Bronze age comics that are heating up on eBay... 39 39

[WolverineX]

On 7/27/2021 at 5:56 PM, B2D327 said:

Funny thing is an authentic copy with his signature could end up in a qualified green label and scare a potential buyer away

Can't you ask for it to be a blue label and take the point hit

[B2D327]

On 7/27/2021 at 7:40 PM, Wolverinex said:

Can't you ask for it to be a blue label and take the point hit

I believe you can but if the person who submits is unaware or forgets to request it, it could turn into a headache. Even CGC could miss the request. Stranger things have happened 

[NP_Gresham]

Isn’t a signature on the front cover a glod

Signature in the book a blue label?

[divad]

On 7/27/2021 at 6:36 PM, NP_Gresham said:

Isn’t a signature on the front cover a glod

Signature in the book a blue label?

In general, but weird stuff happens. I sent in a Hulk 181 with an obvious pen-written date on the cover and received a Green Label "ink on cover" notation. I called before they shipped it out and had it changed. Of course, this is when they used to have "true" customer service (and didn't make as many errors as they do now.)

[MGsimba77]

On 7/27/2021 at 9:36 PM, NP_Gresham said:

Isn’t a signature on the front cover a glod

Signature in the book a blue label?

Yeah signatures inside the book are still blue label. I think (but not sure) they put a green label if it's just a random name written on the inside as opposed to something resembling a creator's sig or say...something like doodling for example. So not 100% sure where cgc draws the line there?

[Professor K]

On 7/27/2021 at 7:22 PM, Microchip said:

It'd be great to make the connection, and see them all these years later.   It's a valuable piece of history.     

After the passing of Stan, all the iconic greats of the medium have left us.   This is hobby is nothing, if it's not about history, and it's own history of the people who made it.    

 

https://retromash.com/2017/03/03/that-time-when-a-teenage-paul-gambaccini-and-george-r-r-martin-appeared-in-the-fantastic-four/

Now that I think of it maybe it's George RR who's solely responsible for the big price boom of 2020/21. He loves comics and he's a billionaire. Maybe he is the one bidding everything into the stratosphere. I know if I was him I'd build the greatest collection in the Seven Kingdoms.

[Professor K]

On 7/30/2021 at 4:48 PM, MGsimba77 said:

Yeah signatures inside the book are still blue label. I think (but not sure) they put a green label if it's just a random name written on the inside as opposed to something resembling a creator's sig or say...something like doodling for example. So not 100% sure where cgc draws the line there?

I don't know but a lot of G.A. books have names and such written on them. I don't believe I've seen any with a Green Label because of it. Usually they'll put "Jack Kirby (Or name) written in pen 1st page" or similar on the Blue label holder. 

Looking it up on their website you are correct that they put a green label on unverified signatures. I can't recall ever seeing that and I believe its very wrong to label a book Green due to writing but here is what they say in the Green Label description, ” Or, if the book is signed on the cover it may be noted as “NAME WRITTEN ON COVER IN MARKER.”

I don't think they are very consistent with it. For example I've seen many Blue Label TMNT books with "Name Written ......" on the label, but all the graded Gold Turtlemania Specials are Green label (I believe) due the the writing of Eastman & Laird on the back covers. 

[MGsimba77]

On 7/30/2021 at 5:41 PM, Professor Chaos said:

I don't think they are very consistent with it. For example I've seen many Blue Label TMNT books with "Name Written ......" on the label, but all the graded Gold Turtlemania Specials are Green label (I believe) due the the writing of Eastman & Laird on the back covers. 

It is an interesting topic...just to be clear, did the TMNT books have the name written on the front or back cover or the on the inside?

I have two blue labels with the artist name written on 1st page notation. One with Romita as shown the other an XMen 95 with Dave Cockrum written on page 1. I tried like hell to get this ASM122 reslabbed just to have them send me a snapshot of that splash page with the writing on it....I begged and pleaded to send them good money just to send me a snapshot of this thing  ! But nah....they weren't having it . Not a snowball's chance of that happening! 

If you enlarge the picture hopefully you can read the label notation 

Edited July 30, 2021 by MGsimba77

[HighVoltage]

On 7/30/2021 at 2:48 PM, MGsimba77 said:

Yeah signatures inside the book are still blue label. I think (but not sure) they put a green label if it's just a random name written on the inside as opposed to something resembling a creator's sig or say...something like doodling for example. So not 100% sure where cgc draws the line there?

