How do you grade?

[Skynwalker]

First, let me say that I don't spend a ton of time in grading forum, and if this topic has been specifically addressed before, my apologies and please point me in the right direction.

 

How do you grade your comics? Do you itemize each flaw and do it systematically, arriving at a numerical number of flaws = a specific grade? Or do you just eyeball it based on years of experience? Or somewhere in between?

 

I dealt with a guy a couple of years ago who counted each defect and basically subtracted that from 100 to get a final grade.

 

I'm not looking for right vs. wrong here. I'm always looking to improve my grading and I wanted to see how other people go about grading (thumbs u

[FFB]

First, let me say that I don't spend a ton of time in grading forum, and if this topic has been specifically addressed before, my apologies and please point me in the right direction.

 

How do you grade your comics? Do you itemize each flaw and do it systematically, arriving at a numerical number of flaws = a specific grade? Or do you just eyeball it based on years of experience? Or somewhere in between?

 

I dealt with a guy a couple of years ago who counted each defect and basically subtracted that from 100 to get a final grade.

 

I'm not looking for right vs. wrong here. I'm always looking to improve my grading and I wanted to see how other people go about grading (thumbs u

 

Buy the Overstreet grading guide from Amazon.com and read it cover to cover at least twice.

[Skynwalker]

First, let me say that I don't spend a ton of time in grading forum, and if this topic has been specifically addressed before, my apologies and please point me in the right direction.

 

How do you grade your comics? Do you itemize each flaw and do it systematically, arriving at a numerical number of flaws = a specific grade? Or do you just eyeball it based on years of experience? Or somewhere in between?

 

I dealt with a guy a couple of years ago who counted each defect and basically subtracted that from 100 to get a final grade.

 

I'm not looking for right vs. wrong here. I'm always looking to improve my grading and I wanted to see how other people go about grading (thumbs u

 

Buy the Overstreet grading guide from Amazon.com and read it cover to cover at least twice.

I have that...I just want to hear how other people go about grading and any tips or tricks they might have picked up over the years.

[VintageComics]

The best way to grade is simply to handle lots of books and examine them and compare them to what you know (or what the grading guide teaches you).

 

Knowledge + practical = decent grading.

 

It takes a long time to figure it out because there are lots of variables but eventually you get a "feel" for what a VG, F, VF or NM book looks and feels like and what defects are and are not allowed in certain grades.

 

There really is no way to do it without actually getting your hands on lots and lots of books to compare.

 

 

[HD]

FWIW I use the Overstreet Grading Guide and then do a sanity check by comparing "my" grade with the appearance of some slabbed books I have in the same grade.

[Boozad]

I do it quite badly according to TFL.

[Shark]

First, let me say that I don't spend a ton of time in grading forum, and if this topic has been specifically addressed before, my apologies and please point me in the right direction.

 

How do you grade your comics? Do you itemize each flaw and do it systematically, arriving at a numerical number of flaws = a specific grade? Or do you just eyeball it based on years of experience? Or somewhere in between?

 

I dealt with a guy a couple of years ago who counted each defect and basically subtracted that from 100 to get a final grade.

 

I'm not looking for right vs. wrong here. I'm always looking to improve my grading and I wanted to see how other people go about grading (thumbs u

 

I refuse to answer this question on the grounds that it may incriminate me.

[trmoore54]

I feel I can pretty much gauge the grade within a 1/2-grade on most books with a quick once-over...a more thorough examination will need to be made to hunt for subtleties such as light stains and interior defects...obviously for most collectors the cover condition counts the most...

 

If I'm selling a book, I got through the following process, accounting for the flaws and the positive attributes and recording them...

front cover

back cover

structure/registration/staples/centerfold

inside covers

page quality/

 

And then describe the book as follows...I guess I don't want any surprises for the buyer...

 

Here's a couple of recent examples...

 

 

 

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY WITH THE MIGHTY THOR 105

JUNE 1964. “THE COBRA AND MR. HYDE!” Tales of Asgard story “WHEN HEIMDALL FAILED!”

Stan Lee story. Jack Kirby cover/art.

