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As one might expect, GotaWiz's
grading standards are heavily influenced by the Overstreet standards,
which are the most universally recognized, and by other authorities on the
grading process. Thus the
MINT
(MT) CONDITION (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 it tight and flat.
NEAR
MINT (NM) CONDITION (Overstreet 97-90):
A nearly perfect copy with only minor imperfection allowed. A comic falls
into this condition range if it meets all the following standards...
 | NM - Tears: None. |
| NM - Corner Bends : Only if hardly noticeable.
| NM - Spine Stress Marks: Only is very minor/hardly
noticeable and very few.
| NM - Staples: Must be tight, clean, and centered with
no rust.
| NM - Writing: No writing except for autographs.
| NM - Rubber Stamp Imprints: None on cover or inside.
| NM - Tape: None of any type.
| NM - Pieces Missing: No pieces missing except for
tips of pages nicked during the production process. Note that we
include "Marvel chipping" under this definition, a
phenomenon well known to the collectors of early 1960's Marvel comics.
| NM - Fingerprints: If they can be seen, condition
drops to Fine or Very Good.
| NM - Water Stains: None.
| NM - Browning of Paper: No browning is acceptable
except for older comics--generally those with cover prices 20c or
older. Even then, only a modest color change is acceptable.
| NM - Rolled Spine: None.
| NM - Off-Center Printing: Acceptable if only to a
minor degree.
| NM - Cover Scuff Marks: Must be very, very limited
and hardly noticeable. |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
VERY
FINE (VF) CONDITION (Overstreet 89-75):
An exceptional 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 often be off white to white. Light spine
wear is acceptable. A comic falls into this condition range if it meets
all the following standards...
| VF - Tears: None |
| VF - Corner Bends : Slightly noticeable allowed.
| VF - Spine Stress Marks: Slightly noticeable allowed.
| VF - Staples: May be a bit loose, but must be clean,
centered with no rust.
| VF - Writing: No writing except for autographs.
| VF - Rubber Stamp Imprints: None on cover or inside.
| VF - Tape: None of any type.
| VF - Pieces Missing: No pieces missing except for
tips of pages nicked during the production process. Note that we
include "Marvel chipping" under this definition, a
phenomenon well known to the collectors of early 1960's Marvel comics.
| VF - Fingerprints: If they can be seen, condition
drops to Fine or Very Good.
| VF - Water Stains: None.
| VF - Browning of Paper: No browning is acceptable
except for older comics--generally those with cover prices 20c or
older. Even then, only a modest color change is acceptable.
| VF - Rolled Spine: None.
| VF - Off-Center Printing: Acceptable if only to a
minor degree.
| VF - Cover Scuff Marks: Only allowed if very limited
and hardly noticeable. |
| | | | | | | | | | | |
FINE
(FN) CONDITION (Overstreet 74-55):
An exceptional, above average copy that show minor wear but still is
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 the comic remains highly collectible and desirable. A comic falls into
this condition range if it meets all the following standards...
| FN - Tears: None
| FN - Corner Bends : Minor noticeable bends allowed.
| FN - Spine Stress Marks: Minor noticeable stress
marks allowed.
| FN - Staples: May be a bit loose, but must be clean,
centered with no rust.
| FN - Writing: No writing except for autographs on
cover. Very minor pencil note on interior OK such as a seller's old
pricing.
| FN - Rubber Stamp Imprints: None on cover or inside.
| FN - Tape: None of any type.
| FN - Pieces Missing: No pieces missing except for
tips of pages nicked during the production process. Note that we
include "Marvel chipping" under this definition, a
phenomenon well known to the collectors of early 1960's Marvel comics.
| FN - Fingerprints: There can be finger prints, but if
excessive or distracting (ugly), they drop their grade to Very Good.
| FN - Water Stains: None.
| FN - Browning of Paper: Very slight browning is
acceptable, but there can be no brittleness in paper.
| FN - Rolled Spine: None.
| FN - Off-Center Printing: Slight deviance is
acceptable.
| FN - Cover Scuff Marks: Light scuffing is allowed,
but must be minor. You'll see this defect more often on comics with
dark covers. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
VERY
GOOD (VG) CONDITION (Overstreet 54-35):
Generally, this condition represents the average used comic book, one that
has not been taken care of. These comics show moderate wear but eye appeal
has not been reduced to the point that the comic ceases to be collectible.
One or two minor markings on the cover or minor spine roll are allowed.
These comics may be lightly creased along the spine or other edges, or
have a minor piece or pieces missing. A comic falls into this condition
range if it meets all the following standards...
| VG - Tears: Several minor tears or one major tear up
to an inch in length.
| VG - Corner Bends: Allowed if not excessive.
| VG - Spine Stress Marks: Always allowed and can be
very evident.
| VG - Staples: Clean, centered with no rust, but may
be loose, but still must be joined to all pages. No tearing at staples
acceptable.
| VG - Writing: No writing except for autographs on
cover. Very minor pencil note on cover or interior OK such as a
seller's old pricing.
| VG - Rubber Stamp Imprints: None on cover. Name and
store stamp are allowed on back cover if done in reasonably neat way.
| VG - Tape: None of any type.
