The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. Obviously these are rigged tests, probably meant to criticize cbcs grading, as statistically there is almost 0% chance of a higher grade and the only possibility is lower grade, which could come from many factors. Thus far i have only ever used comics guarantee llc cgc for grading, as. Cases are available in two material options, standard cp acrylic which provides some uv protection, and archival uf5 or op3 acrylic which provides approximately 99% uv protection for an additional fee. 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.
At you will not only be able to check on comic book prices using our free comic book. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. I am new to many of these kinds of aspects of collecting comic books. Perfect cases double comic book frame with double matting and real wood moulding. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases completely absent. Once a slabbed comic book is in hand, acid free mylar sleeves and storage boxes that fit such books are available. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Protect and organize your graded comic books bcw supplies. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. 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. Our cases measure 8 14 wide x 12 1516 tall and are made from sturdy 18 acrylic. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. Weve got comic book protectors of all kinds, including comic book storage boxes, comic boards and bags. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade.
In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. 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. Damaging cgc comic book case newton rings distortion. Next, the comic is placed in an inner well of a hard plastic holder, where it is cradled securely. The value of the comic should also be high enough to justify restoration. Egs provides you with superior customer service from start to finish. The primary purpose of cgc and cbcs cases is to preserve the integrity of the grade rendered by the grading service, with a secondary purpose being to.
Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete andor brittle. Comic and collectible encapsulationslabbing for quality and preservation. Comics listed for auction or buyitnow are listed using the 10 point grading scale. If you dont have any cgc graded comic books, you most likely have heard of the cgc grading name and have thought about submitting some of. We are collectible grading authority parent company of afavga and in addition to grading action figures and video g. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. Once every book in the invoice is encapsulated the books enter the quality control department. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book.
For organization, pick up some dividers or a storfolio to. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. In some cases it is possible for a comic shipped brand new from the publisher, or purchased new from a comic stores shelves, to already be in less than near mint condition due to the way the comic was produced, shipped, stored, or handled prior to purchase. Comic book storage supplies shop comic book sleeves and. Jan 03, 2015 once a comic book is graded by cgc, two pieces of comic book extender sheets are inserted between the front page and cover and the back page and cover. The majority of sellers we deal with are experienced graders, either long time collectors or comic retailers. When initially looking at a comic book the first thing one will notice is the cover of the book. Feb 25, 2014 comicase is a reusable, resealable, rigid casing system designed for archival storage and display of your comic collection. The grading labels fit on top of backing boards, or can be placed over sleeves. But as a rule of thumb, as im deciding which comics to submit for grading i always estimate the true cost of.
This got the same cgc grade 98001 copy im still dumbfounded by their biased grading. Light tan to cream similar to light tan to offwhite, but the center of each page exhibits a cream color, while the edges are darker. In some cases it is possible for a comic shipped brand new. This hard plastic case is often called a slab and the entire process known as slabbing. Dark colored pages that exhibit a uniform tint from edges to middle. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. Theyve enabled collectors to safely buy and sell books without fear of surprise and disappointment. 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 term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in.
Grade your comic books for ultimate protection in earlier posts i have discussed the best way to store your 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 determine an overall grade. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. The comic will then go into the grading room to be encapsulated with the rest of your order. 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. These cases have been updated with extra depth to accommodate. On the other hand, if you are buying an expensive comic over the internet and want a 3rd party graded copy to ensure you that youre getting what youre paying for, getting a slabbed book is a way to ensure that. Our grading increases the value of your collectibles, protects the condition, and improves their display quality. You are only charged for the grading fees in this case. We deal with hundreds of such sellers who have done thousands of transactions with us since we began buying online in 2002.
The above mention prices are an additional price to the regular press prices. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes. Display cases for your most treasured cgc or boarded. 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. I submit this book and again based on the 98001 copy was expecting a 9. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. 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. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service.
Our special handcrafted cases were designed to offer added protection and enhanced display options for your collectible comic. Cgc graded comic books and the cases they are encapsulated in are a great option for a multitude of reasons. Some claim cbcs actually has the stricter grading guidelines. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. If you dont have any cgc graded comic books, you most likely have heard of the cgc grading name and have thought about submitting some of your comic book collection for cgc grading at some point. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. How to make your own comic slabs for your comic collection.
If your book meets the minimum grade, it will be certified and placed into a cbcs case with no additional fees. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. 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. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. 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. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. The same as tan to offwhite, but the center of the pages are darker. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. Raw grading labels the preprinted labels are colorcoded using the standard 10 pt.
Standard 12 depth and giantsize 34 depth to hold most cgcgraded comics. Third party grading will alleviate any worries about misrepresented grades and restoration. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item and restoration would be excessive. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value.
As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Submit comics for grading and signature authentication, no membership required. The books are then sealed into cbcss archival safe inner holder. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. Egs provides graders notes on all certified services at no additional cost. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. The best grade a comic book can achieve with this page quality is 7. The cover of a comic is what typically takes the most abuse. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. A webquality digital image will be created of the front of your comic after it has been encapsulated and will be sent to you via email. Acid free bags and boards are great, but for ultimate protection, having your prized comics graded is second to none. Similar to light tan to offwhite pages, but the edges of the pages are darker.
We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. With hourly rates hitting three figures for restoration, only very valuable books should be candidates. Many collectors of graded comics want to further protect the plastic slab from getting scratched and place. Any amount of wear to the cover of the book must be factored into the condition and grading of the comic. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long. These cases, while very rare, do occasionally happen. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. In this article, we will describe the basics of what comic book grading is, why you would get your comics graded, and the differences between the companies. There are options for those too, like bins and resealable comic book sleeves. The top portion of the tamperevident holder is then sonically sealed to the bottom.
The inner holder, along with the cbcs label is then inserted and sealed into cbcss cuttingedge, tamper evident outer case. The comic book is then sealed in a sleeve of barex a highly gasimpermeable plastic polymer. Comic book certification, pressing faq cbcs comics. A comic book that is in such bad shape that cgc will not give it a grade, only verify that it is an actual original comic book. Comic book grading, certification process cbcs comics. In some cases the grades came back slightly lower 9.
A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. 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. Bends, folds, or dents that warp the shape or surface of the book, but dont affect the color. 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. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
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 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. You also benefit from a 14 businessday maximum turnaround time for your comics. From the golden and silver age through the current era, bcw has comic book supplies that will keep your collection safe. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Graded and slabbed books have completely changed comic book collecting and revitalized the hobby. Conserved bluepurple a comic book that has specific repairs done to improve the structural integrity and longterm preservation. In some cases it is possible for a comic shipped brand new from the publisher, or purchased new from a comic stores shelves, to already be in less than near mint condition due to the way the comic was. 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. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading. Advice for those who dont know how to grade comics.
Collectible grading authority comic book display case. Taking into account the capricious nature of cgc grading, comics in this grade can be expected to grade out with cgc at 6. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. Comicase a revolutionary new comic case system youtube. Egs grades comics by the strict standards provided in the industryreputable overstreet comic book grading guide. The actual internal dimensions for your comic book are 12 1516 tall x 8 14 wide x 916 deep. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine.
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