If all grades are in agreement or are very close, the book will be assigned a final grade. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine. Insurance is required on all orders and should be purchased based upon the fair market value of your books as determined by you. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. Below are the universally recognized comic grade definitions. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. I tried calling several times, but their phone is disconnected or its been changed. This really doesnt matter to you if all you want to do is sell an old collection you came into. Apr 04, 2016 welcome to the world of 3rd party grading. Its not meant to be an expert guide to grading comic books. Vault grading received my comic in september of 2016. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Back in 2012 or so, i discovered graded comics from cgc comics.
Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. You can ship it to them or take it to a convention where they will be at and they will tell you what grade it is considered to be. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to 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. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value.
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. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Ng no grade reserved for art or single comic book pages 0. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. The first issue of a longrunning comic book series is. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972. If youre looking for a hard to find back issue, we probably have it. Comic collectors have established standard grades to describe the condition of the comics theyre buying and selling. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards.
To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. But the rawhide kid book just has spine stress and no pulling. Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. Cgc remains open, declares itself an essential business cbr.
For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. Comic book grading our grading standards are based on the standards laid out in the overstreet grading guide. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. I had heard stories about cgc playing favors by giving harder. The real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. 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. Back in 2012 or so, i discovered graded comics from cgc comics guaranty corporation an independent third party that professionally grades a comic book and securely encapsulates said comic in a sealed plastic slab with a label that details key information and the actual grade of the comic whew, thats a mouthful. 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. Bowed covers may turn inward toward the leaves or outward away from the leaves. The set of terms below were proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly.
You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. They were adopted by the bookselling community and are still in use today. However, grading is an inherently subjective process and there. But i can teach you to quickly assess about what your comic book grades at, and therefore, roughly what your comic book is worth that is all the skill you will need to determine the. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm.
Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Jun 21, 2017 grading is extremely important when collecting comic books. The condition generally results from a rapid change in. 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. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Last week i received my overstreet guide to grading comics 2015 edition from amazon. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. If you reall are concerned, its kind of tough to flatten out the roll once the comic suffers from it, but for minor case all you have to do is stack a bunch of heavy book on top of the comic for a few days and leave it be. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company youtube. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry.
The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. The hobby gets very petty when youre comic book grading near mint to gem mint comic books. In a statement, cgc explained that both its headquarters in sarasota, florida and its office in across the pond in. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present.
Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. There has been a recent rise in the value of cgc graded comic books. Pressing represents nonrestorative methods of improving the overall appearance of the 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. 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. It is the first step for many of processes that a collector will go through, from finding the value of a comic book, to selling a comic book.
The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. But i can teach you to quickly assess about what your comic book grades at, and therefore, roughly what your comic book is worth that is all the skill you will need to determine the average grade of your comic books. Then, they will put in a protective sleeve and seal it. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Grading certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. What are the comic book grades sparkle city comics. Thanks for the response batman007, if i understand you, you are saying spine roll is a function of use as in reader wear and tear and not a manufacturing issue. A few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service.
Everything you need to know about submitting comic books to cgc. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. However, if you prefer to grade your comics yourself, weve provided a concise, complete comic book grading guide below, describing all grades, along with. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. 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. Bowed a condition of the covers or boards of a hard cover book. These grades describe comics that are in somewhat worse condition than the. A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. The biggest and most popular third party grading company. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company.
Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is. 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. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. Impressive comic books pressing service about us contact us. Another restoration check is performed before assigning a grade. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. Grading is extremely important when collecting comic books. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. Gary kendra, who has been pressing books for six years, explained that pressing offers the opportunity to restore some of the appeal of the book that might have been lost to age or mishandling. A fingerprint on an otherwise perfect gloss, or any gloss wear on the spine, takes it down from mint. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process.
The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. Cgc comics guaranty company is a business that will grade your comic book for you, for a price. 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. The latest adaptation of frank herberts dune will be split into two films, and this is the perfect way to capture the books ethos.
After determining his own grade for the comic, he can then view the grader notes entered by a previous grader, and he may add to this commentary if he believes more remarks are in order. Comic book collectors are often lifelong enthusiasts of the comic book stories, and they usually focus on particular heroes and attempt to assemble the entire run of a title. 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. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. Again, grading comics can be very subjective and have a company like cgc give their opinion can make comic books go for much more than their cover price, especially those with high grades. We offer modern, bronze age, silver age, and golden age comics. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. The best possible existing condition of a comic book. Other descriptors used in conjunction with the above grading scale. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. While there is a standard industryrecognized grading system in place, it is ultimately a qualitative process. Typically the owner of a freshlygraded, purplelabeled comic opens the shipping package and immediately slumps into a pile, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. The comic book grading company gcg the certified guaranty company has declared itself an essential business, explaining it will remain open and fully operational amid the coronavirus covid19 pandemic. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company. If we dont, add it to your want list and well notify you when its in stock. The value of your comic book is heavily dependent on its condition. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be. Introduction to cgc grading for new comic book collectors. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading.
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