Obtaining Signature Series Books posted by Allfunstuff

[CSJournals-migration]

To Sign or Not to Sign?

 

Hello Everyone,

I have a few questions about desirability of a comic. What are your preferences on Signature Series Books and how does it affect how much you would spend on them?

More specifically would you rather have a Stan Lee autographed book where he really had nothing to do with it or would you rather it be a signature of one of the creators of the book?

For example, would you rather get an Uncanny X-Men 266, which is the first full Gambit, signed by Stan or by Chris Claremont? In this example, Chris of course did the story whereas Stan just has his name attached to all Marvel Comics. This isn't even one where Stan created the character.

To take it a step further, if you did want a Stan auto over any other would you want it on a book he actually wrote or would that not matter?

To go back to the earlier scenario, if it was a creator's autograph that you desired which one would you want the most? Meaning the writers or the pencillers or the cover artists?

Finally, would you want multiple autographs if possible or is the one "most important" autograph acceptable?

 

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[meshuggah]

This is a great set of questions. For me so many things come into play. Mostly money and how much of it is available at the time. I do have a X-men 266 at 9.8 not signed. Of course I would prefer Stan and Chris both sign it. Who wouldn't? But if asked to choose for this book I'd probably lean towards Chris since he created Gambit. But Stan did create the majority of the characters in the book.

 

I'd definitely want to get as many sigs to a book as I can. TNERB's ASM 129 is a perfect example of something awesome that I'm highly jealous of and wish I could afford.

 

An example of something I just did is for the upcoming Masters Signing. I wanted a book I could get multiple sigs on without spending too much. Stan is there and of course the most expensive. So I dug up my Uncanny X-men 300 which is #1 in excellent shape as I'd like a nice grade. Since Stan's sig costs a lot and I already have it on 2 things I passed on him(both of which he didn't write - my ASM 252 and awaiting an ASM 700). So instead I went for Claremont, Romita Jr and Defalco.

 

Now Claremont didn't write this but is a huge part of X-men lore, so I said f it. I can't remember if Romita Jr did the pencils but I know he did the cover and Defalco was the EIC at the time.

 

But in most cases I want the person who actually worked on it to sign it. I figure it makes it a bit more valuable except in Stan's case because he's Stan Lee.

 

Also question back to you and anyone else. I am probably going to be submitting some Walking Dead's for Kirkman and Adlard to sign. But also on one of them I want most of the cast members frpm the show. What are your thoughts on that?

[B. Koski]

It depends on the person. But when Stan is long gone, the Silver age books that he wrote, will be most desirable!

[Lost]

I don't collect signatures. But if I were to desire one, it would be from stan and it would be on a beat up oldest ugliest piece of CGC 1.5 I could find, and it would be something he had a direct hand in creating.

 

Also there is the fact that there are so many stan signatures out there, collectors have diluted the market. So it's not like an" OMG a SS with Stan's name!!!!!!!!"

 

More like, "oh another one? cool."

[kaholo1256]

I guess with Stan's Signature, regardless of what its on its still Stan Lee. No matter what when someone thinks of a face for Marvel Comics its his face and name you picture. The issue I hate is that when he signs something automatically the asking prices sky rocket. One of those regular blank variants that have his signature on it shows this perfectly. He has nothing to do with these comics, and signs somewhere random with nothing else on the cover of these things. Yet asking prices are usually in the $200 range or higher?

 

To me, a Con a ticket for the event usually costs around $25, his signature is roughly $50 and the mark up to flip another $25. If this was an older comic of HIS then maybe paying a little more is fine, but these are comics that are being sold just because he signed it.

 

I have three separate Avengers vs X-Men #1 Variants signed, an (Uncanny) X-Men 109, and an Astonishing Tales 25 signed by him. I would love to get more but understand he isn't getting younger and the window to get this done is closing a little every day. Once this happens I can't wait to see the market flood with his signature on everything and the upcharge for it with the words "Never sign again" under them.

 

Personally I would choose the actual writer or artists to sign the comics as I have quite often and reserve Stan's for those comics that mean something to me.

[Tnerb]

My ASM #129 as previously brought up is signed by Stan Lee. I wondered if this was ethical. He didn't write the book, he didn't do anything with the book, other than create Spider-Man a little more than a full decade before. So that along with three others were chosen. One of the other books only had Stan Lee Presents and the other two he was indeed the writer. Then I had John Romita add his scrawls who subsequently only had anything to do with the cover, was that fair? Where was Ross Andru when I needed him, Then the ECCC happened and I was finally able to have a more direct link to the comic book and have Gerry Conway sign it.

 

Will I dare add a fourth? Will three be enough for me? Am I addicted because I don;t think there are any other triple signature series of this book in this grade? I was nervous enough to get the third one. Subsequently, although BagOFlease had his signature series done in the same weekend, I just got some back from New York. One of them is my very own issue of New Mutants #77, triple signature; Tom Defalco, Louise Simonson, and Bob McLeod. Defaced? Graffiti? or pure adornment. Who Knows?

 

Would I add Stan Lee to any of those, nah. I am going to try to get one more signature from him, maybe say Excelsior or something on my Tales of Suspense 97, even if he was just the writer.

 

 

[Lee K]

When I am considering signatures - it is usually in this order: Cover artist, interior artist, writer, editor, everybody else. So much of the time Stan Lee fits in the 'everybody else' category.

 

I do have a nice copy of the first SA appearance of the Red Skull (*if I can figure out where I stored it) that I would like Stan to sign. But - well, he had something to do with that book, right?

 

Now - that's just my starting point - obviously if the writer was someone who is really associated with a book - say Roy Thomas for Marvel Conan, or Dennis O'Neil for Green Lantern/Green Arrow, or even Kurt Busiek for Dark Horse's Conan, then I might be more inclined to get that signature over an artist who didn't inspire me.

