starenterprizes web store FAQ section

GRADING A COMIC BOOK IS A VERY SUBJECTIVE THING. THIS MEANS WHAT IS MINT TO ONE PERSON MIGHT NOT BE MINT TO ANOTHER. EVERY CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO GIVE A FAIR AND ACCURATE GRADE TO THE COMICS FOR SALE. PLEASE NOTE THAT WE GRADE ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, SO COMICS MAY BE BETTER THAN THE GRADE WE HAVE GIVEN THEM. OUR COMICS ARE GRADED AND PRICED ACCORDING TO THE OVERSTREET COMIC BOOK PRICE GUIDE. The grade guideline follows below. 9.9 M I N T (9.9) MINT (MT) GRADE DESCRIPTION: Near perfect in every way. The overall look is "as if it was just purchased." BINDERY DEFECTS - Only subtle bindery or print allowed. No bindery tears. COVER/EXTERIOR - Flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity. Generally well centered and firmly secured to interior pages. Corners are cut square and sharp. No creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or other discoloration. SPINE - Tight and flat. No spine roll or split allow. STAPLES - Must be original, generally centered and clean with no rust. No staple tears or stress lines. PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper is white, supple and fresh. No hint acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is firmly secure. No interior tears. Comics published before 1970 in MINT condition are extremely scarce. (9.4) NEAR MINT (NM) GRADE DESCRIPTION: Nearly perfect with only minor imperfections that keep it from the next higher grade. The overall look is "as if it was just purchased from the newsstand and read once or twice." BINDERY DEFECTS - Subtle defects are allowed. Bindery tears must be less than I / I 6" on Silver Age and later books, although on Golden Age books bindery tears of up to 1 /4" have been noted. COVER/EXTERIOR - Flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with high reflectivity and a minimum of fading. Generally well centered and secured :: interior pages. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted. A 1 / 16" bend is permitted with no color break. No creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or other discoloration apart from slight foxing. , SPINE - Tight and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. STAPLES. Generally centered; may have slight discoloration. No staple tears are allowed; almost no stress lines. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only. vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is off. white to cream, supple and fresh. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is secure. Slight interior tears are allowed. Comics published before 1970 in NEAR MINT condition are scarce. This grade is commonly viewed by the average collector as the best grade obtainable. Collectors should thoroughly examine these books for restoration, partiallarly in the case of pre-1965 books. Expensive and key books listed as being in "high grade" frequently have some restoration. In most cases, restoration performed on otherwise NEAR MINT books will reduce the grade. A VERY FINE comic book cannot be transformed into a NEAR MINT comic book through restoration. 9.2 (9.2) NEAR MINT- (NM-) GRADE DESCRIPTION: Nearly perfect with only a minor additional defect or defects that keep it from Near Mint. The overall look is "as if it was just purchased and read once or twice." BINDERY DEFECTS - A limited number of minor defects are allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR - Flat with no surface wear. Inks are bright with only the slightest dimming of reflectivity. Generally well centered and secured to interior pages. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever so-slight blunting permitted. A 1 / 16"- 1 /8" bend is permitted with no color break. No creases. Small, inconspicuous, lightly penciled. stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable as long as they are in an unobtrusive location. No soiling, staining or other discoloration apart from slight foxing. SPINE - Tight and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. STAPLES - May show some discoloration. No staple tears are allowed;almost no stress lines. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is cream to off-white, supple and fresh. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is secure. Slight interior tears are allowed. (9.0) VERY FINE/NEAR MINT(VF/NM) GRADE DESCRIPTION: Nearly perfect with outstanding eye appeal. The overall look is as “if it was just purchased from the newsstand and read a few times”. BINDERY DEFECTS - A limited number of defects are allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR - Almost flat with almost imperceptible wear. Inks are bright with slightly diminished reflectivity. An 1/8’’bend is allowed if color is not broken. Corners are cut square and sharp with ever-so-slight blunting permitted but no creases. Several lightly penciled stamped or inked arrival dates are acceptable. No obvious soiling, staining. or other discoloration, except for very minor foxing. SPINE - Tight and flat. No spine roll or split allowed. STAPLES - Staples may show some discoloration. Only the slightest staple tears are allowed. A very minor accumulation of stress lines may be present if they are nearly imperceptible. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is off-white to cream and supple. