Cgc comic book grades

Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. 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 2010, two copies sold on the comic book auction website for record prices. Cgccbcs signature series graded comic book from marvel, dc, image, andor idw. Certified guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. Nothing makes you want to raise your fist to the heavens, and scream noooo like getting a great grade only to have the dreaded purple label. You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the name of the grading service, such as cgc 9. The value of the comic should also be high enough to justify restoration. Guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. 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. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies. In the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive item and restoration would be excessive.

Submit comics to cgc for grading there are four ways for collectors to submit their comics for grading. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present. Browse and buy a vast selection of cgc graded comics collections. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. If you dont care about grades and just want an awesome signed and graded comic book then this is for you. Several years ago, pgx had a large scandal where books were being given higher grades than in reality. You can ship it to them or take it to a convention where they will be at and they will tell you what grade it is considered to be.

Indepth look at the new cgc comic book restoration grading. Weve broken down all of the attributes of the new grading scale to help understand the new process. Mar 04, 2014 the thought of restored grade, also known as the dreaded purple label, has been known to make an avid comic collector or two, shudder, when they receive the assigned grade on a cgc submission. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. Mar 21, 2020 just got my nine comic books back from c2e2 onsite grading.

Cgc comics guaranty company is a business that will grade your comic book for you, for a price. Conservation repairs are performed with the intent of preserving the structural or chemical integrity of a comic book using professional techniques and materials. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Once certified by cgc, a comic book is encapsulated in a stateofthe art, tamperevident holder, providing superior protection and stability for longterm preservation. Founded in 2000, cgc is the first independent, impartial, thirdparty comic book grading service.

With the permission of cgc we are using their standards. Just got my nine comic books back from c2e2 onsite grading. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Publication years range from 1956 silver age until present day. I picked up most of these comics from one collection.

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. For each sale discovered, we match it to the specific comic in our massive database which also includes variant covers and printings. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. A comic book that is in such bad shape that cgc will not give it a grade, only verify that it is an actual original comic book. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades. Jan 09, 2017 several years ago, pgx had a large scandal where books were being given higher grades than in reality. Alphacomics has been doing cgc submissions for quite some time now. Then, they will put in a protective sleeve and seal it. 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. Everything you need to know about submitting comic books to cgc. 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.

It falsely gives the appearance of a comic having an official grade, but their only certification is the acceptance of their grading by the collecting community. It excludes aesthetic repairs such as color touch and piece fill. All grading is subjective and grading isnt governed by any entity, so these official grades are. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine. Includes direct submission privileges, free grader notes and 5% off grading tiers. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the millionbook mark and has now graded over 2 million comic books.

Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easy. The grade of a comic book is based on its physical condition. Mail submissions to cgc headquarters paid collectors society members and authorized dealers can complete submission forms online and send collectibles directly to the cgc headquarters. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Before a comic book is cgc certified, it must be graded by at least two comic professionals according to well established standards that ensure integrity, quality, confidentiality and consistency.

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. Apr 04, 2016 welcome to the world of 3rd party grading. The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. Comic books are sent to cgc for grading and encapsulation either directly by the owner through cgcs website or. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale. Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. 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. With hourly rates hitting three figures for restoration, only very valuable books should be candidates. Golden age comic books cgc graded golden age comics da. I had heard stories about cgc playing favors by giving harder.

Conserved bluepurple a comic book that has specific repairs done to improve the structural integrity and longterm preservation. 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 suggestion that cgc is a much tougher grader than the other companies is another one of those speculative statements that youll see tossed around in online comic book communities from time to time. Ng no grade reserved for art or single comic book pages 0.

Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. We monitor the fire hose of online comic book sales across various marketplaces and report on the sales of cgc and cbcs graded books in our comics price guide. In think cbcs has a much better overall look than cgc in terms of colour logo, fonts etc but the positioning of the smaller text always looks out of alignment with everything else on the label why is info about the comic arbitrarily offset underneath but left aligned to the right of center to the comic book title above it. Cgc s restoration grading scale is a transparent system that is much more descriptive and accurate than before. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. All conserved grades must satisfy the cgc quality scale of a and quantity scale of 1. There is a large distrust in the collecting community, so if you are going to spend the money to get a book graded, we recommend cgc or cbcs. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. 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. Certified guaranty corporation cgc, comic book certification service cbcs, and professional grading experts pgx. 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 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. 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. When you submit a comic book to cgc, it is inspected before grading actually begins. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop.

Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. I dont know what the grades are and this is a live unboxing. The best possible existing condition of that comic book. Professional comic book grading provides expert assessment of condition and eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentation. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. On the flipside, is it possible that maybe, just maybe, cgc undergraded this comic.

Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be. Our grading increases the value of your collectibles, protects the condition, and improves their display quality. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. In general, cgc is set up the same way as ngc and pcgs as far as the grading process. But theres also this social contract that exists which allows buyers to put more faith in a book graded by cgc because of the confidence their reputation brings to the table. Cgc cbcs signature series graded comic book from marvel, dc, image, andor idw. Publication years range from 1970 until present day. These books will be certified and encapsulated according to tier, and those grading below your specified grade are returned uncertified. Introduction to cgc grading for new comic book collectors. In this series, we will explore this process by first examining what exactly grading and slabbing is in general, and then dig into the specifics of the three primary grading companies. Aug 30, 2017 comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. Your mystery box might contain a variant issue comic book or key issue.

The same general ideas apply when dealing with comic books and the cgc grading scale. To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles. The second book at a later auction, a copy cgc graded at 8. The thought of restored grade, also known as the dreaded purple label, has been known to make an avid comic collector or two, shudder, when they receive the assigned grade on a cgc submission. 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.