Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995. A detailed explanation of how to determine a comic book s condition based on the established grades is generally included in a comic book pricing guide. Of course theres also the fact that graded comics hold higher values. Since 1970, the name overstreet has symbolized a vast knowledge of american comic books. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. Remember, the prices paid for in the marketplace are recorded in numerous online services. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Death of superman comic book value price guide posted on by comics watcher 19 comments v chances are you stumbled upon this article looking for the value of the death of superman comic book you have or are interested in buyingselling.
A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. Comic book grades are determine by a special grading scale. If youve stumbled across a treasure trove of comics, then sell my comic books is a great place to find out what you have. 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. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail comics. While there is a certain amount of subjectivity to this process, a reasonably accurate grade can be assigned by a careful amateur. Similar to light tan to offwhite pages, but the edges of the pages are darker. The biggest and most popular third party grading company. We offer modern, bronze age, silver age, and golden age comics. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Well be taking a look at their grading scale for the. If youre looking for a hard to find back issue, we probably have it.
Also, pressing is a very delicate process, so please be aware that it may add time to the express and next day grading services. The value can increase from 20 to 50 percent depending on the rarity of book. Prices vary based on how old your comic is andor the value of the book. Nostomanias grading guide for comic books as longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. The best example of comic book condition ever seen. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page. Collectors get excited when they find that hot book or one of their grails. In other words, it takes a dealer time to sort, bag, board and price any comic book. The oldest and most trusted comic book grading service is provided by certified guaranty company llc, more commonly known as cgc. The comic book grading guide from your neighborhood shop.
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. 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. Of all the factors to consider, your comic s condition is key. Armed with this knowledge and a good understanding of the market, you should be able to make an informed decision about restoration. 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. A standard color coded raw grading tool that is exclusively designed for you the comic book collectorinvestor. Not with most grading services though, perfect means perfect. All it takes is a quick ebay search to see that high grade cgc comics will always sell for more than their raw counterparts.
Finally, we gather supportive information about the individual sale including when and where it was sold, how the sale can be identified at the remote venue, the format of the sale auction, fixed price, etc. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading 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. 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. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. The number 1 free online comic book community featuring a comic book price guide database, friends, lists, blogs, and more. 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. Use our articles to identify and value the comic books in your collection, or let us do the hard work for you with a free appraisal. One of the most important factors is first to count the interior pages. Classics illustrated comic books are priced according to the print edition and the overall physical condition.
Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. The 10 point grading scale causes confusion in pricing, especially mid to lower grade comics. Most collectors will accept any page quality except for books with slightly brittle or brittle pages in a collectible comic. What is comic book grading and why is it important. The comic book grading scale runs from mint down to poorincomplete with several steps in between. Everything you need to know about submitting comic books to cgc. Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form. Comic book price guides, like overstreet, have a minimum price for comic books.
While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you learn about comic values, this third book in our new how to line teaches you the importance of condition a factor that is often the key to real collectability and how to grade accurately. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. A grader must comb over a book in very minute detail, looking for myriad imperfections like wear, tears, rounded corners, marks, page color e. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The book pretty much summarizes all the checking points in determining the value of a comic book, and provides extensive comic book grading scale and descriptions for each grading level. 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. Grading will only preserve and protect the value of an alreadyvaluable book. Like any other collectible, the condition, or grade, is an important determinant of final value or price. Aug 12, 2014 some comic book stores even have authorized vendors who can send your books in for you. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies. Value of books with sketches vary in a similar manner as signed books, and value for either will depend on the creators contribution. The one grading system breaks down into the following condition types rank.
Jul 29, 2016 for avid comic book collectors, understanding the comic book grading system will help you determine the value of your comics. It has major defects to the point that there is almost no collector value. You can also connect with others in the comic industry to further and enhance everyones comic experience. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at cgc, and was recently purchased by beckett media. The grade of a comic book is based on its physical condition. Iconic comics grading is based on the overstreet grading guide. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. 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. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. Comic book value packs comic book value packs are a great way to pick up a lot of comics cheaply. Before cgc comics, collectors were at the mercy of vendors to determine the grade and value of a comic book. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading.
The advantages of the collectors condition comic book raw grading labeling system is. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. Again, this typically will not effect grading of a comic book. As we match the sale we record the comic grading company, holderlabel type and the assigned grade. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card. Determining the value of old comics involves five criteria that you need to mull over. Grading is the second investigation a comic goes through, this time to evaluate the condition of the comic cover and pages. While cgc gets a lot of attentionbecoming synonymous with comic book grading in much. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a comic book, which directly influences its value. 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 records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. This is a fairly common trait in the very good category.
A nice comic with a piece up to the size of a standard postage stamp torn from one corner. Although i get how that value is only realized if you sell the book. Comic book grading labels collectors condition comic book. Cgcs restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. The grading of a comic book is about the condition of the comics. When grading gets to fine, you start operating on a point system. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. Part of the reason is because its understood that at minimum the cost of grading the comic is added to the raw value of the book. Originally produced in conjunction with the first edition of the overstreet comic book grading guide, the owl or overstreets whiteness level card is a comic book grading tool used to evaluate paper color on the reverse side is the one or overstreets numerical equivalent card, which translates the traditional letter grades into their equivalent values on a 100point numerical.
I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection. Death of superman comic book value price guide comics. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. The younger a comic, the less likely the book will increase in value significantly from restoration. In addition, there were no quality standards for comic book grading, which meant there was much discrepancy amongst collectors about the condition of various books. May 19, 2016 comic book grading is one of the most important parts of speculating. The best grade a comic book can achieve with this page quality is 7. 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. The minimum price is not a real reflection of market value. Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. 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. Whether youre flipping through the comics in your collection or at the dollar bin at your local comic shop lcs, everyone wonders what their comics are worth. Grading, particularly by a reputable source is often used to gauge the value of a particular book, and grading by certain companies that authenticate and certify comics books for condition and.
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. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. This applies mainly to silver age comics, as noted earlier. Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with cbcs comics grading guidelines. You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the name of the grading service, such as cgc 9. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics.
Remember that these costs can be higher for expensive books because cgc is insuring that your comic will be safe while in their possession. Each pack is grouped around a particular character or theme, and there is no duplication within any pack. Grading is the process of evaluating the condition and consequent value of a comic book. The overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Only the slightest bindery or printing defects are allowed. But only when the book is otherwise quite beautiful, and the tape does not in any way mar the appearance of the book. It includes the name of the condition, the symbol for the condition, and a numerical value. 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. This book has seen much better days and tends to be heavily worn and tattered. If we dont, add it to your want list and well notify you when its in stock. 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. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading.
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 grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. Everything you need to know about submitting comic books. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. Consider sending valuable classics illustrated comic books to a professional grading service for a more precise evaluation. Then, simply register or login to start the submission process. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm.
A book in this condition is worn, ragged and unattractive. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. The grading scale that we are familiar with in the coin market, regardless of the service that a coin has been submitted to, is known as the sheldon scale. 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. Best bet would be to talk to alpha comics and they can get you an idea of the cost. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. A copy of a comic in this grade has all pages and most of the covers. 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. 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. The following comics grading scale is commonly used to rate the condition of comics.
Estimate the value of each classics illustrated comic book using a comic book price guide. Most comics graded using the tenpoint grading scale have cover scans, so when youre considering purchasing a comic you can see the front and sometimes back cover scans of the exact comic being offered. At mycomicshop, we use the basic grading scale for most of our comics. If you want to learn how to do basic grading on vintage comic books then here is a simple tutorial for you. With new expanded information, it remains the definitive reference for industrystandard comic book grading. The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. This plastic case forever seals your comic, unless you destroy the case to extract the comic. Fine comics in fine are priced significantly less than those in very fine and for good reason. The grade of a comic book is a shorthand description of the book s condition. For one, if you have a really valuable book, it offers a form of protection. 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 high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. Comic grading is the process of encasing a comic book in a plastic case.
Please note that we can only ship up to 30 books in one box so you will need to take this into account when submitting larger orders. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. Learn what is the comic book rating system and how a comic book is graded with cbcs. How to price classic illustrated comics our pastimes. An exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. Pgx also offers a comparable service and directly competes with cgc in the comic book grading market. Remember you are invited to participate in the process. Please note that grading will always be an extremely subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. These books will be certified and encapsulated according to tier, and those grading below your. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. 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. When buying or selling a comic book, or any collectible, it is important that both parties reach a level of agreement on that collectible condition or grade, as this will to a great extent determines its value. 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.