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Grading Standards
MINT ( M or MT : 125% ~ 150% ; Overstreet 100-98 )
Near perfect in every way. Only the most subtle bindery or printing
defects are allowed. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Cover inks
are bright with high reflectivity and minimal fading. Corners are cut
square and sharp. Staples are generally centered and clean with no
rust. Cover is generally centered and firmly secured to interior pages.
Paper is supple and fresh. Spine is tight and flat. Yes, comics in
this grade do exist, but they are extremely rare for one simple reason
- this is the most subjective of all the grades. What qualifies as
Mint to one person may have a small, almost unnoticeable flaw that
downgrades it to Near Mint for someone else. Your typical comic in
the pull file or on the newsstand is _not_ in mint condition, but is
instead in near mint condition because of these extremely minor flaws.
NEAR MINT ( NM :100% , NM- : 90%; Overstreet 97-90 )
Nearly perfect. Cover is flat with no surface wear. Cover inks are
bright with high reflectivity and with a minimum of fading. Corners
are cut square and sharp with ever so slight blunting permitted.
Staples are generally centered and clean with no rust. Cover is well
centered and firmly secured to interior pages. Paper is supple and
like new. Spine is tight and flat.
Tears : None allowed.
Corner Bends : Only allowed if hardly noticeable.
Spine Stress Marks : Only allowed if hardly noticeable.
Staples : Tight, clean, no rust, and centered.
Writing : None allowed with the exception of autographs.
Rubber Stamps : None allowed.
Tape : None allowed.
Pieces Missing : None allowed with the exception of tips of pages
nicked during the production process.
Fingerprints : When noticeable they drop the comic down to Fine.
Water stains : None allowed.
Browning Paper : None allowed except in the instance of older
comics (such as a 12 cent comic) that may have
oxidized due to their extreme age. Even then,
it must be hardly noticeable.
Spine Rolling : None allowed.
Off-Center Printing : Only allowed if hardly noticeable.
Cover Scuff Marks : Only allowed if hardly noticeable.
VERY FINE ( VF+ :80% , VF : 70% , VF- : 60%; Overstreet 89-75 )
An excellent copy with outstanding eye appeal. Sharp, bright and
clean with supple pages. Pages and covers can be yellowish/tannish
(at the most) but not brown and will usually be off-white to white.
Light spine wear is permissible. Most comics from the past ten years
or so that have been well taken care of will fall somewhere is this
category.
Tears : Only very minor tears allowed - 1/8 inch.
Corner Bends : Slightly noticeable bends allowed.
Spine Stress Marks : Slightly noticeable ones allowed.
Staples : Clean, no rust, centered, but may be a bit loose.
Writing : None allowed with the exception of autographs.
Rubber Stamps : None allowed.
Tape : None allowed.
Pieces Missing : None allowed with the exception of tips of pages
nicked during the production process.
Fingerprints : When noticeable they drop the comic down a grade.
Solid color cover books or ones with a highly
reflective cover have problems with this.
Water stains : None allowed.
Browning Paper : None allowed except in the instance of older
comics (such as a 12 cent comic) that may have
oxidized due to their extreme age. Even then,
it must be hardly noticeable.
Spine Rolling : None allowed.
Off-Center Printing : Very slight deviance is allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Only allowed if hardly noticeable.
FINE ( F or FN, F+ : 55% , F : 50% , F- 45%; Overstreet 74-55 )
An exceptional, above average copy that shows minor wear but still
relatively flat, clean and glossy with no subscription crease or brown
margins. Typical defects include: light spine wear, minor surface
wear, a light crease, minor yellowing/tanning to interior pages.
Compared to a VF, cover inks are beginning to show a significant
reduction in reflectivity but is till highly collectable and desirable.
Tears : Only very minor tears allowed - 1/4 inch.
Corner Bends : Minor noticeable bends allowed.
Spine Stress Marks : Minor noticeable ones allowed.
Staples : Clean, no rust, centered, but may be a bit loose.
Writing : Very neat, small penciled prices on the interior
page of a comic allowed. Otherwise, not allowed.
Rubber Stamps : Allowed only in the case of international price
stamps or small blue star which shows that it
was sold at a Stars & Stripes newsstand at a
military base.
Tape : None allowed.
Pieces Missing : Only if less than 1/8 inch square.
Fingerprints : Fingerprints are allowed, but excessive or ugly
fingerprints can drop the grade to Very Good.
Water stains : None allowed with the exception of stains on the
back cover due to high humidity. No wrinkling or
warping allowed.
Browning Paper : Very light browning is allowed, but no brittleness.
Spine Rolling : Allowed only if very minor.