Another very nicely presenting book for the technical grade…pretty much would be 7.0-ish-plus book except for the spine wear and a couple other minor flaws. Abrasion at top spine corner…little chip out of bottom rounded spine corner…mild but noticeable spine wear as mentioned…soft NCB diagonal crease thru the top of the “T” in THOR…sharp top right corner, rounded bottom right corner…slight overhang top edge…clean right and bottom edges…little rumple at right edge below COBRA’s feet. Back cover has some soft creasing top right area and a slight top edge overhang…otherwise very clean. Excellent structure, book lays flat and is perfectly centered with perfectly centered tight rust-free staples…right-hand centerfold page has a ½-inch tear at the top staple. Interior covers are white to off-white with just a hint of tanning at perimeter. Interior white to off-white pages are basically in perfect shape other than the tear as mentioned…COMPLETE!

Grade 6.0 FN.

2009 OSPG $54 in FN grade.

 

JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY WITH THE MIGHTY THOR 106

JULY 1964. “THE THUNDER GOD STRIKES BACK!” Mr. HYDE and THE COBRA! Tales of Asgard story “BALDER THE BRAVE”.

Stan Lee story. Jack Kirby cover/art. Initial appearance of a 7.5/8.0-ish book with some flaws that land the technical grade somewhat lower…for the grade a beautiful book! Front cover is in outstanding shape…abrasion top spine corner…slightly rounded bottom spine corner with a tiny tear…bottom edge has some little transverse ticks and a hint of overhang…similar top edge without the ticks…sharp right corners and razor sharp right edge…crease-free and near perfect registration. Back cover is where the grade gets hammered (excuse the pun)…jagged 1-inch transverse tear bottom center edge…some soil spots and a moisture stain bottom left edge extending along the bottom edge and into the last couple of pages. Solid structure…book lays flat with perfectly centered tight rust-free staples. Nice white to off-white interior covers…interior white to off-white pages are basically in perfect condition excepting the stain transfer on the last two…COMPLETE!

Grade 4.5 VG+

2009 OSPG $36 in VG grade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Skynwalker]

I do it quite badly according to TFL.

 

Hey Gav

[crazyhips]

I use Overstreet standards since CGC won't release their standards, which is why they are best for the restoration check instead of the grade per se. Years of experience is probably best. I usually examine the spine and corners of the front cover first and then the spine and corners of the back cover. I then examine the overall front and back cover making sure that I tilt the book under bright light to see any subtle creases/flaws. Next, I examine the interior front cover and the interior back cover. Finally I examine the centerfold, staples, and then the individual pages. I've found that this approach usually spots the defects that automatically bump a grade down sooner rather than later in the process.

[Boozad]

I do it quite badly according to TFL.

 

Hey Gav

 

Hey Marc

[dover]

I do it quite badly according to TFL.

 

Hey Gav

 

Hey Marc

 

I have stumbled upon another Boozad love fest!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PovertyRow]

How do you grade your comics?

 

I don't start with a 10 and work my way from there.

 

For me a book initially shouts out a general grade at first glance. Can't be helped. Handle a ton of books and that tends to happen. So I am holding a Menace #11 and my first immediate impression is the book is Very Fine-ish. The first thing I do is smell the book looking for the acidic smell. The second thing I always do is a page count. As I do the page count I also check the page quality and check for defects such as for writing, tears, cutouts, bleed through from amateur resto, staple quality etc. If either of these fail no need to continue (except for the writing - depends on ther nature and extent. I once checked out a half dozen FIGHT comics and every single woman's nipple had been colored in with black pencil. So no need to look further).

 

Psychologically I have that Very Fine-ish in mind as I start a closer examination for restoration and defects. Basically I am looking for things that would place it above or below that VFish grade. If I find enough to bring it down to, say, a Fine then I continue with that baseline in mind, until I reach an agreement with myself.

 

Perhaps that initial impression DOES derive from a comparison to a 10, but it is not a conscious or deliberate thing.

 

[Bunky Brian]

How do you grade your comics?

 

I don't start with a 10 and work my way from there.

 

For me a book initially shouts out a general grade at first glance. Can't be helped. Handle a ton of books and that tends to happen. So I am holding a Menace #11 and my first immediate impression is the book is Very Fine-ish. The first thing I do is smell the book looking for the acidic smell. The second thing I always do is a page count. As I do the page count I also check the page quality and check for defects such as for writing, tears, cutouts, bleed through from amateur resto, staple quality etc. If either of these fail no need to continue (except for the writing - depends on ther nature and extent. I once checked out a half dozen FIGHT comics and every single woman's nipple had been colored in with black pencil. So no need to look further).

