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. Cgc will have representatives there so you can have your signed comics witnessed and given to them for slabbing. 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. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade. Indepth look at the new cgc comic book restoration. With the permission of cgc we are using their standards. 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. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade. There are four ways for collectors to submit their comics for grading. The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. The numeric grading system based on the books condition ranges from.
This step is taken to ensure that graders do not know whose books they are grading, as a further guarantee of impartiality. After being examined by a restoration detection professional, the comic books are. 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. 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. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Predating todays commonly used 10point numerical grading scale by about 10 years, the 100point scale was an unsuccessful early attempt to apply a more scientific standard to the comic book grading process. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading. Certified guaranty company cgc, launched in early 2000, is a comic 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. For a long time, cgc was the premier comic book grading company. 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.
Mar 27, 2020 when grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. Please note that grading will always be an extremely subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. The grading scale used by the experts at cgc has a maximum of 10. The product quality is great, there are a variety of labels that meet the conditions of different books, and their reputation is great. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the millionbook mark and has now graded over 2 million comic books. He opened his first brick and mortar store in march of 1972. After your comics arrive at cgc, up to three graders will inspect your comic before a final grade is given. The owlone card comes sealed in its original foil packaging. This article is meant to help those of you who either are new to submitting books or are curious about why a specific grade may have been given.
The best possible existing condition of that comic book. Certified guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is. Apr 04, 2016 welcome to the world of 3rd party grading. The same general ideas apply when dealing with comic books and the cgc grading scale. Its a complicated process, and if you want to know more about it you can read how it works for yourself here. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics. Aug 30, 2017 comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. Indepth look at the new cgc comic book restoration grading.
Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc. A proven and respected commitment to integrity, accuracy, consistency and impartiality has made cgc the leader in its field. Comic book grading is very subjective with varying opinions. The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades from near mint highest to poor lowest. Cgc grading scale cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Dealers and graders may often disagree with some grading classifications. Grading of comics can be subjective, although there are basic. 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. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop.
Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Iconic comics grading is based on the overstreet grading guide. This is most visible on the lower end of the grading scale. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. Whether you are an avid comic collector, a repeat offender one who once collected but fell by the wayside, are new to the industry, or someone who came across some old comics, welcome to the world of comics. When part of a comic book usually an edge has been exposed to dust particles over an extended period of time it creates a dark stripe. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before.
Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Paid collectors society members and authorized dealers can complete submission forms online and send collectibles directly to the cgc headquarters. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles. Dec 24, 20 the real freakin comic book men greg eide has been selling comic books as his livelihood for over 42 years.
You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. 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. Weve broken down all of the attributes of the new grading scale to help understand the new process. Learn how cgc comics have helped the industry, how cgc grading works, and. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. Comic book grading 101 for lapsed comic book collectors. These guys formed around the time i got out of comic collecting and have been going strong ever since. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. A defect that appears as a dark stripe along an edge of a comic book cover. After being examined by a restoration detection professional, the comic books are placed in barcoded mylar sleeves, and separated from their original invoice. Jan 09, 2017 i have used both cgc and cbcs with good results on both. When you submit a comic book to cgc, it is inspected before grading actually begins. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold.
The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. 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. Comic book grading part 1 certified guaranty company. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality.
The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. Cgc comic grading ultimate guide to certifying your comics. If all grades are in agreement or are very close, the book will be assigned a. Comic books can be sent to these companies for independent, impartial certification, including grading, restoration check and encapsulation within a tamperevident protective holder. 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 the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item. Located in florida, cgc, which claims to grade over 100,000 comic books annually, is unique among grading services because it doesnt allow its employees to commercially buy or sell comic books. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Introduction to cgc grading for new comic book collectors. Ng no grade reserved for art or single comic book pages 0. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books. At you will not only be able to check on comic book prices using our free comic book. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale.
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. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. 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. Cbcs, pbx, and cgc are the most popular grading services in the usa. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Cgc uses a standard 10point grading scale to grade comic books. Like the sheldon scale, the cgc grading scale also skips exact grades where it makes sense to do so. 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. But as a rule of thumb, as im deciding which comics to submit for grading i always estimate the true cost of. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
Alphacomics has been doing cgc submissions for quite some time now. 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 general, cgc is set up the same way as ngc and pcgs as far as the grading process. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. May 19, 2016 third party graders have established a standard numeric grading system that most of todays collectors rely upon. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. A heavy fold in the paper that can break the color of any comic book art. Founded in 2000, cgc is the first independent, impartial, thirdparty comic book grading service. Comic book supplies auctionstore venues third party grading. 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. A comic that has not been slabbed is sometimes referred to as a raw comic, which means a regular comic not encased in a plastic slab. Magazines are assigned a grade on a 10point grading scale to efficiently communicate the assessment of the magazines condition. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored.
Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. Like a coin, once a grade has been assigned the comic book is sealed to preserve and protect it. 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. I live in the vegas area and our local comic book store torpedo comics is hosting a yearlong signing event to rival most comic cons. 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. Grading certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a.
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. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes. Have comics purchased from us or from your personal collection graded by cgc. These grading services assign grades on the same ten. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. After digging into the different comic grading companies and services available, here are the viable options i considered. Cgc is a subsidiary of certified collectibles group, which provides grading services for coins and sports cards. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies.
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