Comic book grading is very subjective with varying opinions. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the million book mark and has now graded over 2 million comic. Cgc realizes that comic book grading is an art that develops from years of experience, and while a consistently applied standard of grading eliminates much of the subjectivity and risk, grading itself is not an exact science and remains subjective. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. Cbcs offers impartial grading and certification for comic 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. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6 million collectibles certified.
Back in 2012 or so, i discovered graded comics from cgc comics guaranty corporation an independent third party that professionally grades a comic book and securely encapsulates said comic in a sealed plastic slab with a label that details key information and the actual grade of the comic whew, thats a mouthful. Typically the owner of a freshlygraded, purplelabeled comic opens the shipping package and immediately slumps into a pile, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth. The product quality is great, there are a variety of labels that meet the conditions of different books e. Have comics purchased from us or from your personal collection graded by cgc.
This is most visible on the lower end of the grading scale. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their. From the moment your books enter into our facility they are handled with the upmost care by our highly trained professional staff. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is submitted for grading more than once. It doesnt publicly release how it grades its comics, but as it has graded over 5 million comics since its inception, there are plenty of examples in different grades to gauge a books standard. Comics listed for sale on johns comics and stuff are listed with the basic grading scale. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes.
Cgc uses a standard 10point grading scale to grade comic books. For a long time, cgc was the premier comic book grading company. Ng no grade reserved for art or single comic book pages 0. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. But as a rule of thumb, as im deciding which comics to submit for grading i always estimate the true cost of. The grade of a comic book is based on its physical condition. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes. As of july 1st, 2014 cgc has released new restored comic book grading for all comics that not only include the overall quantity of grading, but the overall quality as well. Aug 30, 2017 comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc.
Comic book grading, certification process cbcs comics. If you are the current owner of an exceptional comic book collection, cgc is more than happy to discuss the potential pedigree status with you. 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. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the millionbook mark and has now graded over 2 million comic. The grading scale used by the experts at cgc has a maximum of 10.
A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles. A proven and respected commitment to integrity, accuracy, consistency and impartiality has made cgc the leader in its field. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards.
Indepth look at the new cgc comic book restoration grading. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. I would be interested in scans of any cgced books that have page colorgrade combinations not found on the chart for future inclusion. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. I for one still send a lot of books to cgc, because i know i can now take my 9. Indepth look at the new cgc comic book restoration.
As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Nm near mint vf very fine fn fine vg very good gd good fr fair pr poor the tenpoint grading scale assigns grades ranging from 10. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972. One way comic books are graded is on the basic grading scale, which runs from mint the highest, through near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair, and poor the lowest. Certified guaranty company cgc revolutionized the comic book marketplace when it was founded in 2000 by providing clear, objective and impartial assessments of authenticity and grade. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Please feel free to call and ask to speak with a pedigree specialist. Though comic book grading has been around for decades, it wasnt until 2000 that a new thirdparty grading service, cgc, burst onto the scene and revolutionized the comic book collecting industry. In each video, we move up the grading scale, first examining the cgc graded comic, and then we look at two different comics with the same grade to compare and contrast their differences, because even though they are the same grade, they can look quite different. In general, cgc is set up the same way as ngc and pcgs as far as the grading process. We have taken every precaution to safely house your comic books while in our care.
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. When you submit a comic book to cgc, it is inspected before grading actually begins. 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. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable. Its a complicated process, and if you want to know more about it you can read how it works for yourself here. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. Like the sheldon scale, the cgc grading scale also skips exact grades where it makes sense to do so. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies.
Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. 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. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. 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.
The best possible existing condition of that comic book. Cgc comic grading ultimate guide to certifying your comics. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. 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. The real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. Cgc page quality chart here is a chart of the various cgc page colors ive come across in the wild. Founded in 2000, cgc is the first independent, impartial, thirdparty comic book grading service. You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the name of the grading service, such as cgc 9. Comics that are submitted to cgc are graded by professional graders on a 10 point scale and then sealed inside a hard plastic cotainer to prevent tampering. The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades from near mint highest to poor lowest. 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. Apr 04, 2016 welcome to the world of 3rd party grading.
It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books. 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. Weve broken down all of the attributes of the new grading scale to help understand the new process. Defective holders will be replaced at no charge, except when it is determined at cgcs sole discretion that the holder was subjected to. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. Cbcs, pbx, and cgc are the most popular grading services in the usa. The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes.