Grading

“Grading is inherently a subjective enterprise, and no matter how specific the criteria, differences of opinion can arise.” The Overstreet Guide to Grading Comics, 4th Edition by Robert Overstreet, Published by Gemstone Publishing, 2014

Grading is by no means a perfect science, the same comic book submitted for Certified Grading multiple times may actually be returned with differing grades depending on the grader. When it comes to valuing your comic book, the better the quality the higher the price you can command. Multiple copies of the same comic book with differing condition defects will attract a difference in value based on these variations. Therefore, at Comic Collector we generally refer to the industry recognised Overstreet Grading Guide when grading our comics.

While there are many acceptable grading scales, we will generally use The Overstreet basic 7-point scale for most raw comics and the more detailed 10-point scale will be reserved for our more valuable raw comics as well as graded slabs by recognised Certified Grading Companies such as: CGC, CBCS, PGX or Halo.

NB: due to the scarcity of back issue “Mint” condition comics, it is unlikely we will grade any raw comics as “Mint”, however please note some of our “Near Mint” comics may actually be in “Mint” condition.

COMIC GRADING: BASIC 7-POINT GRADING SCALE

Reference: The Overstreet Guide to Grading Comics, 4th Edition by Robert Overstreet, Published by Gemstone Publishing, 2014 https://gemstonepub.com/the-overstreet-guide-to-grading-comics-4th-edition/

NEAR MINT (NM+/-) - AVERAGED

Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections. The overall look is “as if it was just purchased and ready once or twice.”

BINDERY DEFECTS: Subtle defects are allowed, tears up to 1/16” on Silver Age and 1/4” on Golden Age
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Flat with no surface wear
Inks are bright with high reflectivity
Generally well centred and secure
Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so slight blunting permitted
A 1/16” bend is permitted with no colour break
No creases
Small, inconspicuous, lightly pencilled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location
No soiling, staining or other discolouration apart from slight foxing

SPINE:

Tight and flat
No spine roll or split allowed

STAPLES:

Generally centred; may have slight discolouration
No staple tears are allowed
Almost no stress lines
No rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is cream to off-white, supple and fresh
No hint of acidity in the odour of the newsprint
Centrefold is secure
Slight interior tears are allowed

VERY FINE (VF+/-) - AVERAGED

An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp, bright and clean with supple pages. A comic book in this grade has the appearance of having been carefully handled.

BINDERY DEFECTS: A limited accumulation of minor defects is allowed
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners
Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity
A 1/4” crease is acceptable if colour is not broken
Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present
No obvious soiling, staining or other discolouration except for minor foxing

SPINE:

Almost flat with no roll
Possible minor colour break allowed

STAPLES:

May show some discolouration
Very slight staple tears and a few almost very minor to minor stress lines may be present
No rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is tan to cream and supple
No hint of acidity in the odour of the newsprint
Centrefold is mostly secure
Minor interior tears at the margin may be present

NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present

FINE (FI+/-) - AVERAGED

An above average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Eye appeal is somewhat reduced because of slight surface wear and the accumulation of small defects, especially spine and edges. A FINE condition comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care.

BINDERY DEFECTS: Some accumulation of minor defects is allowed
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Minor wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases.
Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity
Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discolouration and/or foxing
Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present

SPINE:

A minor spine roll is allowed
There can also be a 1/4” spine split or severe colour break

STAPLES:

May show minor discolouration
Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present as well as minor rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is brown to tan and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness
No hint of acidity in the odour of the newsprint
Minor interior tears at the margin may be present
Centrefold may be loose but not detached

NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present

VERY GOOD (VG+/-) _AVERAGED

The average used comic book. A Comic in this grade shows significant moderate wear, but still has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the point that it is not a desirable copy.

BINDERY DEFECTS: No effect on this grade
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Moderate to significant wear and may be loose but not completely detached.
Moderate to extreme reduction in reflectivity
Can have an accumulation of creases or dimples
Corners may be blunted or abraded
Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials etc. have no effect on this grade
Some discolouration, fading, foxing and even minor soiling is allowed
As much as 1/4” triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8” square is also acceptable
Only minor unobtrusive tape and other amateur repair allowed on otherwise higher grade copies

SPINE:

Moderate roll may be present and/or 1” spine split

STAPLES:

Discolored
Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present as well as some rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is brown but not brittle
A minor acidic odour can be detectable
Minor to moderate interior tears may be present
Centrefold may be loose or detached at one staple

NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present

GOOD (GD+/-) - AVERAGED

This grade shows substantial wear; often considered a “reading copy.” Comics in this grade have all pages and covers, although there may be small pieces missing. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, but still completely readable.

