TERRY’S COMICS
PHONE (714)
288-8993
FAX (714)
288-8992
WEB SITE: HTTP://www.terryscomics.com
e-mail: INFO@TERRYSCOMICS.COM Go to grading
Criteria
I am writing this report in hopes of
reflecting the Southern California perspective on grading to the overall scheme
of the new grading guide. I believe that the standards of comic grading, not
only have changed over the years, but they have changed more than once.
Secondly I believe that there are slight differences in grading standards based
on geographical region of collectors. My personal standards have been taught to
me over the years by learning what a customer expects from a particular grade
as well as what I expect and by looking at what other dealers offer at specific
grades. I started buying collections and back issues in 1976, back then there
were basically three grades, (good, fine and near mint/mint) which most dealers
priced their inventory at. The price spread back then was usually $1.00 for
Good $1.50 for Fine and $2.00 for Mint. The price spread was very low. Most
collectors thought to buy the cheapest one so you can get more for your money.
By the mid eighties the spread was more like $1.00 for good $3.00 for fine and
$9.00 for mint. At this point it was becoming obvious to most collectors that
the nicer copies were good investments. I also think that this split helped
start the creation of grade specific collector groups. Before this you bought
whatever condition you could find, because the price spreads were so small. As
the 1990's started the new comic market was in high gear and this bought a lot
of new collectors into the market. They were used to new comics (that are by
definition high grade) and wanted their back issues to be as nice as possible.
Supply was low and demand was high, the top prices began to jump ever higher.
About this time (1992) the first
Overstreet grading guide had been released using the now defunct 100 point
system, this book was a great attempt to resolve some of the issues that were
constantly coming up between the old timer with the older looser and less
defined grading standards and the newbees that wanted
nice books and were not willing to accept the status quo of the time. While the
100 point system was not wildly accepted by dealers or collectors it had
introduced the OWL card for paper whiteness level. This card was a major step
in tightening up grading standards. I still keep mine handy, even though it can
use a few more color scales. As prices of high grades books continued to climb,
the higher grade books standards were again made tighter by picky customers who
were willing to spend big if they could find the finest examples of a
particular issue. Another odd thing that happened around the mid to late 1990's
was that high grade (VF/NM to Mint) and low grade (FA-VG-) books were the only
one being collected. It was rare to find
any body wanting the middle grade books in those days. Then came
the first real downward adjustment of prices in 27TH and 28th
editions of the Overstreet Price guides. This was a healthy thing for the
market and within two years silver age sales started to increase again. For example Amazing Spiderman #1 was going
for $275 in Good in 1990 and listed for $1200 by 1996, by 1998 the 28th
OPG it was back down to $700. Today, four years later it still lists for only
$800. In the late 1990's two major events happened in our hobby. The first was
the adoption of the new 10-point grading system and the second was the
introduction of third party grading. The ten point grading system was less
confusing and was a better overlay of the old word-grade system then the
previous 100-point system. The first and so far only grading service to enter
our market was Comics Guarantee Company aka CGC. It took a while for most
dealers to be willing to pay someone other than himself to grade their books,
but after record sales of high-grade books were being realized, CGC caught on
quickly. This was mostly fueled by internet sales where shaky first time
collectors had no idea how to grade a book, but felt they could rely on a third
party system for fairness. The only real
complaint that I know of from most collectors is that the CGC has never
published their grading standards; I hope they, and the industry, as a whole
will adopt this book.
Mint: (MT) 10.0: An anomaly with
nothing wrong, perfect cut, perfect paper,
Perfect
color.
Mint-: (MT-) 9.9: An anomaly with
virtually nothing wrong, perfect cut, perfect paper,
Perfect
color. For example off center
staple placement.
Near Mint/Mint: (NM/MT) 9.8: Perfect
in every way except the smallest single bindery defect.
Near Mint +: (NM+) 9.6: Perfect in every way except two to three of the
smallest bindery defect.
Near Mint: (NM) 9.4: a near perfect book that can have a few, very
minor bindery defects, and no more than one none bindery defect, a hairline
crease, or color blemish, a slight dimple.
Paper can be white to off-white, highest grade that non-white paper is allowed.
Near Mint -: (NM-) 9.2: a very near perfect book that can have a very
minor bindery defects, and minor wear/age defects, hairline crease's, very
minor color blemish's, slight dimple's, highest grade that a professionally
placed stamp or pen mark should be allowed. Paper can be off-white.
Very Fine/Near Mint: (VF/NM) 9.0: a book that looks perfect at first
glance but on close examination it reveals no more than one small defect such a
dirty back cover, or a slight edge dimple due to string used in delivery or
several small cover dimples not noticeable unless examined at angle in bright
light or slight rounding on no more than 1 corner or very light stress lines
around the staples showing that the book was read or very slight stress lines
(two or less) on spine. It must have a
perfectly straight spine and straight edges, no chipping is allowed. No dents
are allowed on spine. A slight amount of bindery off cut is allowed.
