CGC Cards Registry Featured Set: Marvel The Silver Age Autographs

Marvel: The Silver Age was released in 1998, introducing cards that showcased artwork from the “Silver Age” of comics (1956-1970). Many Marvel superheroes and superhero teams debuted during the Silver Age including the Justice League of America, The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man. The introduction of these heroes — and reworking of familiar faces — helped Marvel rise in prominence, helping it become the comics giant it is today.

Of course, the Silver Age wouldn’t have been as successful as it was without the writers and artists that contributed to the era. For Marvel, these artists included some of the most prominent artists in comics, including Stan Lee, Dick Ayers, Roy Thomas and Marie Severin. To celebrate these artists, SkyBox published a subset to include in boxes of Marvel: The Silver Age, called Marvel: The Silver Age – Silver Age Autographs. It included 11 cards featuring the artists from the Silver Age, each signed by the respective artists.

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AJ858’s Marvel The Silver Age autographs set is 100% complete (with blue and black autograph variants for Sal Buscema) and includes cards graded CGC 8.5 through CGC Pristine 10 — an impressive accomplishment for cards that are nearly 30 years old! We caught up with AJ858 to talk about his set and the CGC Cards Registry. Check out the Q&A below!

Q&A with the Set Owner, AJ858

How did you get started collecting Marvel cards?

I don’t remember exactly how or when I got started collecting Marvel cards. Since I was a kid, I used to pick up packs of everything and anything (Wacky Packs, Simpsons, fantasy art, DC cards etc.) when I could, but I think I got serious with Marvel with their 1990s Marvel Universe cards. I really like the artwork on the cards. Then Joe Jusko’s 1992 Marvel Masterpieces cards came out and I’ve kept my eye on Marvel cards ever since.

What is your favorite card in this set and why?

My favorite card in the autographs set is the Stan Lee autograph. Love and respect to the other signers, but Stan was “The Man.” I also think his autograph card in this set is one of the better-looking autograph cards that he’s signed for any set. Great photo of him, signature is on the card.

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Was there a card that was difficult to find? If so, do you have a story about how you were able to finally locate the card?

When it came to putting the autograph set together, I was blessed in a way. When I was collecting Marvel: The Silver Age (MSA) cards I was in graduate school; I had some disposable income, and I [had access to] a regular card show about an hour and a half drive from home. I’d drive up to the show (Frank and Son in the City of Industry) every few weekends and buy as many boxes of Marvel: The Silver Age as I could afford to find the sketch cards. Over time, all the autographs were found. This was way back in the day (1998-ish) when a sealed box of MSA cards only cost around $70 per box.

What other collecting goals are you working on?

I’m currently sampling boxes of cards that come out just to enjoy opening them. My next goal may be to build a set of Secret Wars trading cards — they’re coming out soon and Secret Wars is a comic series that I remember fondly. The problem I have with sets these days is that for so many of them there’s no way of building a master set, with all of the 1 of 1’s and other special cards. So, aside from acquiring Marvel: The Silver Age sketch cards when I can, I may go back to the 1980s and build a set like Marvel Universe or Jim Lee’s X-Men and create an all 10 graded set. Also, I have some subsets of the MSA cards that I need to send to CGC and try to get a full set of 10s.

How has the CGC Cards Registry helped you with your collecting goals?

CGC as a company has helped because I wanted to treat the MSA autograph set with the respect it deserves by getting them graded and encapsulated, and I think CGC has the slabs that look the best for displaying my cards. I used to keep the cards in 9-pocket pages in an official MSA binder, but one day I was checking out the cards and I realized that, when I wasn’t paying attention, the cards had turned from a hobby into more of an investment. That meant that binder pages probably weren’t the best way to store them anymore. The CGC Cards Registry helps me enjoy my cards, share them with others and remind me to focus on creating an amazing set.

About the CGC Cards Registry

The CGC Cards Registry is a free online platform where collectors can register and display CGC-certified cards, compete with other collectors and get inspired. The CGC Cards Registry is also a great organizational tool for your collection. Begin adding your CGC-certified cards in the CGC Cards Registry here.

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Previous CGC Cards Registry Featured Sets:

POKÉMON

• Base Set – 1st Edition
• Fossil 1st Edition Master Set
• Neo Genesis 1st Edition
• Pokémon 1st Edition Gray Stamp
• Pokémon Rumble
• Shining Fates Master Set
• Snorlax – Main Set
• Southern Islands
• Team Rocket First Edition Master Set
• Wizards of the Coast Black Star Promos

MAGIC: THE GATHERING

• Arabian Nights
• Happy Little Gathering
• Legends – Reserved List
• Limited Edition Alpha

OTHER

• All Enchanteds
• Cinema Stars
• Marvel Super Heroes
• X-Men Series 2 Gold Foil