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. These include the later 10 cent issues and all 12 cent issues. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. Some basic descriptive terms are used by booksellers to communicate book condition. When youre comic book grading, you should be conservative. Complete descriptions sell more books grading book. Comic book grading and restoration may 19, 2016 scott robertson 25 comments comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. If, for example, a comic had a small tear and two very small but noticable corner folds, we would then probably lower the grade. Cgc page quality chart here is a chart of the various cgc page colors ive come across in the wild. Comic book supplies auctionstore venues third party grading. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. Below are comic books that are graded poor or on the cgc grading scale. In comic books just a slight increase in grade can mean literally thousands of dollars in the value.
A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. The 2 reputable thirdparty professional grading services both begin with c use the same scale, but not exactly the same criteria, but overstreet has collaborated with them for their newest grading guide. The higher the grade, the better the condition the comic book is in. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Its our desire to be fair at all times and to do our best to give good value to our customers. Grading comics accurately is essential to their figuring out their proper value and price. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Jun 21, 2017 the term grading refers to finding the condition that a comic book is in. Finally, we gather supportive information about the individual sale including when and where it was sold, how the sale can be identified at the remote venue, the format of the sale auction, fixed price, etc. I have recently heard some poor business practice complaints about cgc so i am hesitant to go with them, even if they are the oldest and best established. Nostomania comic book grading guide with sample images. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below.
Mar 27, 2020 the market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Special thanks to our comic grading advisor steve borock, president of cbsc comic book. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. 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. Like any other collectible, the condition, or grade, is an important determinant of final value or price. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Sometimes pages, or the cover has tape or heavy markings.
The real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. Ccs offers a screening service to determine whether your comic book is a suitable candidate for pressing, restoration or restoration removal. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. Grading, particularly by a reputable source is often used to gauge the value of a particular book, and grading by certain companies that authenticate and certify comics books for. 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. Books that have been restored by color touch, replaced staples etc. For example, fine very fine or abbreviated fnvf denotes that book is. These generally have a negative effect on the value. 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. It has major defects to the point that there is almost no collector value. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic.
A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Although the actual process of grading a comic isnt really that difficult, it can be a bit intimidating for beginners. As we match the sale we record the comic grading company, holderlabel type and the assigned grade. Here is a photo gallery of comic books graded cgc 2.
Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with cbcs comics. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. I have been researching the various companies and found four here in the us. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading guide for the novice. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. For example, a couple of pieces of tape were used to hold on the cover, a dab of dads.
The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. 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. At mycomicshop, we use the basic grading scale for most of our comics priced. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Although the grading of books is not a precise science, collectors should familiarize themselves with these terms. One way comic books are graded is on the basic grading scale, which runs from mint the highest, through near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair, and poor the lowest. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. This grading process details the exact condition and completeness of a comic, allowing the seller to get an idea of how much it is worth. There are plenty of examples of graded comics selling for less than the grading cost. The value can increase from 20 to 50 percent depending on the rarity of book. The term grading refers to finding the condition that a comic book is in.
Here are 2 different charts meant to help a collector measure the same concept. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation art. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. It may take a few viewings to reconcile the 2 charts. Hello all, im new to the community and have finally got to the point where i want to get some of my comics graded. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on 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. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. 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. The price difference between the value of a fine and a very fine comic book can be double or more.
Generally a very fine comic either is a near mint, with one nasty fault bringing it down, or a near mint, with a few minor faults bringing it down. 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. An exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972. There is a numeric system which corresponds to a titled grading system. The one grading system breaks down into the following condition types rank. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. A book in poor condition will be worth far less than the same book in fine condition. Grading of comics can be subjective, although there are basic agreed upon standards within the industry. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. These include the later 10 cent issues and all 12 cent issues, which ended in mid1969. Actual value of old comic books every once in a while, someone lucks upon an old comic and proudly posts their find on rcomicbooks. Look for evidence of tape or glue or other attempts to repair the book.
Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. If you were to receive a grade on a book you purchased from us, after january 1, 2003, that was graded as nm that came in below 8. Whether you are an avid comic collector, a repeat offender one who once collected but fell by the wayside, are new to the industry, or someone who came across some old comics, welcome to the world of comics. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. Comic book grading concept comic book grading appears in 46 issues. The comic book can have rounded corners and creases in the cover. Comic book grading screenshots, images and pictures comic vine.
The comic book grading scale runs from mint down to poorincomplete with several steps in between. Note that more sophisticated efforts to restore a comic. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Dealers and graders may often disagree with some grading classifications.
Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. I would be interested in scans of any cgced books that have page colorgrade combinations not found on the chart for future inclusion. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. When you go to buy a car, an antique, house, or other purchases, you want to know what kind of shape it is in. Fits the criteria for very good but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the books appearance by a perceptible amount. Grading will only preserve and protect the value of an alreadyvaluable book. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The 10 point grading scale causes confusion in pricing, especially mid to. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading.