We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. The grading labels fit on top of backing boards, or can be placed over sleeves.
One area we focused on is the way you submit comics and access your account information. The owlone card comes sealed in its original foil packaging. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the collecting community. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics.
Therefore, mcg is acting both as a grading unit for mcb and trying to fill a void in both affordability and availability in the world of comic book grading. Comic book submission cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. What this does is gives a person who is buying a comic the confidence in knowing what sort of condition it is in, assigned not by the seller or the buyer, but. While a casual collector might not need to bother, its vitally important to have your comics graded if you ever plan to sell them, because the value of a comic varies widely depending on the grade it receives. All professional graders, whether grading coins, currency, or comics are charged with placing your items under a microscope see logo to determine their condition and therefore value. Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. Comic grading, from bag and board grading to full cgc. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm.
The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. Jul 16, 2014 a few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. 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. Comic book grading and restoration may 19, 2016 scott robertson 25 comments comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. 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. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. 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.
You have to know the basics of grading comics to determine whether sellers are under and over charging based on their subjective standards. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic.
The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation art. Last time the numeric grading system was introduced as a way to assess the condition of a comic. And in some instances even a second flaw can drop a. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. Its only been within the last 15 years or so that the problem of bias in comic grading was amended, and it took the form of commercial grading. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that meet or exceed your specified minimum grade. A european agent for cgc comics with full advice on submitting your comics and handling the complete service. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. 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. 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. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Nov 09, 2012 comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration.
Slabbing a comic is a practice of sending a comic book to one of two grading companies cgc or pgx where they, for a fee, assign a grade for the comic and place it in a protective case. Both of these requirements were lacking for much of comic book history, and in the absence of a reliable method of achieving this, access to the culture was stifled and progress was delayed. The cgc comics holder is made of stateoftheart materials and is designed to meet the needs and demands of comic book collectors. The cgc comic book shop offer as well as full cgc grading and slabbing we offer the following popular service. One of our goals for the new website is to offer an easier online experience for our customers. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. 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. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a comic book, which directly influences its value. 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. Cgc comic book grading understand the labels comic burst. Raw grading labels the preprinted labels are colorcoded using the standard 10 pt. In 2010, two copies sold on the comic book auction website for record prices. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. 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.
Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Safely package your comics for secure shipment to cgc. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Originally produced in conjunction with the first edition of the overstreet comic book grading guide, the owl or overstreets whiteness level card is a comic book grading tool used to evaluate paper color on the reverse side is the one or overstreets numerical equivalent card, which translates the traditional letter grades into their equivalent values on a 100point numerical. We are currently migrating data to our new system and conducting tests, and we are really excited for you to try it out. 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. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case.
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 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 grading increases the value of your collectibles, protects the condition, and improves their display quality. Choose a tier based on comic value and turnaround time. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail comics. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at cgc, and was recently purchased by beckett media. That way, anyone can compare their raw or slabbed books to consistent grading standards. 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. Grading is the term used for the assessment of the condition of a particular comic book. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition.
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 second book at a later auction, a copy cgc graded at 8. Comic books are sent to cgc for grading and encapsulation either directly by the owner through cgcs website or through an authorized. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. Well, it appears there is another thirdparty comic book grading company trying to establish credibility in the comic book industry. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored.
Newly updated, the overstreet guide to grading comics includes the 10point grading system, as well as exhaustive descriptions of primary and split grades, examples of each grade with more than 200 fullcolor images in all, articles on storage, preservation, and restoration, a look at the independent, thirdparty grading companies, and much more. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books the company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable part of the comic book collecting community. 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. A couple of minor flaws might be allowable, but no more. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Mint we do not offer to sell comics in mint condition. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. We need to emphasize, however, that not more than two of the above mentioned flaws can appear in the same comic. 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. Specialising in back issues and finding that sought after comic, we have a large world wide base of customers and contacts through being in the comic.
The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. 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. 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. Buying the overstreet guide which is the bible of grading standards helped me immensely since i am now purchasing comics both at comic book stores and through the internet. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that. Nov 22, 2010 this is an attempt to show the inexperienced collector a rough idea of what constitutes good, fine, near mint etc using 90s amazing spiderman comics as a reference.
The official overstreet comic book grading guide, 3rd. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. The overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition. Predating todays commonly used 10point numerical grading scale by about 10 years, the 100point scale was an unsuccessful early attempt to apply a more scientific standard to the comic book grading process.