Comic book values by grades meaning

While we cannot guarantee that a book graded twice will receive the same grade. Mar 27, 2020 the market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. Meaning we buy them at the shop, we bag and board them. Comic book grading, certification process cbcs comics. The same as tan to offwhite, but the center of the pages are darker. But only when the book is otherwise quite beautiful, and the tape does not in any way mar the appearance of the book. It pays to become familiar with the basic descriptive terms used by used and rare booksellers to communicate. The searchable database consists of more than 100,000 pages, each devoted to a specific comic book. Having got used to rough approximations, the next step is exact definition. A detailed explanation of how to determine a comic books condition based on the established grades is generally included in a comic book pricing. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade.

In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. Comic book grading screenshots, images and pictures comic vine. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes. The iguide comic book price guide is maintained by warren and his board of advisors. Grading guide pgx comics pgx comic grading services. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. The ultimate upside to getting your comics cgc graded is that it greatly enhances the value of your comics if they are in really good condition. The video and resources below will help you find the best way to get current prices and values of your comic books, whether you own only a couple or thousands. 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. 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. In the example above carnage part one is not part of the title. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Some comic book stores even have authorized vendors who can send your books in for you.

Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. 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. We actually believe that all our books in our nm category are at least 9. Back in 2012 or so, i discovered graded comics from cgc comics guaranty corporation an independent third party that professionally grades a comic book and securely encapsulates said comic in a sealed plastic slab with a label that details key information and the actual grade of the comic whew, thats a mouthful. At you will not only be able to check on comic book prices using our free comic book. These include the later 10 cent issues and all 12 cent issues, which ended in mid1969. The term grading refers to finding the condition that a comic book is in. Unlike baseball cards, which are doublesided and can be viewed from the confines of a sleeve, comic books contain multiple pages and are meant to be read. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. These generally have a negative effect on the value. Each pack comes with 100 pre printed labels that have a complete grading range from the left column 0.

Everything you need to know about submitting comic books to cgc. Brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and usually incomplete. The slightest bindery defects andor printing flaws may be seen only upon very close inspection. Panels are often accompanied by descriptive prose and written narrative, usually, dialog contained in word balloons emblematic of the comics art form.

But the book with the lowest value had white pages. When more than one comic is offered in a particular listing, the entire sale is. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Most comic books in this grade have been sufficiently degraded to the point where there is little or no collector value.

If you are unsure what the title is, look at the indicia small block of. A book in this condition is worn, ragged and unattractive. In other words we grade the comics as best as we can. Most novice near mints end up being very fine at best. Gpa for cgc comics is the worlds first analysis and reporting service for online auction and dealer comic book sales. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. This book has seen much better days and tends to be heavily worn and tattered. Each company does different tiers and levels so its difficult to make exact price comparisons. The overall look is as if it has never been handled or released for purchase. If you are serious about learning how to grade comics, i have to recommend the overstreet comic book grading guide. A copy of a comic in this grade has all pages and most of the covers. In these rare cases, a check mark will be placed on the label by the numerical grade.

We follow a strict set of guidelines in order to deliver the best possible comic book values. In its 48th annual edition, the overstreet comic price guide is the market leader, with good reason. Collectors condition comic book raw grading labels. Packed with fantastic information, this book is a fun read, even if you dont collect comics. Once the comic book has been graded by cgc, it is placed in a tamperevident sleeve, meaning that if the comic book is removed, the cgc valuation of the comic book is no longer valid. This is an exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. 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. The easiest way to determine if your comics fall into the good category is by looking at the cover price. Similar to light tan to offwhite pages, but the edges of the pages are darker. Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995.

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. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. This discoloration can be worsened by the storage condition of the comic. 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. Apr 01, 2008 how to accurately describe a comic book grade including some example flaws. Locate the book in the list of books you might need to change the drop list to go to another page. Then look up the book value with the grade we decided and find the comic book value. Reporting on thousands of certified comic book sales daily, gpa is the only service that offers the level of depth and analysis required in todays fastmoving comic book market. This means all 5 comic books combined totals added together.

