Mint
(CGC:
10-9.8)
(Overstreet:
100-98)
(Abbreviated
as MT)
This
grade is the most misused of all the comic book grades. Many people
want their comic book to be better than it is, but few attain this
high of a mark. Those comics that do, especially CGC graded books,
can attain the highest possible market value that is out there. This
will only happen if there is a market for your comic though. Most
copies of Youngblood, West Coast Avengers, and X will never do as
well as a highly sought after Spider-Man, Batman, or other mainstream
comic book.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Mint” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
There
should be no creases.
The
cover should have no fading and look like new.
The
comic should lie flat and not roll or have curves.
The
Spine
The
Spine should be straight with no rolling.
Staples
should be like new and not rusted.
The
Pages
There
should be no tears or cuts.
The
color should be bright with no discoloration, or fading.
There
should be no stains or marks.
Autographs
are acceptable.
Overall:
The
Comic should look as if it came fresh from the store.
Near
Mint
(CGC:
9.8-9.0)
(Overstreet:
97-90)
(Abbreviated
as NM)
Most
new comic books will fall into this category. When buying new comics,
be sure to go through them and pick out the best one. That crease
will turn a Mint comic into a Near Mint.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Near Mint” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
There
should be no creases.
The
cover should have no fading.
The
comic should lie flat and not roll or have curves.
The
cover may be slightly off center.
The
Spine
The
Spine should be straight with no rolling.
Staples
should be like new and not rusted.
Minor
bindery tears are acceptable no more than 1/16th of an inch.
The
Pages
Only
minor fading is allowed.
There
should be no stains or marks.
There
should be no tears or cuts.
Overall:
The
comic should look like new.
Very
Fine
(CGC:
9.0-7.0)
(Overstreet:
89-75)
(Abbreviated
as VF)
Beware
if any older comic book is graded above this mark. Due to the nature
of paper, discoloration is expected over time. Even then, for an
older comic to be in the “Very Fine” category it needs to be
pretty exceptional. Buyer beware.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Very Fine” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
The
cover should be mostly flat but may have some wear.
The
colors of the cover may be slightly faded.
Corners
may be slightly creased.
The
Spine
May
have slight wear.
The
spine should be flat, but some lines may be visible.
The
Pages
May
have minor printing and binding defects.
The
pages may be yellowish in color.
There
should be no stains or major discoloration.
Overall:
The
comic should still look good with only minor
imperfections.
Fine
(CGC:
7.0-5.0)
(Overstreet:
74-55)
(Abbreviated
as FN)
The
above average comic book. This might be a C or C+ comic book. Comics
that have a lower grade than this are starting to show major signs of
wear and tear.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Fine” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
There
will probably be minor wear.
Minor
creasing is acceptable.
The
corners may be blunted.
The
Spine
The
staples may have some discoloration.
Minor
creases are OK.
The
spine may have a roll to it.
The
PagesThere
may be minor tears on the edges.
Very
Good
(CGC:
5.0-3.0)
(Overstreet:
54-35)
(Abbreviated
as VG)
This
is the top of the bottom. Comics in this grade and lower will start
to see more and more wear.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Very Good” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
My
have a large amount of wear including creases, fading, and
discoloration.
A
better copy with a piece of the cover missing will fall into this
category.
The
cover may have a price sticker or date sticker.
The
Spine
The
spine may be rolled.
The
staples may have rust.
The
Pages
The
pages may be brown in color.
A
finer copy with a tear repaired with tape.
May
have minor printing defects.
Overall:
A
very average used comic book.
Good
(CGC:
3.0-1.5)
(Overstreet
14-5)
(Abbreviated
as GD)
A
below average comic book. For a comic book to be in this grade it may
have major defects, but must still be readable. Most new comics in
this condition will have little to no value.
For
a comic book to be considered, “Good” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
A
detached cover is acceptable.
Creases,
fading and major discoloration available.
Minor
tears and folds.
Coupons
may be cut from the cover.
The
Spine
The
staples may discolored, rusted, or even absent.
Creases
and minor tears permitted.
The
Pages
May
have some obvious types of repair such as tape.
The
color of the pages may be brown.
The
pages should not be brittle.
There
may be small bits of the comic missing.
There
may be stains and other defects of the pages.
Overall:
A
below average comic book.
Fair
(CGC:
1.5-1.0)
(Overstreet
14-5)
(Abbreviated
as FR)
For
a comic book to be considered, “Fair” it needs to meet the
following criteria:
The
Cover
The
cover may be detached from the comic.
There
may large amounts of wear including fading, discoloration, and
stains.
Coupons
may be cut from the cover.
Less
than 1/12 of the cover missing is accepted.
The
Spine
Major
wear accepted.
Staples
may be missing.
The
spine may be split up to 2/3rds of the cover.
The
Pages
The
pages are often faded, discolored, torn, or stained, but must still
be readable.
Most
of the page should not be brittle.
Overall:
Near
the bottom of the barrel. Comics in this condition are still
readable. Pages missing from the comic are not acceptable.