Scanning the CGC bar code 1 1

[sterlingcomics]

Thanks for doing this, Antpark!

 

I've modified my original post---new information below:

NEW: After looking up the comic in the census, I've also discovered that one of the data components is the COMIC ID in the registry. For example:

 

https://www.cgccomics.com/census/grades_standard.asp?ComicID=14410

 

NEW: After looking at the 1st data unknown field, I am fairly certain it relates to PAGE QUALITY. All WHITE pages have value 23 and all OFF-WHITE TO WHITE PQ have values 16. I need to see multiple scans with OFF-WHITE and CREAM TO OFF-WHITE to confirm

 

Example bc information:

00144102398000111075590008

 

00 - prefix that is optional

14410 - comic id

23 - page quality (23=WHITE, 16=OWW, ??=OW, ??=COW, ??=BRITTLE)

98 - grade of the book

00011 - data component unknown

1075590008 - CGC book number

 

So one advantage I can see from sellers using the bc information is to dynamically assemble the census page on their listings using this information, thus making "bad" information regarding the census impossible, since you're referencing a link with the latest information--and without having to look it up manually.

 

Of interest on those X-mens....they all had 00008 for that unknown field except for one.

 

There is a flaw however in using two digits to rerpresent grade. How do u know it's a 1.0 vs a 10? Maybe a 10 is represented as a 00.

[bc]

GREAT tip on the COMIC_ID field in the Registry!

 

I have confirmed that the PQ code are the 2 digits before the grade code as all the 23's checked out to be White pages and all the 16's checked out be OW-W pages except for the #148 which was the earliest graded issue (3/24/04-also the one without the "00008"). The 152 was graded on 8/3/05 and contains the proper 2 digit PQ code as well as the trailing "8".

 

Maybe it was a free field at the time or maybe it was graded onsite versus at the shop.....again, still insufficient sample set but we are making progress!

 

Sample set is still all Universal and non-SS as well, need some Restored and SS books data...please.

-bc

Edited September 15, 2016 by bc

[sterlingcomics]

We all have these things. Might as well see how much data we can squeeze out of this.

 

I have no Qualified.

I have no Restored

I have no SS.

 

I do have books with OW and COW, but do I have more than one? I've been exterminating my collection of them for the last 10 years, so I'll have to see.

 

I "suspect" that the remaining field may give us the CGC book "class". Just need more folks with different books with scanners.

 

Given this data and the fact we can get the other pieces from the verification tool makes me very much wanting to create an inventory system that can populate everything in a sheet with just the serial number. It was a goal a long time ago but never moved on it. I might now.

[Stronguy]

I ran through some of my books...

PQ

23-White

16-White-Off White

15-Off White

08-Cream-Off White

??-Cream

??-Brittle

??-Pink

 

Label Type

11-Universal (Blue)

10-Sig Series (Yellow)

09-Qualified (Green)

06-Restored (Purple)

 

Magazines and magazine-size comics (like TMNT 1-4) appear to be different to some degree because they don't have the PQ or Label Type.

TMNT 1, 8.5, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

50003600085000000951904002

 

TMNT 2, 9.4, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

00369290094000000237041002

 

Playboy v54 #2, White Pages, Sig Series

75012630075000001152125001

 

[sterlingcomics]

Thanks Stronguy...so you're saying what I'm labeling as unknown currently looks like slab type? If so, why are the XMens coming up as 8? Is that for Moderns? Why would one of them be 0 then?

 

Example:

Uncanny X-Men, The,147,CGC 9.8,00025030098000000079077009,

Uncanny X-Men, The,148,CGC 9.8,00051621698000080962204004,

[Stronguy]

Thanks Stronguy...so you're saying what I'm labeling as unknown currently looks like slab type? If so, why are the XMens coming up as 8? Is that for Moderns? Why would one of them be 0 then?

 

Example:

Uncanny X-Men, The,147,CGC 9.8,00025030098000000079077009,

Uncanny X-Men, The,148,CGC 9.8,00051621698000080962204004,

 

I think it has to do with the age of the invoice. 0079077009 was graded back in 2004; the other books was graded in 2012. They may have not started using it until much later.

[sterlingcomics]

Thanks Stronguy...so you're saying what I'm labeling as unknown currently looks like slab type? If so, why are the XMens coming up as 8? Is that for Moderns? Why would one of them be 0 then?

 

Example:

Uncanny X-Men, The,147,CGC 9.8,00025030098000000079077009,

Uncanny X-Men, The,148,CGC 9.8,00051621698000080962204004,

 

I think it has to do with the age of the invoice. 0079077009 was graded back in 2004; the other books was graded in 2012. They may have not started using it until much later.

 

Makes sense...kinda like a "for future use"....

 

I still think the other numbers we are now saying is "slab type" is probably reserved for future use...I also wonder if the restoration level mechanic is somehow tied into that area. We'd need "new" restored slabs to see if they did that.

 

All in all though, I'd say we've just about cracked the code. I'll summarize it here later.

[Stronguy]

Revised List (I'm still pulling together some of the Modification/Pedigree values)

 

Here's the hash of the barcode bytes...

1-7, Issue ID

8-9, Page Quality

10-11, Grade

12-14, Modification/Pedigree Notes

15-16, Label Type

17-23, Invoice Number

24-26, Invoice Position

 

Ex. 0012334 016 50 136 33 1292690 003

Crime Doesn't Pay #22 (1), White-Off White Pages, 5.0, Married Pages, Restored Slight (B1), Invoice: 1292690 003

 

PQ

23-White

17-Pink

16-White-Off White

15-Off White

08-Cream-Off White

06-Cream

18-Slightly Brittle

01-Brittle

 

Modification/Pedigree

445-Cover Trimmed/Married Pages

422-Trimmed/Married Cover

340-Incomplete/Married Pages

222-White Mountain

201-Trimmed/Maried Pages

137-Married Pages

136-Married Pages

132-Married Cover

131-Married Centerfold

120-Incomplete/Married Cover

119-Incomplete

097-Edgar Church (Mile High)

084-Denver

051-Cover Trimmed/Married

049-Trimmed

043-Bowling Green

040-Boston

034-Big Apple

031-Bethlehem

028-Back Cover Married

026-Aurora

024-Allentown

019-5th Wrap Married

 

Label Type

??-Stan Lee

??-TMNT

??-Valiant

??-George PErez

??-Sig Series Qualified (Yellow/Green)

??-Sig Series Conserved (Yellow/Grey)

49-Restored, Extensive (C5)

48-Restored, Mod/Ext. (C4)

47-Restored, Extensive (B5)

46-Restored, Mod/Ext. (B4)

45-Restored, Extensive (A5)

44-Restored, Mod/Ext. (A4)

38-Restored, Moderate (C3)

37-Restored, Slight/Mod (C2)

36-Restored, Slight (C1)

35-Restored, Moderate (B3)

34-Restored, Slight/Mod (B2)

33-Restored, Slight (B1)

32-Restored, Moderate (A3)

31-Restored, Slight/Mod (A2)

30-Restored, Slight (A1)

29-Universal Conserved (Blue/Purple and new Blue/Grey)

22-Sig Series Restored (Yellow/Purple)

12-Wizard First (Red)

11-Universal (Blue)

10-Sig Series (Yellow)

09-Qualified (Green)

07-Restored, Slight (P)

06-Restored, Slight (A)

05-Restored, Moderate (P)

04-Restored, Moderate (A)

03-Restored, Extensive (P)

02-Restored, Extensive (A)

 

Magazines and magazine-size comics (like TMNT 1-4) appear to be different to some degree because they don't have the PQ or Label Type.

TMNT 1, 8.5, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

50003600085000000951904002

 

TMNT 2, 9.4, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

00369290094000000237041002

 

Playboy v54 #2, White Pages, Sig Series

75012630075000001152125001

 

[bc]

WOW !

 

Applaud all the cryptography work done in the last 24 hours!

 

Ordered my bc scanner - I have a couple other pedigrees in my collection ( at least Nova Scotia & Pacific Coast from memory).

 

The power of the boards is amazing

-bc

 

[Antpark]

Revised List (I'm still pulling together some of the Modification/Pedigree values)

 

Here's the hash of the barcode bytes...

1-7, Issue ID

8-9, Page Quality

10-11, Grade

12-14, Modification/Pedigree Notes

15-16, Label Type

17-23, Invoice Number

24-26, Invoice Position

 

 

Ex. 0012334 016 50 136 33 1292690 003

Crime Doesn't Pay #22 (1), White-Off White Pages, 5.0, Married Pages, Restored Slight (B1), Invoice: 1292690 003

 

PQ

23-White

17-Pink

16-White-Off White

15-Off White

08-Cream-Off White

06-Cream

18-Slightly Brittle

01-Brittle

 

Modification/Pedigree

445-Cover Trimmed/Married Pages

422-Trimmed/Married Cover

340-Incomplete/Married Pages

222-White Mountain

201-Trimmed/Maried Pages

137-Married Pages

136-Married Pages

132-Married Cover

131-Married Centerfold

120-Incomplete/Married Cover

119-Incomplete

097-Edgar Church (Mile High)

084-Denver

051-Cover Trimmed/Married

049-Trimmed

043-Bowling Green

040-Boston

034-Big Apple

031-Bethlehem

028-Back Cover Married

026-Aurora

024-Allentown

019-5th Wrap Married

 

Label Type

??-Stan Lee

??-TMNT

??-Valiant

??-George PErez

??-Sig Series Qualified (Yellow/Green)

??-Sig Series Conserved (Yellow/Grey)

49-Restored, Extensive (C5)

48-Restored, Mod/Ext. (C4)

47-Restored, Extensive (B5)

46-Restored, Mod/Ext. (B4)

45-Restored, Extensive (A5)

44-Restored, Mod/Ext. (A4)

38-Restored, Moderate (C3)

37-Restored, Slight/Mod (C2)

36-Restored, Slight (C1)

35-Restored, Moderate (B3)

34-Restored, Slight/Mod (B2)

33-Restored, Slight (B1)

32-Restored, Moderate (A3)

31-Restored, Slight/Mod (A2)

30-Restored, Slight (A1)

29-Universal Conserved (Blue/Purple and new Blue/Grey)

22-Sig Series Restored (Yellow/Purple)

12-Wizard First (Red)

11-Universal (Blue)

10-Sig Series (Yellow)

09-Qualified (Green)

07-Restored, Slight (P)

06-Restored, Slight (A)

05-Restored, Moderate (P)

04-Restored, Moderate (A)

03-Restored, Extensive (P)

02-Restored, Extensive (A)

 

Magazines and magazine-size comics (like TMNT 1-4) appear to be different to some degree because they don't have the PQ or Label Type.

TMNT 1, 8.5, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

50003600085000000951904002

 

TMNT 2, 9.4, White Pages, Universal, 1st Print

00369290094000000237041002

 

Playboy v54 #2, White Pages, Sig Series

75012630075000001152125001

 

 

 

That's very cool!

Awesome job guys

 

 

[mycomicshop]

We've been working with this recently. CGC could probably provide the info directly to anybody who'd need to do anything with it. Here's the list I have, with our info combined with what's previously been posted in this thread.

 

Page quality values:

01 Brittle

06 Cream

08 Cream to off white

14 Light tan to off white

15 Off white

16 Off white to white

17 Pink

18 Slightly brittle

21 Tan to off white

23 White

 

Category code values:

00 Universal

01 Trimmed

02 Restored, Extensive (A)

03 Restored, Extensive (P)

04 Restored, Moderate (A)

05 Restored, Moderate (P)

06 Restored, Slight (A)

07 Restored, Slight (P)

08 Universal

09 Qualified

10 Signature Series

11 Universal

12 Wizard First (red)

13 ?

14 ?

15 ?

16 ?

17 ?

18 ?

19 ?

20 ?

21 Trimmed, Signature Series

22 Restored, Extensive (A), Signature Series

23 Restored, Extensive (P), Signature Series

24 Restored, Moderate (A), Signature Series

25 Restored, Moderate (P), Signature Series

26 Restored, Slight (A), Signature Series

27 Restored, Slight (P), Signature Series

28 ?

29 Conserved

30 Restored, Slight (A1)

31 Restored, Slight/Moderate (A2)

32 Restored, Moderate (A3)

33 Restored, Slight (B1)

34 Restored, Slight/Moderate (B2)

35 Restored, Moderate (B3)

36 Restored, Slight (C1)

37 Restored, Slight/Moderate (C2)

38 Restored, Moderate (C3)

39 Conserved, Signature Series

40 ?

41 ?

42 ?

43 ?

44 ?

45 ?

46 ?

47 ?

48 Restored, Moderate/Extensive (C4)

49 Restored, Extensive (C5)

50 ?

51 Restored, Slight/Moderate (B2), Signature Series

52 ?

53 ?

54 ?

55 ?

56 Restored, Slight (C1), Signature Series

 

Pedigree and other types of modifiers:

019 5TH WRAP MARRIED

024 Allentown

026 Aurora

027 Australian Edition

028 BACK COVER MARRIED

031 Bethlehem

034 Big Apple

040 Boston

043 Bowling Green

047 Mass. Copy

048 CENTERFOLD TRIMMED

049 COVER TRIMMED

050 COVER TRIMMED/INCOMPLETE

051 COVER TRIMMED/MARRIED

052 COVERLESS (No Grade)

053 COVERLESS/INCOMPLETE (No Grade)

054 Canadian Edition

066 Circle 8

070 Cosmic Aeroplane

073 Crowley

083 Dave Sim file copy

084 Denver

085 Suscha News

088 Don/Maggie Thompson Collection

089 Twin Cities

097 Edgar Church (Mile High)

101 File copy (and also sometimes Cape Cod)

102 File Copy/Double Cover

108 Gaines File Copy

116 Hawkeye

119 INCOMPLETE

120 INCOMPLETE/MARRIED COVER

127 Lost Valley

129 MANUFACTURING ERROR

130 MANUFACTURING ERROR/INCOMPLETE

131 MARRIED CENTERFOLD

132 MARRIED COVER

136 MARRIED PAGE

137 MARRIED PAGES

138 Mass. Copy

141 Mile High II

145 Mohawk Valley

147 Northford

148 Northland

153 Oakland

154 Ohio

156 Okajima

157 PAGE TRIMMED

162 Pacific Coast

167 Pennsylvania

174 REPRINT

178 River City

180 Rockford

185 Salida

197 TRIMMED

199 TRIMMED/MARRIED

200 TRIMMED/MARRIED PAGE

201 TRIMMED/MARRIED PAGES

209 U.K. Edition

214 Vancouver

216 Variant Cover

219 WRONG BACK COVER

221 Western Penn

222 White Mountain

224 Windy City

226 Winnipeg

231 COVER ONLY

239 Don Rosa Collection

243 Quadruple Cover

253 Davis Crippen "D" Copy

259 Central Valley

262 MARRIED BACK COVER

264 Italian Edition

280 Rocky Mountain

306 26TH PAGE ONLY

310 Suscha News

314 8TH PAGE ONLY

315 30TH PAGE ONLY

316 29TH PAGE ONLY

317 28TH PAGE ONLY

318 27TH PAGE ONLY

319 15TH PAGE ONLY

320 Savannah

321 9TH PAGE ONLY

322 31ST PAGE ONLY

323 10TH PAGE ONLY

324 12TH PAGE ONLY

325 14TH PAGE ONLY

326 19TH PAGE ONLY

327 20TH PAGE ONLY

328 21ST PAGE ONLY

329 23RD PAGE ONLY

330 24TH PAGE ONLY

331 25TH PAGE ONLY

332 22ND PAGE ONLY

333 11TH PAGE ONLY

334 13TH PAGE ONLY

335 3RD PAGE ONLY

336 2ND PAGE ONLY

337 4TH PAGE ONLY

338 5TH PAGE ONLY

339 6TH PAGE ONLY

340 INCOMPLETE/MARRIED PAGES

342 Twin Cities

346 BACK COVER ONLY

359 7TH PAGE ONLY

362 Twin Cities/MANUFACTURING ERROR

364 Billy Wright

368 1ST PAGE ONLY

371 32ND PAGE ONLY

377 FRONT COVER ONLY

410 Nova Scotia/INCOMPLETE

419 TRIMMED/BACK COVER ONLY

422 TRIMMED/MARRIED COVER

425 12TH WRAP ONLY

445 COVER TRIMMED/MARRIED PAGES

 

 

[bc]

Thank you, thank you, thank you for the codec !

 

Working on some automated analysis tools but your data was a huge head start

 

Can anyone confirm that the "old labels" only return the Invoice# and Invoice Item# (otherwise called the certification #). That's all I get with the bc scanner mentioned earlier in this thread.

 

By the way "152" is for Nova Scotia pedigree. I think that field goes from 0-511 (512 total options, computer nerd stuff again = 2 to the 9th, easy binary).

 

Also, it appears the other companies bar code contains hex data as I get stuff like this "0008485-AB-010".

 

Again, thanks for the rabbit hole.!

-bc

 

 

[sterlingcomics]

Whoa, this is awesome!!!! Thanks Stronguy and Conan!

 

In all honesty, the barcode and the ability to do a lookup in the inventory beats all of the competitors hands down---they can't touch it....why not flaunt it? They should have pages on their website describing it in exquisite detail...but I've always loved a good mystery.

[bababooey]

 

[bc]

 

-bc

[bc]

If there are any nerds still following this thread :

 

I have created a tool to automate the collection of data from the barcode into an Excel spreadsheet. I have scanned the 200+ slabs I own to verify functionality and tweak the "codec" that everyone on this thread provided.

 

I have a Windows 7 laptop running Excel 2013. I bought the barcode scanner that takeyourlemons posted earlier ($35 w/shipping for the Bluetooth version).

 

Once you get the Bluetooth scanner paired to your device (I verified it worked in Notepad first), you can open the spreadsheet :

 

 

 

 

Once you acquire the barcode, some information is automatically pulled from local tables :

 

 

 

 

Pressing the "Lookup" button will extract the data from the CGCComics.com databases. I only have a free/basic account so premium membership is not required.

 

Once the Lookup is completed, most of the other data is populated based on the book/barcode:

 

 

 

 

Again, I have verified this works on everything except the Mark1 labels (referred to as "Old Label Goodness in auction & eBay adds). Well, they aren't so good for this tool because they only contain the Certification number.

 

My first "new" label books will be here tomorrow so I am anxious to see how they respond & if the information is expanded.

 

If anyone wants to do some further testing, please send me a PM and I will send the workbook. Again, I'm on Windows 7, use Excel 2013 and (forced by my corporate IT) the default browser is IE11. I am not an administrator, just a power user as far as local access. Just want to see if this works anywhere but my specific setup - I'm a virtualization specialist so I can mock up any config in a day or so once I know the basic mechanics are functional.

 

I can easily change the output layout from a column to a row and change the data order based on storage/database needs; just trying to complete as much of the codec as possible. Let me know if you want a specific layout.

 

I have an alpha version that supports batch imports from a CSV or other spreadsheet but I'm not ready to release that one yet as I've had some hangs when trying to lookup more that 100 books in a batch.

 

Thanks to everyone in this thread for a cool project - Nerd power activate!

-bc

 

 

 

 

 

[sterlingcomics]

 

Shape of .... a cool tool.

Form of.... water?

 

BTW, I would put in a mandatory ~5 seconds pause per lookup. See if that helps things out a bit. Way back in 2003ish, when Borock was with the company, I requested that they make a scalable web service that could be used with vendors. This might be a good POC to prove this if it can provide value and reduce data entry requirements for both sellers and collectors.

[musicmeta]

WOW! Thanks to all for all this bar code info!

[bc]

Good news everyone !

 

The new style slab barcodes use the same codec as the last generation. The spreadsheet tool worked on all of them :

 

 

 

The Art Contents do not exactly match what is on the label:

 

Jack Kirby & Ayers cover

Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck,

Paul Reinman& Ayers art

 

Yes, the missing space in "Reinman&" is actually how it is printed. Uggh, can't believe they auto-replace Mr. Ayers first name

 

I only have 5 of the new style slabs, all basic blues, but they all worked fine.

-bc

 

 

[JLot123]

Does anyone have a link to the excel extraction file that @bc posted about?  I messaged privately, but not sure he's still checking messages and I'd love to get this awesome tool in my hands.