| CARD GRADING
We adhere to the Beckett system of grading, with categories of condition that correspond to numbers from 1-10. We take into account centering, surface, corners, and edges. You can find detailed descriptions of how these elements are evaluated in the larger Beckett guides (Baseball Card Price Guide, Baseball Almanac). We do not assign a number to a grade in our listings unless it has been given one by a professional service and the card is in a plastic holder. The system below is widely used by dealers and collectors. Sometimes, a "+" will be added to a grade (NM+) for more specific detail, and this would equal a ".5" higher than the original grade (7.5).
PRISTINE GEM MINT (GEM MT) 10
MINT (MT) 9
NEAR MINT-MINT (NM-MT) 8
NEAR MINT (NM) 7
EXCELLENT-MINT (EX-MT) 6
EXCELLENT (EX) 5
VERY GOOD-EXCELLENT (VG-EX) 4
VERY GOOD (VG) 3
GOOD (G) 2
POOR (P) 1
The accumulation of defects, or lack thereof, is what determines the grade, and therefore the value. If you have a question about a card's grade, or our photo is hard to see clearly, please feel free to contact us for more information.
COMIC GRADING
We follow the Overstreet system for grading comic books, which is a point system from 1-10 with the very highest grades broken down into fractions (9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8, 9.9). Factors that contribute to a comic's grade are surface and corner wear, spine and staple condition, page coloring, and manufacturer defects. Each number grade is assigned a descriptive abbreviation, such as "FN" for "Fine" or "VF" for "Very Fine". A comic's overall grade reflects the number and degree of its defects.
Additionally, an extra .5 may be added to a grade if it has an exceptional quality within its grade, like really great corners on an otherwise VG book. Here are the various grades from 1-10:
10: GM (Gem Mint)
9.9: MT (Mint)
9.8: NM/MT (Near Mint/Mint)
9.6: NM+ (Near Mint Plus)
9.4: NM (Near Mint)
9.2: NM- (Near Mint Minus)
9.0: VF/NM (Very Fine/Near Mint)
8.5: VF+ (Very Fine Plus)
8: VF (Very Fine)
7.5: VF- (Very Fine Minus)
7: FN/VF (Fine/Very Fine)
6.5: FN+ (Fine Plus)
6: FN (Fine)
5.5: FN- (Fine Minus)
5: VG/FN (Very Good/Fine)
4.5: VG+ (Very Good Plus)
4: VG (Very Good)
3.5: VG- (Very Good Minus)
3: GD/VG (Good/Very Good)
2.5: GD+ (Good Plus)
2: GD (Good)
1.5: FR/GD (Fair/Good)
1: FR (Fair)
.5: PR (Poor)
Most of the books we offer are not graded and "slabbed" (encased in plastic) by the CGC. We prefer to present high quality books that can still be read and enjoyed for the art and stories. You may decide to get a comic graded to protect its value, or keep it "raw" so you can enjoy it for aesthetic reasons.
Feel free to email if you have questions about a particular grade or comic. | 
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