How to determine a value on a restored comic i recently purchased an xmen 1, sent it in for grading and discovered that it was restored. Comic book grading, certification process cbcs comics. The comic book market is primarily concentrated on more vintage comics, most of which were published in the 1930s to mid1970 s. The overstreet comic book price guide 44th edition 2014.
To grade a comic, you need to take in to consideration a number of factors before being able to assess the correct grade. Big big comic book price guide comic book grading big little books character toys disney collectibles toy ring guide. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. 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. Comic grading professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade misrepresentations by providing a professional assessment of condition and quality. The grade of a comic book is a shorthand description of the books condition. Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995. But, then again, the prices for comics in very good are quite reasonable. Grading is the process of evaluating the condition and consequent value of a comic book.
We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection. Grading guide recent value changes report missing issues. Knowing how to use a price guide is a simple but important thing. 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. 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.
It has major defects to the point that there is almost no collector value. 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. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. Weve been selling comics since 1961 our first sale. Cbcs team members all share in the love of our hobby and the medium. You may have an unusual or rare item on your hands that is currently not on the market. A good rule of thumb on pricing restored books is to consider what the book sells for in the grade the book would be in if the resto were to be removed. 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. 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. The value can increase from 20 to 50 percent depending on the rarity of book. We created this guide to help the many people who call us asking how much are my comic books worth. Chuck rozanskis grading standards mile high comics. A lightly restored book will be valued higher than a book with heavy restoration in the same apparent grade. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics.
Also, do the different qualifying defects make the comic more or less valuable. Building a collection of comic books is a fun and rewarding hobby. The official overstreet comic book grading guide, 3rd edition by robert m overstreet and arnold t. 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. The official overstreet comic book grading guide by robert m. With new expanded information, it remains the definitive reference for industrystandard comic book grading. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading. Most comic books in this grade have been sufficiently degraded to the point where there is little or no collector value. The price guide will help you do just that and is an indispensable tool in the comic book collectors arsenal.
Easily search titles such as amazing spiderman, batman, xmen and the black panther. There is such a small degree of separation between the grades 9. The grading notes are available here to help a submitter understand how we came to the consensus of the grade on the cbcs label. There are eight major grades in the comic book grading scale. In general, the more restoration has been performed, the less the comic is worth compared to its apparent grade value. I trust my abilities to grade a book accurately and will not pay a premium for slabbed books graded by a third party. 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. The 42nd edition includes all new insights and features and along with the most comprehensive listing of comics, all new entries in the. Below are cgcs grading standards for each numeric grade as well as the restoration grading 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. If youve stumbled across a treasure trove of comics, then sell my comic books is a great place to find out what you have. A larger amount of tape is also allowed in this grade.
Overstreet comic book price guide 27th edition hardcover golden age flash cover. Again, grading comics can be very subjective and have a company like cgc give their opinion can make comic books go for much more than their cover price, especially those with high grades. The price guide, currently in its 37th release, features information on the ten point comic book grading scale, as well as approximate values of thousands of american comic books with different. We use ebay to provide references to live prices of comic books. 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. This page gives you the basic comic book grading definitions and 10 point scale, and a glossary of grading termslingo. Theres a good reason the overstreet comic book price guide has been the definitive guide for collectors and dealers alike since 1970. Thanks for the response batman007, if i understand you, you are saying spine roll is a function of use as in reader wear and tear and not a manufacturing issue.
In addition to being the preeminent source of comic book pricing information, it features a ton of other data as well. Cgc uses a 10point grading scale to evaluate comics. Brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and usually incomplete. These books will be certified and encapsulated according to tier, and those grading below your specified grade. Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is.
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. In rare cases, a comic book will look much better than the given grade. The standard comic book grading system that is widely used today is the one developed in the official overstreet comic book grading guide. Each page includes current market values in ten different grades, as well as a section for real market data, actual prices fetched at auction. Books in this grade are almost always creased, scuffed, abraded and soiled, but readable. The basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses the grades from near mint highest to poor lowest nm near mint. Cbcs grades mainstream comic books that will fit into our holder. The iguide comic book price guide is maintained by warren and his board of advisors.
How to determine a value on a restored comic comic book. Gpa has forever changed the nature of the comic book marketplace and continues to be a driving force in determining fair market value for collectors and dealers alike. Once restored, a comics value depends upon several factors. The easiest way to determine if your comics fall into the good category is by looking at the cover price. What is comic book grading and why is it important. The phantom lady matt baker comics click for full article are highly soughtafter by collectors of socalled good girl art. Before cgc comics, collectors were at the mercy of vendors to determine the grade and value of a comic book. The overstreet comic book price guide, 42nd edition. While there is a certain amount of subjectivity to this process, a reasonably accurate grade can be assigned by a careful amateur. The searchable database consists of more than 100,000 pages, each devoted to a specific 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.
Numerous collectors and comic fans will purchase coverless comics to either read or to obtain a filler copy of a book for their collection. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics. Start your comic book search using the premier free comic book price guide. Part of the reason youre likely collecting comics is for the nostalgia and entertainment value. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. Then, they will put in a protective sleeve and seal it.
As we match the sale we record the comic grading company, holderlabel type and the assigned grade. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process. You can also connect with others in the comic industry to further and enhance everyones comic experience. Books with brittle pages cannot grade higher than 3. Its important to emphasize this, because too many collectors especially when its time to sell their comic books quote the value of the books in their collection they simply look up all the prices in the guide, usually blanket grading their books as near mint minus 9. In it, i walk you step by step through 27 comics at every grade level from 0. With this new update, gpa improves an already amazing service that everyone in the hobby should have. The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. There may be exceptions for comics that are unusually heavy, even though they may fit into the size parameters. 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. Pretty much any issues of marvel mystery comics have value. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the overstreet comic book price guide. This grading process details the exact condition and.
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. Finding information about a comic book is a good way to get an idea of a comics value, especially if you cant find it in a price guide or on an auction site. The notes help future purchasers of a comic book because they notate any hidden defects that are factored into the final grade. How much are my comic books worth welcome to, a quick and simple guide to help you grade and identify your old comic books. Automated matching of wantlist and inventory items. Sell my comic books presents a basic guide to comic book grading. Each pack is grouped around a particular character or theme, and there is no duplication within any pack.
The number 1 free online comic book community featuring a comic book price guide database, friends, lists, blogs, and more. The learn to grade comic books course is the most comprehensive course of its kind. Books that are coverless, but are otherwise complete, will receive a grade of 0. I know there is a formula for the value of restored comics, but how do you put a price on qualified comics.
Nostomania coin and comic book price guide, values. Most collectors will accept any page quality except for books with slightly brittle or brittle pages in a collectible comic. Comic book value packs are a great way to pick up a lot of comics cheaply. Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. Cgc comics guaranty company is a business that will grade your comic book for you, for a price. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists with the intent of protecting our fellow hobbyists when buying and selling comic books.
580 1439 403 1437 791 729 1020 872 1038 94 1105 1019 739 781 773 92 1380 408 975 679 874 1185 1229 368 334 467 682 1114 920 308 287 44