Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market. View population reports for cgc comics, magazines and lobby cards. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors. Save time and money by pressing your own comic books with a heat press machine. Grades are comparable to the third party grading companies such as cgc, cbcs, etc. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. 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. Exhaustive descriptions of primary and split grades give you the right grade quickly.
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. 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. Terms and definitions in comic book grading if there is one important thing you should know immediately, then comic book grading comes first. I was wondering why the comic books on ebay with a cgc grading and case were worth more than the ones that only came in a plastic sleeve. Both are seen in a very good light and set the standard. Learn how to clean and press comic books yourself using this free online guide. The official overstreet comic book grading guide 2nd edition by robert m. Im wondering how to learn to properly grade comics and to become certified by cgc or something along those lines.
Cgc comic grading ultimate guide to certifying your comics. Is getting the comic professionally graded up its price, or is it just nice to have it in a fancy case with a grade number. 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. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. In the year 2000, the world of comic book grading was revolutionized. Most supplies can be purchased directly on amazon or ebay to save time, money, and shipping costs. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. Comic book industry legend frank miller agrees to cgc in. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. 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.
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. Ngc international uk limited ngc uk is the uk affiliate of certified guaranty company cgc, a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. 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. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Find the right grade a new 10point grading system helps you determine the grade of all your comic books. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition.
Grading comics means judging their physical condition. I am trying to make a little extra scratch for eccc and am having a little sale in my store. Knowing the comic book grading terminologies and meanings will lead you to become conscious and more careful when handling comics. Avid comics collector brian pants christman and pro retailer chris eberle wildpig. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. This grading process details the exact condition and. With the official overstreet comic book grading guide, you will learn all the information youll ever need to accurately grade your comic books. Over the years people have asked me to press their comic books for them and every so often, i would do pressing and cleaning for them. Comics listed for auction or buyitnow are listed using the 10 point grading scale. A series of short questions with multiple choices enables you to grade your comic books onthespot, accurately, within minutes. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card.
Comic book industry legend frank miller has agreed to do a cgc inhouse private signing, giving fans the incredible opportunity to have their collectibles autographed by the writer, artist, director and producer. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. Avery comic pressing llc is fully insured by collectibles insurance services. 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.
Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it posted. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. All grading is subjective and grading isnt governed by any entity, so these official grades are no more than some individuals opinion on a given day. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. This exclusive program includes comic book appraisals, pregrading estimation, and cbcs submission. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. It falsely gives the appearance of a comic having an official grade, but their only certification is the acceptance of their grading by the collecting community. Learning how to properly grade comics and becoming certified. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes.
Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6. 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. How to grade comic books yourself comic books 101 tutorial. I have been pressing and cleaning comic books for about 3 years now. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. 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 unique and entertaining allvideo course will help you to. When you take this course, you will have direct access to our vast experience as fulltime comic book traders. Due to the nature of paper, discoloration is expected over time.
Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. I started pressing and cleaning my own comics, to increase my grades at cgc. Josh is a cgc, cbcs dealer, and a cbcs facilitator. Ive done some searches and i havent been able to come up with anything, so any. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. I am new to many of these kinds of aspects of collecting comic books. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value.
How much a comic book gains in value over the years will vary greatly and will depend on many factors. Since 1970, the name overstreet has symbolized a vast knowledge of american comic books. 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. 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. If you want to learn how to do basic grading on vintage comic books then here is a simple tutorial for you.
Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists and provides certification and grading services for collectors and. Under services, select grading and, if you would like it, pressing. The tenpoint grading scale assigns grades ranging from 10. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. The hall of comics is proud to offer pro services for the comic book aficionado who wants to take their collecting to the next level. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a comic book, which directly influences its value. Therefore, it is very important to be able to properly grade your. Grading is a vital step in buying or selling comics.
Avery comic pressing professional comic book pressing. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. 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. 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. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. Mention you are from the forum and we will try and make a much better deal for you. I started a personal journey trying to learn the tips and tricks of pressing comic books. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. How to grade the condition of your comic books liveabout. Comic books in mint condition will bring several times the price of the same book in poor condition. 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.
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