Off-Center Printing : Slight deviance is allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Light scuffing is allowed, but is minor. This
shows up mostly on comics with dark covers.
VERY GOOD ( VG+ : 40% , VG : 35% , VG- 30%; Overstreet 54-35 )
The average used comic book, that has not been taken care of by proper
handling and bag & boarding, most commonly found. The comic shows
moderate wear but eye appeal has not been reduced to the point that it
is not desirable. One or two minor markings on the cover or minor
spine roll are allowed. Lightly creased along spine or extremities,
subscription crease, loose centerfold, or minor chip or piece missing
allowed.
Tears : Several minor tears or one major tear allowed.
Corner Bends : Allowed.
Spine Stress Marks : Always allowed and is very evident.
Staples : Clean, no rust, centered, but may be loose, but
still must be joined to all the pages. No
tearing allowed.
Writing : Very neat, small penciled prices on the interior
page or cover of a comic allowed. Otherwise, not
allowed.
Rubber Stamps : International price stamps and small blue star
stamps are allowed. Name and store stamps are
allowed only if on back cover and done neatly.
Crooked stamps drop it a grade.
Tape : None allowed.
Pieces Missing : Allowed if smaller than the size of a postage
stamp and the comic is not too worn. Otherwise
a worn comic with a piece that size missing would
be Good.
Fingerprints : Fingerprints are allowed, except in the case that
they are caused by an external agent such as oil
on someones fingers.
Water stains : Only a small, single drop, water stain allowed
and only then if hardly noticeable.
Browning Paper : Browning is allowed, but no brittleness.
Spine Rolling : Allowed only if very minor.
Folds : The cover may have some folds, but the comic must
not have been bent in half.
Off-Center Printing : Allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Allowed, but is minor.
GOOD ( G+ : 25% , G : 20% , G- : 15%; Overstreet 34-15 )
This comic has all pages and covers, although there may be small rips
or tears. Commonly creased, scuffed, abraded, and soiled, but books
in this grade are completely readable. Paper quality is low, but not
brittle.
Tears : Tears are allowed short of the cover being torn
in half.
Corner Bends : Evident.
Spine Stress Marks : Spine can have some tears, usually around the
staples. Tears must be less than 1/4 inch.
Staples : Loose staples with some rust allowed.
Writing : All writing allowed except in excessive cases
where large magic markers are used or if it
detracts from the story in some way.
Rubber Stamps : Allowed unless excessive.
Tape : Allowed unless excessive such as duct tape.
Pieces Missing : 2 inch square pieces on cover, 3 inch square on
back, and 1 inch square from interior corners
allowed. Clipped coupons from back cover allowed,
but not from interior. Note, this is not the same
as coupons used to redeem "free" comic books.
Fingerprints : Allowed.
Water stains : Allowed unless excessive.
Browning Paper : Browning is allowed, and slightly brittle.
Spine Rolling : Allowed.
Folds : Allowed.
Off-Center Printing : Allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Allowed.
FAIR ( FR : 10%; Overstreet 14- 5 )
Very heavily read and soiled, but still complete. Damaged beyond
collectability for most collectors, brings 30 to 50 percent of the
good price.
Tears : Tears are allowed short of the cover being torn
in half.
Corner Bends : Evident.
Spine Stress Marks : Spine can have tears, usually around the
staples. Tears must be less than 1 inch.
Staples : Loose staples with rust allowed.
Writing : All writing allowed except in excessive cases
where large magic markers are used or if it
detracts from the story in some way.
Rubber Stamps : Allowed unless excessive.
Tape : Allowed unless excessive such as duct tape.
Pieces Missing : Missing pieces allowed, but the story is still
readable. Clipped coupons allowed.
Fingerprints : Allowed.
Water stains : Allowed unless excessive.
Browning Paper : Browning and brittleness allowed.
Spine Rolling : Allowed.
Folds : Allowed.
Off-Center Printing : Allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Allowed.
POOR ( PR : 5%; Overstreet 4 - 1 )
Sufficiently degraded so as to have little or no collector value.
Often severely stained, abraded, defaced, or damaged beyond
readability.
Tears : Allowed short of the book being torn in half.
Corner Bends : Evident.
Spine Stress Marks : Spine has tears.
Staples : Loose staples with rust allowed.
Writing : All writing allowed.
Rubber Stamps : Allowed.
Tape : Allowed.
Pieces Missing : Allowed.
Fingerprints : Allowed.
Water stains : Allowed.
Browning Paper : Brown and brittle.
Spine Rolling : Allowed.
Folds : Allowed.
Off-Center Printing : Allowed.
Cover Scuff Marks : Allowed.
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