Very Fine +: (VF +) 8.5: a book that looks near perfect at first glance
but it has one noticeable but still slight defect and maybe a less noticeable
defect such a dirty back cover, a slight edge dimple, small cover dimples,
slight rounding on no more than 2 corner, very light stress lines around the
staples and spine. It must have a
perfect spine and straight edges, no chipping is allowed. A slight amount of
bindery off cut is allowed. Cover must be glossy unless done on a matte
surface.
Very Fine: (VF) 8.0: a book that looks very nice but can have a few
very minor defects, it can have any defects allowed for a higher grade book but
can also include minor spine dings and dents, multiple slight edge dimple's,
minor rounding on no more than 2 corner's, several very light stress lines
around the staples and spine. It must
have a nearly perfect spine and edges, very minor chipping is allowed. Slight
Bindery off cut is allowed. This is the highest grade that will allow cover
creases that are minor and do not break the color. Edge inking is allowed in
this book as long as it has not bleed to cover. Paper can begin to show edge
tanning. This is the lowest of the high-grade group of books.
Very Fine-: (VF-) -7.5-: similar in appearance to VF but can have one
defect that is more obvious than the others, including a light crease on the
back cover. Edge inking is allowed can minor bleed over. Interior page can have
minor bindery tears. Beginning of the middle grade group of
books. Very minor dust shadow is allowed but only on back cover.
Fine/Very Fine: (FN/VF) -7.0-: a nice book in every way except for one
obvious but minor problem or a multiple of minor defects that affect higher
grades. Highest grade that can have a small but noticeable color fleck or paper
can be slightly tan or very slight spine roll or light corner crease or light
edge tear on cover or poorly placed date stamp. Edge inking can have some bleed
over. Interior page can have multiple minor bindery tears. Very minor dust
shadow is allowed on front cover.
Fine+: (FN+) -6.5-: a book that overall is Very Fine or better except
it has one defect that is not allowed above Fine.
Fine: (FN) -6.0-: the standard of middle grade books, you should be
able to hold a Fine at arms length and not see any defects at first glance.
Longer creasing (up to 3") is allowed as long as it does not break the
color for more than a quarter of the length or a small multi -line crease
barely breaking the color is allowed in the upper or lower corner. A few small
(less then 1/4") edge tears are allowed. Small nicely written name can be
on cover if located in logo area. Spine is generally tight and edges are
straight, comers can be slightly rounded. Interior page can have a few minor
dog-eared pages or can have a small edge tear or two. Paper can be lightly tan.
Can have a moderate sized dust shadow. Highest grade
that allows archival tape over a small tear or small spine split. A light dust
shadow can run from edge to edge of front cover or up to 1/3 of back cover.
Fine-: (FN-) -5.5-: a slightly
larger accumulation or heaver amount of defects than fine would cause the Fine-
grade. Typically fits fine in every respect but will have one small crease that
breaks the color or a little too tan to pass for fine. Creases can lightly break
color.
Very Good/Fine: (VG/FN) -5.0-: this is a nice book that would be fine
except for one small but obvious defect, typically one long crease that breaks
the color or dog-eared pages throughout the book. It can have one heavy dent that breaks the
color or one longer edge tear up to 1/2".
It may have multiple edge dimples or pronounced spine roll.
Very Good+: (VG+) -4.5-: a book that overall is Fine or better except
it has one defect that is not allowed above Very Good.
Very Good: (VG) -4.0-: the lowest of the
middle grade book group. The highest possible grade that will allow any type of
non-archival tape, but only in the smallest of quantities,
and to a book that would grade Fine or better otherwise. Only the tiniest
(1/8") of spine splitting is allowed at top or bottom but not both. Color
can be slightly diminished but not faded.
This is the highest grade that would allow a top to bottom subscription
crease that runs throughout entire book. Book can have a slight waviness due to
being stored by moisture but cannot be water damaged. Centerfold can be loose
at one staple. No pieces can be missing from a book in this grade. A book in
this grade can have multiple edge creasing along the
spine but must be otherwise Fine or better. A light water stain is allowed but
it should not affect paper quality. A light amount of rusting on the staples is
allowed.
Very Good-: (VG-) -3.5-: a book that would be Very Good except for a
tiny (3/16") piece missing from a corner or a small sliver (1/8")
from the edge or slightly worse spine splitting than Very Good
allows.
Good/Very Good: (GVG) -3.0-: The standard for the low-grade collector.
Book can have small (up to 3/4") spine splitting on top or bottom. One but not both staples can be loose or
centerfold can be loose. There can be a marking or writing in the artwork area
of cover but it cannot deface the artwork.
A couple of small pieces of tape can be found on the book but they
cannot have caused the paper to discolor. There can be several color breaking
creases but the artwork should not be overly impacted by the. There can be
heavy fading if the book is otherwise a fine or better.
Good+: (G+) -2.5-: a book that overall is Very Good
or better except it has one defect that is not allowed above Good.
Good: (G) -2.0-: a copy in this condition is called good but leaves
much to be desired. A good comic is usually an accumulation of many defects but
is still complete and the cover is attached at least on one staple. Small
pieces can be missing from the spine or the corners but no chunks. There can be
tape on spine but it cannot be affecting paper below. There is usually a lot of
creases or a noticeable water stain. There can be a small tape pull. There can
be a lot of writing on cover but artwork should not be defaced. Pieced can be
missing from interior edges as long as story is not affected. Paper can be
browning.
