Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. 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. I just dont like the fact you can only see the cover on a slabbed book. Cgcs commitment to integrity, accuracy and consistency has made it the leader in its field. Comic book grading concept comic book grading appears in 46 issues. Cgc comics guarantee company llc the biggest and most popular third party grading company. Certified guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. Like this video if you enjoyed watching, comment your thoughts down below. This category has the following 89 subcategories, out of 89 total. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading.
The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. At the time the graded book was cheaper than the non graded book for the same grade. Even within the professional grading companies, the official grade a book will.
Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. With new expanded information, it remains the definitive reference for. 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. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. 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. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. 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. The comic book grading companies will offer witnesses, so a. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the collecting community.
We do think it is important to note that the top dollar graded books are typically. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists and provides certification and grading services for collectors and. 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. View population reports for cgc comics, magazines and lobby cards. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail comics. Once certified by cgc, a comic book is encapsulated in a stateofthe art, tamperevident holder, providing superior protection and stability for longterm preservation.
Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. That way, anyone can compare their raw or slabbed books to consistent grading standards.
This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. The cgc comic shop, we are a buyer and seller of comics, cgc submission center, professional grader and valuer,cgc european agent, comic locating service. Get all good price and hot deals of best comic book grading company here. Top websites about best comic book grading company. A few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. As comicsand superheroes in generalcontinue to find new audiences as more generations of fans get turned on to this superhero or that, it can be useful for fans to be able to differentiate between the major comic book publishers, as each company has different styles, characters, and audiences. There has been a recent rise in the value of cgc graded comic books.
Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. This category is for comic book publishers that are based in the united states subcategories. Then, simply register or login to start the submission process. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Comic book grading screenshots, images and pictures comic vine. Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is. These are the important catagories to grade the effectiveness of submissions to the comic book elite list. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Nothing so far off but maybe a little just wanted to get some thoughts on the subject thanks jeff. I only have one graded book and that is fantastic four number 4 and the only reason i have it is i got it on ebay years ago at a reallllllly good price. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the 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.
This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. 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. Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. When restoration is detected, it is fully noted on the certification. Cgcs top graders traveled the country to survey leading comic book collectors, retailers and dealers for their opinions of a grading set of comic books. Advice on how to get your comics graded, slabbed and safely shipped to graders like cgc.
We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Wikimedia commons has media related to comic book publishing companies of the united states. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. Assuming you were not already a member of any grading company, which would you choose and why. The owner of the book would never know by looking at it, but once taken out of the holder, would see that the comic book would not just become a lower grade, but that has been ruined. 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. A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. It is a problem for books with a spine roll that has weak paper, as the pressure could split the cover or, worse, splitting interior pages and not the cover. We are open during this difficult time but we are running on a different schedule to best protect everyone. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great.
This is a fairly common trait in the very good category. Yea dc might need to work better on their movies but comic wise theyre the best. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. Again, grading comics can be very subjective and have a company like cgc give their opinion can make comic books go for much more than their cover price, especially those with high grades. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. 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. We monitor the fire hose of online comic book sales across various marketplaces and report on the sales of cgc and. 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. Pgx was established in 2002 to meet the growing demand for impartial, thirdparty grading and continues to be the fastest, most affordable grading service in the industry. 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. While cgc gets a lot of attentionbecoming synonymous with comic book grading in much the same way that xerox is. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. Because our location is in the midwest, we feel that offers comic lovers a better choice than other grading, appraisal and brokerage services. Games archive battle threads archive only battle threads 2 archive only ditch fahrenheits virtual comic collector universe archive only.
We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. Standard turnaround time is approximately 30 business days or you can choose a faster service. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. 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. And in some instances even a second flaw can drop a. But only when the book is otherwise quite beautiful, and the tape does not in any way mar the appearance of the book. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that. When i started going to comic book shows in the 1970s back then they had sports card shows and comic book shows, not conventions, there were no grading companies and everyone either agreed with the grade the seller told you only p, f, g, vg, fn, vfn, nm no numbers. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. They also have a great case and their service is top notch. Our site submission grading policy has been created to better serve those who are concerned about the content, navigation, accessibility, traffic, and safety of each website represented in the comic book elite list. Ive sent a few books to the comic book grading company. I share my thoughts on all three comic book grading companies. If you were buying a graded book, would you avoid a purchase of one that was graded by a particular company and why.
A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. I will not touch a book graded by pgx, vault or any other company. Pages in category comic book publishing companies of the united states. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. 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. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. 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. Certified guaranty company cgc, launched in early 2000, is a comic book grading service that can help you determine whether a comic book you are. 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.
Founded in 2000, certified guaranty company cgc is the worlds first independent and impartial thirdparty comic book grading service. We need to emphasize, however, that not more than two of the above mentioned flaws can appear in the same comic. This video will explain which 3rd party comic book grading companies to avoid and why. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Grading websites comic book elite sites best comic sites. A nice comic with a piece up to the size of a standard postage stamp torn from one corner. Do you have any advice for someone sending in their books to be graded for the first time.
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. This article is meant as an introductory article to comic grading. Ill be updating this list as new companies are formed. Grading websites comic book elite sites best comic. Dc comics is one of the largest and oldest american comic book companies. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. Learn about the latest and upcoming comic book events, shows and read about the latest trends of comic book industry. The third and newest comic book grading company, pgx is not nearly as well. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. 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. A couple of minor flaws might be allowable, but no more.
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