Grading is the term used for the assessment of the condition of a particular comic book. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Founderpresident steve borock, one of the hobbys most respected professionals, established the industrys standards for thirdparty certification nearly 20 years ago. One area we focused on is the way you submit comics and access your account information. 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. That way, anyone can compare their raw or slabbed books to consistent grading standards. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value.
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. 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. 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. Theres a widespread belief that cbcs consistently grades higher than cgc. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. 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.
When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. The cgc comics holder is made of stateoftheart materials and is designed to meet the needs and demands of comic book collectors. Cgc comic book grading understand the labels comic burst. How does the comic book marketplace view cbcsgraded books. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. The overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition.
Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. Last time the numeric grading system was introduced as a way to assess the condition of a comic. 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.
To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. They are both bound for dry cleaning press and grading sometime this year. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. We are currently migrating data to our new system and conducting tests, and we are really excited for you to try it out. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors.
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. To my mind, the gap between your grading and cgcs grading is the biggest obstacle to the growth of your company. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Oct 23, 2017 comic book certification service, based on st. Ive been lucky the last few months, grabbing a books i didnt think id ever own. 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. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. 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. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade.
This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists and provides certification and grading services for collectors and. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the 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. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. A couple of minor flaws might be allowable, but no more. One of our goals for the new website is to offer an easier online experience for our customers.
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. 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. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. 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. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation art. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic.
Buying original comic art, vintage comics, cgc graded comics and entire comic book collections, and star wars toys. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a comic book, which directly influences its value. While a casual collector might not need to bother, its vitally important to have your comics graded if you ever plan to sell them, because the value of a comic varies widely depending on the grade it receives. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. This is an attempt to show the inexperienced collector a rough idea of what constitutes good, fine, near mint etc using 90s amazing spiderman comics as a reference. Nov 22, 2010 this is an attempt to show the inexperienced collector a rough idea of what constitutes good, fine, near mint etc using 90s amazing spiderman comics as a reference.
Comic books are sent to cgc for grading and encapsulation either directly by the owner through cgcs website or through an. Comic book submission cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. 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. While a casual collector might not need to bother, its vitally important to have your comics graded if you ever plan to sell them, because the value of a comic varies widely depending on the grade it. One of the bottom corners was smashed on every book very frustrating. 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. 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. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. After the fiasco that is known as pgx grading, i think collectors are very cautious about accepting a new grading authorities claim to rigor, transparency and honesty with the marketplace. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. Beckett grading has acquired cbcs comics comic booked. Somewhere along the process my books all got damaged in the same spot.
Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. 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. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my. 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 learn the scale and how to apply it. 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. 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. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. So you have to try and grade the book yourself as accurately as possible so that you can look online what each book is realizing in value at that grade and that way you have an idea of the fmv fair market value and how much insurance you need and, therefore. However, grading is an inherently subjective process and there. Certified guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry.
The second book at a later auction, a copy cgc graded at 8. 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. Oct 31, 2017 somewhere along the process my books all got damaged in the same spot. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. And in some instances even a second flaw can drop a.
The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Well, it appears there is another thirdparty comic book grading company trying to establish credibility in the comic book industry. 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. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Cash paid for your original comc art, comics, and toys. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. 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.
Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. In 2010, two copies sold on the comic book auction website for record prices. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. 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. World class, proven, professional comic grading experts. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. Comic book grading and restoration may 19, 2016 scott robertson 25 comments comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. 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. For both you will need to have a very good idea of the market value of each book. Petersburg, fl, provides the comic collectors with expert, impartial grading and certification of their valuable comics. Jul 16, 2014 a few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service.
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