Good-: (G+) -1.8-: this grade is has extreme cases of the good grade
but not further. Example would be cover loose on both staples or tape is
affecting paper but only slightly.
Fair/Good: (FA/G) -1.5-: cover is loose but not completely split. Or
there is writing that defaces the artwork. Can have lots of tape but not heavy
tape stains, there can be lots of tears but most of book is intact. A panel can
be cut out if it does not affect stories. Can have writing inside but stories
should be readable. A slight bit of localized brittle ness such as one corner
is allowed. As long as the rest of the paper is stable.
Fair: (FA) -1.0-: overall readable but has major defects. A chunk can
be missing from cover if cover is attached larger pieces can be missing from
the back cover. Cover is lose and has
small pieces out, heavy tape with lots of stains or logo cut but art work
intact or ad piece is out of a otherwise good or better book or center fold out
of multistory book and it does not affect the main character or other
significant story. Back cover can be missing if front cover is complete. Can have localized minor brittleness on edges as long as the rest
of the book is ok.
Poor: (PR) -0.5-: a book with major defects,
rendering part or all of the book unreadable, often large chunks are
missing from interior pages or up to two thirds of the front cover. Can have
heavy water damage or be brittle or have major color flecking. Book may be
moldy or chewed by rats or bugs. Might have major staining
from paint or food.
Incomplete: (Inc) -0.1-: missing cover or pages or both. Key books with
nice paper and no cover can bring up to the good price if people are looking
for parts. A book with multiple complete stories worth most
while a good centerfold is second best. Missing cover and centerfold is
worse and so on.
TERRY’S COMICS
PO BOX 2232
ORANGE, CA.
92859-2232
PHONE (714)
288-8993
FAX (714)
288-8992
WEB SITE: HTTP://www.terryscomics.com
My 2¢ about
abbreviations.
Defect codes:
|
Ard = arrival date |
At = archival safe tape |
Apo = ad page out |
Bc = back
cover
|
|
Brn = browning |
Bug = bug chew |
Brtl = brittle paper |
Brit = British edition |
|
Ce = Canadian edition |
C/o - cut out |
Chp = edge chipping |
Cfo = center fold missing |
|
C/c = coupon cutout |
Cgc = Comics Guarantee Company |
Cfl = centerfold loose |
|
|
Crs = creasing |
Ct = color touch |
Cnr = corner |
Ds = dust shadow |
|
Dbl = double |
De = dog eared |
Dmp = dimple |
Flk = color flecking |
|
Fc = front cover |
Fox =
foxing |
Gpn = graphic novel |
Gvwy = Giveaway |
|
Hc = hard cover book |
Logo= logo cut off |
Ls = loose staple |
Lc = loose cover |
|
Mjr = major repair |
Mnr = minor repair |
nn = no number |
Ngl = no 3-d glasses |
|
Noc = name on cover |
1/2 = half a page |
+1 = one or more than 1 |
Pb = paperback book |
|
Nig = not in Gerber |
Nc = no cover |
Opg = Overstreet price guide |
|
|
Pc = piece out of |
Pg = page |
Po = piece out |
Pnl = panel |
|
Prt= printing |
Pnch = punch hole |
Res = restoration |
Sc = subscription crease |
|
Si = Gerber scarcity index |
Sos = split on the spine |
Spl = staple pull |
Spn = spine |
|
Sr = spine roll |
Ss = split spine |
Stp = staples |
Stns = staining |
|
T = clear tape |
Tr = tear |
Tp = tape pull |
Wd = water damage |
|
Wp = white paper |
Wrp = outer wrap |
Wr = writing or scribble |
Ws = water stain |
TERRY’S COMICS
PO BOX 2232
ORANGE, CA.
92859-2232
PHONE (714)
288-8993
FAX (714)
288-8992
WEB SITE: HTTP://www.terryscomics.com
Definitions
Bindery
= a defect caused during the process of printing and assembeling
the book.
Color Flecking =
small spots of color are missing from the art work. Possible cause is books
stacked for a long time with no bag being pulled apart.
Dent
= a sharp or ruff indentation on an edge or surface of a book. Usually breaks
color.
Dimple
= a round indentation on the edge or surface.
Dust
Shadow = a darkening of ink color usually found on edge of book due to other
books covering all but that part.
Edge
inking = colored ink usually found on the edge of 1970's books, used for distribution
or return purposes.
Hairline
= less than 1/32" of a inch or the diameter of a
pin wide and lass than 1/4" or half the staples width long.
Minor
= about a 1/16" of a inch or the diameter of a
pin wide and lass than 1/2" or the staples width long.
Off-cut
= when artwork is not prefectly aligned with the
cover.
Slight
= less than 1/16" of a inch or the diameter of a
head of a pin.
Smallest
= less than
1/32" of a inch or a little more than the diameter of a pin.
Tape
pull = loss of artwork orcolor because a piece of
tape was inproperly rempoved
from a book.