The grading guide features a much more detailed guide to learning the 10 point grading scale with full color photograph examples of every major defect available, as well as information on grading. 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. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Comic book grading examples grading comic books is both an art and a science. Our grading methods are based upon factual and measurable observations. 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. Mint m this means that the book is in near perfect condition. Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. There are plenty of examples of graded comics selling for less than the grading cost. With rare exception, comic books considered for the grade of 9.
A useful exercise for any collector is to lay out one example of each of the main grades side by side for a direct comparison. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. Comic book supplies auctionstore venues third party grading. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The evolution of grading gives the novice an overview about how the comic book hobby got to where we are now in grading. You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the name of the grading service, such as cgc 9. Some people will state that comic book grading is an art. An exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen.
At mycomicshop, we use the basic grading scale for most of our comics priced. Nm near mint vf very fine fn fine vg very good gd good fr fair pr poor the tenpoint. The one grading system breaks down into the following condition types rank. You have heres a really handy guide to grading your issues. Comic book grading guide with pictures click here examples of cgc 1.
Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. 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. 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. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Taking into account the capricious nature of cgc grading, comics in this grade can be expected to grade out with cgc at 6. Fine f the book appears to be in excellent condition. Here is a photo gallery of comic books graded fair or cgc 1.
The process is cheap and quick, and nothing is added to the comic, such as japan paper or color touch see the glossary for definitions. Below is the book grading scale used to identify the condition of comics. This will be a slow process but you will find some examples in the. The read scale reference effort assessment data is a sixpoint scale tool for recording vital supplemental qualitative statistics gathered when reference librarians assist users with their inquiries or researchrelated activities by placing an emphasis on recording the effort, skills, knowledge, teaching moment, techniques and tools utilized. Numerous practical examples are included in the task section to help apply the theory. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. The last day to change sections and to change grading options is 1027. John is a graduate of lewis clark state college and holds a bs in general studies.
Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. Introducing the collectors condition comic book raw grading labeling system. Mint mt near mint nm very fine vf fine fn very good vg good gd fair fa poor po. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. After grade 9, which means that the book is in near mint or mint condition, comics books condition is graded with.
The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades from near mint highest to poor lowest. New grading scale should add to students opportunities. Removal of the tape improves the value and appearance of the book. 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. While we cannot guarantee that a book graded twice will receive the same grade. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. Where possible, the guide will show illustrations of the same comic in different grades. Although the actual process of grading a comic isnt really that difficult, it can be a bit intimidating for beginners. You can now take pride in showingoff your comic book collection to your friends at home, dealers, at trade shows or in the shop. For example, fine very fine or abbreviated fnvf denotes that book is. 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. It is complete with its dustwrapper and is impossible to tell from a new copy.
Cgc page quality chart here is a chart of the various cgc page colors ive come across in the wild. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. Then, simply register or login to start the submission process. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. Comics listed for sale on are listed with one of two types of grades. For example, a couple of pieces of tape were used to hold on the cover, a dab of dads wood glue. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation art. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic.
The last day to adddrop or change grading option to audit by cyberbear is 915. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Here is a photo gallery of comic books graded cgc 2. I would be interested in scans of any cgced books that have page colorgrade combinations not found on the chart for future inclusion. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. On the tenpoint grading scale, a lower grade like 9. This comic book will have at most a few very, very minor flaws. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. Fine comics in fine are priced significantly less than those in very fine and for good reason.
Cbgc has developed a proprietary comic book grading system with over 550 separate grading characteristics, covering over 20 grading categories. List of books and articles about grades and grading. 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. In most cases, this means that the book is ineligible for grading because its missing pages or otherwise incomplete. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. What life requires of us is passion, and that is why grading scale was written, with passion, from my heart to yours.
Accurate and consistent grading only comes with experience. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with cbcs comics grading guidelines. 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 evolution of grading, using the 10 point scale, diagram of a comic book and definitions. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. Changes after this deadline and until 125 must be done by petition to dropadd after deadline and approved by me, your advisor and the appropriate dean. Likely not the only scale book youll own, but probably the only one youd need. Vintage comics, for example, are virtually impossible to find with a 10 due to aging and use over such a long period. Unlike a lot of scale books and i have ownedown several, this one seems to flow well from beginning to end, starting with patterns that one is more likely to know and moving forward in a logical direction to more complicated scales and those less likely encountered. Based on the accepted industrywide standard 10 point condition, numerical grading scale. Comics listed for sale on johns comics and stuff are listed with the basic grading scale. The scale goes from worst to best, in irregular increments of tenths e. Grading comics accurately is essential to their figuring out their proper value and price. No cover soiling, creasing, tearing, pieces missing, or wear.
The highest grade any book can receive is a 10, which is labeled gem mint, or simply mint. If, for example, a comic had a small tear and two very small but noticable corner folds, we would then probably lower the grade to fine. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. 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. 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. Percentage scores are used to denote a pupils score, though they are also commonly paired with a letter grade. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
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