Our grading standards are based on the standards set forth in the overstreet grading guide with additional experience gained from our 40+ years in the comics industry. We closely monitor and calibrate our staff to maintain compliance with our established standards. however, grading is an inherently subjective process and there will always be minor differences of opinion. Even professional rating services like CGC, CBCS, and PGX recognize that the same book may not always receive the same rating if it is submitted for rating more than once. While we can’t guarantee that a twice-rated book will receive the same rating every time, we can guarantee that every comic we sell has been rated at the rating that we purchased it at.
comics for sale on mycomicshop.com are listed with one of two types of ratings:
You are reading: How to grade comic books
- the basic grading scale, also known as letter grades, uses grades from near perfect (highest) to poor (lowest):
- nm almost perfect
- vf very good
- fn good
- vg very good
- gd good
- fr fair
- pr poor
- 10.0 g gem mint
- 9.9 m mint
- 9.8 nm/m near mint/mint
- 9 .6nm+ near mint+
- 9.4nm near perfect
- 9.2nm- near perfect-
- 9.0 vf/nm very fine/near perfect
- 8.5 vf+ very fine+
- 8.0 vf very fine
- 7.5 vf- very fine-
- 7 .0 fn/vf fine/very fine
- 6.5 fn+ fine+
- 6.0 fn good
- 5.5 fn- good-
- 5.0 vg/fn very good/good
- 4.5 vg+ very good+
- 4.0 vg very good
- 3.5 vg- very good-
- 3.0 gd/vg good/very good
- 2.5 gd+ good+
- 2.0 gd good
- 1.8 gd- good-
- 1.5 fr/gd fair/good
- 1.0 fr fair
- 0.5 pr poor
At mycomicshop, we use the basic grading scale for most of our comics priced around $15.00. we use the ten point scale to rate most comics priced at $15.00 or more and those published before 1980. most comics rated on the ten point rating scale have cover scans, so when you’re considering buying a comic, you can see front (and sometimes back) cover scans of the exact comic being offered. for cheaper comics rated on the basic rating scale, we show you a stock image of what that issue’s cover looks like, but we don’t scan the exact book being offered.
Also, cgc, cbcs or pgx “crush” some comics. These comic book rating services will rate a comic and then seal it in a hard plastic case displaying the assigned rating. These rating services assign ratings on the same ten-point rating scale used by MyComicShop. You can easily identify a comic with slabs because the ratings will include the name of the rating service, such as “cgc 9.4” or “pgx 9.4”. a comic that hasn’t been canned is sometimes called a “raw” comic, meaning a regular comic that isn’t encased in a plastic slab.
Very few comics are returned to us due to grading, but if you receive a comic that you believe is not properly graded, please contact us at service@mycomicshop.com or call us at (817) 860-7827 (Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time) and report the problem. we will gladly find a solution that meets your needs and concerns. Please note that unauthorized returns are at the sender’s expense.
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Buyer Responsibility & CGC, CBCS & PGX Comics: If you purchase cgc, cbcs or pgx graded and boxed comics, please closely inspect the large, high-resolution cover images we provide prior to purchase. By bidding on or purchasing a third-party rated comic, you acknowledge that you accept the rating assigned by the certifying company. By purchasing a comic rated by a third party, you agree that mycomicshop is not responsible for the rating assigned by the rating certification company.
grading standards
When reviewing the potential flaws a comic may have, as shown below for the various ratings, keep in mind that while a single flaw may not reduce a comic’s rating, that flaw, if repeated or combined with other accumulated defects, it can push the grade down one or more grades.
almost mint condition (nm)
a near perfect copy that looks like new with just a few minor flaws. Acceptable minor flaws in an NM print include: a very small amount of stress on the spine, very small instances of dents (two or three maximum), slightly blunt corners and minor bends (less than 1/8″) with no ripping. colour. /p>
On the ten-point grading scale, a lower rating like 9.2 will allow for these defects to a greater number and degree than a higher rating like 9.8, which may sometimes have no noticeable flaws at all. we don’t assign 9.9 and 10.0 ratings to any “raw” comic without slabs. You’ll only see these ultra-high ratings on comics made by one of the rating services. there is such a small degree of separation between the 9.8, 9.9, and 10.0 ratings that even the most experienced comic raters may not agree on which of these three ratings to assign to a seemingly flawless comic, so the higher rating is given to the we will assign to a cartoon is 9.8.
In some cases, a comic shipped brand new by the publisher, or purchased new from the shelves of a comic book store, may no longer be in pristine condition due to the way the comic was produced, shipped, comic. or handled before purchase.
very good condition (vf)
a vf copy has minor flaws, but is in excellent overall condition. most well-preserved modern comics (especially if they’ve been read) fall into this grade. Acceptable defects on a vf are minor and include: minor corner wear, a slight stress buildup on the spine which may include color breakage, a slight buildup of dents, and bends or creases less than 1/4″ (be sure to Note that in a vf copy, some color breakage is allowed in a fold/crease).
good (fn) condition
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a comic in fn condition is considered “above average” but still shows some wear. In general, the visual appeal is somewhat reduced due to an accumulation of minor defects or one or two moderate defects. Acceptable defects on a fn print include: slightly curled spine, a moderate buildup of stresses on the spine that can break the color, less than 1/2″ spine split, minor water staining or residue (less than the size of a dime), an impacted corner and moderate foxing.
very good (eg) condition
A comic in vg condition shows significant wear, but has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce visual appeal to the point that it is not a desirable copy. eg a copy may have an accumulation of minor defects or one or two major defects. acceptable defects on a vg copy include: rolled spine, 1/2″ to 1″ split spine or other tears, a cover or center page that has come off a staple, discoloration due to oxidation, and a moderate accumulation of damage by water or stains.
good (gd) condition
a gd copy has major flaws, but is still complete and readable. a gd copy will have a significant amount of damage, usually an accumulation of smaller blemishes punctuated with a few major blemishes. Acceptable defects on a gd copy include: a book-size vertical crease, 1.5″ to 2″ split spine, completely detached cover or center page, major tears, heavy discoloration/brittle due to oxidation, large amount of from stains, residue and water damage.
fair state (fr)
a copy in fr will have virtually no visual appeal and will show significant damage. A comic in FR condition may have non-story items such as coupons, parts of ad pages, or marvel value stamps cut or torn from the book, but all story and art will be complete. if an entire ad page is missing, the rating would drop to poor. types of damage that place a comic in the fr range include: a spine split up to 2/3 of the length of the book, missing back cover as long as the cover is still attached, severe water damage or debris damage, mold and paper deterioration by oxidation.
bad (pr) state
Comics in good condition may be missing up to 4 pages (two spreads) of story or ad pages, have completely split spines, or have severe damage that affects book readability.
a quick note on digital codes
Publishers may choose to include digital content codes in their comics. Except where otherwise noted, we cannot guarantee that the comics we sell contain valid, unused, or expired digital codes, and we cannot be held responsible if a publisher decides not to allow you to redeem such a code. furthermore, reasonable efforts to redeem this content (in particular, carefully removing a tag that covers the codes) are not considered to reduce the rating we would assign to the book.
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glossary of rating terms
- minor initials or date stamps (does not affect grade except at highest rank)
- names written on covers or in margins
- inside puzzles completed
- marker scribbles
- marks/colors on interior art
- writing indentations, where the ink or pencil has not touched the comic, but has used as a writing surface, so you can see the rough areas where the writing was dented.