You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. Please remember the information contained in this coin grading guide is for guidance only. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored.
These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. Grading from the uk a few noob questions comic book grading. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. As grading is very much a subjective exercise, it is all too easy for the novice and. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. Welcome to the comic book price guide that has been 25 years in the making. Books that are coverless, but are otherwise complete, will receive a grade of 0. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0.
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. 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. Scroll below to see the cgc grading services available to ngc uk members for submissions to. The majority of sellers we deal with are experienced graders, either long time collectors or comic retailers. Not a professional comic book grade grade based on standard comic book grading. 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. 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. Furthermore, what a comic book is stored in does not have any bearing on the grade of that comic book. 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. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade.
What sellers of comic books dont appreciate is that a comic book buyer. 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. Nov 15, 2017 blastoff comics owner explains why most comic book stores barely stay afloat duration. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic. Im wondering how to learn to properly grade comics and to become certified by cgc or something along those lines. We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. 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 company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry.
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. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Then, simply register or login to start the submission process. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. 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.
These are just a couple of the books the guys at scotts collectables have helped me get graded. Ngc uk accepts comics, magazine and cgc signature series only at this time. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. Comic book grading and restoration may 19, 2016 scott robertson 25 comments comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. Comic book collecting is a hobby that treats comic books and related items as collectibles or artwork to be sought after and preserved. 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 since 2000. View population reports for cgc comics, magazines and lobby cards. Magazines, movie lobby cards, vintage photographs and concert posters are all eligible for cgc certification. Egs european grading service halo certification pgx professional grading experts vault 60 day comic grading mcg midwest comic grading.
Cgc grading from the uk my experience with wolf comics youtube. They simply look up all the prices in the guide, usually blanketgrading their books as near mint minus 9. Learning how to properly grade comics and becoming certified. Advice for those who dont know how to grade comics. We grade fairly and accurately and in accordance with widely accepted comic grading standards. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Numerous collectors and comic fans will purchase coverless comics to either read or to obtain a filler copy of a book for their collection. Mega city comics comic book store best selling comics. Once your books are back with us in the uk they will be posted back to. Please see photo for additional details of this item. High grade comic books may 27, 2016 scott robertson 15 comments in this part two of four in the graders notes article series, we will explore high grade comic books and the graders notes from cbcs for those books. Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. Blastoff comics owner explains why most comic book stores barely stay afloat duration.
The information outlined below has been compiled to explain current uk coin grading practices that are used when valuing british coins and to assist if you want to learn how to grade coins yourself. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and. Professional sports authenticator psa is the worlds largest thirdparty sports card authentication service the experts in grading cards, sports autographs and memorabilia. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it.
Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. We deal with hundreds of such sellers who have done thousands of transactions with us since we began buying online in 2002. The cgc signature series label yellow is applied to comic books that have been signed by. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. Its turning out to be a bit of a nightmare so i have a few questions to ask before i. Once certified by cgc, a comic book is encapsulated in a stateofthe art, tamperevident holder, providing superior protection and stability for longterm preservation. 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. By requesting prescreen and specifying a minimum grade on your invoice, you will be charged grading fees only for comic books that. Ive done some searches and i havent been able to come up with anything, so any. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services.
How to submit for cgc grading, submission center uk. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. I have been a comic book fan, collector, publisher pocket comicsmars attacks 1988 and graphic artist for years necessity is the mother of invention. From our humble beginnings, we have grown to the largest, most complete comic book price guide with well over 1,000,000 comics in our database. 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. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. 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. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. The newest and second most popular comic book grading company. 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. 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. The overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition.
Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995. Comic book grading 101 for lapsed comic book collectors posted. They simply look up all the prices in the guide, usually blanket grading their books as near mint minus 9. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. 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. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Ngc international uk limited ngc uk is the uk affiliate of certified guaranty company cgc, a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles.
Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. 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. So i live in the uk and i want to get a handful of comics graded. We are a comic seller, comic buyer, grader and advisor and locator of rare comics. 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. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. Comic grading tutorial silver age batman dc comics youtube. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label.
Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market. David will go step by step on a basic grading process in a way that is easy to follow and understand. 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. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. What matters is the condition of the comic before it was stored. I got tired of using standard labels, cutting, taping, searching, and wasting time. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. 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. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. Both are seen in a very good light and set the standard. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. Older uk comics tend not to use stainless steel staples so rust is more prevalent. 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. A european agent for cgc comics with full advice on submitting your comics and handling the complete service. 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. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists and provides certification and grading services for collectors and. Though considerably more recent than the collecting of postage stamps or books bibliophilia, it has a major following around the world today and is partially responsible for the increased interest in comics after the temporary slump experienced during the 1980s. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects.
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