BINDERY DEFECTS: No effect on this grade
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Shows significant wear and may even be detached
Near no reflectivity to no reflectivity
Store stamp, name stamp, arrival date and initials are permitted
Book-length creases and dimples maybe present
Rounded corners are more common
Moderate soiling, staining, discolouration and foxing may be present
The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2” triangle or a 1/4” square. Some Silver Age books such as 1960s Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front corver and may be considered Good if they would other have graded higher
Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books

SPINE:

Definite roll likely
May have up to a 2” spine split

STAPLES:

May be degraded, replaced or missing
Moderate staple tears and stress lines are common as well as rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is brown but not brittle
A moderate acidic odour may be present
Centrefold may be loose or detached
Moderate interior tears may be present

NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present

FAIR (FR+/-) - AVERAGED

A copy in this grade shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or brittle. Comics in this grade are usually soiled, faded, ragged and possibly unattractive. This is the last grade in which a comic remains generally readable.

BINDERY DEFECTS: No effect on this grade
COVER/EXTERIOR:

Cover may be detached
Inks have lost all reflectivity
Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent
Corners are commonly rounded or absent
Soiling and staining is present
Books in this condition generally have all of the pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to 1/4 of the front cover missing or no back cover; but not both.
Tape and other forms of amateur repair are more common

SPINE:

Spine roll is more common
Spine split can extend up to 2/3 the length of the book

STAPLES:

May be missing or show rust and discolouration
An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be present as well as rust migration

PAPER/INTERIOR:

Paper is brown and may show brittleness around the edges but not in the central portion of the pages
Acidic odour may be present
Accumulation of interior tears
Chunks may be missing
The centrefold may be missing if readability is preserved (although there may be difficulty). Coupons may be cut

COMIC GRADING: DETAILED 10-POINT GRADING SCALE

Reference: https://www.cgccomics.com/grading/grading-scale/

Gem Mint (10): The highest grade assigned. The collectible must have no evidence of any manufacturing or handling defects.

Mint (9.9): The collectible is nearly indistinguishable from a 10.0 but will have a very minor manufacturing defect. It will not have any evidence of handling defects.

NM/M (9.8): A nearly perfect collectible with negligible handling or manufacturing defects.

NM+ (9.6): A very well-preserved collectible with several minor manufacturing or handling defects.

NM (9.4): A very well-preserved collectible with minor wear and small manufacturing or handling defects.

NM- (9.2): A very well-preserved collectible with some wear and small manufacturing or handling defects.

VF/NM (9.0): A very well-preserved collectible with good eye appeal. There will be a number of minor handling and/or manufacturing defects.

VF+ (8.5): An attractive collectible with a moderate defect or a number of small defects.

VF (8.0): An attractive collectible with a moderate defect or an accumulation of small defects.

VF- (7.5): An above-average collectible with a moderate defect or an accumulation of small defects.

FN/VF (7.0): An above-average collectible with a major defect or an accumulation of small defects.

FN+ (6.5): An above-average collectible with a major defect and some smaller defects, or a significant accumulation of small defects.

FN (6.0): A slightly above-average collectible with a major defect and some smaller defects, or a significant accumulation of small defects.

FN- (5.5): A slightly above-average collectible with several moderate defects.

VG/FN (5.0): An average collectible with several moderate defects.

VG+ (4.5): A slightly below-average collectible with multiple moderate defects.

VG (4.0): A below-average collectible with multiple moderate defects.

VG- (3.5): A below-average collectible with several major defects or an accumulation of multiple moderate defects.

G/VG (3.0): A collectible that shows significant evidence of handling with several moderate-to-major defects.

G (2.5): A collectible that shows extensive evidence of handling with multiple moderate-to-major defects.

G (2.0): A collectible that shows extensive evidence of handling with numerous moderate-to-major defects.

G- (1.8): A collectible that shows extensive evidence of handling with numerous major defects.

Fa/G (1.5): A collectible that shows extensive evidence of handling with a heavy accumulation of major defects.

Fa (1.0): A very poorly handled collectible with a heavy accumulation of major defects.

Poor (0.5): A heavily defaced collectible with a number major defects. Some pieces will also be missing.

Disclaimer: Each comic book both externally and internally is thoroughly evaluated. While all best efforts are made in grading comics accurately, we understand we may not get it right every time. Please contact us for additional scans/photos prior to purchasing if you require further clarification.