Dark colored pages that exhibit a uniform tint from edges to middle. The minimum price is not a real reflection of market value. 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 accepted grades of condition for comics are listed. 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. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great.

The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Once restored, a comic s value depends upon several factors. Overstreet comic book price guide the overstreet guide is a must have if you have a lot of comics, are already a collector or plan on having a lot of comics. 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 guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the. The comic book market is primarily concentrated on more vintage comics, most of which were published in the 1930s to mid1970s. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my. Updated and added to every day, it will eventually list all significant british comics published and all marvel and dc comics that were either officially distributed or non distributed in the uk. Look for evidence of tape or glue or other attempts to repair the book. Comic book value packs comic book value packs are a great way to pick up a lot of comics cheaply. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Pgx utilizes the overstreet comic book grading guide in its definitions of condition.

When initially looking at a comic book the first thing one will notice is the cover of the book. Even then, for an older comic to be in the very fine category it needs to. If you were to receive a grade on a book you purchased from us, after january. Comic book price guides are generally monthly, quarterly, or yearly publications which detail. Mar 05, 2012 a book with cream to offwhite sold for the third lowest value, with an offwhite and offwhite to white selling at the two lowest values. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. Comic book price guides, like overstreet, have a minimum price for comic books. The best grade a comic book can achieve with this page quality is 7. Here is a more cost effective way to give your comics a raw grade with the catagory flexability of checking off the grade box.

If the grades do not match, the book will be passed to another grader or even other graders until a consensus of the final grade has been. Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade.

The video and resources below will help you find the best way to get current prices and values of your comic books, whether you own only a couple or thousands here we go. We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection. 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. We make every possible effort to only report on the price paid for individual comics.

The premier online comics price guide free comic book values. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. Note that more sophisticated efforts to restore a comic book, such as color restoration or reglossing are often undetectable by amateur graders and sometimes even professionals, but can also have. The condition of the dust jacket should be graded independently of the book. Comic book collectors are picky, and since there is so much money at stake at the higher grades, even the almost imperceptible flaw takes away from the condition. A nice comic with a piece up to the size of a standard postage stamp torn from one corner. In other words, it takes a dealer time to sort, bag, board and price any comic book. Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market.

Comics kept in damp environments like basements often degrade faster. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. How to accurately describe a comic book grade including some example flaws. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in.

When more than one comic is offered in a particular listing, the entire sale is disregarded. This is a fairly common trait in the very good category. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. The digital download will give you instant value and pricing.

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. Beware if any older comic book is graded above this mark. Nostomanias grading guide for comic books coin and comic. Each page includes current market values in ten different grades, as well as a section for real market data, actual prices fetched at auction. How to grade your comics comic book grading labels. The overstreet guide is a must have if you have a lot of comics, are already a collector or plan on having a lot of comics. 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. Of course theres also the fact that graded comics hold higher values than their. The books with the two highest values had white pages. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics.

The best way to understand why a specific comic book received a check mark designation is to refer to the graders notes. If you are unsure what the title is, look at the indicia small block of text inside front or rear cover. 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. Each pack is grouped around a particular character or theme, and there is no duplication within any pack. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. Cbcs team members all share in the love of our hobby and the medium. Book with offwhite and offwhiteto white sold for above the median. 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. Welcome to the comic book price guide that has been 25 years in the making. Im all for finding a great buy at a show or convention but i always worry that ill find some defect after the fact. A comic book or comicbook, also called comic magazine or simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade.

Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Due to the nature of paper, discoloration is expected over time. 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. Meaning the price guide value, not what you can buy them for. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. A book with cream to offwhite sold for the third lowest value, with an offwhite and offwhite to white selling at the two lowest values. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. If the grades match, or are reasonably close, the book will receive a final grade.