Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. 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. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive. It appeared to me that they are more forgiving on the upper end of. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade 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. Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with cbcs comics grading guidelines. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. No bindery tears are allowed, although on golden age books bindery tears of up.
Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass. 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. 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. A nice comic with a piece up to the size of a standard postage stamp torn from one corner. This is a fairly common trait in the very good category. 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.
Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Nov 15, 2017 blastoff comics owner explains why most comic book stores barely stay afloat duration. Blastoff comics owner explains why most comic book stores barely stay afloat duration. Learn more about the cgc grading scale and see comparisons. If youve stumbled across a treasure trove of comics, then sell my comic books is a great place to find out what you have. 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.
Here is the standard grading system used for all books available on. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. May 19, 2016 comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. The same general ideas apply when dealing with comic books and the cgc grading scale. Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market.
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. How can scale drawing techniques be used to create a comic strip. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. When you submit a comic book to cgc, it is inspected before grading actually begins. The biggest and most popular third party grading company.
In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Books in this grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and. 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. Aug 12, 2014 some comic book stores even have authorized vendors who can send your books in for you. Pgx was established in 2002 to meet the growing demand for impartial, thirdparty grading and continues to be the fastest, most affordable grading service in the industry. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored.
Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. 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. 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 notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. A very fine comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with care. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. These grades allow for some more defects than higher grades. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion.
This lesson plan explains key characteristics of scale drawings. When you have completed this course and practiced, you will be able to pick up and grade any comic, whether its one in your collection or that grail book you finally found at a con. 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. Collectors get excited when they find that hot book or one of their grails.
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. Grading standards are based on the standards laid out in the overstreet grading guide with additional experience gained from our years in the comic industry. In general, cgc is set up the same way as ngc and pcgs as far as the grading process. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. Please note that we can only ship up to 30 books in one box so you will need to take this into account when submitting larger orders. Learning how to properly grade comics and becoming certified. Ive done some searches and i havent been able to come up with anything, so any. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label.
Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. Jul 28, 2014 well i will fully admit to clod status on that particular book as i did not notice the trimming i think that cgc was trying to get more definition to the whole restoration and conservation scales but really think that they may just end up confusing things a lot with the multiple letters and numbers that they can assign. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes.
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. 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. But only when the book is otherwise quite beautiful, and the tape does not in any way mar the appearance of the book. 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. We are currently migrating data to our new system and conducting tests, and we are really excited for you to try it out. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors.
Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. 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. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is. An activity challenges students to create a comic strip scale. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. One of our goals for the new website is to offer an easier online experience for our customers. Overstreet comic book grading guide first edition 1992 the confident collector 5. I tried calling several times, but their phone is disconnected or its been changed. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading.
Vault grading received my comic in september of 2016. The oldest and most trusted comic book grading service is provided by. These grades describe comics that have only the slightest wear. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. All sellers listing items on this site are required to use this grading system for a standard method understood by all. Im wondering how to learn to properly grade comics and to become certified by cgc or something along those lines.
The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Remember you are invited to participate in the process. 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. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards.
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