lee to finish up.

 

Bill.

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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No, but I do know how to promote a project, especially one I believe in. And we're just getting started, so this is going to be a lot of fun. lol

 

I'm getting a lot of PMs from new people who are looking for ideas for this signing. Here's one that didn't cost a fortune. Check out this Cap 25 for an idea of how well these two sigs go together. I will have more later this week:

 

Bill.

 

captainamerica25.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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Here's a book I'm recommending if people are looking for signing ideas for Stan Lee and Joe Simon, besides the obvious Strange Tales 114, Avengers #4, and Captain America 100. I need to get Joe Simon's sig on my copy. This is a relatively inexpensive book to acquire, with plenty of decent copies available on ebay, including an 8.5 from fantasy comics for $68. I've always had good luck with them, my Iron Man #55 came back 9.2 (CGC SS Stan Lee of course), just like they said it would.

 

TOS 80 is a great iconic cover, the first cover with the cosmic cube. Gotta figure the cube is going to be in some future film story line. Plenty of room for both sigs and they will look great. It's a great cover and looks even better in my opinion with the sigs:

 

tos80.jpg

 

Another interesting note. I tried to research the creator of the Red Skull. Joe Simon has said in an interview that he is the creator, but then I saw different name in an article somewhere (couldn't remember where). So I'm not sure if Joe Simon is the creator of the skull or not, but I'm a lot more positive about Kirby-Lee inventing the cosmic cube. If anyone knows the history of the Red Skull, please chime in.

 

Bill.

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zuckuss2003

zuckuss2003

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Looking for advice on which book to have stan sign. I was originally thinking the #6 but the cover has an almost transparent look and the interior kind of comes through to the front. It is not horrible in any way but it is noticable.

x-men 6 x-men 9

So, if you could take a look at the 2 and give an opinion I would truly appreciate it.

 

Thanks,

John

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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Ok, with all the announcements and opportunities to get your books signed by Stan Lee and Joe Simon, I thought would share some ideas for the benefit of new people who are wondering if they should participate.

 

One other note by way of disclosure is that the ideas discussed in this thread are not meant to be and do not constitute investment advice, you have to talk to a qualified accountant or other official financial industry expert for that. Nevertheless, I will share my opinions on why I think there is a market opportunity (typically something that will go up in value) in regards to the Stan Lee and Joe Simon signed books and why I'm investing in them myself.

 

One reason I like these books is that I'm a huge fan, almost goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway. I love owning CGC SS books, there is always something special about them, whether it is the placement of the signature or the rarity of the number of signatures on that particular issue. I think a lot of collectors feel the same way and this is a growing niche.

 

If you didn't have an interest in CGC SS books, you wouldn't be reading this thread, so let's move on more exciting stuff. Marvel is in the process of launching an entire series of films around characters that Stan Lee co-created (Avengers, Iron Man, Thor) and in one instance that Joe Simon co-created (Captain America).

 

With the success of the first Iron Man film, I have faith that Marvel really knows what it is doing and that they will be able to weave story lines across multiple films in the way that they have done with comic books in the past. So why is this important?

 

The films have generally created upward movement in pricing on comic books that feature the characters, especially first appearances. Knowing the first appearances of Iron Man, Captain America (silver age), Thor, and the Avengers, it is easy to identify books that will sky rocket in value. This is already happened over the course of the last year.

 

I bought a raw Avengers #1 that turned out to be a 4.0 for $525 in May '08. I had Stan sign it and he did an awesome job of laying in the sig. I'm going to guess at the value, since I don't have a comp and put it at $2000, the unsigned version is around $1500 at this point. But first you would have to pry it from my cold dead hands and good luck doing that. (If this thread is popular, I will post pics).

 

The point being that I found a market opportunity as I hit it just before the price went nuts. Now not everyone can afford a Key marvel book, but that's ok. The entire line of books is going up in value and a witnessed Stan Lee and/or Joe Simon adds to the value and uniqueness.

 

One book that slipped through my hands was Captain America 100. I was never a huge fan of that book, until I realized that not only was it the first CAP solo mag in the silver age, the aforementioned Avengers were also on the cover. So if you get that one signed by Stan Lee and Joe Simon, there is a tight relevance between the creators and that book. Since I can't live without it, I had to pay a premium to get it, ouch. I bought a 9.0 since I felt my 7.5 wasn't high enough grade for such a key book, though there's technically nothing wrong with a lower grade book as long as the eye appeal is good.

 

If that book has priced itself out of your market, take a look at other great candidates. One of my favorites is Tales Of Suspense #59, with Cap and Iron Man on the cover. What a great cover for these two to sign. Right now I only have Stan Lee on my 6.5, but I've picked up a 9.0 and will have both copies signed by Stan Lee and Joe Simon. If the grade holds on the 9.0, I will probably have the highest graded CGC SS with those two on it, which is another factor that drives up value.

