How to grade your comic books

The next aspect to consider when grading your comic book is restoration. Restoration is common across many hobbies, and comic books are no exception. If you own comics from the 1930s through the 1960s, there's a good chance they may have undergone some form of amateur or professional restoration. However, restoration is rare in modern comics.

This is due to two main factors: older comic books are more likely to be valuable, and before comic collecting and grading became widespread, many people attempted to repair their comics—using techniques like color touch-ups or adding pieces—without realizing how it would impact future value (which is significantly affected).

There are various types of restoration, including color touch-ups (the most common), added pieces, reinforcement, and glue. While tape is not considered restoration, it does heavily impact the grade. If you're not experienced in detecting restoration, it can be challenging to identify. However, amateur color touch-ups might be easier to spot in some cases.

The next factor to discuss in comic book grading is page quality. How well-preserved are the pages of your comic? There are several designations used to describe page quality: white, off-white, cream, tan, slightly brittle, and brittle. Sometimes, a comic may have a combination of these, such as "off-white to white."

Page quality largely depends on how the comic was stored. If it was kept in a room with a stable, average temperature (and possibly in protective bags), the pages are more likely to remain in good condition. It's important to note that page quality generally does not directly impact the comic's grade unless the pages fall into the brittle or slightly brittle categories. If the pages are brittle, the grade will drop significantly, even if the rest of the book is near mint.

For most newer comics, page quality is typically off-white or better, with many being white. Page quality is more of a concern with older comics, especially those from the 1960s or earlier, as they are more likely to have issues related to long-term storage.

Now, suppose your comic book is complete but has some of the defects mentioned earlier—such as large tears, stains, water damage, or a splitting spine, possibly even all of these. How should you grade it?

A comic with all these defects, like the one pictured, would typically receive a grade of 1.0 to 1.5 from CGC or CBCS, even if it is otherwise complete.

If your comic has only one of these issues, the grade will largely depend on the severity of that particular defect. For instance, if there is a spine split, the grade will be influenced by the size of the split. Similarly, if a small piece is missing, the grade will depend on how significant the missing piece is.

To better understand how specific defects impact the grade, it's helpful to look at examples online. The grade a comic receives is greatly influenced by the cumulative effect of its defects.

So your comic book doesn't have any of the major defects mentioned earlier? Great! Now, let's consider less impactful defects, starting with folds and creases. Many older comics have these, and their presence can significantly affect the grade. For example, a single small 2-inch fold on an otherwise flawless comic could drop its grade to around 6.5 at best.

If your comic has several folds but no other major defects, it will likely fall within the 3.0 to 5.0 grade range. Folds and creases are common in older books, so most comics from the 1950s and 1960s tend to be in this grade range.

However, if your book only has one small crease, like the one pictured, and the rest of the book is in good condition, it still has the potential to receive a higher grade. While it won't reach a 9.8, it could still achieve an 8.0 or better, depending on the overall condition.

If your comic is free of creases and other major defects, it could potentially be a high-grade book. Many modern comics are likely to be in 8.0 or better condition, so now it's time to examine the smaller details, such as spine stress lines and corner conditions.

Let’s start with corners. These can be tricky because modern comics often have tiny tears at the corners, known as bindery tears. These are manufacturing issues rather than defects, so a comic with small bindery tears can still achieve a 9.8 grade.

Distinguishing between bindery tears and actual defects can be challenging, so it's helpful to look up examples online. The example pictured shows what appears to be a bindery tear that has worsened over time, which would lower the grade. Additionally, there is a small ding at the bottom of the book. Due to these two issues, the highest grade this comic could achieve is likely around 9.2.

The final defect to examine, and perhaps the most important due to its frequency, is spine stress lines. Even if your comic looks clean, it's crucial to inspect the spine closely for these. Spine stress lines are typically white, horizontal lines along the spine.

These lines can sometimes be difficult to spot under normal lighting, so using a flashlight and angling the book can help you detect them. If you notice white lines on the spine, the comic's grade will be reduced based on the number and severity of these stress lines.

A 9.8 grade is possible for a book with one very tiny spine stress line and perfect corners, but this isn’t guaranteed. A comic with 1-3 small stress lines typically drops to a 9.6 or 9.4, while a comic with 4-5 stress lines may be graded around 9.4 or 9.2. The final grade depends on the size of the lines, and no specific grade can be guaranteed. If the stress lines don’t break the color (meaning there’s no white), they might be able to be improved with a dry mount press.