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is secure. Very minor interior tears may be present. Collectors should thoroughly examine any such book for restoration particularly in the case of pre-1965 books. This is a crucial grade that is often misused when a book actually falls in either Very Fine or Near Mint. (8.5) VERY FINE+(VF+) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An almost near perfect copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp, bright and clean with supple pages. A comic book in this grade has the appearance of having been carefully handled. BINDERY DEFECTS - A limited accumulation of minor defects is allowed. One or two more than the Very Fine/Near Mint grade. COVER/EXTERIOR -Almost flat with slight surface wear, possibly including some wear at one of the corners. Inks are generally bright with high reflectivity. A 1 /8" -1/4" bend is acceptable if color is not broken. Accumulation of several lightly penciled, stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No obvious soiling, staining or other discoloration, except for very minor foxing. SPINE - Almost flat with no roll. Very minor color break allowed. STAPLES - Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and an accumulation of very minor lines may be present. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic is not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR: Paper is cream and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Very minor interior tears may be present. NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present. (8.0) VERY FINE (VF) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp, bright and clean with supple pages. A comic book in this grade has the appearance of having been carefully handled. BINDERY DEFECTS. A limited accumulation of minor defects is allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR. Relatively flat with minimal surface wear beginning to show, possibly including some minute wear at corners. Inks are generally bright with moderate to high reflectivity. An unnoticeable r/4" crease is acceptable if color is not broken. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No obvious soiling, staining or other discoloration, except for minor foxing. SPINE. Almost completely flat with a possible minor color break. STAPLES. Staples may show some discoloration. Very slight staple tears and a few almost insignificant stress lines may be present. No rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only . vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper is cream to tan and supple. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. (7.5) VERY FINE- (VF-) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An above average copy that shows very minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A slightly more wear than a Very Fine copy. Sharp, bright and clean with supple pages. A comic hook in this grade has the appearance of having been carefully handled. BINDERY DEFECTS - A slight accumulation of minor defects is allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR - Mostly flat with minimal surface begining to show, with slight yellowing or tanning allowed, possibly including some wear at corners. Inks are generally brigh slight to moderate reflectivity. 1 /4" to 1/2" bend with very slight color break allowed. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Minor foxing may be present. SPINE - Nearly flat with a possible minor to moderate color break allowed. STAPLES - Some discoloration allowed. Accumulation of slight staple tears and a few minor stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration allowed. In rare cases, a comic is not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR: Paper is light tan to cream and supple. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior tears in margin be present. NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present. (7 .0) FINE/VERY: FINE (F /VF) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with outstanding eye appeal. A comic book in this grade appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with care. BINDERY DEFECTS - A small accumulation of minor defects is allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR. Minor wear beginning to show, possibly including minor creases. Corners may be blunted. Inks are generally bright with a moderate reduction in reflectivity. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. No obvious soiling, staining or other discoloration, except for minor foxing. SPINE - The slightest roll may be present, as well as a possible moderate color break. STAPLES - Staples may show some discoloration. Slight staple tears and a small accumulation of light stress lines may be present. Slight rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is cream to tan, but not brown. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint. Centerfold is mostly secure. Minor interior teats at the margin may be present. (6.5)FINE+ (FN+) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Eye appeal is slightly reduced because of light surface wear and the accumulation of small defects, especially on the spine and edges. A FINE + comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care. BINDERY DEFECTS - Small to moderate accumulation of minor defects is allowed. One or two more than the Fine/Very Fine grade. COVER/EXTERIOR - Minimal to minor wear beginning to show possibly including some wear at corners. Inks show a moderate to major reduction in reflectivity. Blunted or abraded corners beginning to appear. Minor accumulation of creases are apparent. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. Slight discoloration, staining or foxing. SPINE - Slight to minor spine roll is allowed. There can also be a 1 /8" spine split or color break at spine. STAPLES - Staples show some discoloration. Slight to minor staple tears and a slight accumulation of minor stress lines may be present. Slight to minor rust migration. In rare cases, a comic is not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR: Paper is light tan to cream, not brown. Centerfold may be slightly loose. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present. (6.0) FINE (FN) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An above-average copy that shows minor wear but is still relatively flat and clean with no significant creasing or other serious defects. Eye appeal is somewhat reduced because of slight surface wear and the accumulation of small defects, especially on the spine and edges. A FINE condition comic book appears to have been read a few times and has been handled with moderate care. BINDERY DEFECTS - Some accumulation of minor defects is allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR. Minor wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases: Inks show a significant reduction in reflectivity. Blunted corners are more common, as is minor staining, soiling, discoloration, and/ or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. SPINE. A minor spine, roll is allowed. There can also be a 1 /4" spine split or severe color break. STAPLES - Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and a few slight stress lines may be present, as well as minor . rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has 'a missing staple; this is not consider_d a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper is tan to brown and fairly supple with . no signs of brittleness. No hint of acidity in the odor of the newsprint,. Minor interior tears at the margin may be present. Centerfold may be loose but not detached. FINE has historically been the most difficult grade to identify. It is the highest grade which allows a wide range of defects to occur. (5.0) VERY GOOD/FINE (VG/FN) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An above-average but well-used comic book. A comic in this grade shows some moderate wear; eye appeal is somewhat reduced because of the accumulation of defects. Still a desirable copy that has been handled with some care. BINDERY DEFECTS - An accumulation of defects is allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR - Minor to moderate wear apparent, with minor to moderate creases and/or dimples. Inks have moderate to low reflectivity. Blunted corners are increasingly common, as is minor to moderate staining, discoloration, and/or foxing. Stamped or inked arrival dates may be present. SPINE - A minor to moderate spine roll is allowed. A spine split of up to 1/2" may be present. STAPLES - Staples may show minor discoloration. Minor staple tears and minor stress lines may also be present, as well as minor rust migration. In rare cases, a comic was not stapled at the bindery and therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is tan to brown with no signs of brittleness. May have the beginning of an acidic odor. Centerfold may be loose but not detached. Minor interior tears may also be present. (5.5) FINE- (FN-) GRADE DESCRIPTION: An average to above average copy that shows moderate wear. appeal is somewhat reduced because of the accumulation of defects. Still a desirable copy that has been handled with some care. BINDERY DEFECTS - A moderate accumulation of defects allowed. COVER/EXTERIOR - Minor surface wear showing, with heightened yellowing or tanning allowed; wear at corners more common. Inks show major reduction in reflectivity. Minor to moderate creases with slight dimpling. Stamped or inked arrival dates allowed. Minor accumulation of discoloration, staining or foxing ma present. SPINE - A minor spine role is allowed. Spine can have a 1/4"-1/2" split or color break at spine. STAPLES - Staples show discoloration. Minor staple tears and accumulation of stress lines may be present as well as minor rust migration. In rare cases, a comic is not stapled at the bindery therefore has a missing staple; this is not considered a defect. Any staple can be replaced on books up to Fine, but only vintage staples can be used on books from Very Fine to Near Mint. Mint books must have original staples. PAPER/INTERIOR: Paper is brown to tan and fairly supple with no signs of brittleness. Centerfold is loose, but not detatched. Minor interior tears may be present. NOTE: Certain defects are allowed if other defects are not present. (4.0) VERY GOOD (VG) GRADE DESCRIPTION: The average used comic book. A comic in this grade shows some significant moderate wear, but still has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the point that it is not a desirable copy. COVER/EXTERIOR - Cover shows moderate to significant wear, and may be loose but not completely detached. Cover reflectivity is low. Can have moderate creases or dimples. Corners may be blunted. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Some discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor soiling is allowed. As much as a 1/4" triangle can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" square is also acceptable. Only minor unobtrusive tape arid other amateur repair allowed on otherwise high grade copies. SPINE: Moderate roll may be present and/or a I" spine split. STAPLES - Staples may be discolored. Minor to moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is brown but not brittle. A minor acidic odor can be detectable. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Comics in this condition are still desirable and collectable. The best known copies of some pre-1965 books are in VG condition. There are significant differences between this grade and GOOD; overgrading sometimes occurs. (3.0) GOOD /VERY GOOD (G/VG) GRADE DESCRIPTION: A used comic book showing some substantial wear. A copy in this grade has all pages and covers, although there may be small pieces missing. Still a reasonably desirable copy and completely readable. COVER/EXTERIOR - Cover shows significant wear, and may be loose or even detached at one staple. Cover reflectivity is very low. Can have a book-length crease and/or dimples. Corners may be blunted or even rounded. Store stamps, name stamps, arrival dates, initials, etc. have no effect on this grade. Discoloration, fading, foxing, and even minor to moderate soiling is allowed. A triangle from 1/4" to 1/2" can be missing out of the corner or edge; a missing 1/8" to 1/4" square is also acceptable. Tape and other amateur repair may be present. SPINE - Moderate roll likely. May have a spine split of anywhere from 1" to 1-1/2". STAPLES - Staples may be rusted or replaced. Minor to moderate staple tears and moderate stress lines may be present, as