 

Psychologically I have that Very Fine-ish in mind as I start a closer examination for restoration and defects. Basically I am looking for things that would place it above or below that VFish grade. If I find enough to bring it down to, say, a Fine then I continue with that baseline in mind, until I reach an agreement with myself.

 

Perhaps that initial impression DOES derive from a comparison to a 10, but it is not a conscious or deliberate thing.

[Cimm]

I, like povertyrow, have a grade range in mind within the first few seconds of holding a book... closer examination tacks it to a specific grade, but usually within that grade range established on contact...

 

i.e. Someone hands me a book... it looks decent, but has a corner bump and some spine dings... "No better than a VF, probably at least a FN," says I.... upon examining the book from back cover to front, pages are all there, centerfold is secure, no interior tears, no writing, the obvious flaws are all there is, spine dings are only clear due to dark cover color, but none longer than 1/8 of an inch, corner bump is non-color breaking, and the back cover is clean and white... it's an 8.5, VF+.

[Shark]

To actually answer the original poster's question, I use the Overstreet Comic Grading Guide as a general guide but when I grade a comic I do like many other people do. I look the book over and get a ballpark grade based on how the front and back covers look and how tightly they're stapled to the main comic. I then check for detailed flaws such as stress marks, creases, finger bends, water stains, foxing, detached centerfolds, missing pieces, etc. and downgrade my ballpark grade from there. I base my ballpark grade more on experience and the CGC graded comics I have more than anything.

 

I do grade a lot tighter than I used to. When I first got back into comic collecting about 8 years ago, I knew nothing about how to grade a comic. Over time I've gotten a lot better at it but I'm still inconsistent, especially with the lower and mid-grade stuff. I've stated it before, but I feel I'm a much better (and more consistent) high-grade grader than I am with the rest of the stuff. Kinda makes sense as there are much less flaws to deal with on the high grade issues. I've received a lot of 9.6's and 9.8's back from CGC so that's just confirmation for myself on the high grade stuff.

 

I still have a lot of comics that I graded years ago and I need to regrade/downgrade many of them. In some cases I've made the mistake of not rechecking every raw book I've sold here on the boards and I've had a few buyers who weren't exactly happy with the grades. But they all got partial refunds or full refunds if they chose to return the books. I don't want any unhappy buyers. At the same time, most people here on the boards and on eBay seem to be quite happy with the books I've sold them.

 

In the end, as has been stated many times previously, grading comics is very subjective. Just go to a previous grading contest here on the boards or visit the "Please Grade My" section and you'll see what I'm talking about. There's usually a consensus as to what grade a book is, but we've all been surprised at one time or another (either high or low) at what a particular book grades at if submitted to CGC.

[Skynwalker]

I do grade a lot tighter than I used to. When I first got back into comic collecting about 8 years ago, I knew nothing about how to grade a comic. Over time I've gotten a lot better at it but I'm still inconsistent, especially with the lower and mid-grade stuff. I've stated it before, but I feel I'm a much better (and more consistent) high-grade grader than I am with the rest of the stuff. Kinda makes sense as there are much less flaws to deal with on the high grade issues. I've received a lot of 9.6's and 9.8's back from CGC so that's just confirmation for myself on the high grade stuff.

I'm in the same boat...I've spent most of the past 8 to 10 years dealing in high grade copper/moderns. I don't have as much experience dealing in mid to low grade comics. However, as I am switching to silver and bronze age for my buying and selling, I need to sharpen my skills . Thanks Mike (thumbs u

[Skynwalker]

Thanks to all of you guys who have chimed in so far, that's what I'm looking for

[Boozad]

I'm pretty much in the same boat of having a grade in mind within seconds of looking at a book. Then I'll work up or down from there taking defects into account or indeed discounting them. It's an art I enjooy, and am striving to get better at all the time.

 

My modern submissions now pull 9.6s and 9.8s, and my SA and BA submissions have been very pleasing so I must be getting near. Besides what certain HoSers think (thumbs u

[3319comics]

I dont grade and dont want to learn, because then i will really know all the books I have are terrible. I just look at the pictures read the stories and then bag them and put them away. So someday when Im gone my wif will have something to burn to keep warm in the house. :shrug: