Comic book grading explained that

As with grading all collectibles, there is a degree of subjectivity as there are many factors to consider and all of them must be weighed to determine an overall grade. That said, a few changes to how the company does things are being made. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the. I am still amazed that a company that is so vocal about being the biggest comic grading service can be so bad at what they do and not care. One last thing, their form estimates a 4 week turn. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. However, grading is an inherently subjective process and there. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Cgc remains open, declares itself an essential business cbr. Dealers that exaggerate grades are likely trying to sell at inflated prices. Once certified by cgc, a comic book is encapsulated in a stateofthe art, tamperevident holder, providing superior protection and stability for longterm preservation. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry.

I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. Gary kendra, who has been pressing books for six years, explained that pressing offers the opportunity to restore some of the appeal of the book that might have been lost to age or mishandling. But i can teach you to quickly assess about what your comic book grades at, and therefore, roughly what your comic book is worth that is all the skill you will need to determine the. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. Cream to offwhite paper that appears white or offwhite in the middle with aged outer edges, or exhibits an overall aged color that is more close to brown than white. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages.

With rare exception, comic books considered for the grade of 9. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. The term grading refers to finding the condition that a comic book is in. Comic book grading the basics of grading comics superworld. Grading is the term used for the assessment of the condition of a particular comic book. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine. Therefore, mcg is acting both as a grading unit for mcb and trying to fill a void in both affordability and availability in the world of comic book grading. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics. Raw grading labels the preprinted labels are colorcoded using the standard 10 pt. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent.

A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Thanks for the response batman007, if i understand you, you are saying spine roll is a function of use as in reader wear and tear and not a manufacturing issue. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972.

Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. Pressing represents nonrestorative methods of improving the overall appearance of the comic. Every type of restoration found on each book will be individually graded for quantity and quality, with a cumulative score determining the final restoration grade assigned. Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. The online form will allow you to easily submit any number of comics, and then you can print a copy of the form to be included in your shipment. Last time the numeric grading system was introduced as a way to assess the condition of a comic. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. Otherwise it is generally the same, with the bottom of the scale equating to poor condition, and a 10 being perfectly mint. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value.

A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Comic book submission cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. A comic book in fr condition may have nonstory elements such as coupons, ad pages, or marvel value stamps cut or torn out of the book. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company.

I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. We accept payment made by credit card, personal check, money order or we can send you an invoice via paypal using your paypal email address. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality.

Jul 16, 2014 a few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. The hobby gets very petty when youre comic book grading near mint to gem mint comic books. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company.

Special thanks to our comic grading advisor steve borock, president of cbsc comic book certification service, former heritage auctions consignment director and former cgc presidentprimary grader. Certified guaranty company cgc, launched in early 2000, is a comic book grading service that can help you determine whether a comic book you are considering for purchase is restored or conserved. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. While there is a standard industryrecognized grading system in place, it is ultimately a qualitative process. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. A fingerprint on an otherwise perfect gloss, or any gloss wear on the spine, takes it down from mint. It also guarantees a consistent grade for the comic, which makes it easier to resell. Its not meant to be an expert guide to grading comic books. Jan 26, 2017 comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration. A spine split of up to 23 the length of the book, a missing back cover provided the front cover is still attached, severe water damage or residue damage. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. When you go to buy a car, an antique, house, or other purchases, you want to know what kind of shape it is in.

For collector and dealer alike, it is essential to grade the condition of a comic fairly and accurately in order to determine its true value and worth. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. All professional graders, whether grading coins, currency, or comics are charged with placing your items under a microscope see logo to determine their condition and therefore value. Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. Jun 21, 2017 the term grading refers to finding the condition that a comic book is in. A few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. Below are the universally recognized comic grade definitions. The value of your comic book is heavily dependent on its condition. Like most things i do here at the certified comic shop, im always happy to talk about the finances of operating a comic shop.

Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to. The real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. The primary reason to grade a comic is that there is a direct correlation between the condition of the comic and the value of the book. How to submit for cgc grading, submission center uk. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. This really doesnt matter to you if all you want to do is sell an old collection you came into. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Though comic book grading has been around for decades, it wasnt until 2000 that a new thirdparty grading service, cgc, burst onto the scene and revolutionized the comic book collecting industry. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration.

The evolution of grading gives the novice an overview about how the comic book hobby got to where we are now in grading. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. Cgcs system differs from the other two in that it ranges from 0. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. The grade of a comic book is very similar to a report card grade. Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. Back in 2012 or so, i discovered graded comics from cgc comics guaranty corporation an independent third party that professionally grades a comic book and securely encapsulates said comic in a sealed plastic slab with a label that details key information and the actual grade of the comic whew, thats a mouthful.

To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. Comic book grading basics what you need to know by admin on thursday, october 15th, 2009 4 comments the grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. While we cannot guarantee that a book graded twice will receive the same grade. Comic geek speak cgs is a comics audio podcast that focuses on current mainstream and smallpress comic books, featuring creator. Nov 01, 2017 the value of your comic book is heavily dependent on its condition. The grading labels fit on top of backing boards, or can be placed over sleeves. The higher the grade, the better the condition the comic book is in. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label. While a casual collector might not need to bother, its vitally important to have your comics graded if you ever plan to sell them, because the value of a comic varies widely depending on the grade it receives. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards.

Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. In a statement, cgc explained that both its headquarters in sarasota, florida and its office in across the pond in. Please note that we can only ship up to 30 books in one box so you will need to take this into account when submitting larger orders. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Contact us impressive comic books pressing service.

The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. Aaron albert, a collector of and an expert on comic books, has studied, taught, and written about the comic book genre for more than 20 years. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Buying an entire comic book store ebay fees and problems. The comic book grading company gcg the certified guaranty company has declared itself an essential business, explaining it will remain open and fully operational amid the coronavirus covid19 pandemic. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition.