Autographs on Comic Books Can Decrease Value
Do you own a comic book that is signed by the book’s creator, writer or artist? Did you know that an autograph on a comic book, while pretty cool, could actually reduce its value? Until just recently, authenticating non-winessed signatures was a no go. If you submitted a comic book to the Certified Guarantee Company (CGC) for grading and there happened to be a non-CGC witnessed signature on your comic book, it would receive the dreaded green label.
Now most everyone knows that the preferred CGC labels are blue (universal grade) and yellow/gold (signature series). Unfortunately, hundreds upon hundreds of very high grade comic books are sealed in a green labelled slab because the comic book has a non-verified autograph on it. I personally own a 9.6 Daredevil 158 signed by Frank Miller (apparently) and a 9.6 Iron Fist 14 signed by Chris Claremont (apparently).
CBCS To Authenticate Non-Witnessed Autographs
Steve Borock, CGC’s ex-president, recently announced that his new independent third party grading service, Comic Book Certification Service (CBCS), will be adding a new grading program called the Verified Signature Program (VSP), for which they have partnered with CSA Comics, a company that only authenticates comic book creators’ signatures (this includes signatures of artists, writers, inkers and creators).
Borock really hit the nail on the head in spearheading this new initiative, considering thousands of collectors have had their books signed by comic royalty since way before CGC’s inception. Why CGC or any other third party grading service hasn’t pursued such an obvious program until now is beyond me. That being said, I am certain that as CBCS’s program gains popularity, the other companies will follow suit with similar products.
For anyone worried that authentication after the fact won’t be reliable “…CSA Comics will authenticate each signature with their state-of-the-art Characteristic Signature Matching (CSM) system. The staff at CSA Comics has amassed a comic book signature library of over 10,000 signatures for reference.” (from Scoop: Fandom Advisory Network)
Needless to say, once CBCS’s Verified Signature Program is up and running strong, my CGC green labelled Iron fist 14 and Daredevil 158 will be taking a trip to Saint Petersberg, Florida.
For more information about CBCS and their programs, visit their website by clicking on the logo below.
And for all of your comic book dry cleaning and pressing needs, never hesitate to contact The Comic Doctor!
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