SS on high grade keys?

[mschmidt]

That's probably because there aren't really that many HG SS über-keys ... for DD #1 my 8.5 is tied for top census, the highest X-Men #1 is a 9.0, FF #1 actually has a 9.4 SS (which has never been sold publicly), and ASM #1 maxes out at 8.5.

 

Based on the fact that SS books in general, across all grades, command a premium over their blue label counterparts, I see zero evidence that this would suddenly stop when you hit the high grade keys - especially when you're talking about a signature from someone like Stan Lee.

 

Stan Lee is 90 years old already - are you honestly going to tell me that a 9.4 ASM #1 with a Stan Lee sig on it is going to sell for less than a blue label 9.4 when he's dead & gone?

[Jeffro.]

I would never get a sig on an uber HG one-of-kind type of comic. That's just personal preference.

 

On the other hand, if it were an uber HG copy of a very common book, I'd do it without question.

 

It all depends on the comic.

[sufunk]

Put it this way in terms of reselling. Say you have a blue label 9.8 Hulk181 and you put it up for sale at 10% off gpa for like 10k and do the same for a SS 9.8 at 10% off for like 19k.

 

The blue label will probably sell VERY quickly. How long is it gonna take to find a buyer to pay $9000 extra for the SS? Most likely, a LONG time.

 

To each his own but I definitely think you're gonna have a much harder time selling a true HG SS book

[sufunk]

That's probably because there aren't really that many HG SS über-keys ... for DD #1 my 8.5 is tied for top census, the highest X-Men #1 is a 9.0, FF #1 actually has a 9.4 SS (which has never been sold publicly), and ASM #1 maxes out at 8.5.

 

Based on the fact that SS books in general, across all grades, command a premium over their blue label counterparts, I see zero evidence that this would suddenly stop when you hit the high grade keys - especially when you're talking about a signature from someone like Stan Lee.

 

Stan Lee is 90 years old already - are you honestly going to tell me that a 9.4 ASM #1 with a Stan Lee sig on it is going to sell for less than a blue label 9.4 when he's dead & gone?

 

No, it'll definitely sell for more. I just think you will have more difficulty finding a buyer.

 

Like I said, from what I've seen, the true BSD that drop the HIGH dollar amounts for HG silvers don't like anything on the cover wether a sig, date stamp, anything. Obviously there are some that do like sigs but from what I've seen they are definitely outnumbered when you get into the nosebleed grades and prices

[DeliBebek]

The discussion here seems to highlight the different approaches to collecting.

 

My naturally cynical attitude is that some collectors aren't collecting what they like, but what they think others like. Realistically, some people actually like the signed and graded comics and enjoy collecting them.

 

I'm in the camp that doesn't care much for buying a signed edition. I got a couple of comics signed some years ago by an author visiting the post exchange at Fort Hood. It was nice to meet him and visit with him briefly, but I don't expect the signature to mean anything to anyone else.

 

I incidentally got a couple of signed comics while buying some CrossGen comics in lots on eBay. It is almost a distraction and doesn't mean much. Granted, they weren't witnessed by CGC, so who knows who really signed them? Maybe it was me.

[comics_ross]

Signiture on HG key book - absolutely NO

 

Signiture on HG semi-key book - defenitely YES (thumbs u

[Crimebuster]

I'm not a high grade collector, but even though I usually like signatures, I would never want to have a sig on the cover of a high grade book, key or not. For me, a giant scrawl in black marker on the cover lowers the grade regardless of who was holding the marker. I try to get all my sigs in person, as meeting the creators is really the highlight for me, not having their autograph; but I either do it on low grade books or have them sign the inside.

 

It's not Silver Age, but I recall a couple of years ago seeing on eBay someone selling a Captain America Comics #1 for $20k with a great big black marker signature across the front cover. My god, don't deface something like that! Worst of all, it was a signature by Stan Lee of all people, someone who, oh by the way, wasn't even working in comics yet when the issue came out. I'm still trying to figure out why the hell you would have Stan Lee sign a Captain America #1. It boggles the mind.