 

Finally - I think I would like a book with a boatload of signatures. I think one of the best opportunities would be an older copy of Weird War Tales - a whole pile of stories drawn and written by different creators, now just finding an issue where several of them are alive. Hell, I just had Chaykin sign a copy of WWT #40, and all he did was pencil a 2-page story on the inside - but it was a good, post-holocaust story.

 

Lee K

 

 

[Tnerb]

I'd definitely want to get as many sigs to a book as I can. TNERB's ASM 129 is a perfect example of something awesome that I'm highly jealous of and wish I could afford.

 

Thank you. I was just lucky to have the book, although if my Father gave me the money I asked for all those years ago, I might have been speaking about a Daredevil #1

[surfer99]

Great topic. My tendancy is to follow Lee K's direction...cover artist, interior artist, writer...then inker, colorist, and even letterer be would be cool. I like the multiple signatures so long as the person signing the book was actually one of its creators. For me, that means I'm not going after a Stan Lee signature unless he actually wrote the book. I'm waiting to get a couple of those back now actually.

 

As far as Tnerb's ASM 129 though...yeah, that's pretty cool.

 

 

[kaholo1256]

So, is there a limit to the number of signatures that can be placed on a book? Maybe with this subject now in my mind I'll see about an X-Men Blank signed by everyone who has ever had a hand in creating an X-Men book...That would be wild to own for personal goals but at the same time completely pointless to the actual issue itself.

[Shivabali]

I love SS books, and love to collect them. I think they add a dynamic element to anyone's collection. That yellow label gets my heart a-pumpin'. Everyone here has great points. I concur that Lee K's order is a good one to follow. I also concur that TNerbs #129 is f'n GREAT. Rarely do you see such an important and valuable book with more than one sig...most people (including me) don't have the brass balls! In general, I think a book should be signed by someone who was involved with the particular issue. Though I must admit, I have many Stan Lee sigs on books he wasn't directly involved with. My most coveted Lee sig is on my ASM#3 with a whopping 3.5 grade. But he signed it in front of me, and like Lost said, it feels right to have him sign a really old and important Silver Age book in low grade.

 

Just to add, I also like collecting SS of actors playing their respective roles. I have a Thor signed by Chris Hemsworth and a Walking Dead 19 signed by Danai Gurira (thanks Ronnylama!) I've tried and failed bidding on Aliens #1 signed by Sigourney Weaver. At ECCC, someone had an X-Men 141 signed by Patrick Stewart. I smacked my head internally...why didn't I think of that? One thing though, the actors sigs are usually WAY more expensive than comic book creators...except for Stan...they range from $35-75. (Stewart's was $75 at ECCC...a little too high IMO.)

[bagofleas]

I love SS comics as well.

 

For me, I vastly prefer the sigs to be from those who created the issue. Seeing things signed by the likes of Stan Lee and Jim Starlin when they had no real direct hand in the actual creation of that particular book is kinda silly to me, but I guess I can see why some would want it.

 

I understand Shivabali's attraction to signatures from actors who played the roles of comic characters, but personally I would NEVER have or want a comic signed by an actor. I would rather have a magazine with the actors sig and graded.

 

Which is exactly what I did at the Megacon! CGC was not doing on-site grading of MAGAZINES at the show. Only for the comics. So my mags won't be back in my hands until a little later. "What mags are those", you may ask?

 

7 issues of Star Trek: The Next Generation Magazine and 4 issues of Starlog Magazine including number 124 (11/87), which is the very first issue of Starlog to feature ST: TNG on the cover! I got that one signed by both Stewart and Frakes!

 

Stewart was $75 at Megacon, too. Most of the others were $40. In all, I spent $475 in signings JUST from the ST: TNG actors for my 11 mags!

 

SHEEESH!

[biggblaster]

Meshuggah,

If you are going to get cast members to sign one of the books I do not think it is a good idea unless you are keeping it for sentimental value. I have already seen a small decline in popularity of the show and after that it will happen in the book. The reason for this advice is because the cast member’s signatures cost money while the comic creators do not. So depending on whom the cast member is their signatures range from 30.00 on up. Plus CGC adds a fee for every signature after the first. That being said you will be deep in the whole before you even start.

 

 

[biggblaster]

Thanks guys. It seems like most of us agree that Stan's signature should probably be on something he did. I have noticed a drop in price in books signed by him, that he had nothing to do with. As a matter of fact, it cost around 110.00 round trip to have Stan sign something and CGC it. It is around 55.00 for the autograph, 49.00 or so depending on the tier to grade the book, and then the return shipping. Many books have been selling for that or lower and that brings me to another question. How can all these people be selling at or below cost? It is crazy, so why bother but anyway I will bring that up in its own journal.

[meshuggah]

Thanks for the advice on the actors. Think I might cut down on how many I get to sign my walking dead 48. One more thing with Stan is the books I've had him sign were still of characters he created. I'd have Claremont sign a gambit book or Liefeld sign a Deadpool. But I wouldn't just hand Stan a green lantern or something crazy like that.

[biggblaster]

. That would be pretty cool though. My brother in law accidently had Berni Wrightson sign some ridiculous book he had nothing to do with. Berni was like a machine he didn't even look up. On the flip side I seen Don Rosa, Disney Ducks artist, refuse to sign at least three different books in Baltimore last year because of one reason or another. One book he said he only did the interior so he would not sign the cover. Another woman said she was a fan of his work and he then wanted to make sure of it by practically testing her. When she had gotten up he made a point of telling the others around she was not being truthful. He was downright confrontational with some of his fans. That being said he was nice enough to draw head sketches for free to anybody that asked.