Stan Lee signatures8577
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SlabGod69 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I’ve seen a lot of Stan Lee sigs on eBay. Some look pretty good and are 20-30. Not sure if I’m dodging a bullet or missing out on a sweet deal. What’s some good rules of thumb for buying unverified signatures? | ||
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 I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'm pretty noob but I'm bored so I'll take a stab at it. I wouldn't buy anything from a seller, even if they have a high feedback if: 1. They don't accept free returns 2. They don't have details of the exact date and event they had the comic signed and an explanation why the signature wasn't authenticated. 3. Stan Lee charged over $100 for each signature so if it's selling for less than this how could it be authentic? I could list more, but the more I type I realize, it's not worth buying a non-graded and authenticated Stan Lee signed comic book during this day an age because we now have a verified signature program through CBCS. Even if there is a certificate of authenticity, I wouldn't touch it, these are easy to forge. The only reason a seller wouldn't have the comic graded and authorized is because he or she doesn't believe the signature is real, they really need the money fast and don't have time to have it graded, or having the comic graded and authenticated for an extra $25 through the VSP won't result in enough of a profit. In this case you probably shouldn't be buying the comic anyway if it's not even worth $125 with Stan Lee's signature on it. It's the same as buying a non-graded Jordan Rookie card IMO. There are so many counterfeited cards and comic signatures out there that it's not worth it. Also, don't let the fact that other people are bidding on an item fool you. There are a lot of people out there that make incredibly poor decisions. I'm looking at one seller's feedback and past sales in which over 100 Stan Lee raw comics have been sold in the last 3 months, almost all under $100. I highly doubt Stan Lee was a personal friend of the seller that just signed a bunch of non-key comics at no charge. |
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Drogio private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Chances are if its an incredibly sweet deal, than its too good to be true. I don't think there are any good rules to buying unverified signatures, unless you're never going to have it verified and you can live with the likelihood it may not be authentic (e.g. Live in denial). Not many can do this. |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| even an 'authenticated' signature if not witnessed can be fake although admittedly the odds are far better.......authenticating a signature establishes it falls within certain parameters and fits what would be accepted....conversely some legitimate signatures are not authenticated because of variances......if you want certainty stick with witnessed or otherwise verifiable signatures as for COA ....they are more worthless than the paper printed on. suppose you buy a signature with one and five years later realize there is a problem....normally the issuer is long gone...and even if they are still around...thnk abut t....what recourse do you have for what might be a fifty or a hundred dollar item. usually the issuer s only liability is for the amount you spent even then ....and after spending the money to pursue it legally. anyone with a bit of expertise can fake a signature that appears convincing ....but as said above Stan was charging a fairly hefty price per signature at least in his later years....it is unlikely any seller would have droves of signed items all so cheap.... |
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Virgincollector private msg quote post Address this user | |
Yeah I wouldn’t buy anything with his name on it that’s not a key issue. Plus so many of his sigs are out there so just because he died dosnt mean his sig is worth more it depends. It’s all about the issue signed whether it’s key or not also if it’s red or yellow label. Those are the only reason I would buy his sig. do t be fooled just because it’s red or yellow as well. Look for that key issue if your looking to make money. But if you want to buy it it only cost $18 for the grade and $25 to verify through CBCS. If you did that and it came back real then you got lucky. Only way to find out for sure is to take that leap and spend the $30 for the book your looking at and send it in. If your a big collector like me who sends everything to CBCS than $73 for a verified book is nothing. But if not then I wouldn’t. Plus these guys are right if it’s to good to be true it normally is  |
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Wraith private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_towntruth be told.. If you want absolute certainty you need to witness the signature yourself. There is simply no guarantee / backstop that I'm aware that prevents a certified witness somewhere in the system from padding a stack of genuine witnessed signs with a couple that may not have followed proper procedure ..remember it's typically a commission based service... I have little interest in buying a book someone has scribbled on when I wasnt there.. IMO Getting a signature is about the experience and is also the 'proof' that time you saw 'x' in real life and a story you can share with others.. |
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kon_jelly private msg quote post Address this user | |
| While I agree that you can't be certain it's legit unless you witnessed it yourself, I will say that Stan Lee's signature is so prevalent that it makes sense that they could sell for cheap. I don't know if he always charged $100 for signatures, but even if he did enough people paid that it isn't hard to find a copy of pretty much any book you want with Lee's signature on it. | ||
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by kon_jelly He didn't. It wasn't until the marvel movies started gaining traction and comic cons really took-off (last 15 years or so) that his handlers caused the prices to sky-rocket. Stan Lee signed a LOT of books...a ridiculous amount of books. I'm guessing (next to maybe Chuck Dixon?) could be the most common signature in comics. Just like I've seen people at cons show up with long boxes for Perez's sig a couple years ago (and he signed every-single-one), it's conceivable this was done in the late-80s early 90s. You don't have to have been a close personal friend to get hundreds of Stan Lee signatures. If you're just looking for getting something with his sig, take a chance. If you're looking to make money, you're likely wasting your time. |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| have to ask yourself how the motivation would work....get a few hundred books signed by stan lee in the eighties or ninetes then once he dies rather than hold them and wait for the values to continue escalating you dump them all for 20-30 apiece? seems rather off....all the books would need to be pre nineties as well....strange one would appreciate the books enough to get them all signed then dump them for pennies on the dollar when he dies. | ||
