Grading practices on E-bay

[Rob]

Well, I think the term "CGC standards" refers to giving a comic a grade in line with what CGC would give it. It comes from studying CGC-graded books, and getting a feel for what an 8.0 really looks like, and grading your raw comics accordingly.

[skypinkblu]

I understand that...but unless you have thousands of examples and they are all perfectly consistant...without a written guide, I guess I'm not smart enough to figure it out...so, I use Overstreet...

 

I thought and hoped that they were supposed to be using the same standards, I really don't care which one takes over, I just wish it was published jointly.

 

and thank you:)

[Mac Man]

I know this is a little off topic, but I really like the point that Sharon is bringing up here on how does a person grade according to CGC standards when the only major grading guide out there is the Overstreet version.

 

For example, there was a discussion in the restoration thread about detached centerfolds. Some of the members have said that CGC has graded some books in as 6.0 or higher despite a detached centerfold. OSGG, however, states a book can grade no higher than 4.5 if the centerfold is detached. This is only one of a handful of discrepancies between the two.

 

I'm not saying they are vastly different, but there are differences and it would be helpful there was some sort of cooperation between the two for a more unified standard.

[1Cool]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

[Mr. Zipper]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

 

Whenever I see a seller that states that he grades to Overstreet standards, I typically interpret this as the grading will be a bit "loose" by todays standard.

[skypinkblu]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

 

Whenever I see a seller that states that he grades to Overstreet standards, I typically interpret this as the grading will be a bit "loose" by todays standard.

 

Well, I don't know how you come to that conclusion, I would not grade a book as better than VG (if it were otherwise PERFECT) if it had a detached centerfold...nor do I grade books as being better than Gd/VG with a popped staple, yet, I see that one here, and on CGC books all the time...and I grade by Overstreet standards...because, they are the only published standards...and sometimes it kills me on Ebay, because I've sold some really nice books as Gd/VG...but I do that...sometimes, I will say that it would be better than that grade without the popped staple...

 

Now, I also learned to grade years ago, when Overstreet guidelines were certainly tighter, but I see them loosening with the advent of CGC, on certain things...I think CGC is wonderful for restoration checks, for keeping me from dinging corners on nice copies of books ...but in the back of my mind, I've always felt that the grading standards are not published, because they are changing all the time, they are in flux...I do see books that are graded differently. In the beginning, I really did understand this, they were a new company and evolving, it made some sense to me...but I just can't see saying I grade by CGC standards, if those standards are private and not published...looking at examples, to me, means you are guessing depending on which books you happen to use as examples.

[FlyingDonut]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

 

Whenever I see a seller that states that he grades to Overstreet standards, I typically interpret this as the grading will be a bit "loose" by todays standard.

 

I don't think this is true, especially on mid-grade books. The detached centerfold is just one example, as is a popped staple and some other defects. The "qualified" grade gives me a rash - if a book has a popped staple, no matter how nice it is, its a VG.

[Mr. Zipper]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

 

Whenever I see a seller that states that he grades to Overstreet standards, I typically interpret this as the grading will be a bit "loose" by todays standard.

 

I don't think this is true, especially on mid-grade books. The detached centerfold is just one example, as is a popped staple and some other defects. The "qualified" grade gives me a rash - if a book has a popped staple, no matter how nice it is, its a VG.

 

Really? Sure there are some OS grading guidelines which may be more strict than CGC such as the popped staple, detached centerfold, etc.

 

But, in general, I see OS as looser -- especially in midgrades.

 

Go look back through the first OSGG. There are FINES that would certainly be no higher than 4.5/5.0 by today's more CGC-centric standards. There are VGs that would be CGC 2.5s or 3.0s.

 

I have nothing against OS, but the fact of the matter is I bought a lot of books 10 or 20 years ago that tightly fit their standards at the time and could be a full 2 points lower today if I sent them to CGC. I guess when someone says "I grade to OS standards," I hear, "I grade to old school standards."

[lizards2]

 

I have nothing against OS, but the fact of the matter is I bought a lot of books 10 or 20 years ago that tightly fit their standards at the time and could be a full 2 points lower today if I sent them to CGC.

 

Overstreet standards themselves changed dramatically over that time period, and included adding many intermediate grades. Chances are, the books would drop in grade if you used the modern Overstreet standards.

[skypinkblu]

And if these two major comic grading players can't agree on a standard grading scale - how is the general comic collector or seller?

 

Whenever I see a seller that states that he grades to Overstreet standards, I typically interpret this as the grading will be a bit "loose" by todays standard.

 

I don't think this is true, especially on mid-grade books. The detached centerfold is just one example, as is a popped staple and some other defects. The "qualified" grade gives me a rash - if a book has a popped staple, no matter how nice it is, its a VG.

 

Really? Sure there are some OS grading guidelines which may be more strict than CGC such as the popped staple, detached centerfold, etc.

 

But, in general, I see OS as looser -- especially in midgrades.

 

Go look back through the first OSGG. There are FINES that would certainly be no higher than 4.5/5.0 by today's more CGC-centric standards. There are VGs that would be CGC 2.5s or 3.0s.

 

I have nothing against OS, but the fact of the matter is I bought a lot of books 10 or 20 years ago that tightly fit their standards at the time and could be a full 2 points lower today if I sent them to CGC. I guess when someone says "I grade to OS standards," I hear, "I grade to old school standards."

 

I see sellers who say, they grade to CGC standards, they have purchased one book, for each grade and they use that as a guideline, but it would make more sense to me, if they had many hundreds of copies of each book, because each book is just not graded the same way...it averages out.

 

So, old school, new school...old grader/young grader...it doesn't matter to me, I'd be MORE than happy to grade by CGC standards if they are tighter...but I need a published guideline, I can't guess and I absolutely agree with Flying Donut...ALL my books could be qualified...I have some great coverless books that are qualified NM's...unfortunately, I have them listed on MY data base, as poor.

 

 

[skypinkblu]

I should clarify what I said before about Overstreet being tighter in the past, what I was referring to, was the inclusion of split grades and things like bumping up the grade for detached centerfolds...

[Mac Man]

Go look back through the first OSGG. There are FINES that would certainly be no higher than 4.5/5.0 by today's more CGC-centric standards. There are VGs that would be CGC 2.5s or 3.0s.

 

I have nothing against OS, but the fact of the matter is I bought a lot of books 10 or 20 years ago that tightly fit their standards at the time and could be a full 2 points lower today if I sent them to CGC. I guess when someone says "I grade to OS standards," I hear, "I grade to old school standards."

 

Here's the thing though. I'd agree with some of the books they've chosen as not being the greatest examples of the standards, but I don't think that changes the standard. I'm with Skypinkblu and Donut on this one. A VG is a VG is a VG. There will be a margin of error, sure, but as I said before, there still shouldn't be that much of a margin of error.