Since we started this blog, many people have asked for advice on selling their comic books. The two main methods of describing an overall grade are numerical, and symbol. In recent years, grading criteria have become even tighter, especially in silver and bronze age books, due to their higher survival rate. This collectibles shop page has the standard 10 point grading scale and definitions, as used in the overstreet guide. Comics listed for auction or buyitnow are listed using the 10 point grading scale. Before a comic books value is determined, the comic book needs to have an accurate grade assigned to it. The comic book grading companies will offer witnesses, so a representative from the grading company will stand with you as you get a book signed. 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. You then hand the book over to them, and it gets sent off to be graded. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike.
Coverless books will typically sell for a percentage of the good condition value. Comic book certification service cbcs was started by professional comic book hobbyists and provides certification and grading services for collectors and. Comics price guide was the first online price guide for comic books back in 1995. 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. There was a clear possibility of a conflict of interest as a seller would benefit. This company was started by steve borock, the former president of cgc so he definitely has some clout in the industry. Third party grading will alleviate any worries about misrepresented grades and restoration. Comic book grading for beginners the difference between a very fine and a fair. If youre selling them yourself online, you need to invest a lot of time and effort into a process in which youre not even guaranteed to find a seller. Now, from a monetary standpoint, your comic book may not be worth much of anything.
I sent a list of my 800 comics to 27 comic book stores. Often, someone ends up with a big box of comics and no idea what they are worth. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books grade on this scale. The premier online comics price guide free comic book values. New comic book heat press pressed comics for better. Professional comic book grading eliminates concerns about grade. We can help you find the fair value of your comics. Gp analysis lists us as a cgc the comic book grading authority online auction firm. This book may range anywhere from poor to near mint and there is no obligation to clarify its condition. That way, anyone can compare their raw or slabbed books to consistent grading standards. This is just a tiny list of some books to consider grading if you want.
Cbcs team members all share in the love of our hobby and the medium. Is it worth getting comic books graded at cgc or pgx. 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. A fr is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. In fact prices can vary quite a lot in the near mint to mint range. Buying and selling comic books can be a fun hobby, a lucrative business or both for comic book enthusiasts. If youve stumbled across a treasure trove of comics, then sell my comic books is a great place to find out what you have. Problem too is that a majority of people will send their books off to cgc so sellers are selling it at the price as though it has already been graded,because the price on certain books changes. He has a large collection of comics, which includes many of the big ones, and enjoys comics today just like when he was kid.
We have values for any marvel, dc, image, idw, darkhorse, or dell comic book that is in your collection. Those in the comic book trade buy and sell comic books and related collectibles at trade shows. With new expanded information, it remains the definitive reference for industrystandard comic book grading procedures. Selling mainly mid to high grade silver and bronze age marvel and dc comic books, along with some very high grade bronze and copper age comic books, and lots occasionally. Holcomb began buying, selling, trading, collecting and grading comic books when he was about ten years old. Grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be small differences in opinion. We have over 3700 members listing over 21,000 comics. We offer modern, bronze age, silver age, and golden age comics. They were adopted by the bookselling community and are still in use today. Everything you need to know about submitting comic books. Comic grading company has a simple and affordable pricing structure without any clubs to join. The set of terms below were proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly. 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. Send us your comics along with payment, we will bag, board and grade the comics for.
We buy comics zapp comics new jerseys best comic book. Furthermore, every cgccertified comic book undergoes a thorough restoration check by leading professionals during the certification process. A fr copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when. Comic book grading has evolved over the past several decades from a much looser interpretation of standards in the beginning to the very tight professional scrutiny in use by the market today. How to sell your comic book on consignment posted may 31, 2016 march, 2019 mguitmann if youve browsed this site, you probably know by now that selling your comics to sparkle city comics is the best way to sell your comic books for cash. Grading of comics can be subjective, although there are basic agreed upon standards within the industry. This should keep you out of trouble if you are planning on selling your comics. Every comic book certified by cgc is graded by the hobbys most experienced and trusted team, according to wellestablished grading standards. Even professional grading services like cgc, cbcs, and pgx acknowledge that the same book may not always receive the same grade if it is. Cbcs comic book certification service the newest and second most popular comic book grading company. The market value of comic books is partly determined by a grading process.
It does show how there is definitely a subjective area of comic book grading. After buying a few graded comics on ebay and starting my own certified. Comic book grading company the affordable and reliable. For books that have a signature witness, they are sealed with a special label. Near mint is the highest grade we apply to comics not cgc graded. 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.
For example, an otherwise near mint condition book with a 4 inch back cover tear would be given a qualified grade of 9. We feature iconic back issues, both raw and graded, as well as genre items such as statues and exclusive figures from sideshow collectibles and hot toys. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading. Sell my comic books helps you sell comic books you have inherited, bought, or found in your home for the maximum return. We are offering curbside pickup, free delivery within 1 mile, and shipping of anything in the store or on the website. The fee is our charge for a comic bag and board, grading chart, storage, insurance, and labor unpacking, professional grading, bagging and boarding it. Now, years later, we sell a quarter of a million comics each year, representing most every comic book character, era and publisher. However, both make a buyer a bit more secure for a buyer to buy a book or sell a book with a third party, professional grader than an unslabbed comic book. Useful for when you are unsure of the grade of a book or do not wish to grade the comic. Our company has sat well over 600 world record prices selling vintage comic books at auction. Certified guaranty company, also known as cgc, is a sarasota, florida comic book grading.
