Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. Professional grading experts llc, aka pgx, and cbcs, also provide third party grading. This video will explain which 3rd party comic book grading companies to avoid and why. While a casual collector might not need to bother, its vitally important to have your comics graded if you ever plan to sell them, because the value of a comic varies widely depending on the grade it receives. Cgc was the first impartial, thirdparty certification service. Though comic book grading has been around for decades, it wasnt until 2000 that a new third party grading service, cgc, burst onto the scene and revolutionized the comic book collecting industry. 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. However, if you prefer to grade your comics yourself, weve provided a concise, complete comic book grading guide below, describing all grades, along with images of an example comic determined by cgc to be in the corresponding grade. Cbcs grading and authenticity standards are fundamental to its concept of thirdparty grading. Comic book supplies auctionstore venues third party grading.
Cgc graders provide impartial evaluations of collectible magazines. Pressing it applies that grade to the selected comic. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. 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 since 2000. Aug 30, 2017 comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc.
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. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. Cgc page quality chart here is a chart of the various cgc page colors ive come across in the wild. Additionally, some comics are slabbed by cgc, cbcs, or pgx. Third party grading companies third party grading companies active companies.
The two basic systems consist of a number scale from one to ten such as the cgc uses and. 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. Mark salzberg is one of the worlds most skilled and respected numismatists, having worked in the coin and collectibles industries for nearly 40 years. You can explore comic book grading by tracing through the grading process. The first was the adoption of the new 10point grading system and the second was the introduction of third party grading. These grading services assign grades on the same tenpoint grading scale used by mycomicshop. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail. In the late 1990s two major events happened in our hobby. There are different systems used by different price guides and grading companies. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The biggest and most popular third party grading company. When grading a comic book, the first thing youll see is the cover.
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. 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. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. Comics guaranty, llc, better known in the comic book market as cgc, entered the arena in well over a decade ago and quickly established themselves as the dominate force in. Aug 29, 2014 on the other hand, if you are buying an expensive comic over the internet and want a 3rd party graded copy to ensure you that youre getting what youre paying for, getting a slabbed book is a way to ensure that. The card is then assigned an overall grade, sealed in a tamperproof holder and, finally, assigned a cataloged serial number.
Cgc is an independent member of the certified collectibles group of companies. The grade of a comic book is based on its physical condition. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is. The 2 reputable third party 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. A number of factors are involved in deciding whether or not a comic book should be submitted to a grading service such as cgc. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics.
The fact that the comic is only nearly flat wasnt critical to the grade that particular defect is allowed on books up to very fine in grade. Cgcs commitment to integrity, accuracy and consistency has made it the leader in its field. Pgx was established in 2002 to meet the growing demand for impartial, thirdparty grading and continues to be the fastest, most affordable grading service in the industry. The oldest and most trusted comic book grading service is provided by certified guaranty company llc, more commonly known as cgc. A proven and respected commitment to integrity, accuracy, consistency and impartiality has made cgc the leader in its field. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Cgc is a leading thirdparty comic book, magazine and concert poster authentication, grading and encapsulation service, with more than 5 million collectibles certified. 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 overstreet guide to grading comics 2016 edition. Well be taking a look at their grading scale for the. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more.
May 19, 2016 early in the 2000s, third party grading services began to emerge. Jul 16, 2014 a few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. Not every comic book is a good candidate for thirdparty grading. Founded in 2000, cgc backs each collectible with the comprehensive cgc guarantee, which provides greater protection for both buyers and sellers. Nostomanias grading guide for magazines coin and comic.
The thirdparty magazine grading company trusted by collectors. Grading is the term used for the assessment of the condition of a particular comic book. Pgx was established in 2002 to meet the growing demand for impartial, third party grading and continues to be the fastest, most affordable grading service in the industry. Grading leads, and restoration adjusts itself accordingly. Third party graders are organizations that are unbiased and do not have a vested interest in the value of the book only giving it a grade based on predetermined criteria. Comic book grading is a complicated process, but were here to answer all your questions. I would be interested in scans of any cgced books that have page colorgrade combinations not found on the chart for future inclusion.
