Regarding the comics industry recent reholder scandal / scam, please note that all books I sell were submitted directly by me to CGC at various comic conventions (as well as the occasional private signing event). I do not buy already graded books and then resell them. So every CGC item I have for sale was graded by CGC and then came directly to me and not through another dealer. Please further note that photos, prints, and original art sketches (that are not on actual comic books but are rather just on sketch paper or the like? i.e. anything certified by CGC that does not have a grade, are not searchable on their site by the serial number. Only graded comics and magazines - items with grades - are searchable by serial number. However, for such items not searchable on their site, you can call CGC Customer Service and they can verify the item authentication over the phone.
Dragonlance #1 hit newsstands and comic speciality stores on August 25, 1988. It was the first comic book series released by DC Comics from TSR's iconic roll playing game by Gary Gygax, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. An entire line of comics featuring adventures in the worlds of TSR would follow. In all, DC produced four ongoing series'. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons came next (November, 1988), eventually followed by Forgotten Realms (September, 1989) and finally Spelljammer (September, 1990). They also produced one stand-alone annual, TSR Worlds (July 1990).
This copy of the very first issue of Dragonlance is a rare newsstand edition. By the time this issue was released, comic shops had taken the lead in sales with the Newsstand versions having drastically lower print runs - in 1988, perhaps 25% of the market share compared to 75% for comic shop copies without UPC codes (see below for more info on newsstand editions). The comic is signed by Ron Randall, artist of the cover and interior of the comic (and who would go on to provide most of the artwork for the remainder of the series). It is also signed by Jan Duursema - the artist of the house ad appearing on the issues back cover and providing the first glimpse of the characters that would appear in AD&D #1 three months later. Duursema would provide most of the artwork for that series.
The book is professionally graded by CGC at 9.6 as part of their special Signature Series. With Signature Series books a certified CGC witness actually observes the signing of the comic and then immediately takes possession of the book so there is no possibility of the real autograph being switched out with another. It will be shipped with the utmost care.
About Newsstand Editions:
Comics sold through newsstands were, at one point, the only comics available. But in the late 1970's the direct market arose - comic speciality shops - and they featured comics without UPC codes. By 1986, things were about even between the two but soon the Direct Market almost completely took over. Further, newsstand comics in higher grades are especially difficult to find given that they were 1) more likely to be purchased by the general public/children instead of by collectors who frequented comic shops and, 2) they were placed in the old wire spinner racks so were damaged almost from the moment they were put on sale. Below are the percent of traditional newsstand comics vs Direct Market comics and how those numbers drastically shifted over time, especially after 1986.