How long does it actually take a grader to grade a single book?

[jcjames]

 

I am curious/intrigued about the CGC grading process.

 

From what I understand there is first a restoration check, and then "at least" two graders actually grade the book, and a third may(?) confirm or be a tie-breaker if needed, is that correct?

 

So I wonder, how long does it take a single grader to grade a single book? For how long are they actually looking at it? Approx how many minutes are spent per book determining its grade? Is it 2 minutes? 5 minutes? 15 minutes?

 

Are moderns a whole lot easier/quicker to grade than SA?

 

Also, which grades have the most subjective gray area between them?

9.8 vs 9.6? Is distinguishing between the highest grades the most subjective?

9.0 vs 8.5?

4.0 vs 3.5? Or is distinguishing between lower grades the most subjective?

 

 

I ponder these questions waiting for my SW1 Ross Color to be graded because this will my first modern book I ever submitted for grading (all my other graded books are SA books).

 

This board has got me sweating bullets over 9.6 vs 9.8 in moderns... whereas before I was perfectly fine with either a 4.0 or a 4.5 in a FF12 SS or a 6.0 vs 6.5 SS1.

 

Thanks a lot board...

 

 

 

 

 

[Bomber-Bob]

I really don't think anyone here can answer your questions. We do have a couple ex CGC employees but they never seem to discuss the grading process. I am curious as to why such info would be important to you ? It's like asking someone how long they take in the shower. The important fact is that they took a shower not how long they spent in there.

[jcjames]

I really don't think anyone here can answer your questions. We do have a couple ex CGC employees but they never seem to discuss the grading process. I am curious as to why such info would be important to you ? It's like asking someone how long they take in the shower. The important fact is that they took a shower not how long they spent in there.

 

I have time on my hands and so I think of things that are tangentially related to what's on my mind.

 

When I ask people far far more knowledgeable and experienced in the industry than me for what they think a book might grade as, they MIGHT take as long as 30-60 seconds to scan it over then say "This one's probably a 9-9.2... but that one's definitely at least 9.6". Meanwhile I sit there scratching my head thinking {Is this what CGC graders do too?}

 

So I ask... just because I'm curious.

 

 

But I draw the line about shower routines.

 

 

[ttfitz]

I really don't think anyone here can answer your questions. We do have a couple ex CGC employees but they never seem to discuss the grading process. I am curious as to why such info would be important to you ? It's like asking someone how long they take in the shower. The important fact is that they took a shower not how long they spent in there.

 

Yes, but whether they actually stayed in long enough to get clean would be of some interest/importance.

 

Just to strain the analogy....

[Zevgoli]

I actually think it is a very interesting topic and if it can be answered in a way not giving up trade secrets that's ok. You don't take your car in for repairs and say just go ahead and fix whatever I don't care to know what it is. You are curious what's repaired. Same with this. You are sending in your books to be graded and are naturally curious about the process.

 

Cheers, Howard

[Bomber-Bob]

If the OP really feels the need to find this information out, I suggest he post in the ASK CGC thread and see if CGC responds. I suspect the answer may not be very specific, along the lines of 'as long as it takes' .

[kav]

It's gotta be more than 60 seconds don't they need to UV for CT and stuff? And they have to look at every part of every page-maybe someone wrote small scribble in ink on some panel for instance also they need to examine staple area to see if there are signs of replacement etc.

[PovertyRow]

I don't think UV is standard operating procedure.

[Iceman399]

It's gotta be more than 60 seconds don't they need to UV for CT and stuff? And they have to look at every part of every page-maybe someone wrote small scribble in ink on some panel for instance also they need to examine staple area to see if there are signs of replacement etc.

 

Its done in different segments. The book is first screened for Resto/Completeness, anything note worthy is mentioned and used down the road (tear on the 14th page etc). The book is graded at a later stage.

 

UV would be a very poor choice of light for document examination.

[Amadeus Arkham]

Don't they use blacklight to check for color touch?

[joeypost]

Don't they use blacklight to check for color touch?

 

That's one of the tools.

[loadstone]

This is a very good question. the time it takes to grade likely varies among experienced but non-professional graders but I'm sure the pros have a streamlined and efficient process as maximization and optimization of the process saves time and money. I would not be surprised if it was something like 5 minutes max per grader once all the resto/conservo checks were done.

 

As an example of a slower grader:On a modern I could spend up to 5 minutes with a bright LED flashlight and loop going over the book to find out everything I need to know and that's probably slow for the experienced graders on here. On a SA or BA book, it's more like 15-20 minutes including using my black light, gemologist scope, while taking explicit notes of all the flaws. Again, the more experienced graders on here probably don't have to note every flaw to be able to tell in less time what grade the book is most likely to land. I'm speculating here but I presume that as soon as they see a stain or a tear or detached staple they probably already have a grade in their head and just looking for accumulation or a more severe flaw to knock it down further. I imagine the pros are so used to seeing flaw combinations or accumulations that they can flip through a book in a few short minutes and give it a pretty reasonable grade. though I do suspect that with many of the overgraded 9.8's I've seen they likely didn't spend enough time looking over the whole cover.

 

It's also possible that in addition to an experienced restoration expert, they use some form of automated imaging and flaw/restoration detection software to pre-scan every front and back cover and note areas of possible color touch, change in paper density and breaks in the pulp to expose possible tears and seals and trimming to help speed things up.

 

One thing I want to know is if every book including 2015 moderns go through the same rigorous restoration check by human eyes that a GA or SA key might. I mean do they really look for tear seals, color touch, cleaned or replaced staples, married pages, cover cleaned, reglossed, reinforced, or trimming on EVERY single book? To be thorough it might seem like a good idea but the likelihood of any of that being done on a book that just came out last week seems highly improbable and unnecessary.

 

It would be nice to know what kind of attention your book gets for $20-30+.

[Zevgoli]

If you head over to CBCS, they have a good explanation of their grading process. I would imagine it to be similar at CGC.

 

Cheers, Howard

 

PS probably not wise of me to mention the competition in a positive light but they do offer an explanation.