In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. 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 market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. This could have one major defect like a larger piece out of the cover, a long tear or a detached centerfold. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. So, our slabs will fit in most graded comic book boxes for long term storage. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. 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. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at. This comic is definitely a read copy with handling wear, but can still be a very desirable copy. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs.
We are currently migrating data to our new system and conducting tests, and we are really excited for you to try it out. Raw grading labels the preprinted labels are colorcoded using the standard 10 pt. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. This grading process details the exact condition and completeness of a.
I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. 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. Our staff of friendly and dedicated employees offer over 250 years of experience in the comic book market place, and look forward to assisting you.
Our grading methods are based upon factual and measurable observations. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. Another method of grading pupils work is to use percentage scores, which is the ultimate form of multicategory grading, with a possible 101 different grades for any piece of work. The grading labels fit on top of backing boards, or can be placed over sleeves. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Comic books are sent to cgc for grading and encapsulation either.
Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. Mar 27, 2020 the market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol.
If you had a comic selected when brining up the grading wizard, the apply grade button is available. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market. Collectors condition comic book raw grading labels stickers. What life requires of us is passion, and that is why grading scale was written, with passion, from my heart to yours. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the collecting community. Grading guide pgx comics pgx comic grading services. Cgc set the standard for thirdparty comic book, magazine, lobby card and vintage photograph grading, and its independent affiliate ccs performs expert pressing, restoration and restoration removal services for comic books. The fact that the comic is only nearly flat wasnt critical to the grade that particular defect is allowed on books up to very fine in grade. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration. Comic book grading part 1 non professional grading.
Its only been within the last 15 years or so that the problem of bias in comic grading was amended, and it took the form of commercial grading. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. Predating todays commonly used 10point numerical grading scale by about 10 years, the 100point scale was an unsuccessful early attempt to apply a more scientific standard to the comic book grading process. 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. One of our goals for the new website is to offer an easier online experience for our customers. Comic book grading has evolved over the past several decades from a much looser interpretation of standards in the beginning to the very tight professional scrutiny in use by the market today.
One area we focused on is the way you submit comics and access your account information. 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. 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. If youve ever wanted to know about how to judge the condition of your comics this video is for you.
Aug 12, 2014 some comic book stores even have authorized vendors who can send your books in for you. Although the actual process of grading a comic isnt really that difficult, it can be a bit intimidating for beginners. It has stress lines on the spine and creases from the opening and closing of the cover. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading.
I would be interested in scans of any cgced books that have page colorgrade combinations not found on the chart for future inclusion. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. The ultimate upside to getting your comics cgc graded is that it greatly enhances the value of your comics if they are in really good condition. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books the company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable part of the comic book collecting community. The comic book grading companies will offer witnesses, so a representative from the grading company will stand with you as you get a book signed. The numerical values on the scale will probably be the widely recognized 100 point. Choose a tier based on comic value and turnaround time. John is a graduate of lewis clark state college and holds a bs in general studies. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised.
Grading comics accurately is essential to their figuring out their proper value and price. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete andor brittle. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. 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. 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. 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. Digital imaging for comic books submitted under any of cgc grading and service tiers. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. Consists of accurate highresolution images of the front and back of the book, shown encapsulated in its cgc holder. 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. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at cgc, and was recently purchased by beckett media. Originally produced in conjunction with the first edition of the overstreet comic book grading guide, the owl or overstreets whiteness level card is a comic book grading tool used to evaluate paper color on the reverse side is the one or overstreets numerical equivalent card, which translates the traditional letter grades into their equivalent values on a 100point numerical. As of 2019 they have graded over 5 million comic books. The current proposal details to be provided as soon as they are available calls for an official american association of comicbook collectors aacc recognized grading scale and accompanying code of ethics. Both of these requirements were lacking for much of comic book history, and in the absence of a reliable method of achieving this, access to the culture was stifled and progress was delayed.
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. First, is the use of a forward slash to denote a book as being between grades. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition.
As condition evaluators and restoration detection experts, the professionals at pgx have spent decades inspecting multiple copies of a wide variety of comics from every era. Some people will state that comic book grading is an art. Cgc page quality chart here is a chart of the various cgc page colors ive come across in the wild. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. May 19, 2016 third party graders have established a standard numeric grading system that most of todays collectors rely upon. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. 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. World class, proven, professional comic grading experts.
May 04, 2016 comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration. Comic book grading screenshots, images and pictures comic vine. Our grading increases the value of your collectibles, protects the condition, and improves their display quality. The majority of sellers we deal with are experienced graders, either long time collectors or comic retailers. Fine fn very good vg good gd fair fa poor po this comic book grading scale has been used for several decades, during which time the scale has been expanded to more accurately describe a books condition. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. This is part one of key issues guide to comic book grading. Aacc recognized grading scale and accompanying code of ethics. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. Comic book supplies auctionstore venues third party grading.
Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable part of the comic book collecting community. 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 numeric grading system based on the books condition ranges from. Some comic book stores even have authorized vendors who can send your books in for you. It is our intent to screen comics in this grade to just the best we obtain. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Pgx utilizes the overstreet comic book grading guide in its definitions of condition. Cbgc has developed a proprietary comic book grading system with over 550 separate grading characteristics, covering over 20 grading categories. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that meet or exceed your specified minimum grade.
The numerical values on the scale will probably be the widely recognized 100 point system that is currently well established. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. We deal with hundreds of such sellers who have done thousands of transactions with us since we began buying online in 2002. 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. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Percentage scores are used to denote a pupils score, though they are also commonly paired with a letter grade. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. Books that have been encapsulated and certified by an objective thirdparty grading service take the guesswork out of the grading process for both collectors and dealers.
The owlone card comes sealed in its original foil packaging. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. Advice for those who dont know how to grade comics. The book pretty much summarizes all the checking points in determining the value of a comic book, and provides extensive comic book grading scale and descriptions for each grading level. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. List of books and articles about grades and grading. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The grading label can not be removed without destroying the slab. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. Grading scale paperback may 28, 2016 by john c morgan author.
There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. Pressing it applies that grade to the selected comic. 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.
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