Collectors applauded CCG's acquisition of autograph authenticator JSA in March, pleased that its subsidiary CGC would finally be able to grade signatures on comic books that weren't witnessed by the leading comic grader.
But the crossover won't be as easy as some might have thought.
CCG told cllct this week that any comic book with a signature that was previously certified by JSA won't automatically go into a CGC slab. Instead, the comic will need to be resubmitted to get another look by JSA before that happens.
"To ensure the absolute integrity of these services — and be completely certain that autographs/certs have not been altered in any way since JSA originally performed its authentications services — JSA is requiring that all autographs be re-authenticated before being encapsulated," the company said in a statement.
"This gives both JSA and our customers even greater confidence in the authenticity and integrity of every encapsulated autograph. In addition, it allows customers to easily request autograph grading alongside the grading of the underlying comic or card."
In the past, not having an autograph authentication arm meant CGC couldn't verify a signature. That meant that if it were graded, it would be given a green label, which turned out to be a pariah, as it signified that something on the comic couldn't be guaranteed.
With the JSA acquisition, CGC can now offer its Signature Series label, where JSA can evaluate signatures that weren't signed before them.
JSA's Jimmy Spence told cllct that JSA stands by every autograph it has certified, but that opinions do change.
"The autograph certification business is an evolving one," Spence said. "We learn new things over time, there are new signs of fraud and the only thing we are concerned about is getting it right with what we know at the time."
Non-slabbed signed comics already certified by JSA will carry an additional $25 to have JSA look at it again before they go into slabs.
Darren Rovell is the founder of cllct.com and one of the country's leading reporters on the collectible market. He previously worked for ESPN, CNBC and The Action Network.