Who is the most reputable to help get the most value. The odds of a perfect mint comic getting through that process are infinitesimally small. The idea gave me the heebiejeebies and kim hated it even more. Pgx was created to meet the growing demand for professional, thirdparty comic book grading. I just want to get the most out of what is probably my best comic. Its important to remember that the condition of the comic is just one of several key factors when buying, selling, or trading comics. Sell your comic books at the world comic books for sale buy dc, marvel comic books online. Buyers now have a very good idea as to what the condition of a comic book is. Before you ship your comics, please read the shipping information below. 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. The most difficult, contentious and eternally frustrating aspect of comic collecting is grading. While we cannot guarantee that a book graded twice will receive the same. Vault grading provides grading, pressing, encapsulation, valuation, and screening services to comic book collectors. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored.
Comic book grades are given to a book reflecting the quality of printing, storage, and upkeep of a particular book. The cgc comic book shop offer as well as full cgc grading and slabbing we offer the following popular service. These records are from an impartial 3rd party source gp analysis. Highgrade slabbed books will frequently sell for multiples of what an unslabbed also called raw book will sell for. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain adherence to our established standards. A few weeks ago, i attended a local comic convention here in vancouver and i heard about the new company comic book certification service. Or, they have an idea about what they hope the comics are worth, but no experience selling comic books. Armed with this knowledge and a good understanding of the market, you should be able to make an informed decision about restoration. How to sell your comic book on consignment sparkle city. We are always interested in buying comic book collections and original comic book art. Then, simply register or login to start the submission process.
There has been a recent rise in the value of cgc graded comic books. We are proud to provide certification and grading services for collectors and hobbyist in the comic book industry. Superworld comics is home to many rare and valuable comics for fun and investment. If youre a full time comic book dealer, you may apply for membership as a cgc authorized member dealer.
There is a numeric system which corresponds to a titled grading system. 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. Rare and key comic books that are coverless in many cases may sell for a percentage of guide value depending on the specific comic title and issue number. Grading comics on ebay page 2 comic book grading and. Preventative restoration, widely used and accepted by collectors, consists of nonadditive restoration on a book with one or two major defects. 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. 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. Last week i received my overstreet guide to grading comics 2015 edition from amazon. 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. The comic book price guide for great britain a guide to grading. Store owners, we pay more for your overstock, confidentiality assured. New releases are brand new, near mint condition unless otherwise graded in the comics description. Your guide to getting started selling comic books on ebay. All points considered, i highly recommend the overstreet comic book grading guide.
I believe books in these grades must have white pages. 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. The younger a comic, the less likely the book will increase in value significantly from restoration. Zapp buys all comic book collections from the 1930s to present, trade paperbacks, graphic novels, comicsrelated magazines, action figures, store or dealer inventories, warehouse finds, and much more. Cgc employees are prohibited from commercially buying or selling comic books. This is an important thing to think about when you are selling your comic book collection. Certified guaranty company cgc is a leading thirdparty grading service for comic books, magazines and other collectibles. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes.
As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. If youre looking for a hard to find back issue, we probably have it. 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. A highly consistent, descriptive and illustrated extensively grading guide on the web which will be a free service to the collecting community. Gdc buy and sell comic books great reputation and grading. Cbgc provides the only easy to use, online comic submission form.
The higher the grade of a comic book the higher the value. 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. All comics in store graded near mint should be considered near mint comic book grading guidelines read more. Because our location is in the midwest, we feel that offers comic lovers a better choice than other grading, appraisal and brokerage services. A grade represents the condition of a book in a way that collectors can understand. Submit your books pgx comics pgx comic grading services. The online form will allow you to easily submit any number of comics, and then you can print a copy of the form to be included in your shipment. We buy and sell comic books from the golden age to present also.
Interior pages must be white in color and supple to the touch. 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. 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 youre selling your comic books to a reseller or a broker, deciding who you sell them to will determine how. For a long time, cgc was the premier comic book grading company. A comic book is best stored in a place thats cool, dry and dark, adams says, with low exposure to oxygen. Superworld comics buying and selling comic books, free. The biggest and most popular third party grading company. 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. The hall specializes in new comic releases as well as the acquisition and selling of vintage books from the golden, silver, bronze, and copper ages. Comic books are worth something, especially to the owners that have collected and read those comics. All it takes is a quick ebay search to see that highgrade cgc comics will always sell for more than their raw counterparts. 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.
Looking to sell your entire comic book collection or specific key issues. This applies mainly to silver age comics, as noted earlier. Grading process certified guaranty company, llc cgc comics. 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. It is a must have resource for novice to advanced collectors and is part of my library. Theoretically, the higher the grade of the book, the more desirable the book will be.
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