This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Jon warren was the founder, creator and editor of the overstreet update from 19821992 and then senior price guide editor for wizard. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. This is an exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. 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. Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Have you ever wanted to create a comic book, but you havent been quite sure where to start, or what to do. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and animation.
The value of the comic should also be high enough to justify restoration. Here are the 10 finalists from our 2016 comic competition, launched to celebrate the release of new comic templates in book creator. This will be a slow process but you will find some examples. Cash available immediately for your comic book collection.
Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. It looks like i will have to be more critical in my grading. Here is a photo gallery of comic books graded cgc 2. 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. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. There are two rating system that give buyers and sellers use to grade the condition of comic books. Blumberg, has set the standard for grading the condition of. We can give you expert advice on grading your comic collection as well. However, there are examples of a few books receiving this grade. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. This grading process details the exact condition and completeness of a comic, allowing the seller to get an idea of. What does it cost on average to produce a comic book the art.
A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. An exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. The slightest bindery defects andor printing flaws may be seen only upon very close inspection. 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. Grading is the process of evaluating the condition and consequent value of a comic book. Apr 18, 2018 in this new graphic novel edition of the very first baby sitters club book, raina telgemeier captures all the drama of the original in warm, spunky illustrations. These ratings often affect the price that a comic book will sell for. Though casually derided by some who want kids to read real books, the middle grade graphic novels appearing across the category are tackling stories as exciting, heartwarming, and important as standard novels, and.
Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present. Comic book grading guide and cheat sheet comicache. It excludes aesthetic repairs such as color touch and piece fill. For example, a couple of pieces of tape were used to hold on the cover, a dab of dads wood glue. Blumberg, has set the standard for grading the condition of comic books. This article is meant as an introductory article to comic grading what is comic grading.
Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company youtube. Graphic novels are experiencing a bit of a boom in the middle grade category, creating a bridge for reluctant readers and introducing kids to a different style of storytelling. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. Cbcs team members all share in the love of our hobby and the medium. A detailed explanation of how to determine a comic books condition based on the established grades is generally included in a comic book pricing guide. Long time collector and comic book enthusiast looking to share my collecting hobby with like minded collectors. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. It pays to become familiar with the basic descriptive terms used by used and rare booksellers to communicate. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists with the intent of protecting our fellow hobbyists when buying and selling comic books.
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. Its grades are very strict on certain defects, much stricter than cgc. The overall eye appeal and beauty of the comic book must be taken into account along with its technical flaws to arrive at the appropriate grade. 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. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item and restoration would be excessive. But i can teach you to quickly assess about what your comic book grades at, and therefore, roughly what your comic book is worth. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or. Overstreet guide to grading comics 2015 overstreet comic. Mar 03, 2018 ive worked in comics for over 20 years. This will be a slow process but you will find some examples in the database. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to. Grading guide pgx comics pgx comic grading services. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972.
Comic book grading screenshots, images and pictures comic vine. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. Pgx utilizes the overstreet comic book grading guide in its definitions of condition. 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. But i can teach you to quickly assess about what your comic book grades at, and therefore, roughly what your comic book is worth that is all the skill you will need to determine the. The value of your comic book is heavily dependent on its condition. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. Comics are a rich and fun art form that is finally getting the respect it deserves, combining gorgeous. The condition of a rare book and its dust jacket if applicable are the most important factors affecting its value and pricing. Phone 508 8292259 508ubwacky regular hours are mf 96. What does it cost on average to produce a comic book the.
Witness kristys eureka moment, when she gets the idea for a babysitters club and enlists her best friends, shy mary anne and artistic claudia, in an exciting new venture. If, for example, a comic had a small tear and two very small but noticable corner folds, we would then probably lower the. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. A gem mint book will have no stress marks, no creases, and no folds anywhere on the book. Also, we can meet on skype to discuss your comic book collection. What are the comic book grades sparkle city comics. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. The overstreet guide to grading comics includes the 10point grading system including new grades 0. Where possible, the guide will show illustrations of the same comic in different grades.
You may think your favorite comic is a very fine read but is it a very fine buy. With this lesson plan, your students are going to create a narrative in the form of a comic book. Ill be bringing a mixed bag of content and hope to. The overall look is as if it has never been handled or released for purchase. This activity can be made classspecificmake a comic to tell the story of a math lesson or science experiment, for example. Sep 02, 2017 what are the structural differences between cgc grades 4.
The competition was judged by comic book legend kevin eastman, cocreator of the teenage mutant ninja turtles. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. May 27, 2016 a gem mint book will have no stress marks, no creases, and no folds anywhere on the book. 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. The cover can be detached and have moderate amounts of tape. 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. Every position will have its own range of salary levels, from low to high. They will practice visual storytelling and compose a short story in comic book format.
The cgc uses a 110 numbering system which is pretty selfexplanatory and easy to understand. While there is a standard industryrecognized grading system in place, it is ultimately a qualitative process. Simply inspecting a book by opening it should drop the grade of the book by at least. The overstreet guide to grading comics features 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. Jan 14, 2003 the ultimate authority delivers the right grade every time grading comic books is the key to successful comic book collecting, and now the leading expert on comic books, robert m. All conserved grades must satisfy the cgc quality scale of a and quantity scale of 1. Additionally, there may be several layers of the compensation grades where the low, high and midpoint salaries vary from level to level. Some people will not grade a comic missing its cover, but some give incomplete comics a score between 0. The ultimate authority delivers the right grade every time grading comic books is the key to successful comic book collecting, and now the leading expert on comic books, robert m.
Were sorry but doesnt work properly without javascript enabled. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company duration. This is good for afternoons when time is running short but you can still get in a quick, satisfying project. When considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. Some basic descriptive terms are used by booksellers to communicate book condition. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in.
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. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art. This article is meant as an introductory article to comic grading. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors. This page gives you the basic comic book grading definitions and 10 point scale, and a glossary of grading termslingo. The comic book can have rounded corners and creases in the cover.
How to grade comic books with complete grades list and grade definitions. Conservation repairs are performed with the intent of preserving the structural or chemical integrity of a comic book using professional techniques and materials. Nostomania comic book grading guide with sample images. For example, fine very fine or abbreviated fnvf denotes that book is. Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is. A book in poor condition will be worth far less than the same book in fine condition.
Complete descriptions sell more books grading book. What are the structural differences between cgc grades 4. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. With hourly rates hitting three figures for restoration, only very valuable books should be candidates. As condition evaluators and restoration detection experts, the professionals at pgx have spent decades inspecting multiple copies of a wide variety of comics from every era. Position grade levels are usually governed by a set of compensation parameters described as a compensation grade level. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Although the grade of a comic book is based upon an accumulation of defects, some defects may be more extreme for a particular grade as long as other acceptable listed defects are absent or less severe. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Comic book grading the journal of antiques and collectibles.
A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. The comic may be brittle and defaced by other materials such as paint and glue. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company. Numerous variables influence the evaluation of a comic book s condition and all must be considered in the final determination of a grade. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. When grading a comic book, common sense must be employed. The real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years. 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.
Numerous variables influence the evaluation of a comic books condition and all must be considered in the final determination of a grade. Clementine is a chapter book written for grades 24. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. And i frequently do editing which may include creating a budget. There has been a recent rise in the value of cgc graded comic books. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. Its not meant to be an expert guide to grading comic books. A useful exercise for any collector is to lay out one example of each of the main grades side by side for a direct comparison. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to.
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