Comic book condition examples

Due to the nature of paper, discoloration is expected over time. Minimum prices are for complete, but poor condition books. This is the equivalent of mint condition in numismatics. Just keep in mind to communicate clearly with your artist and letterer, here are some guidelines to follow. An exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. Its necessary to determine an accurate appraisal value. The more you grade, the more effective a grader you will become. Is there writing on it, are there tears or discoloration. Because this margin is unsupported by the interior pages it is more susceptible to damage. I use a template provided by comic experience, but there are plenty of options for you if you want to choose another. A floppy comic is also known as an american comic book. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when it left the. It can refer to an issue, but it usually refers to a standalone story comic run. For example, fine very fine or abbreviated fnvf denotes that book.

How to determine your comic books condition sparkle. The term run can refer to multiple things in big 2 comics. Almost all comics are the result of a character who wants something but is unable to get itfrom villains trying to rule the world and heroes trying to save it to a young girl looking to figure out her complex political environment persepolis. Examples of comic characters include batman, captain america, nightwing. Writing a graphic novel or comic book script meraki. Knowing your comic book s condition is very useful. Comic book definition is a magazine containing sequences of comic strips usually hyphenated in attributive use. A spine split of up to 23 the length of the book, a missing back cover provided the front cover is still attached, severe water damage or residue damage, mold, and paper deterioration due to oxidation. Science fiction, fantasy, and adventure comics are usually very desirable as well. Aaron albert, a collector of and an expert on comic books, has studied, taught, and written about the comic book genre for more than 20 years. An extremely exceptional comic with only very minute printing or bindery defects.

Comic book grading learn the scale and how to apply it. While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you learn about comic values, this third book in our new how to line teaches you the importance of condition a factor that is often the key to real collectability and how to grade accurately. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the. In addition to the physical condition of a comic, value is determined by its rarity and marketability. Practicing grading with books of various conditions will help you to better see the nuances between, for example, fine and very fine. Comic book condition examples for eightyeye samurai 300 sub.

This is why its important to have a firm handle on grading comics. Now that i had all my ducks in a row, i once again started writing. The term grade is used to describe what condition a comic book is in. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the. The book is new, unread, and unused in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. For example, a couple of pieces of tape were used to hold on the cover, a dab of dads wood glue was. Comic book definition of comic book by merriamwebster. It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in. You have your characters, and they have a problem the joker is on the loose, the avengers broke up, scott pilgrim got dumped.

Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness where the comic book literally falls apart when examined. The best possible existing condition of a comic book. Graphic novel is a term whose definition is hard to pin down, but usually refers to selfcontained, booklength form. Comic book definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Over guide when a comic book is priced at a value over guide list. Comic book grading is the process of determining the grade or condition of a. If exceptional in other areas, could have six of the following at least three must be 116 or less in size and the remaining must be must be 18 in size or less, small spine stress, slight corner blunting, miniscule tear, miniscule color flake. Some would have its use restricted only to longform narratives, while at the other extreme are people who use it as a synonym for comics or comic book. Its necessary to know if the way youre storing it is appropriate. An examination of life and work of comic book artist eli katz.

List of terms for comics studies by andrei molotiu. Graphic novel is a term whose definition is hard to pin down, but usually refers to selfcontained, book length form. Mar 25, 2018 comic book condition examples of what im willing to buy spoilers. Books in this condition pre1980 are virtually nonexistent.

Some examples are amazing mystery funnies, funny pages, planet, mystery in space, strange adventures, space detective, and a galaxy of. Therefore being able to correctly determine the grade of a comic is an important skill for buyers and sellers alike. Just remember that grading is the overall condition of the book. This is the typical condition of a nice newstand mint comic book. As comic book sales continued to drop during the 1950s, production values were lowered resulting in cheaply printed comics. This might be a little late for the folks interested in participating in the sequentially ever after contest, but then, theres still time to submit a script, and that is, of course, an acceptable entry. The same as tan to offwhite, but the center of the pages are darker. Sell my comic books presents a basic guide to comic book grading. Mar 25, 2020 create round, flawed, and exciting characters.

A floppy is a generalized term for a short floppy comic. Ill keep adding to this list as i get new submissions from my blog and twitter special thanks to cattlebattle for my favorite quote so far list items. Similar to light tan to offwhite pages, but the edges of the pages are darker. Only very minute printing and bindery defects or the most barely noticeable handling defects present. An example would be, you have a book that is without doubt a nm 9. There is no industry standard for a comic book script. It pays to become familiar with the basic descriptive terms used by used and rare booksellers to communicate. Who is the the closet human in real life to achieve peak human condition like in comics. A comic book in fr condition may have nonstory elements such as coupons. The set of terms below were proposed in 1949 by ab bookmans weekly. Many atlas and marvel comics have chipping along the trimmed edges marvel chipping, which reduces the number of surviving high grade copies even more.

Beware if any older comic book is graded above this mark. Yes, im no expert at the comic book grading scale, i wouldnt know a 9. They were adopted by the bookselling community and are still in use today. Determining a comic books condition is very subjective and more of an art than a science. An analysis of there not being a point in beating around the bush.

