As the world mourns the passing of Stan Lee, the market for a key comic signed by the legendary creator will rise to ridiculous levels.
Stan Lee was more than a comics legend; his persona spread into pop culture, and he became the face of comics in general. His name is synonymous with all things superhero, making his the single most-recognized name in the history of the industry due to that pop culture reach. That's why of all the creator signatures you could get on a comic, Stan's is by far the most collectible. Did you ever make it to a Stan Lee signing? People show up with practically anything comics related to have signed. Scour eBay right now, and you'll find anything even remotely tied to comics with the Stan Lee signature across it. Sure, it makes at least a little sense for people to have all things Marvel signed - even if it is a modern comic featuring characters Lee had no part in creating - but there are plenty of DC comics and memorabilia with his trademark signature. When you're THE comics legend, anything superhero is fair game.
Here's what's going to happen next: fans, both hardcore comic fans and those of the mainstream pop culture variety, will be going after anything Stan Lee wrote his name on. This is fairly typical when an icon of Lee's stature dies. Whether it's the sadness of the death or those looking to make an investment, it's a fact that people clamor for anything directly tied to that person in the initial weeks and months following his passing.
That being said, here's my advice for those of you wanting a Stan Lee autograph on a key comic (because, lets face it, having his signature on a random comic, especially one he had no part in, isn't going to add value in the long run, and they are out there aplenty): don't do it...yet.
Here's the thing to remember about those Stan Lee autographs: there's thousands of them out there, and I'm just referring to the graded comics. That's not even counting the memorabilia out there with a certificate of authenticity or the comics he signed before there was a CGC or CBCS. And have you ever seen one of the lines for a Stan Lee signing? We're talking hundreds of people waiting in line for a couple of hours. Then there's the mail-in comics he signed. When you add it all up, that's a lot of comics with his name written across the cover.
In these first few weeks, we're going to see a massive amount of Stan Lee-signed comics plastered across eBay and shops across the country. While Lee's name is at the forefront of comic news (and will be for months), those aiming to profit from his demise will be placing a hefty price tag on those issues. As time passes, prices will come back to normal, and for a fan of "The Man's" work, you'll be able to add these to your collection without being gauged for a proverbial arm and a leg.