 

If the silver age books are too expensive, take a look at the moderns, which really present a low cost alternative. 20 years from now, what do you think collectors will prefer, a CGC 9.8 Captain America Alex Ross variant or a CGC 9.8 SS Stan Lee and Joe Simon Captain America Alex Ross variant? It's a no-brainer, in my opinion. And how cool is it to get this a couple of years before the first Captain America movie comes out? Exactly.

 

Ok, this is possibly the longest post in the history of the boards, so I'm going to let it breathe a little. Jump in with your thoughts, comments, suggestions, and questions. PM me if you are interested in submitting your books for Stan Lee and/or Joe Simon to sign as well as any questions you might have if you don't feel comfortable posting in the thread. On the other hand, posting in the thread invites more participation, so come on in, the water is warm.

 

Bill.

 

 

 

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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Adding this picture of my Avengers 4.0 CGC SS Stan Lee. It's got off-white pages, great eye appeal for grade and a perfectly placed sig. ( no, it's not for sale) Raw cost in 2008: $525 plus Stan Lee sig and standard grading from CGC, approximately $130 for a total of $655 . Value in 2009 approximately $2000. Get in early, ride the wave, and have a lot of fun!

 

avengers1.jpg

 

Plug: Don't forget to PM me if you want to submit your books for Stan Lee or Joe Simon. Thanks!

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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Some people have asked me about the signing windows, so here's a Photo of Stan at work from the last signing Sean and I did.

 

IMG_4010.jpg

 

In this case, the signing window is the full art area, but it can be smaller for a defined area, as long as there is enough room for Stan to sign. Note the black outline, done with black sharpie. Also (this is obvious) don't cut the signing window with the comic book still in the bag.

 

How many books should you do? It's really up to you, but the stack you see here is all for me personally. (oops, I didn't use signing windows, but always do for clients)

 

IMG_3979.jpg

 

Reminder: Please don't hesitate to contact Sean or Me with questions. Thanks, and have fun!

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Mac Man

Mac Man

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I just got my copy of Tales of Suspense 39 signed by Stan (on the splash page), and it just SO cool to add another Stan Lee signature to my collection (I'll try to post pics later)! This is DEFINITELY one of the guys you need to have in your signature collection if you don't already! :sumo:

 

And it's funny because I know there are a TON of his sigs out there, but even if they detracted from the value of a comic (and I am quite sure they never will!), it's still such a gem to have if for no other reason than having one of the biggest giants in the industry sign your little funny book.

 

It's good to see you guys (ALL of you SS witnesses out there) are finding some great opportunities for us fans!

 

 

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CollectingStanLee

CollectingStanLee

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Thanks Mac Man. I've been tracking prices on Stan Lee CGC SS books for a year and it definitely enhances value, sometimes up to 30% or even more. I had a silverage Sub-mariner #1 that was a 5.0 CGC SS Stan Lee that I sold for over $300 on eBay, which was otherwise a $50 comic book. I only sold it because I had another 6.0 that was signed. I think I got a premium because there were hardly any other ones signed. I've also sold $100 worth of moderns for over $900 (a group of the new hulk series).

 

To be sure I had a few losers, variants that I paid a lot for that graded under 9.8. The market seemed to soften quite a bit with the recession, so please, don't anyone get the idea that it is easy money to flip books. You have to know what you are doing. Its probably best to hold for sometime if you want to realize the most gain. But I really do believe there is a gain to be had.

 

If you are referring to an uncertified raw sig, it might detract, though I think the market is likely to view it neutrally, as it does Jack Kirby sigs on the splash page.

 

Marvel is going to put Captain America, Iron Man, Thor and the Avengers in the public eye big time, and with it will come a new generation of collectors. We have about a 2 year window to take advantage of it, in my opinion. That is why I have been so aggressive collecting Stan Lee, as my username suggests.

 

I think the dual Stan Lee/Joe Simon sigs will really be something. I have 12 already and am looking to add another 30 or so this time out, including some higher grade books that will really be gems in my collection.

 

Bill.

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Drakeprimeone

Drakeprimeone

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Some people have asked me about the signing windows, so here's a Photo of Stan at work from the last signing Sean and I did.

 

IMG_4010.jpg

 

In this case, the signing window is the full art area, but it can be smaller for a defined area, as long as there is enough room for Stan to sign. Note the black outline, done with black sharpie. Also (this is obvious) don't cut the signing window with the comic book still in the bag.

 

How many books should you do? It's really up to you, but the stack you see here is all for me personally. (oops, I didn't use signing windows, but always do for clients)

 

IMG_3979.jpg

 

Reminder: Please don't hesitate to contact Sean or Me with questions. Thanks, and have fun!

 

great sig placement on that Silver Surfer book :applause:

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