Comic book grading descriptions

This could be the description for a book that has been lost in a warehouse for years, never shelved, thumbed or even opened yet may still be some years old. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. 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. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. Category 4 3 2 1 creativity the story contains many creative details andor descriptions that contribute to the readers comprehension and enjoyment of the story and the project. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. A nice comic with a piece up to the size of a standard postage stamp torn. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine. 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. We pride ourselves on carefully selecting the right process for every comic book submitted to us. Raw grading labels shown below with grading descriptions. Go to the page with the description of that term and ask yourself, is my comic better or worse than this. We created this guide to help the many people who call us asking how much are my comic books worth.

The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. How to submit books to cgc stepbystep process comic. This book has been requested a few times and i finally got around to creating this video. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished.

Then, simply register or login to start the submission 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. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. How to read rare book condition descriptions book collecting guide. 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. The comic book cpr book was written using a 15x15 clamshell press machine.

Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. 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. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. The overstreet guide to grading comics includes the 10point grading system including new grades 0. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. The official overstreet comic book grading guide 2nd. Blumberg, chuck rozanski, steve borock, susan cicconikilliany, russ cochran, tom gordon, bruce hamilton, dennis kitchen, dale moore, marc nathan, matt nelson, j. 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. Most collectors will accept any page quality except for books with slightly brittle or brittle pages in a collectible comic. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. The overstreet comic book grading guide 3rd edition.

But only when the book is otherwise quite beautiful, and the tape does not in any way mar the appearance of the book. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. 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. It is very rare and a bit controversial for any book to receive the gem mint distinction as there are many who believe that there cannot be a comic book with no wear whatsoever. 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 official overstreet comic book grading guide 2nd edition robert m. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. The story contains a few creative details andor descriptions that contribute to the readers comprehension and enjoyment of the project. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services.

A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. If you have a comic book collection or youre thinking about starting one, you need this book. Anyone who buys or sells comics on atomic avenue should familiarize themselves with what the different conditions mean to avoid misunderstandings and disappointments. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. 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 set of terms below were proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly.

Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. I had heard stories about cgc playing favors by giving harder. Blumberg, has set the standard for grading the condition of comic books. During this evaluation, if your comic is deemed to be too fragile to safely undergo pressing, it will be rejected at this point at no cost to you. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. In this video i highlight the stepbystep process to submit comic books to cgc for grading. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical 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. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present.

The book pretty much summarizes all the checking points in determining the value of a comic book, and provides extensive comic book grading scale and descriptions for each grading level. 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. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry.

Description universal blue a standard comic book universal blue no grade ng a comic book that is in such poor condition that cgc will not give it a grade, but merely verify that it is an actual original comic book. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. Bowed covers may turn inward toward the leaves or outward away from the leaves. How much are my comic books worth welcome to, a quick and simple guide to help you grade and identify your old comic books. They were adopted by the bookselling community and are still in use today. 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. 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. The comic will then go into the grading room to be encapsulated with the rest of your order. 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. 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.

Sell my comic books presents a basic guide to comic book grading. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. 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. Mint we do not offer to sell comics in mint condition. Second is the creation of a distinction that puts two descriptions together to create a bridge between gradings. Other descriptors used in conjunction with the above grading scale. The condition generally results from a rapid change in. How a comic book price guide created the comics industry. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade.

The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. That means what is mint to one person might not be mint to another. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. This page gives you the basic comic book grading definitions and 10 point scale, and a glossary of grading termslingo.

For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. Publishers and booksellers have built a specialized vocabulary over the years to consistently describe to perspective customers what to expect to see when the book is delivered. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. A few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. This guide lists the descriptions of the official grades used by comicbase and atomic avenue.

Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation art. Insurance is required on all orders and should be purchased based upon the fair market value of your books as. Bowed a condition of the covers or boards of a hard cover book. Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. While cgc gets a lot of attentionbecoming synonymous with comic book grading in much the same way that xerox is synonymous with photocopyingpgx has managed to hold its own over the years despite operating in the shadow of its counterpart. Booksellers use standard terms to describe the condition of the used books that they sell. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. This is a fairly common trait in the very good category.