For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. 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. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. Pgx utilizes the overstreet comic book grading guide in its definitions of condition. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6 million collectibles certified. 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. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including.
Im wondering how to learn to properly grade comics and to become certified by cgc or something along those lines. The tenpoint grading scale assigns grades ranging from 10. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Descriptive terms range from gemstone mint for the best quality comics to poor for the worst quality comics that still retain their covers, which correspond to numeric grades of 10. Use these, make a cheat sheet, print out note cards, whatever works for you. While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you learn about comic values, this third book in our new how to line teaches you the importance of condition a factor that is often the key to real collectability and how to grade accurately.
Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. The advantages of the collectors condition comic book raw grading labeling system is. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. This grading process details the exact condition and. Having a golden age sliding scale grading system is okay. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. Jan 21, 2017 if you want to learn how to do basic grading on vintage comic books then here is a simple tutorial for you. The grading scale used by the experts at cgc has a maximum of 10.
Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic.
A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. 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. They explain the grading scale, terminology and some things to be watching for as well as links to cgc and pgx. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. This is most visible on the lower end of the grading scale. Like the sheldon scale, the cgc grading scale also skips exact grades where it makes sense to do so.
Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. Aug 12, 2014 they explain the grading scale, terminology and some things to be watching for as well as links to cgc and pgx. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. It is not the practice, however, to use numbers other than those in this scale so you wouldnt see a book graded 6. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. If you want to learn how to do basic grading on vintage comic books then here is a simple tutorial for you. 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. 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. 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. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Ive done some searches and i havent been able to come up with anything, so any. 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. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. 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. Newly updated, the overstreet guide to grading comics includes the 10point grading system, as well as exhaustive descriptions of primary and split grades, examples of each grade with more than 200 fullcolor images in all, articles on storage, preservation, and restoration, a look at the independent, thirdparty grading companies, and much more.
A standard color coded raw grading tool that is exclusively designed for you the comic book collectorinvestor. Since 1970, the name overstreet has symbolized a vast knowledge of american comic books. This applies mainly to silver age comics, as noted earlier. 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. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes. With the official overstreet comic book grading guide, you will learn all the information youll ever need to accurately grade your comic books. 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. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Comic book grading and restoration may 19, 2016 scott robertson 25 comments comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. 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.
Grading comics means judging their physical condition. This video is not made for kids, this video is for adult collectors how to grade comic books yourself comic books 101 tutorial for. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. 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. We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection.
The premier online comics price guide free comic book values. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. Grading is a vital step in buying or selling comics. Grading guide pgx comics pgx comic grading services. 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. Grading books for an auction house that is obviously in cahoots with your organization is fine. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Jut know the basics and the value of your own collection will benefit as well as your ability to determine the value of a comic you might be seeking to purchase. This 10point comic book grading scale is widely used now and you will often see people grade by simply putting the number value on the book with the classic descriptive grade. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. 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.
A little color touch or tear seals are restoration, but taking a book apart and altering it is not. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. 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. Comics listed for auction or buyitnow are listed using the 10 point grading scale.
The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more. From our humble beginnings, we have grown to the largest, most complete comic book price guide with well over 1,000,000 comics in our database. 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. All auctions until further notice will be online and phone bidding only.
Comic book values typically depend on a number of factors, including how hard to find a particular issue is and the condition of the comic book. Find the right grade a new 10point grading system helps you determine the grade of all your comic books. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. Certified guaranty company cgc revolutionized the comic book marketplace when it was founded in 2000 by providing clear, objective and impartial assessments of authenticity and grade.
The overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition. 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. New grading scam endorsedcreated by cgc the ebay community. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide.
Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. Ngc international uk limited ngc uk is the uk affiliate of certified guaranty company cgc, a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. Exhaustive descriptions of primary and split grades give you the right grade quickly. 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. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. The owlone card comes sealed in its original foil packaging. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. 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. Armed with this knowledge and a good understanding of the market, you should be able to make an informed decision about restoration. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case.
Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is submitted for grading more than once. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Most comics graded using the tenpoint grading scale have cover scans, so when youre considering purchasing a comic you can see the front and sometimes back cover scans of the exact comic being offered. How much a comic book gains in value over the years will vary greatly and will depend on many factors. Learning how to properly grade comics and becoming certified. While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you learn about comic values, this third book in our new how to line teaches you the importance of condition a factor that is often the key to real collectability and how to grade accurately the overstreet guide to grading comics includes. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. The younger a comic, the less likely the book will increase in value significantly from restoration. 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 guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Its a good idea to understand the grading scale used by most comics collectors to help ensure that your expectations are met when you purchase comics. Take advantage of our high resolution images and videos to place bids up until the live event, and then continue to bid during the heritage live auction event, including live streaming audio and video. How to grade comic books yourself comic books 101 tutorial.
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