Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to. The condition of a rare book and its dust jacket if applicable are the most important factors affecting its value and pricing. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a magazine depends strongly on grade. This book has seen much better days and tends to be heavily worn and tattered. 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. Books in this condition pre1980 are virtually nonexistent.
Its necessary to know if the way youre storing it is appropriate. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete andor brittle. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. All the comics we receive that are in exceptional condition fall into this category. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the. 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 grade of a comic book is based on its physical condition. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Oct 02, 2017 knowing your comic books condition is very useful. Youre supposed to consider the condition of the whole book. The cover may have some missing pieces and the book is generally scuffed, abraded, and faded. While there is a standard industryrecognized grading system in place, it is ultimately a qualitative process. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent.
Its necessary to determine an accurate appraisal 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. 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. It excludes aesthetic repairs such as color touch and piece fill. Sell my comic books presents a basic guide to comic book grading. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card.
Comic collectors have established standard grades to describe the. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be. The cgc holder is made from highquality materials and is.
For the most part, they are comics that are unread or were perhaps read once. These grades describe comics that are in somewhat worse condition than the very good grades. They were adopted by the bookselling community and are still in use today. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when it left the publisher. 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. Most wellkept modern comics especially if they have been read fall into this grade. It is very rare especially in older comic books pre1990 to discover a comic in either mint or gem mint condition. This is the equivalent of mint condition in numismatics. Its not meant to be an expert guide to grading comic books. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes.
Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. A book in this condition is worn, ragged and unattractive. With all the combinations of defects, there will be difficulty in deciding the condition on some books. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in. The overstreet comic book grading guide 3rd edition. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. The best possible existing condition of a comic book. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when it left the. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j.
A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. You cant deny that the hard plastic slab and inner well that your graded comic is enclosed in keeps it safe from wear and tear. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. A vf copy has minor defects, but is in overall excellent condition. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item and restoration would be excessive. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Grading comic books, while not rocket science, is important in that the value of a comic book, like any collectible, can be dramatically impacted by its condition.
There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. The ultimate authority delivers the right grade every time grading comic books is the key to successful comic book collecting, and now the leading expert on comic books, robert m. Blumberg, has set the standard for grading the condition of 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. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. How to grade the condition of your comic books liveabout.
Grading is the process of evaluating the condition and consequent value of a comic book. A book in poor condition will be worth far less than the same book in fine condition. 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 professionally graded comic books often referred to as slabbed books for sale on this site have been graded by the comic guarantee corporation cgc or one of the other. If you have a comic book collection or youre thinking about starting one, you need this book. It is very rare especially in older comic books pre1990 to discover a comic in either mint.
Some basic descriptive terms are used by booksellers to communicate book condition. What are the comic book grades sparkle city comics. Comic book value packs comic book value packs are a great way to pick up a lot of comics cheaply. On the listing form, you can choose from one of several preset item condition options, which vary depending on the category you list your item in. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies.
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 professional grader will assess a particular comic book from its cover, the interior pages, quality of the paper, to any visible sign of wear, tear, and other form of defects. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Heres what cgc has to say about their cases on their website. 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. Determining a comic books condition is very subjective and more of an art than a science. A detailed explanation of how to determine a comic books condition based on the established grades is generally included in a comic book pricing guide.
The cgc holder is made from highquality materials and is entirely archivalsafe. 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. 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. Conservation repairs are performed with the intent of preserving the structural or chemical integrity of a comic book using professional techniques and materials. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. The slightest bindery defects andor printing flaws may be seen only upon very close inspection. The value of your comic book is heavily dependent on its condition. The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. Cover may be detached, and inks have lost all reflectivity. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. 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. This grading process details the exact condition and completeness of a comic, allowing the seller to get an idea of. This is an exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen.
Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The term grading refers mainly to describe the condition of a comic book. A fine condition comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care. With hourly rates hitting three figures for restoration, only very valuable books should be candidates.
Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. Being clear and accurate about your items condition lets the buyer know whether theyre getting something new, used, or something in between. While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you decide what comics to look for, this new, extensively updated edition of the overstreet comic book grading guide teaches you the telltale signs of condition that are the keys to real collectibility. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. The value of the comic should also be high enough to justify restoration. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. A copy of a comic in this grade has all pages and most of the covers. This grading process details the exact condition and. How to determine your comic books condition sparkle. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Grading is the term used for the assessment of the condition of a particular comic book.
Jan 14, 2003 the ultimate authority delivers the right grade every time grading comic books is the key to successful comic book collecting, and now the leading expert on comic books, robert m. The overall look is as if it has never been handled or released for purchase. 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. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards.
Several years ago, pgx had a large scandal where books were being given higher grades than in reality. Collectors condition comic book raw grading labels. Each pack is grouped around a particular character or theme, and there is no duplication within any pack. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present. You can grade the comic book yourself, or you can have another party grade it for you, like the cgc company. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. Comic collectors have established standard grades to describe the condition of the comics theyre buying and selling. The set of terms below were proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly.
573 363 662 1440 791 936 813 576 1533 604 71 854 878 564 271 847 405 850 1036 952 148 916 1107 1501 3 586 1368 370 271 367 1391 669 986 124 1431 674 1172 1301 1308 989