| VG - Pieces Missing: No pieces missing except for
tips of pages nicked during the production process. Note that we
include "Marvel chipping" under this definition, a
phenomenon well known to the collectors of early 1960's Marvel comics.
| VG - Fingerprints: There can be finger prints.
| VG - Water Stains: Only a small, single drop, water
stain allowed and only then if barely noticeable.
| VG - Browning of Paper: Browning is acceptable, but
there can be no brittleness in paper.
| VG - Rolled Spine: Only if very minor.
| VG - Folds: The cover may have some folds, but the
comic must not have been bent in half.
| VG - Off-Center Printing: Allowed
| VG - Cover Scuff Marks: Must be minor. |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
GOOD
(GD) CONDITION (Overstreet 34-15):
Comics in this condition have all pages and covers, although there may be
small rips or tears. These still very readable copies are commonly
creased, scuffed, abraded, and soiled. Paper quality is low, but not
brittle. A comic falls into this condition range if it meets all the
following standards...
| GD - Tears: Extensive tear acceptable, or several
that together equal a major tear.
| GD - Corner Bends : Allowed and fairly to very
evident.
| GD - Spine Stress Marks: Spine can have some tears,
usually occurring around the staples. These tears must be less than ¼
inch.
| GD - Staples: Staples may be loose and may show some
rust.
| GD - Writing: Most writing acceptable, even on cover,
but not if excessive (Magic Marker, for example) or otherwise
distracting from story readability.
| GD - Rubber Stamp Imprints: Allowed on covers and
interior if not excessive.
| GD - Tape: Only is a very small piece or two. Must be
clear tape.
| GD - Pieces Missing: May have a postage stamp-sized
piece missing from cover and/or interior piece missing of same size.
NOTE: This does not apply to insert coupons (not a part of the regular
comic) that were intended for the redemption of a free comic or other
publisher offer. These may be missing altogether.
| GD - Fingerprints: There can be finger prints.
| GD - Water Stains: Acceptable if not excessive.
| GD - Browning of Paper: Browning is allowed, but
paper may be only slightly brittle,
| GD - Rolled Spine: Allowed.
| GD - Folds: Allowed
| GD - Off-Center Printing: Allowed
| GD - over Scuff Marks: Allowed |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
FAIR
(FR) CONDITION (Overstreet 14-5):
Comics in this condition are very heavily read and soiled, but still
complete. Damaged beyond collectible for many collectors but not all, fair
comics typically bring 30 to 50 percent of the good price, but can command
more where better condition copies are not available at affordable prices.
A comic falls into this condition range if it meets all the following
standards...
| FR - Tears: Very extensive tear acceptable, or
multiple tears that together equal one or two major tear.
| FR - Corner Bends : Can be very obvious.
| FR - Spine Stress Marks: Spine can have some tears,
usually occurring around the staples. These tears must be less than
one inch.
| FR - Staples: Staples may be loose and may have rust
| FR - Writing: Most writing acceptable, even on cover,
but not if excessive (Magic Marker, for example) or otherwise
distracting from story readability.
| FR - Rubber Stamp Imprints: Allowed on covers and
interior if not excessive.
| FR - Tape: May be taped if not excessive or tape type
inherently inappropriate such as masking tape or (yuk!) duct tape!
| FR - Pieces Missing: Pieces of cover and even
interior, including a coupon, may be missing so long as story remains
readable.
| FR - Fingerprints: There can be finger prints.
| FR - Water Stains: Acceptable if not excessive.
| FR - Browning of Paper: May be both brown and
brittle.
| FR - Folds: Allowed
| FR - Off-Center Printing: Allowed
| FR - Cover Scuff Marks: Allowed |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
POOR
(PR) CONDITION (Overstreet 4-1):
Comics in this condition have an aggregate of defects so extensive as to
render them all but uncollectible in most cases. Poor comics are often
severely stained, abraded, deface, or otherwise damaged so as to be almost
unreadable, but even a poor copy can be sought by readers an even
collectors when better condition copies are not available at affordable
prices. Lone Star Comics has in the past described poor copies as
"looking like a truck ran over them," and this is a description
that is often apt. A comic falls into this condition range if it meets all
the following standards...
| PR - Tears: Allowed, short of the comic being turn in
half.
| PR - Corner Bends : Usually very evident.
| PR - Spine Stress Marks: Spine can have some tears,
usually occurring around the staples. These tears must be less than
one inch.
| PR - Staples: Staples may be loose or disconnected
from book to some degree and may have rust
| PR - Writing: Most writing acceptable, even on cover,
but not if excessive (Magic Marker, for example) or otherwise
distracting from story readability.
| PR - Rubber Stamp Imprints: Allowed on covers and
interior if not excessive.
| PR - Tape: May be taped if not excessive or tape type
inherently inappropriate such as masking tape or (yuk!) duct tape!
| PR - Pieces Missing: Pieces of cover and even
interior may be missing so long as story remains readable. Coupons may
be clipped out.
| PR - Fingerprints: There can be finger prints.
| PR - Browning of Paper: May be both brown and
brittle.
| PR - Rolled Spine: Allowed.
| PR - Folds: Allowed
| PR - Off-Center Printing: Allowed
| PR - Cover Scuff Marks: Allowed |
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