well as some rust migration. PAPER/INTERIOR - Paper is brown but not brittle. A minor to moderate acidic odor can be detectable. Centerfold may be loose or detached at one staple. Minor to moderate interior tears may be present. (2.0) GOOD (GD) GRADE DESCRIPTION: This grade shows substantial wear; often considered a "reading copy." Comics in this grade have all pages and covers, although there may be small pieces missing. Books in this grade are commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, soiled, but still completely readable. COVER/EXTERIOR. Cover shows significant wear and may even be detached. Cover reflectivity is low and in some cases_completely absent. Store stamp, name stamp, arrival date and initials are permitted. Book. length creases and dimples may be present. Rounded corners are more common. Moderate soiling, staining, discoloration and foxing may be present. The largest piece allowed missing from the front or back cover is usually a 1/2" triangle or a 1/4" square, although some Silver Age books such as 19605 Marvels have had the price corner box clipped from the top left front cover and may be considered Good if they would otherwise have graded higher. Tape and other forms of amateur repair are common in Silver Age and older books. SPINE. Roll is likely. May have up to a 2" spine split. STAPLES. Staples may be degraded, replaced or missing. Moderate staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as rust migration. . . PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper is brown but not brittle. A moderate acidic odor may be present. Centerfold may be loose or detached. Moderate interior tears may be present. Some of the most collectable comic books are rarely found in better than GOOD condition. Most collectors consider this the lowest collectable grade because comic books in lesser condition are often incomplete and/or brittle. Traditionally, collectors have sometimes found it difficult to differentiate this grade from the next lower grade, FAIR. This task can be simplified if one remembers that a comic book in GOOD condition can have a moderate to large accumulation of defects but still preserves readability. 1.0 F A I R (1.0) FAIR (FR) GRADE DESCRIPTION: A copy in this grade shows heavy wear. Some collectors consider this the lowest collectible grade because comic books in lesser condition are usually incomplete and/or brittle. Comics in this grade are usually soiled, faded, ragged and possibly unattractive. This is the last grade in which a comic remains generally readable. COVER/EXTERIOR - Cover may be detached, and inks have all reflectivity. Creases, tears and/or folds are prevalent. Corners are commonly rounded or absent. Soiling and staining is present. Books in this condition generally have all pages and most of the covers, although there may be up to 1 /4 of the front cover missing or no back cover, but not both. Tape and other forms of amateur,repair are more common. SPINE - Spine roll is more common; spine split can extend up 2/3 the length of the book. STAPLES - Staples may be missing or show rust and discoloration. An accumulation of staple tears and stress lines may be preset well as rust migration. PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper is brown and may show brittleness at the edges but not in the central portion of the pages. Acidic odor may be present. Accumulation of interior tears. Chunks may be missing. The centerfold may be missing if readability is generally preserved (although there may be difficulty). Coupons may be cut. Demand for comics in this grade from the 1930s through the 1960s is high, but FR books should be examined for brittleness. Some POOR condition books have missing pages replaced with pages from a different issue or title to give the appearance of FAIR book. (0.5) POOR (PR) GRADE DESCRIPTION: Most comic books in this grade have been sufficiently degraded to the point where there is little or no collector value; they are easily identified by a complete absence of eye appeal. Comics in this grade are brittle almost to the point of turning to dust with a touch, and are usually incomplete. COVER/EXTERIOR. Extreme fading may render the cover almost indiscernible. May have extremely severe stains, mildew or heavy cover abrasion to the point that some cover inks ,are indistinct/ absent. Covers may be detached with large chunks missing. Can have extremely ragged edges and extensive creasing. Corners are rounded or virtually absent. Covers may have been defaced with paints, varnishes, glues, oil, indelible markers or dyes, and may have suffered heavy water damage. Can also have extensive amateur repairs such as laminated covers. SPINE - Extreme roll present; can have extremely ragged spines or a complete book-length split. STAPLES - Staples can be missing or show extreme rust and discoloration. Extensive staple tears and stress lines may be present, as well as extreme rust migration. PAPER/INTERIOR. Paper exhibits moderate to severe brittleness (where the comic book literally falls apart when examined). Extreme acidic odor may be present. Extensive interior tears. Multiple pages, including the centerfold, may be missing that affect readability. Coupons may be cut. COVERLESS COMICS - The exception to the "not collectible in "POOR" rule. Many collectors want clean, readable, coverless comics that are priced fairly. Coverless copies of key and/or rare comics are often in demand by collectors. these enthusiasts also seek coverless comics to retrieve centerfolds, first wraparounds. coupons and even staples in order to restore other copies of the same or a similar incomplete comic. INCOMPLETE/UNCOLLECTABLE . At the very bottom of the range, comics with the absolute maximum number of. defects, heavy degradation. and significant portions of the book missing might not even be considered Poor any longer, but may be termed "incomplete." These books are so ruined as to be rendered unreadable and virtually uncollectable.