It looks the current market is ripe for a new challenger like cbcs. I am still amazed that a company that is so vocal about being the biggest comic grading service can be so bad at what they do and not care. The cgc comics holder is made of stateoftheart materials and is designed to meet the needs and demands of comic book collectors. 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 collecting community. The official overstreet comic book grading guide, 3rd. 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. As a comix creator, i consider it my moral duty to buy cgc books and then free them from. And up until now cbcs slabs did not have a sales venue comparable to the cgc message boards so i felt it was limiting to get cbcs slabs.
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 may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading. Those who have bowed down and given all this power to cgc are to blame. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. Click here for more information on our slab maximize your profits when selling. Cgc is the first independent, impartial thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6 million. Ever try to sell a comic and get into a debate with the buyer if the book was nm or. Cgc was the first and has been the standard for comic book grading since 2000. 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. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles. Ive been collecting for aver 40 years and grading standards have always been the same no matter the age of the book. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading scale.
Having a golden age sliding scale grading system is okay. The grade can literally mean a gain or loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars for a particular issue. Consists of accurate highresolution images of the front and back of the book, shown encapsulated in its cgc holder. 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. How does the comic book marketplace view cbcsgraded books vs. Theres a widespread belief that cbcs consistently grades higher than cgc. Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Magazines are assigned a grade on a 10point grading scale to efficiently communicate the assessment of.
How does the comic book marketplace view cbcsgraded books. Verify cgc certification a database of every comic book certified by cgc with grade and label description. Jul 16, 2014 cbcs looks like an ambitious company as it is set to challenge the undisputed king of comic book grading services, cgc. When i buy back issues, i get em as cheap as possible in crappy condition. I have heard from the lcbs that they think cbcs is grading tougher than cgc. At mycomicshop, we use the basic grading scale for most of our comics. Like most things i do here at the certified comic shop, im always happy to talk about the finances of operating a comic shop. Apr 04, 2016 welcome to the world of 3rd party grading. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the million book mark and has now graded over 2 million comic. 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. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. A comic book in a cgc holder is encapsulated in a new cgc holder. Cgc s top grader and king of this field, steve borock, left cgc and started cbcs. Avoid cgc like the plague page 3 the ebay community.
The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at. May 14, 2016 fixing a forklift that sat in a field for 17 years brake job and rear wheel bearings part 1 duration. Have comics purchased from us or from your personal collection graded by cgc. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original. 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. For instance, take a look at a recently featured comic book, action comics 1. In every field, collectors want exceptional value for their money the certified comic book field is no exception. 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. Ng no grade reserved for art or single comic book pages 0.
Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading service. Cgc also refuses to explain its 25point scale for grading. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a book, which directly influences its value. The grade assigned to the book should not change, unless any damage occurred postencapsulation, in which case the grade will be adjusted accordingly. Cgc census detailed report of the comics, magazines and lobby cards graded by cgc, with the total number of cgc certified examples in each grade. Magazines are assigned a grade on a 10point grading scale to efficiently communicate the assessment of the magazines c. A guide to grading the comic book price guide for great. It describes itself as an impartial thirdparty that examines comic books, assigns them a numeric. The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable. We are currently migrating data to our new system and conducting tests, and we are really excited for you to try it out.
Im pretty new to the grading scene and was a bit upset what i heard that hahah but it makes sense i suppose. The grading label can not be removed without destroying the slab. One of our goals for the new website is to offer an easier online experience for our customers. Before any grading is performed, each magazine is examined by a cgc restoration detection professional. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the. Join cgc to get direct submission privileges, 247 order tracking and more. So, our slabs will fit in most graded comic book boxes for long term storage. Each comic graded adheres to cgc standards, preserving the integrity. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. Choose a tier based on comic value and turnaround time.
Founded in 2000, cgc is the first independent, impartial, thirdparty comic book grading service. Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. But, a comic in a cgc case should not cost 100500% more than its market. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. Digital imaging for comic books submitted under any of cgc grading and service tiers. New grading scam endorsedcreated by cgc the ebay community. Safely package your comics for secure shipment to cgc. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic.
