The autograph for Stan Lee (RIP) was at an all-time premium after his passing, and that shot to new highs for several months following his death. This autograph for Stan "The Man" Lee has certainly leveled off, however, the lower grades continue to have great returns. Furthermore, it appears that there is a cost barrier for the lower grades of roughly between $200-$300 that these books rarely if ever fall below. What have been the returns for Marvel Age #41 with an autograph of Stan Lee confirmed? Further, what grades are increasing in value?
Marvel Age #41
One of the hot books after Stan Lee's passing was Marvel Age #41 it was created in 1986 and sports a fun and friendly image of Stan Lee on the cover (see image to left). This comic book was written and drawn by Fred Hembeck.
Lee and Marvel in the Later Years
"Lee became a figurehead and public face for Marvel Comics. He made appearances at comic book conventions around America, lecturing at colleges and participating in panel discussions. Lee and John Romita Sr. launched the Spider-Man newspaper comic strip on January 3, 1977.[105] Lee's final collaboration with Jack Kirby, The Silver Surfer: The Ultimate Cosmic Experience, was published in 1978 as part of the Marvel Fireside Books series and is considered to be Marvel's first graphic novel.[106] Lee and John Buscema produced the first issue of The Savage She-Hulk (February 1980), which introduced the female cousin of the Hulk,[107] and crafted a Silver Surfer story for Epic Illustrated #1 in 1980" (Source: Wiki).
| Title | Grade | Last Sale | CGC Census | Return |
| Marvel Age #41 | 6.5 | $194 | 15 | +31.5% |
| 4.5 | $350 | 3 | +16.7% | |
| 4.0 | $225 | 2 | +77.3% | |
| 0.5 | $200 | 1 | +18.3% |
Marvel Age #41 Signature Series
The Signature Series is pretty much the "gold standard" for comics and authentic signatures nowadays. More and more autographs are being confirmed in this way at the actual signing by a registered CGC observer is very strong proof of authenticity. It is expensive and almost costs between $70 and $100 respectively depending on what autograph you want Signature Series.
Lately "in-house" signings have become popular. What is an in-house signature all about? Well, this is when you simply send the comic with money and the artist signs and CGC Signature Series puts a yellow label on it, at their company. This has several advantages and should not be dismissed out of turn.
Conclusion
The numbers don't lie and in the higher grades, Marvel Age #41 has not faired well. For grade 9.8 with Signature Series, there has been a marked decrease in value to the tune of, as much as, negative -58.8%. This continues down through the mid-range grades until reaching fine plus at which point it abruptly turns positive again. Warning! The grades were all recorded in the 2018-2019 years. There is nothing newer in those lower grades that can provide a guarantee.
Since I own a signed FF by Stan Lee, the interest in his signature and its value has not been lost on me. As far as I can tell, viewing eBay, Heritage, and a few other sites you can't get his signature for under about $200. An artificial floor has been put in place, and if I had to guess I would say that most fans want his signature for a couple of hundred bucks. However, autographed comics are truly a niche market for investors with few guarantees. Beyond that as my mom used to say, (Que sera, sera)... "Whatever Will Be, Will We..."
