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. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Conserved bluepurple a comic book that has specific repairs done to improve the structural integrity and longterm preservation. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. If in doubt between a near mint minus and a very fine, always presume its very fine, and then the only surprises can be good ones. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. The grading labels fit on top of backing boards, or can be placed over sleeves. The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades from near mint highest to poor lowest. Compared to a very fine copy, a finegraded comic books cover inks are beginning to show a significant reduction in reflectivity, but it is still a highly collectible and desirable comic book. 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.
The comic book industry tenpoint grading scale ranges from 10. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Jul 14, 2016 there is a large difference between a low grade fine comic book and a high grade very fine comic book. Still a desirable copy that has been handled with some care. This comic is definitely a read copy with handling wear, but can still be a very desirable copy. Dealers and graders may often disagree with some grading classifications. Cbgc has developed a proprietary comic book grading system with over 550 separate grading characteristics, covering over 20 grading categories. A very fine comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with care.
This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. Cbcs is another popular grading service which offers impartial grading and certification for comic books. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. If exceptional in other areas, could have nine of the following at least three must be 116 or less in size and the remaining must be must be 18 in size or less, small spine stress, slight corner blunting. 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. Some people will state that comic book grading is an art. For a more detailed look into each grade, consult the overstreet guide to grading comics, available at comic book shops, bookstores and online vendors. Fits the criteria for fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the book s appearance by a perceptible amount. There are 14 basic conditions that a comic book could fall under. Describes a book that shows some small signs of wear but no tears on either binding or paper. Minor to moderate cover wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases andor dimples. It has stress lines on the spine and creases from the opening and closing of the cover.
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. An accumulation of binderyprinting defects is allowed. Overall an above average copy and still very collectible. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. At the nostalgia zone we have an established process for grading comics that interprets the usual price guides conservatively. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. Overstreet founded the overstreet comic book price guide in 1970. 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. These grades allow for some more defects than higher grades. Very fine to near mint vfnm back to top general wear, tears, creases, folds, color flaking, water stains, foxing, etc a beautiful book. This is the typical condition of a nice newstand mint comic book. You can expect an otherwise very nice cover to have one corner with a crease, some spine stress marks, a little wear. Still, when it comes to buying older comics a very fine rating should come with a buyer beware.
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. Comics in fine are priced significantly less than those in very fine and for good reason. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. Very fine minus vf back to top general wear, tears, creases, folds, color flaking, water stains, foxing, etc. Compared to a vf, cover inks are beginning to show a significant reduction in reflectivity, but it is still a highly collectible and desirable book. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. First, we check to make sure the back issue comic is complete, containing all pages and any possible premiums such as stickers, 3d glasses, posters, etc.
Back to top fits the criteria for fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the books appearance by a perceptible amount. A fine condition comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care. The book may have been opened and read, but there are no defects to the book, jacket or pages. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Due to the nature of paper, discoloration is expected over time. Light tan to cream similar to light tan to offwhite, but the center of each page exhibits a cream color, while the edges are darker.
A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. You can explore comic book grading by tracing through the grading process. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Fits the criteria for fine but with an additional defect or small accumulation of defects that detracts from the books appearance by a perceptible amount.
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. From the moment your books enter their cbcs facility, they are handled with the upmost care by highly trained and professional staff. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. A very fine comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with some care. The cgc is a company that offers impartial ratings of comic books. Fits the criteria for very fine but with an additional virtue or small. For american comics, most of the cover lustre still remains and for british comics the cover should be flat, uniform creamy or offwhite with only a few very minor stress creases at the spine.
Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades. 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. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. From the moment your books enter their cbcs facility, they are handled with the. However, the very fine near mint book will have no more than 6 total defects. A comic book that is in such bad shape that cgc will not give it a grade, only verify that it is an actual original comic book. Nm near mint vf very fine fn fine vg very good gd good fr fair pr poor the tenpoint grading scale assigns grades ranging from 10. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. The official overstreet comic book grading guide 2nd edition by robert m. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale.
Egs follows the guidelines overstreet comic book grading guide in the evaluation of its comic books, as well as for definitions of condition as condition evaluation and restoration detection experts, egs inspects a wide variety of comics from every era. A fine book approaches the condition of as new, but without being crisp. 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. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. There are grades in between these basic grades such as fine very fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading guide for the novice. There is a large difference between a low grade fine comic book and a high grade very fine comic book. 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. Raw grading labels the preprinted labels are colorcoded using the standard 10 pt. Comic book grading comic book grading standards are heavily influenced by the overstreet standard one overstreet numerical equivalency grading system, which is universally recognized by comic book dealersretailers and other authorities for the grading process. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. Comic book grading the journal of antiques and collectibles. Our grading methods are based upon factual and measurable observations. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry.
The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and. Comic book grading faq at the nostalgia zone we have an established process for grading comics that interprets the usual price guides conservatively. Very fine vfn very slight wear beginning to show around the staples and stress points owing to the comic being opened and read carefully two or three times and stored away with some care. Comic collectors have established standard grades to describe the condition of the comics theyre buying and selling. Very fine is still a considered a rather high rating for a comic book to receive.
For american comics, most of the cover lustre still remains and for british comics the cover should be flat, uniform creamy or offwhite with only a few. Grading of comics can be subjective, although there are basic agreed upon standards within the industry. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. In order for a buyer to have confidence that theyll be getting what they paid for, its absolutely essential that you. A major drawback to comic book grading is that there is a fairly wellused convention that is highly misunderstood and misused by casual collectors or noncollectors. Comic book grading comics listed for sale on comic books today are listed with one or both of two types of grades. Iconic comics grading is based on the overstreet grading guide. Dark colored pages that exhibit a uniform tint from edges to middle. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Similar to light tan to offwhite pages, but the edges of the pages are darker. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate. Back to top an aboveaverage but well used comic book. When youre comic book grading, you should be conservative.
About the best comic book store online or anywhere else. The other less standardized rating system uses terms like fair and very good. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. The best grade a comic book can achieve with this page quality is 7. The same as tan to offwhite, but the center of the pages are darker. Cgc will slab pages of a comic book in this manner. It quickly established itself as the bible of comic book dealers, collectors, and historians. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. We have an industryproven system in place that emphasizes an attention to detail in every book we grade. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention.
This could have one major defect like a larger piece out of the cover, a long tear or a detached centerfold. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. 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. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value.
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