The best grade a comic book can achieve with this page quality is 7. When considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. Lets show you some examples, so you can understand what your books. Comic book condition examples for eightyeye samurai 300. While the overstreet comic book price guide helps you learn about comic values, this third book in our new how to line teaches you the importance of condition a factor that is often the key to real collectability and how to grade accurately the overstreet guide to grading comics includes.

Comic book grading examples grading comic books is both an art and a science. The cover has no visible wear, and the dust jacket if applicable is included for hard covers. This is intended to be a basic guide so that you have a general idea of the grade of your books for pricing purposes. A book in poor condition will be worth far less than the same book in fine condition. Each article includes the historical record price achieved for each book at auction, and the minimum yours is worth if youve found one.

Here are some tips and guidelines to help you through the process. Types of damage that place a comic in fr range include. For this reason, high grade copies are extremely rare. Donate comic books from the platinum age, golden age, silver age, bronze age, or modern age to charity and take back some closet space. Comic book condition examples of what im willing to buy spoilers. The overstreet guide to grading comics latest edition. The slightest bindery defects andor printing flaws may be seen only upon very close inspection. Determining a comic book s condition is very subjective and more of an art than a science. Even then, for an older comic to be in the very fine category it needs to. As new means that the book is in the state that it should have been in when it left the publisher.

Prices on these rare golden age comics can range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand depending on the condition. Slabbing refers to the preservation method that some people do after a comic book is graded where the comic will be encased in hard plastic in order to keep it in the same condition. Characters drive plots in almost all great movies, comics, and books. Tolkien when considering the purchase of a book for your collection, the condition and, if applicable, the dust jacket are the most important factors affecting the value. As longtime users of nostomania know, the value of a comic depends strongly on grade. A comic must be relatively complete to be successfully restored. I had created a plotdriven story without knowledge about character arc, theme, or a threeact structure. The tax deduction rewards far outweigh having to sell the comic book collection yourself, and the proceeds benefit families in need across america. Some basic descriptive terms are used by booksellers to communicate book condition. It is very rare especially in older comic books pre1990 to discover a comic in either mint or gem mint condition. You can think of the grade of a comic book like a grade on a report card.

It is very rare, especially in older vintage comic books, to discover a comic in these grades as they are virtually nonexistent. A comic book in fr condition may have nonstory elements such as coupons, ad pages, or marvel value stamps cut or torn out of the book. There are several more comic books out there that can maximize your profits if found in the right condition. Comics kept in damp environments like basements often degrade faster. They refer to it as a slab as the comic starts resemble a plastic brick after the process. The best possible existing condition of that comic book.

Introduce a problem, fail to solve it, and then resolve the problem with a surprise to create an instant plot. There are grades in between these basic grades such as finevery fine, but we want this to be a general easytofollow comic grading guide for the. A comic book is a magazine that contains stories told in pictures. The worlds largest collectibles auctioneer comic books, vintage comics, original and. Each page is a loving tribute to a comic book that sikoryak loves or respects sikoryak hasnt just thrown the text at random pictures. A spine split of up to 23 the length of the book, a missing back cover provided the front cover is still attached, severe water damage or residue damage. Dark colored pages that exhibit a uniform tint from edges to middle. Truly mint condition comics, even from as recently as the 1980s, are very hard to come by. These are just a few examples that highlight the gross disparity between 9. Writing a graphic novel or comic book script when i first started writing a comic book script, i must admit i put the cart before the horse. How to determine your comic books condition sparkle city. How do you know if a comic book is very fine condition.

Comic is complete with cover and all pages attached. Although the grading of books is not a precise science, collectors should familiarize themselves with these terms. Some of the most important and rare comic books to be published in the golden age appeared as part of allamerican comics full article. While most comics in this grade will have almost no value, a coverless copy of a key book may command very high prices. In really nice condition, any issue of this rare comic book series is worth good money. This discoloration can be worsened by the storage condition of the comic. While we cannot guarantee that a book graded twice will receive the same grade. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade.

A condition where the left edge of the comic book curls toward the front or back, caused by folding back each page to the back as the comic was read, rolling it for carrying around, or sometimes by being stored flat and stacked with other comics. This is an exceptional example of a given book the best ever seen. Find the value of your comic books using our comic price guide articles below. A guide to book conditions the hobbit first edition by j. The overall look is as if it has never been handled or released for purchase. Oct 02, 2017 knowing your comic books condition is very useful. A high grade, like an a or mint, is good, while a low grade, like an f or poor, is bad. The discussion of the various systems of comicbook production has been put together from numerous pieces of evidence, including but not limited to comicsindustry lore, statements by comics creators, letter columns, and the analysis of production materials, including scripts, original art, coloring guides, and color separations. Since 1970, the name overstreet has symbolized a vast knowledge of american comic books. Overcover condition common in 1950s comic books where the cover extends approximately one sixteenth of an inch beyond the interior pages.