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town The motivation could be...I have 100s of signed comics I'm looking to offload. It could be "I inherited all this BS and don't want it". It could be "I want to flood the market to make my keys worth more as people realize all the trash comics Stan Lee signed". It could be a meth head. Who knows? If the OP just wants a Stan Lee sig and wants to try something cheap, go for it. Like every other collector's item on ebay, or a shop, or a pawn place, or a antique store; buyer beware. I just got a Demon #1 8.5 graded by CGC that I was really excited about...It arrived and the front and back of the comic are seriously altered due to ink transfer from comics that this one was clearly resting between at some point in it's past. VERY disappointed this was an 8.5 with that kind of major flaw. Paid the $5.00 for the grader's notes to make sure it was tampered, sure-a-freaking-'nough, there it is in the grader's notes. 8.5 my pale white a*#. |
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by etapi65I just got a book graded by CGC. I could not wait and entered the number into their sight. The grader notes were included. It did not cost me an extra $5. |
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| okay so lets use logic and go through that...100's of signed comics you want to offload....wouldnt you try an LCS or local collector? why all the work using ebay...rather than just 'offloading' them?.....inherted all this bs and dont want it...so why would you string it out with hundreds of sales over months rather than doing what you want and get rid of it? most meth heads lack the ability or even determinaton to sit and sell hundreds of books over a protracted period...the advice if you want a stan lee signature cheap go ahead and gamble with the idea you are probably being cheated is rather .......well most woudnt .Sorry about what happened with your demon ...that really is sad. not sure how it relates to buying something you can gauge farly well as fraudulent compares to a graded book but yeah that would be awful. | ||
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kon_jelly private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BrianGreensnips It costs $5 for books that you didn't have graded yourself. |
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town I was simply following up on the statement of "lets think about their motivation". Bottom line, you have no idea what their motivation is; you can default to the worst case, it's fraudulent. Or, you can simply roll the dice. If they weren't considering taking a chance they wouldn't be on here asking opinions in the first place. No, non-professional can officially verify a signature, they didn't link to the products so even if professionals are on this board; no help. You, yourself, said even verified sigs are no guarantee. The graded comic example was simply to say even if you have a verified, guaranteed product, buying anything remotely, sight unseen, without having more specifics is always a crapshoot. Even when it's officially graded at an 8.5 and registered, no one in their right mind (in my opinion) would say a comic with severe alterations to the cover is an 8.5. And yet, here we are. So back to the actual question, I suppose "What’s some good rules of thumb for buying unverified signatures?". Do not do it. But it's your money, take a chance if you want, could turn out fine. |
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BrianGreensnips private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by kon_jellyI know, but he said that he just got it graded by CGC. |
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etapi65 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by BrianGreensnips"I just got a Demon #1 graded by CGC..." Could be read in two ways. The wording was ambiguous, but in context it should have been clear I purchased a graded comic. Not that I sent in a Demon #1 for grading; in which case I clearly would have already known about the color lift and likely been shocked it graded so high. Instead of disappointed at buying something graded so high that looked like crap. |
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Drogio private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by etapi65 I was confused too by your example. Now I get it. Thanks for clarifying. Back to our regular scheduled debate. @SlabGod69 buy it, send it in to be verified, let us know how it turns out. Take one for the team! |
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VaComicsGuy private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I know Mr. Lee didn't always charge for his autograph. I was fortunate enough to meet him several times in the 90s and he didn't charge for his autograph. At one convention, a friend and I were the only ones at his table for about 30 mins and had a very nice talk with him. | ||
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I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| You could be missing out.. I personally wouldn't bid on this or anything from this seller. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F254152504719 |
