How do you grade a comic book? What's your grading style?

[alecholland]

I'm not necessarily talking about whether you use OS grading standards or CGC grading standards, I'm curious to learn how you personally grade a book.

 

I believe there are essentially two types of comic grading. The first one is where you grade down from 10 based on the defects you see/find in the book (creases, tears, stains, poor paper quality, etc...), the other is where you grade up from 0 based on the positives you see in the book (bright colors, glossy cover, perfect centering, etc...). Perhaps there is a third happy medium between the two, but I think most people fall in one or the other category.

 

Based on that idea, I think that sometimes these two grading styles can clash and therein is where problems and differences of opinions on grading may occur. While one person may tend to look at the bright colors and great gloss on a comic, another may only see the four color breaking creases on the spine.

 

For me, I grade a comic based on the defects I see, then I decide how severe those defects are (IMO) and assign a grade. I do use OS grading guide and the CGC graded comics I own as a guide to help me as well. I like the other method that focuses on the positives, but can't seem to incorporate that into my own personal grading style yet.

 

So, with that, how do you grade a comic book? What is your personal style, if you will.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Hahahahahaha

 

Good question. My grading has been learned in the past year and a half. My grading comes from OS, and reputable dealers. My grading goes something like this.

 

Quick look over. Generally within 15 seconds, I have the ballpark of where to begin.

 

Cover inspection. How is the spine, impacts, impressions in the cover, tears,rips, ink, chipping, etc.. Adjust grade as necessary.

 

Interior inspection. Page count, staple inspection, centerfold, additional writing.

 

So after that info is there. I adjust to the grade. Generally the first look over is fairly accurate, unless there are interior issues, or missed something.

 

My rule of thumb for uber low grade books is to start with a 1.0 and adjust pros/cons. And my low grade is generally right on, and damn close to CGC grading.

 

Mid grades are the most annoying to grade. The VG- to F/VF- are the most time consuming for me.

[Mr. Zipper]

A quick look at the front and back cover typically gives me a ballpark grade. I write down the high "on a great day" grade and the low "they hammered this book" grade.

 

Then, I closely inspect the book and adjust up or down accordingly.

 

9 times out of 10, the final grade I arrive at is in the middle of the previous high and low estimates.

 

High grade books are different, IMO. Here I typically start at 9.4 and adjust up or down based on close inspection.

 

 

[nik]

[toro]

 

I doubt you use that method "Oh King of the Highgrade"

[alecholland]

 

So, you sell a lot on Ebay do you?

[nik]

 

So, you sell a lot on Ebay do you?

 

[Dick Pontoon]

 

So, you sell a lot on Ebay do you?

 

His handle is The Bandit.

[cd4ever]

I gently remove the comic from the bag. Scan it. Determine how much money I need. Look that book up in Overstreet and find the grade that most closely matches the amount of money I need. And that is the grade of the book.

[Gone Phishin']

I gently remove the comic from the bag. Scan it. Determine how much money I need. Look that book up in Overstreet and find the grade that most closely matches the amount of money I need. And that is the grade of the book.

 

PM me next time you have a sales thread..

[Jayman]

I gently pick up the book by the spine then proceed to shake it violently back and forth for about 2 minutes till I reach a grade of 2.0...in fact with this method, they all grade out at 2.0 every time!

[Monstro]

i use a combination of the OS grading guide and then compare to graded books i own.

 

[djpinkpanther67]

I don't know about other people, but when I grade I generally do a once over and get a base grade just from first impression (F, NM etc...).

 

If at first GLANCE the book APPEARS to be NM (no creases or CB tics from a quick once over) then I start from that baseline and move the book either up or down depending on what closer inspection finds. IMO, only one NCB tic should be allowed for a NM book, any more than that I start subtracting. If there are none I start moving into NM+ to NM/M consideration. I won't grade a miswrapped book any higher than NM maybe NM+ if that's the only flaw, nor do I agree with a lot of CGC 9.4 books, as they have had way too many tics for my taste.

 

I tend to undergrade and I am fine with that. Page quality also comes into play, as I feel any book NM and above shouldn't have PQ any lower than OW. I have seen 9.4's/9.6's with Cream or COW PQ that I absolutely disagree with. I'm probably picky and anal retentive, but even with slabbed books if I don't like the first general impression then I won't get it. I have picked 9.2's over 9.4's just because they appealed to me more and in fact were a much better example than the higher grade...

[alecholland]

I gently remove the comic from the bag. Scan it. Determine how much money I need. Look that book up in Overstreet and find the grade that most closely matches the amount of money I need. And that is the grade of the book.

 

A 60+ year old bottle of Wray and Nephew rum can be quite expensive I believe.

[davidpg]

I don't know about other people, but when I grade I generally do a once over and get a base grade just from first impression (F, NM etc...).

 

If at first GLANCE the book APPEARS to be NM (no creases or CB tics from a quick once over) then I start from that baseline and move the book either up or down depending on what closer inspection finds.

 

That's exactly what I do as well.

 

The thin slice to start, and then if I think it's worth it, a closed inspection.

[Stronguy]

I don't know about other people, but when I grade I generally do a once over and get a base grade just from first impression (F, NM etc...).

 

If at first GLANCE the book APPEARS to be NM (no creases or CB tics from a quick once over) then I start from that baseline and move the book either up or down depending on what closer inspection finds. IMO, only one NCB tic should be allowed for a NM book, any more than that I start subtracting. If there are none I start moving into NM+ to NM/M consideration. I won't grade a miswrapped book any higher than NM maybe NM+ if that's the only flaw, nor do I agree with a lot of CGC 9.4 books, as they have had way too many tics for my taste.

 

Good to see you back on the boards, Thomas.

 

That's pretty much how I do it. Eyeball it to get a rough grade (VG, FN, VF, whatever) then go up and down from there.

[Transplant]

I grade by smell and sound only.

[fantastic_four]

That's pretty much how I do it. Eyeball it to get a rough grade (VG, FN, VF, whatever) then go up and down from there.

 

Same here.

[Comicdey]

I look at it and say...

 

are you better than good

 

are you better than very good

 

are you better than fine

 

are you better than vf

 

are you better than a vf/nm

 

are you a nm book.....

 

are you better than a nm book

 

what flaws do you have

 

how many flaws

 

you look marvelous

 

I stop at each question and decide whether to move on in the grade quesions or not....when I get to the you look marvelous stage, I put it in the stack to either slab, put into the collection, or to sell on the boards....

 

Earlier stages get the same treatment.

 

 

[alecholland]

I look at it and say...

 

are you better than good

 

are you better than very good

 

are you better than fine

 

are you better than vf

 

are you better than a vf/nm

 

are you a nm book.....

 

are you better than a nm book

 

what flaws do you have

 

how many flaws

 

you look marvelous

 

I stop at each question and decide whether to move on in the grade quesions or not....when I get to the you look marvelous stage, I put it in the stack to either slab, put into the collection, or to sell on the boards....

 

Earlier stages get the same treatment.

 

 

You actually speak to your comics? From now on, I'm going to call you the comic book whisperer Collin.

 

Seriously though, I think you are the first person in the thread that appears to use more of a method based on positives in the book. It seems most do it the other way - are you worse than NM, are you worse than VF, etc...

 

Thanks for everyone's comments so far!