How I Grade Comics | |||
| M | Mint | This is a perfect comic. Its cover has full luster, with its edges sharp and its pages like new. There are no signs of wear or aging. It is not imperfectly printed nor markedly off-center. | |
| NM | Near Mint | This is a nearly perfect comic. Its cover shows barely perceptible signs of wear. Its spine is tight, and its cover has only minor loss of luster and only minor printing defects. Some discoloration is acceptable in older comics--as are signs of aging. | |
| VF | Very Fine | This is a nice comic with beginning signs of wear. There can be slight creases and wrinkles at the staples, but it is a flat, clean issue with definite signs of being read a few times. There is some loss of original gloss, but it is in general an attractive comic. | |
| Fine | Fine | This comic book's cover is worn but flat and clean with no defacement. There is no cover writing or tape repair. Stress lines around the staples and more rounded corners are permitted. It is a good-looking issue at first glance. | |
| VG | Very Good | This well-read issue has most of its original gloss gone. There are minor markings, discoloration, and/or heavier stress lines around the staples and spine. The cover may have minor tears or corner creases, and spine-rolling is permissible. These comics have problems but are nice. | |
| G | Good | This is a complete or very worn comic with nothing missing. Creases, minor tears, rolled spine, and cover flaking are permissible--but there is no tape or browned pages. | |
| Fair | Fair | This comic book may have a soiled, slightly damaged cover, badly rolled spine, cover faking, corners gone, tears, and the like. It is an issue with multiple problems but it is intact. Tape may be present. | |
| P | Poor | This is a reading copy of last resort. It may have a detatched front and/or back cover but all the pieces are there however wrinkled, dirty, moldy, smelly, or torn. | |
| C | Coverless | This category is primarily for coverless comics, but also includes comics defaced by writing, drawing, coloring, or cutting. | |
| + indicates slightly better - indicates slightly worse | |||