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eee91 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| My opinion- Don't do it. The market for unverified Stan Lee signatures is INSANE right now. There's a tremendous demand and with eBay looking the other way, it's too easy for crooks to churn out fakes. Stan signed a lot of books - and his signature changed over time. He used to sign neat & tidy in a clear space on the cover. Then his eyesight went and he started signing all over the place. He would sign long days and get tired, so his signature would get messier and messier. He used to sign his last name with a capital "L" and two non-cursive "e" letters. Then in later years, he would sometimes change it to lower-case cursive looping l-e-e. You used to be able to tell his sigs from certain spaces between his letters, but then they all got scrunched together. Then in the last year of his life, his "S" didn't look like an "s" anymore. With the sheer number of fake unverified sigs and the inconsistency of his signatures, it is NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to figure out what is real and what isn't. Only three safe ways to buy a Stan Lee signed book. 1. Yellow label CGC or CBCS. The most expensive, but the safest. 2. Red label verified CBCS. 3. Raw comics with a Stan Lee Collectibles/Excelsior hologram sticker. Those stickers don't come off, so if you get the comic book graded, it'll get knocked down because of it. But if you just want a raw signed Stan Lee comic for cheap, look for those. Other types of authentication or PGX or certificates of authenticity, you're taking a big chance that the sig is fake. But if you insist on trying to find a legit Stan Lee unverified sig amongst all the fakes, look for these warning signs- -Is the book something that someone would take to a convention, wait to stand in line, and pay a fee to get signed by Stan Lee? Or is it a book that a crook would pick up out of a $.50 box to scribble a fake sig onto? -On eBay, go to "Advanced Search", check the "Sold listings" checkbox, under "Only show items from" enter the seller's name. Is the seller like "tonfull" or "turtlegirl" where they seemingly have a never-ending fresh supply of cheap Stan Lee signed comics for sale? If so, stay away. -Are the other bidders listed as "PRIVATE"? What are they trying to hide? And if you do take a chance and buy an unverified sig, send it into CBCS to verify. Hope this helps! |
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Drogio private msg quote post Address this user | |
| You could also ask if they will refund you if the signature comes back rejected. See what they say. See if they stand behind them being authentic. | ||
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I'd like to say I still turned out alright, but that would be a lie.
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flanders private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Their account might not exist by the time that happens. For all you know they committed identity theft and are part of a criminal fraud ring. This is the insurance investigator in me talking. I've seen far too much fraud in my lifetime. | ||
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 To answer your question, no, this is not where the comics go to die.
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MutantMania private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by flanders They look like a legit seller with good %100 feedback. Definitely a lot of Stan Lee signed stuff and he also has some graded verified signed stuff. I don't think I would have a problem buying from them. Sometimes you can get a better deal if people are scared to bid. |
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 Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
 Stan Lee sig. I didn't get it done but my local comic shop mate did a few years ago when Stan attended Sydney super Nova comic convention cost $100 for the sig 13th June 2014 |
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Virgincollector private msg quote post Address this user | |
ThaQuote:Originally Posted by southerncrosslooks pretty like stand sig to me!! |
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metaljeff private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I still can't understand why people are paying big money for Stan Lee's signatures. He's probably the most common signature in the comic industry. I would estimate that Stan was signing upwards in the 10,000+ signatures per year for many years. His signature isn't rare now and it will never be. Think of it like this. The 1991 X-Men #1 was never rare and has a 0 investment potential even after over 25 years later. When do you think that a Stan Lee signature will be worth more than someone is paying for it now?? | ||
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Darkseid_of_town private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I think you might miss that some people buy things to have them...not to make money. I tend to collect things I hope turn out to do decently but that is not my prime mover for items I buy just for me......for instance I paid a small fortune for an X-Men 50 signed by steranko in 8.5......because it had to be that book in that grade and with the way he signed it. I may never see a profit in it but then my thought is since it was something I bought especially for me I will likely die owning it anyways...what it sells for once I am buried is hardly a concern. I would never pay a huge amount for Stan's signature myself..mine cost me 200, a month before he passed, on a Spider Gwen 1 ...a character I had largely ignored until then. The ones buying his signature with plans to cash in and see huge profits will have to wait for the movie to come out or perhaps hold them fifty years.... I do agree his signature is plentiful...myself I far rather spend some more money and get a Kirby or perhaps a few silver agers |
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Darkseid_of_town This. |
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 -Our Odin-Rest in Peace |
Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| One thing that I always point out when people talk about the value vs the number of Stan Lee signatures. "The man" is known and loved WORLD WIDE thanks to the success of the Marvel movies. I don't think you can compare his universal appeal to ANYBODY!!! Think of the Beatles and Elvis. I argue that Stan Lee is popular with more people than both of them. Think about it. Stan Lee has been a celebrity for at LEAST two generations!!!! With the world wide success of Marvel, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone who didn't know the name Stan Lee. Heck, even my dad called to let me know that he heard that Stan Lee died!!! I don't think my dad has read a comic in over 60 years and I KNOW he has never seen a Marvel movie in a theater!!! I seriously doubt he'd watch one on tv!!!! My point??? There may be 10.000's of Stan Lee signed items, but there are 100.000's worldwide that would like to own something signed by him. Why do you think his lines were so long even at $100+ a signature?? You'll never see that long of a line for another comic book industry icon EVER!!! |
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Wraith private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I can't figure out why people want a book with stans signature if they never met him . | ||
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