I have hundreds of comic books for sale in my store. So, I'm thinking that many of my customers must be wondering how I determine the grade for each of my comics.  Fortunately, since I'm selling a large majority of my personal collection, many of my comic books for sale are in Very Fine or better condition. However,  I will run through the condition criteria that I use to judge condition. I hope that this guide will help you understand how I grade my comic books that I have for sale. Just a little background on myself. I have been collecting comic books for more than 20 years, so I have a lot of experience, and can't help to be a harsh critic when it comes time to judge condition.

Here is my grading criteria:

Mint- MT. This is a perfect comic book in every way. Its cover has full luster with sharp corners and white pages. There are no signs of wear or aging. It is not imperfectly printed or off center. It is rare for comic books to be so free of any defects.

CGC 10.0 Grade.

Near Mint-NM. This is a nearly perfect comic book. Its cover shows hardly any signs of wear. Its spine is tight, and its cover has only minor loss of luster. White to slightly off white pages. May have some slight printing defects. Some discoloration is acceptable in older comics-as are signs of aging.

CGC 9.4 Grade.


Very Fine-VF. Slight creases and wrinkles at the staples, but it is a flat, clean issue with tell tale signs of being read just a few times. There is some loss of the original sheen,overall, it's an attractive comic book that most collectors would value.

CGC 8.0 Grade


Fine- FN.This comic book's cover is worn but flat and clean with no writing. There's usually no writing on the cover or any tape repair. Stress line around the staples and more rounded corners are allowed.

CGC 6.0 Grade

Very Good: VG. Most of the original sheen is gone. There are minor markings, discoloration, and heavier stress lines around the staples and spine. The cover may have minor tears and/or corners creases, and spine rolling is seen.

CGC 4.0 Grade



Good: GD. Creases, minor tears, rolled spine, and cover flaking are permissible in this grade. Older Golden Age comic books often come in this condition.

CGC 2.0 Grade



Fair: FA. Copies may have a soiled, slightly damaged cover, a badly rolled spine, cover flaking, corners gone, and tears.Tape may be present and is always considered a defect.
CGC 1.0 Grade


Poor:P. Thrashed copy. A lot of major defects. Creases, Rolled Spine, Missing chunks from the front cover. Tears, wrinkled cover. May be suitable for a reading copy, but that's it. Not really a condition to have in your personal collection. None of my comics are in this condition. Copies may be in the process of disintegrating and may do so with even light handling.

CGC 0.5 Grade