[seanfingh]

 

[VintageComics]

That's probably because there aren't really that many HG SS über-keys ... for DD #1 my 8.5 is tied for top census, the highest X-Men #1 is a 9.0, FF #1 actually has a 9.4 SS (which has never been sold publicly), and ASM #1 maxes out at 8.5.

 

Based on the fact that SS books in general, across all grades, command a premium over their blue label counterparts, I see zero evidence that this would suddenly stop when you hit the high grade keys - especially when you're talking about a signature from someone like Stan Lee.

 

Stan Lee is 90 years old already - are you honestly going to tell me that a 9.4 ASM #1 with a Stan Lee sig on it is going to sell for less than a blue label 9.4 when he's dead & gone?

 

I would think it depends on the book and the demand for a sig. Some books are more available in higher grades and so a person that doesn't want a sig might opt to go for a copy without a sig.

 

In my particular case, I bought this book because it was the only copy I thought I would ever see in such a high grade. I really wish the sig wasn't there but had to overlook it since I've never seen a copy over 8.5 in the decade that I've been looking for one.

 

[Dick Pontoon]

Worst of all, it was a signature by Stan Lee of all people, someone who, oh by the way, wasn't even working in comics yet when the issue came out. I'm still trying to figure out why the hell you would have Stan Lee sign a Captain America #1. It boggles the mind.

 

That's not correct. Stan started working at Timely in 1939; Captain America debuted in 1941. He was basically a teenage gopher, cousin to publisher Martin Goodman and occasional nuisance to Simon and Kirby while sitting in the office tooting his ocarina. His first published work in comics was a text story in Captain America #3.

 

That said, if it was me, I'd have Stan sign one of the thousands of books he actually worked on and had a direct hand in creating. Likewise, if Joe Simon were still around and I didn't have a spare Cap #1-10 lying around, I'd have him sign a GA, SA or BA book he worked on rather than something like Cap #100, even though he co-created the character with Kirby.

[Rip]

+1

 

Huge no no

 

Even more so on Golden Age

[Spiderphill]

The only sig I would want is Joe Simon

[fantastic_four]

Sigs on high grade keys are a tragedy. I wouldn't touch one, and they make me want to cry.

[seanfingh]

The only sig I would want is Joe Simon

 

Not Silver, but still awesome.

 

[etanick]

Wow, those 181 numbers are pretty compelling evidence.

 

all we need now is 2 or 3 owners of Hulk 181 9.8 to crack/sign/sub and a 9.8 SS will drop down to the $13k level and that will make the guy that bought the sole 9.8 SS real happy (thumbs u

 

 

[seanfingh]

Wow, those 181 numbers are pretty compelling evidence.

 

all we need now is 2 or 3 owners of Hulk 181 9.8 to crack/sign/sub and a 9.8 SS will drop down to the $13k level and that will make the guy that bought the sole 9.8 SS real happy (thumbs u

 

 

That is absolutely true. But it is the risk of dropping grade that keeps it from happening very often. Also, IIRC, the sole 9.8 SS book was a blue label 9.6 crack sign and re-sub.

[ft88]

The sales numbers are compelling in that, for now, SS are higher value than their similar counter parts.

 

There is a definite aspect in comics and all collecting to one up the next guy (in both a devious and benign way). And the SS feeds into that.

 

I have a 9.4 unsigned and you have a 9.4 signed and you can say that your's is "better". All these things are subjective as anyone can say any book is better than another.

 

But when the market prices for SS are higher than without, you have to simply go with the cold hard facts.

[supapimp]

The only sig I would want is Joe Simon

 

Not Silver, but still awesome.

 

 

that's a nice book, sean.

[Rip]

Remember the Frazetta sig on that Mile High book.

 

Oh my tummy hurts

 

[sufunk]

Sigs on high grade keys are a tragedy. I wouldn't touch one, and they make me want to cry.

 

That gif makes me want to cry tears of joy!!!