I see what you did there...

[divad]

On 7/30/2021 at 3:05 PM, MGsimba77 said:

It is an interesting topic...just to be clear, did the TMNT books have the name written on the front or back cover or the on the inside?

I have two blue labels with the artist name written on 1st page notation. One with Romita as shown the other an XMen 95 with Dave Cockrum written on page 1. I tried like hell to get this ASM122 reslabbed just to have them send me a snapshot of that splash page with the writing on it....I begged and pleaded to send them good money just to send me a snapshot of this thing  ! But nah....they weren't having it . Not a snowball's chance of that happening! 

If you enlarge the picture hopefully you can read the label notation 

No offense intended MG, but which service pressed that copy?

 

[Professor K]

On 7/30/2021 at 6:05 PM, MGsimba77 said:

It is an interesting topic...just to be clear, did the TMNT books have the name written on the front or back cover or the on the inside?

I have two blue labels with the artist name written on 1st page notation. One with Romita as shown the other an XMen 95 with Dave Cockrum written on page 1. I tried like hell to get this ASM122 reslabbed just to have them send me a snapshot of that splash page with the writing on it....I begged and pleaded to send them good money just to send me a snapshot of this thing  ! But nah....they weren't having it . Not a snowball's chance of that happening! 

If you enlarge the picture hopefully you can read the label notation 

First nice book. Real nice. Too nice. No just real nice. 9.8 wow.

I don't remember exactly but I have seen quite a few early TMNT's that were signed usually on the inside front cover or the first page. Apparently they signed a lot of books back in the early days and I can't recall seeing any with a Green label. 

re-slabbing a 9.8 from 1973, taking a chance doing that. Not worth the risk in my opinion. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Professor Chaos

[WolverineX]

On 7/30/2021 at 5:25 PM, Professor Chaos said:

Now that I think of it maybe it's George RR who's solely responsible for the big price boom of 2020/21. He loves comics and he's a billionaire. Maybe he is the one bidding everything into the stratosphere. I know if I was him I'd build the greatest collection in the Seven Kingdoms.

What the heck. George R R is a billionaire now?  Now i know the series will never finish.  He is too busy counting his money,  eating,  and courting his female fans. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Wolverinex

[MGsimba77]

On 7/31/2021 at 12:06 AM, divad said:

No offense intended MG, but which service pressed that copy?

 

Lol I don't know. I know you're referring to the top right but that's the way it was when I got it.

[Pantodude]

That is a cool ASM122 in 9.8.  But isn't the most suprising thing here that this ASM122 still got a blue 9.8 despite the label comments noting the writing (a long phrase in marker no less!) on the splash page?  Writing on interior page instead of the cover results in less of a hit, but a hit nonetheless in the highest grades.  In other words, you might have been LUCKY that CGC did not do as you asked and take the pix as you requested.  On any re-slab submission, CGC reserves the right to re-grade a book that does not fit the original grade (here 9.8), so the next grader might have discounted the grade due to the writing (as he should have).  I figure the original grader had the utmost confidence that the signature was legit and did not want your book to take a hit due to the unwitnessed signature.  Sure, a signature series 9.8 yellow would have been better than a regular blue 9.8, but a blue 9.8 is still better than the 9.? grade the interior writing would have required, so the 9.8 here was a gift grade.   A shame you don't have a pix of the signed interior page so folks (other than the grader!) could also be as confident in the authenticity of the signature, but that ship has sailed.   That said, folks (like me) might assume this is an authentic signature under the circumstances (which includes the 9.8 received), so I wouldn't risk losing that just to get a pix of the page.  

Edited July 31, 2021 by Pantodude

[southern cross]

On 7/31/2021 at 3:43 AM, Wolverinex said:

What the heck. George R R is a billionaire now?  Now i know the series will never finish.  He is too busy counting his money,  eating,  and courting his female fans. 

