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Stan Lee, what would you have him sign?
tzitto
Posts: 1
So Stan Lee will be at Heroes this year. I have my ticket to get an autograph from him, but now I can't decide what to have him sign. Spiderman Omnibus, Spiderman 50, Captain America 100? These are a few comics that I own that he has written, I'm wondering if I should do one of these or get something else. What are your favorite Stan stories and if you could get anything signed, what would it be?
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When I first got into comics, my cousin got me this book. It is Stan's 50 biggest moments in Marvel history or whatever. You hit a button and he talks about why he loves a certain moment. To a new comic reader, without much knowledge of the Marvel U, it was just great in giving me a basis for Marvel's history.
~X(
I would never have a collectable comic book like ASM 50 or Cap 100 signed by anyone. The value is in the book or the autograph. The autograph would devalue the book - IMHO. Seriously.... how much is a Stan Lee autograph? How much is the book worth? Its not additive. Unless you had some sort of COA to prove the signature is real you run the risk of damaging the value of the book.
If I had anything for him to autograph it would be a first edition of "The Origins of Marvel Comics" since signed hard bound books are typically more acceptable in the collectable market.
The first comic I ever read was Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #60. It was a Double-Sized issue with two stories, one of which was a retelling of Spidey's origin. The writer was Roger Stern.
I still have that comic... somewhere. It is beat up and in lousy condition. I've never been really into autographs, but I've always thought I should try to get everyone that had anything to do with that comic to sign it for me, just because they are entirely responsible for my fandom.
I've always thought I'd include Stan the Man, because he was one of the creators of Spider-Man. (I hold no hope of getting Steve Ditko, though.)
Bwa-ha-ha!
I love this idea. And its personal. If I am getting autographs, I typically want them for personal reasons.
I had won a "No Prize" when I was in high school. I'd have Stan autograph that...... if I still had it.
Now of course this was a cattle call - you walk in the tent, stand behind him, smile, snap, and you're outta there. No real time to shake hands or carry on an extended conversation. So I hit him with something he probably doesn't hear very often: "You look great in Ultimo!"* and I got exactly what I wanted out of him...that Stan Lee laugh and a "Thank you!". Plus I still smile when I see that goofy fat guy in the Fantastic Four t-shirt standing behind him in the framed pic on my wall.
*Ultimo is a manga Stan is overseeing (drawn by the guy who drew Shaman King) and Stan's an actual character in it.
So I'd have him sign that, if anything.
My position is that people should collect what they like.... not due to perceived value or "future" value. If something turns out to be valuable.... great... bonus...... if not, you still have something you like.
My original comment however is that comics have a value based on grade. When they are autographed the grade is affected in the negative. Typically, you would want to have something autographed that is valued less than the autograph. However, autographs typically do not affect the value of hard bound books, they will increase the value. So my comment is a cautionary warning.
Could you imagine a Early Marvel of just Kirby, Ditko and Maneeley?
Probably don't need to derail this thread for it, tho.
I also want to hear this story.