Comic book grading standards

This step is taken to ensure that graders do not know whose books they are grading, as a further guarantee of impartiality. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. With new expanded information, it remains the definitive reference for. The condition generally results from a rapid change in. The official overstreet comic book grading guide, 3rd edition robert m overstreet, arnold t. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. There are 14 basic conditions that a comic book could fall under. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present. 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.

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. If you were to receive a grade on a book you purchased from us, after january 1, 2003, that was graded as nm that came in below 8. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Furthermore, what a comic book is stored in does not have any bearing on the grade of that comic book. The official overstreet comic book grading guide, 3rd. Bends will not show distinct lines see also creasefold. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. Other descriptors used in conjunction with the above grading scale. We use the following standards in grading our books and dust jackets dj. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. A couple of minor flaws might be allowable, but no more. 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.

We use grading standards and definitions we personally helped redefine may 1999 for bob overstreet in his overstreets comic book grading guide and overstreets comic book price guide we are bonded and insured, with a spotless, professional reputation. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in. Bowed covers may turn inward toward the leaves or outward away from the leaves. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. 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. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. And in some instances even a second flaw can drop a. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to.

Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Glossary of grading terms bend when part of a comic is curved, interrupting the flat, smooth cover surface. 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. The best possible existing condition of that comic book.

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. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Insurance is required on all orders and should be purchased based upon the fair market value of your books as determined by you. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Why am i buying freshly graded cgc books that are 9. We grade fairly and accurately and in accordance with widely accepted comic grading standards. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team and according to wellestablished grading standards.

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. Effective with the 4th edition, published in 2014, the overstreet comic book grading guide has been retitled as the overstreet guide to grading comics, and has been published in a new larger format. Advice for those who dont know how to grade comics. Bowed a condition of the covers or boards of a hard cover book. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. That way, anyone can compare their raw or slabbed books to consistent grading standards. 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. Egs was created to provide comic book enthusiasts with a superior customer service experience through a combination of factors an attentiveness to detail, transparency, and providing consistently accurate grades. The resource you are trying to access is not currently available. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. Dealers and graders may often disagree with some grading classifications.

Accepting takehome submissions for all service levels. In addition, there were no quality standards for comic book grading, which meant there was much discrepancy amongst collectors about the condition of various books. 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 csu is working diligently to ensure that all websites meet compliance with csu accessibility standards. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Egs grades comics by the strict standards provided in the industryreputable overstreet comic book grading guide. We need to emphasize, however, that not more than two of the above mentioned flaws can appear in the same comic.

In a surprise release today, beckett media, parent to beckett grading service, has announced their acquisition of cbcs comics. 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. After being examined by a restoration detection professional, the comic books are placed in barcoded mylar sleeves, and separated from their original invoice. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. As one of the leading choices in comic book grading, by the leading brand in grading, the acquisition is a game changer in. We try to avoid abreviations but when present it is often in the form of something like vgvg, where the first code defines the grade for the book, and the second is for the grade of the dustjacket. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. For a certain price, a team of cgc comic book grading experts will examine your comics minutely according to wellestablished grading standards. Comic book grading our grading standards are based on the standards laid out in the overstreet grading guide. The cpg team has put together our grading standards based upon market standards in the hobby as well as included extensive research into cgc grading.

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. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. 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. Before cgc comics, collectors were at the mercy of vendors to determine the grade and value of a comic book. Grading of comics can be subjective, although there are basic agreed upon standards within the industry. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. When you submit your comics to the comicconnect grading service they will receive. Our experts grade each comic book carefully using a proprietary method based on the industry accepted overstreet grading standards. Beckett grading has acquired cbcs comics comic booked. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system.

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. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the collecting community. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. I mean why is it i used to be able to go though my long boxes and know, without a lot of guess work, that this book will not come back a 9. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Comic book grading comic book grading standards are heavily influenced by the overstreet standard one overstreet numerical equivalency grading system, which is universally recognized by comic book dealersretailers and other authorities for the grading process. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards.