CGC Grading Standards

[Neurosis138]

Out of curiosity, why does CGC not publish their grading standards?

 

-Chris

[Dad&Son-migration]

Out of curiosity, why does CGC not publish their grading standards?

 

-Chris

 

Because it's like any company giving away information. For instance, I work for a major bank and we don't give out our credit risk matrix because that would allow the competition to jump on board with our business plan. I would assume it's a business decision and one they have a right to keep under wraps since they are a private company with no obligation to the public or shareholders.

[Mr. Zipper]

Out of curiosity, why does CGC not publish their grading standards?

 

-Chris

 

Because if they did they would paint themselves into a corner and open up a pandora's box whenever there is what appears to be an exception to the published standard.

 

Just take a look at these boards. Whever Steve Borock makes a post, there are a dozen people dissecting and parsing every word looking for the inconsistancy. Can you imagine what it would be like with published grading standards? CGC would be dealing with 1,000 whining nitpickers a day. "But my book doesn't have this or that and his book does, but the standards say this."

 

I would love to see published standards, however I think the reality of the hobby precludes it from happening.

[bluechip]

Out of curiosity, why does CGC not publish their grading standards?

 

-Chris

 

Because if they did they would paint themselves into a corner and open up a pandora's box whenever there is what appears to be an exception to the published standard.

 

Just take a look at these boards. Whever Steve Borock makes a post, there are a dozen people dissecting and parsing every word looking for the inconsistancy. Can you imagine what it would be like with published grading standards? CGC would be dealing with 1,000 whining nitpickers a day. "But my book doesn't have this or that and his book does, but the standards say this."

 

I would love to see published standards, however I think the reality of the hobby precludes it from happening.

 

Unfortunately, you do not have to be a whining nitpicker to notice inconsistencies. The inconsistencies that bothered me the most were not ones I went looking for but which leapt out at me, they were so large and glaring.

 

I am not sure published standards would help and they might, as you imply, open the field to whining nitpickers.

 

The real problem is that, because it's easy to have more consistent and absolute standards for what makes a super-high grade book. the service has become all about that, and led to an irrational focus on books that have high grade numbers with little concern for what else it has going for it.

 

And the service is almost completely useful for low grade and restored books, except to brand a book as low grade and/or restored -- which in turn only further reinforces the mindset of condition over content.

 

I've said this before, but I think it's worth repeating. Something is wrong when a service obsesses over minute and microscopic differences between two virtually dientical copies of Cvil War Unlimited printed yesterday, and yet makes so little distinction whatsoever between the lowest graded copies of Action 1 that a nice looing copy with color touch and missing a non-storuy centerfold gets a lower grade than a copy comprised of only one inner fold.

 

You don't have to be a whiner to know that's messed up.

[WizardsEye-migration]

It's a bit old but I think this link is a good start of grading.

 

http://comics.heritageauctions.com/common/grading.php?show=comicdefinitions

 

Hope this helps.