How to Boost The Price of a Low Grade Comic

[Mr. Zipper]

While I don't think fake autographs on comics are a widespread problem, they certainly exist. I suspect that some may be using fake autographs in an attempt to boost the price on an otherwise low price/low grade book.

 

 

eBay Auction

[the blob]

At the current bid of $5.50 that's a pretty good deal, even with $5 shipping.

[seank]

but for the ambiguous individual who takes it to an autograph specialist

 

Only thing ambiguous here is the authenticity of the signature.

 

 

Purchased at an estate sale.... At least he didn't say he got it from his grandfather who had it autographed by Stan Lee up in the attic.

[nickwire]

how to boost it? find a stain on it, say it looks like the virgin mary..BINGO!

[Mr. Zipper]

At the current bid of $5.50 that's a pretty good deal, even with $5 shipping.

 

Yes it is.

 

It would rub me the wrong way to give a scammer a penny, however, I could justify it if they were selling it to me at a loss.

[richnerd]

I bet the book use to be a 9.6 but after he forged the signature he had to make the ink look like it was written a long time ago. So he stored it under his car floormat for a few weeks.

[october]

What makes you think it's forged? Stan Lee's sig is pretty common...

[Mr. Zipper]

What makes you think it's forged? Stan Lee's sig is pretty common...

 

Even from the small scan it's pretty clear that the formation, tilt and sizing are all atypical. The shape of the S and the Lee are poorly executed.

 

I have a number of Stan sigs in my collection, plus I've been collecting autographs for the better part of 20 years. My eye is adept at catching stinkers, and this one stinks to high heaven.

[Mr. Zipper]

One more general forgery detection tip...

 

Forges tend to be smaller than authentic signatures. No one **knows** why, but it probably has something to do with carefully drawing a signature which does not come naturally.

 

Look at the signature on this book. It is tiny. Probably about half the size of any real Stan sig I've ever seen. I wouldn't base a decision on this alone, but it's part of the equation that adds up to equal "fake."

[Point Five]

That's funny, I'm an amateur at this but I was just thinking the same thing re the size. Stan is never that shy with his signature!

[Ijiwaru Sensei]

but for the ambiguous individual who takes it to an autograph specialist

 

Only thing ambiguous here is the authenticity of the signature.

 

 

Purchased at an estate sale.... At least he didn't say he got it from his grandfather who had it autographed by Stan Lee up in the attic.

 

And why exactly would Stan Lee go to someone's attic to sign a book?

[october]

Interesting. I just gave it a quick glance without looking too close. Seems stupid to forge a sig that's so easy to obtain, but I guess people who do most anything to make a quick buck.

[iggy]

If you can't trust someone who's seen a whole bunch of Jim Mcfarlane autographs who can you trust??

[EvilAsh]

If you can't trust someone who's seen a whole bunch of Jim Mcfarlane autographs who can you trust??

 

I was just thinking that

[Moondog]

Back in the late 70's I had a VG Spidey 12 that I marked below good because there was some scratchy ink marks on the front cover.

 

A customer told me that it was Stan's autograph.

 

I looked again and he was right! I marked it a double Guide, probably $40 or so, and sold it the same day.

 

BTW, It looked very similar to this.

[Mr. Zipper]

It looked very similar to this.

 

Well, unless you're dealing with the laziest forger in the world, fakes always look **similar** to the real deal.

 

You wouldn't expect them to sign "Stan Lee" in the handwriting style of Shirley Temple, would you?

[the blob]

Back in the late 70's I had a VG Spidey 12 that I marked below good because there was some scratchy ink marks on the front cover.

 

A customer told me that it was Stan's autograph.

 

I looked again and he was right! I marked it a double Guide, probably $40 or so, and sold it the same day.

 

BTW, It looked very similar to this.

 

------------------

 

People were more trusting in the 70s.

 

I have only sold one autographed book (a John Romita senior 15 cent Spidey) and I was the one who got it signed, so I had a story and what not. I did sell it for around guide, which is better than I'd normally do on a G/VG to VG Spidey from that era.

[alwaysbronze]

it looks fake to me, but not too bad at all

[rob_allan]

I don't think it's a real signature, but it's better than some forgeries of other signatures I've seen. (Pete Rose baseballs used to turn up at conventions back home when I was a kid. Every blasted one looked different. I, to this day, don't know which one was a real signature or if I ever saw one.)

 

It's really too bad a company like CGC doesn't start a service where signatures can be authenticated, and then the comic encased so the book can't be swapped out. Maybe with a little disclaimer that says if the case is opened, the signature is no longer guaranteed authentic. If they graded it at the same time as well, that would be pretty spectacular.

 

What do you think? Steve? Anyone?

 

[bullseye]

next thing you know he will say "this is authentic because Randy Emberlin is a person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed of costco like proportions." or "it's real because I own a lot of comic books written and or drawn by someone who would have nothing to do with this guy in any capacity."