I swear by the old gods and the new, it won't be ever finished. 👍

[divad]

On 7/31/2021 at 5:13 AM, Pantodude said:

That is a cool ASM122 in 9.8.  But isn't the most surprising thing here that this ASM122 still got a blue 9.8 despite the label comments noting the writing (a long phrase in marker no less!) on the splash page?  Writing on interior page instead of the cover results in less of a hit, but a hit nonetheless in the highest grades.  In other words, you might have been LUCKY that CGC did not do as you asked and take the pix as you requested.  On any re-slab submission, CGC reserves the right to re-grade a book that does not fit the original grade (here 9.8), so the next grader might have discounted the grade due to the writing (as he should have).  I figure the original grader had the utmost confidence that the signature was legit and did not want your book to take a hit due to the unwitnessed signature.  Sure, a signature series 9.8 yellow would have been better than a regular blue 9.8, but a blue 9.8 is still better than the 9.? grade the interior writing would have required, so the 9.8 here was a gift grade.   A shame you don't have a pix of the signed interior page so folks (other than the grader!) could also be as confident in the authenticity of the signature, but that ship has sailed.   That said, folks (like me) might assume this is an authentic signature under the circumstances (which includes the 9.8 received), so I wouldn't risk losing that just to get a pix of the page.  

Which pretty much summarizes why I don't personally impart any value to slabbed books, and why I haven't slabbed any in years.  The only reason I would buy a slabbed book would be at a significant discount or if I REALLY wanted it due to rarity. 

[Professor K]

On 7/31/2021 at 6:43 AM, Wolverinex said:

What the heck. George R R is a billionaire now?  Now i know the series will never finish.  He is too busy counting his money,  eating,  and courting his female fans. 

Oh sure he's a billionaire. The contracts with HBO alone have probably made him that much, especially with all the new shows planned. I'm pretty sure by the way he's spoken about it that he held out for the sweetest deals he could get. And if he isn't part of the 3 Comma Club he's at least worth many hundreds of millions. 

[dikran]

On 7/31/2021 at 10:10 AM, southern cross said:

I swear by the old gods and the new, it won't be ever finished. 👍

Why even bother? The story’s told, can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. 

[Jeffro.]

On 7/31/2021 at 5:36 PM, dikran1 said:

On 7/31/2021 at 10:10 AM, southern cross said:

I swear by the old gods and the new, it won't be ever finished. 👍

Why even bother? The story’s told, can’t put the toothpaste back in the tube. 

My understanding is that the TV story is told but the book story could be different. However, as you say why even bother finishing the books at this point?

[MGsimba77]

On 7/31/2021 at 8:13 AM, Pantodude said:

That is a cool ASM122 in 9.8.  But isn't the most suprising thing here that this ASM122 still got a blue 9.8 despite the label comments noting the writing (a long phrase in marker no less!) on the splash page?  Writing on interior page instead of the cover results in less of a hit, but a hit nonetheless in the highest grades.  In other words, you might have been LUCKY that CGC did not do as you asked and take the pix as you requested.  On any re-slab submission, CGC reserves the right to re-grade a book that does not fit the original grade (here 9.8), so the next grader might have discounted the grade due to the writing (as he should have).  I figure the original grader had the utmost confidence that the signature was legit and did not want your book to take a hit due to the unwitnessed signature.  Sure, a signature series 9.8 yellow would have been better than a regular blue 9.8, but a blue 9.8 is still better than the 9.? grade the interior writing would have required, so the 9.8 here was a gift grade.   A shame you don't have a pix of the signed interior page so folks (other than the grader!) could also be as confident in the authenticity of the signature, but that ship has sailed.   That said, folks (like me) might assume this is an authentic signature under the circumstances (which includes the 9.8 received), so I wouldn't risk losing that just to get a pix of the page.  

Sure all that makes sense.

A few things on that however...

Back in the day it was standard to sign books on the splash page if someone wanted a sig. It wasn't until CGC came around when cover sigs became a thing. There are at least a couple other ASMs I've seen with that same "To Gary" page 1 sig notation. I wish I'd saved those images as I can't find them now. These personalized signatures on the inside are very routine. I once saw a blue label AF15 with a lengthy message inside directed at someone...along the lines of "Hi (name of person) glad you liked the story- signed Stan and Steve" all notated on the label.

Romita routinely made personalized art pieces with personalized sigs to people. There's a million images out there. I've linked a couple down below. There is a comic art collector named Gary Hart with a publicly listed gallery I linked in the first link. So all in all I'm confident it maintains its label because I think CGC makes an educated determination with these signatures and know how to distinguish fact from fiction. 

https://www.comicartfans.com/gallerypiece.asp?piece=86282

https://comics.ha.com/itm/original-comic-art/illustrations/john-romita-sr-spider-man-head-illustration-original-art-c-1971-/a/121636-11083.s