You can easily identify a slabbed comic because the grades will include the name of the grading service, such as cgc 9. A proven and respected commitment to integrity, accuracy, consistency and impartiality has made cgc the leader in its field. If any form of restoration work is detected, this information is also logged and made available to the grading team. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. After the fiasco that is known as pgx grading, i think collectors are very cautious about accepting a new grading authorities claim to rigor, transparency and honesty with the marketplace. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. I have seen a huge growth in the graded comic book market and do not. Now there is an easy way to identify comic books with higher visual appeal than others assigned the same numerical grade by cgc simply look for the cva exceptional sticker. Next, the magazines pages are counted and the presence of inserts and other enclosures is recorded. Digital imaging for comic books submitted under any of cgc s grading and service tiers. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. Cgc grader notes read notes and grading explanations inputted by cgc graders for many comic. Comics that arrive with restoration will be returned to the sender as ungraded, and no grading fee will be charged shipping fees apply.
I know this is a religious debate, however i am hoping it can stay objective. Services certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. Is cgc really that bad at grading comics comic vine. 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. Like the submitting the same book to both companies, or two books with same grade from both companies same book, same grade, two copies. Introduction to cgc grading for new comic book collectors. Im sure hes now doing this kind of posting just for cheap thrills or something, im not sure. Its a complicated process, and if you want to know more about it you can read how it works for yourself here.
Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Cgc census detailed report of the comics, magazines and lobby cards graded by cgc, with the total number of cgccertified examples in each grade. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised. One area we focused on is the way you submit comics and access your account information. 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 the case of comics in vg or higher grades, the book is already an attractive.
Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. Usnav2724 cgc is a scam in the sense that they overprice for their services. Here is the link to the video at the 22 sec mark you can see some of the new grade grading scale examples. 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. Cbcss services are more reasonable and a little easier to use right now. The grade or condition of a comic book is the most important determination of value outside of the actual title and issue number. Once certified by cgc, a comic book is encapsulated in a stateofthe art, tamperevident holder, providing superior protection and stability for longterm preservation. I was wondering why the comic books on ebay with a cgc grading and case were worth more than the ones that only came in a plastic sleeve. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale.
To my mind, the gap between your grading and cgcs grading is the biggest obstacle to the growth of your company. Also cgc site says that if you havent gotten a comic signed in front of a cgc staff that it gets a green label i was wondering how much this will affect the book or its value. Grading books for an auction house that is obviously in cahoots with your organization is fine. Is getting the comic professionally graded up its price, or is it just nice to have it in a fancy case with a grade number.
Cgc grading scale cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books. Comic book grading and restoration issues cgc comic book collectors chat boards. 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. I personally like the look of the cgc slab a bit better so i tend to continue to only send books to them to grade and the extra 510% resale value doesnt hurt. The process is cheap and quick, and nothing is added to the comic, such as. Taking into account the capricious nature of cgc grading, comics in this grade can be expected to grade out with cgc at 6. One way comic books are graded is on the basic grading scale, which runs from mint the highest, through near mint, very fine, fine, very good, good, fair, and poor the lowest. Ive talked to collectors about slabbing comics and it seems there is a lot of discontent out there, directed primarily towards cgc. To qualify, the book must still be encapsulated in its original cgc holder. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the millionbook mark and has now graded over 2 million comic. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join.
Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 6 million collectibles certified. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. Well, it appears there is another thirdparty comic book grading company trying to establish credibility in the comic book industry. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. Hectorsquall, i definitely will not be ever using cgc again. To my mind, the gap between your grading and cgc s grading is the biggest obstacle to the growth of your company.
How to submit for cgc grading, submission center uk. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. I am new to many of these kinds of aspects of collecting comic books. Is cgc implementing a new grading scale with current 9. As a comix creator, i consider it my moral duty to buy cgc books and then free them from their plastic coffins. Taking into account the capricious nature of cgc grading, comics in this. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Yep, you guessed it slabbed graded comic book prices. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading.
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