Books are carefully handled and tracked through the grading process, and always fully insured while on our premises. Founded in 2000, cgc is the first independent, impartial, thirdparty comic book grading service. Have comics purchased from us or from your personal collection graded by cgc. 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. Grading standards are based on the standards laid out in the overstreet grading guide with additional experience gained from our years in the comic industry. By bidding on or purchasing a thirdparty graded comic you are acknowledging your acceptance of the grade assigned by the certification company. Jan 22, 2020 in this video, we answer the question as to how to start analyzing a collecting market with respectful third party grading. The ten point grading system was less confusing and was a better overlay of the old wordgrade system then the. The grading, for the most part, is pretty good and, with some exceptions, the.
If you had a comic selected when brining up the grading wizard, the apply grade button is available. At present, there is only one third party grading service that will grade and encapsulate magazines for you. Grading your comic books guide revel in the detail comics. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. In this installment we will take a look at comic book certification services cbcs. Cgc set the standard for thirdparty comic book, magazine, lobby card and vintage photograph grading, and its independent affiliate ccs performs expert pressing, restoration and restoration removal services for comic books. The company was founded by alec born and steve borock, the latter earning a reputation in the community while working many years at.
The ten point grading system was less confusing and was a better overlay of the old wordgrade system then the previous 100point system. Comic books can be sent to these companies for independent, impartial certification, including grading, restoration check and encapsulation within a tamperevident protective holder. Today, cgc is the worlds largest and most trusted thirdparty grading service for comics, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 5 million collectibles certified since 2000. Though at times controversial, its proven grading system has become a gold standard for those looking to have their collection appraised.
He joined numismatic guaranty corporation ngc in 1988 as a grading finalizer, a position he continues to hold. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, third party comic book grading. On the other hand, if you are buying an expensive comic over the internet and want a 3rd party graded copy to ensure you that youre getting what youre paying for, getting a slabbed book is a way to ensure that. 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 overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. 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. 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. 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. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
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. They strive for impartiality, and the first two organizations collectors flocked to were cgc and pgx. Founded in 2000, certified guaranty company cgc is the worlds first independent and impartial thirdparty comic book grading service. It is the first independent and impartial third party grading service for comic books. Cgc was the first impartial, third party certification service. 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. 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. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. These comic grading services will grade a comic and then seal the comic in a hard plastic case that displays the assigned grade. Vaughn accurate grading of comic books has never been more important because the stakes have never been higher.
The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become a notable. An established independent company, such as comic guaranty llc cgc or comic book certification service cbcs provides third party grading services for comics. Luckily, alternatives exist for those who dont wish to undertake the effort to become an accomplished grader. Because we dont buy or sell collectibles, our sole focus is on providing magazine collectors with an unbiased opinion of quality and authenticity. Take a close look, ideally with a magnifying glass, and make careful notes of any apparent damage, including. In fact, in 2007, cgc crossed the millionbook mark and has now graded over 2 million comic books. A comic books age, scarcity, and condition are the three main. Third party grading will alleviate any worries about misrepresented grades and restoration. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. And as a result, comic book improvements have become quite varied and complex. Over one hundred thousand comic books are submitted to cgc each year. He has also served ngc in various executive capacities over the years, including as president 1991 to 1998, chief executive. Slabbing a comic is a practice of sending a comic book to one of two grading companies cgc or pgx.
Analyzing the market for graded collectibles wata games. Sep 05, 2018 cgc is a leading third party comic book, magazine and concert poster authentication, grading and encapsulation service, with more than 5 million collectibles certified. The overstreet guide to grading comics includes the 10point grading system including new grades 0. Comic book grades are given out through a company called the certified guaranty company also known as the cgc.
The card is inspected for authenticity and ranked, usually on a 10point scale, for the condition. Cbcs guarantees all comics submitted to it shall be graded in accordance with its stringent grading standards and procedures. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. 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. The advent of thirdparty grading has caused a laserbeam focus on grading the past several years, particularly for the high grade comics. Condition and grading a significant factor is the condition of the physical comic, which affects its grading. Another way is on a tenpoint grading scale from 10.
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