How to learn grading

[kowings]

I'm new to comic collecting. What's a good way to get started learning how to grade comics?

 

I'd like to be able to grade accurately so I don't accidentally mislead someone on a trade/sale.

[Underground44]

Practice and compare your grades with others who have experience and read over grading notes about what's expected at a certain grade. Also there is the PGM thread (please grade my book) where you can post a book with a grade in mind but get everyone elses opinion. That thread is an awesome help and helped me a lot.

 

Good luck with it

[EC ed]

Buy and read the Overstreet Grading Guide...a new edition just came out, and is available at all the standard online bookseller-type sources...

 

[HighStakesComics]

Both great suggestions! I'd also recommend participating in the grading contests here on the boards. There is a big one starting this week. There are plenty of prizes and there is no cost to enter so what do you have to lose? Take a stab at it, kid.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=8606250#Post8606250

[rodan57]

... there is the PGM thread (please grade my book) where you can post a book with a grade in mind but get everyone elses opinion. That thread is an awesome help and helped me a lot.

 

Buy and read the Overstreet Grading Guide...a new edition just came out, and is available at all the standard online bookseller-type sources...

 

 

... all I might add is to buy and crack CGC books to see how CGC grades compares to Overstreet.

 

I might add one more thing, consistency in grading books varies among CGC and dealers.

[Davenport]

All of the above plus the E-BIGS Examples Based Internet Grading System is a nice visual resource for beginners. And maybe sign up with Heritage to access their gigantic scans, gain a sense of different grade levels of the same book.

 

Mainly don't get crazy over mastering 'accuracy'. When it comes to grading 'every head is a world'. On planet-bob a printer's crease is nothing, on planet-john they're a deal breaker, maybe vise-versa for date stamps or a teeny back cover stain. So practice accuracy but focus on communicating condition to others and you'll do fine.

[Tempus Fugit]

The PGM sub-Forum is good:

 

Click Here

[PovertyRow]

All excellent suggestions. As has been said, the key is practice, observation and study. The goal is not to be able to accurately predict what book CGC will grade it. The goal is to achieve a good measure of proficiency in what makes a poor, fair, good, very good, fine, very fine and near mint. Once that is mastered you can start delving into those pesky in-between grades. But even mastering those basic grades will give you a lot more confidence.

[W16227]

a boardie (I believe) eta nick - has a great set of you-tube videos on the subject

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/etanick1

 

 

 

[Fateddiez]

a boardie (I believe) eta nick - has a great set of you-tube videos on the subject

 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/user/etanick1

 

 

 

I love these videos, they are very useful

[marvelmaniac]

Hello,

New here but have been re- collecting since 79.

You can get used editions of the Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guides 1st and 2nd editions which have numerous illustrations of each grade and explain the 10 point grading system(2nd edition) for 1 cent and 3.99 shipping on Amazon if you do not want to spend the money for the new edition.

Basically grading has not changed over the years,defects remain the same only the actual grading number/condition name has changed.

[kav]

 

Spine is the most important part of book. Spine tics and loose staples should be downgraded appropriately. Amateurs might look at a book and think it's in great shape but they are not paying close attention to the spine which can have multiple color breaks.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Spine is the most important part of book. Spine tics and loose staples should be downgraded appropriately. Amateurs might look at a book and think it's in great shape but they are not paying close attention to the spine which can have multiple color breaks.

 

(thumbs u

[kav]

Spine isn't that important-the right hand side of the book is the most important and bears the closest scrutiny.