Comic book collecting
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WackyBoots
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'''Comic book collecting''' is a [[hobby]] that treats [[comic books]] and related items as [[collectible]]s or [[Visual arts|artwork]] to be sought after and preserved. Though considerably more recent than the collecting of [[postage stamp]]s ([[philately]]) or [[book]]s ([[bibliophilia]]), it has a major following around the world today and is partially responsible for the increased interest in comics after the temporary slump experienced during the 1980s. Among comics [[fandom]], the study of comics as a medium and an artform are sometimes referred to (individually or collectively) as '''panelology''' and people who collect comic books are known as '''pannapictagraphists'''.
==Overview==
Comics are collected for several possible reasons, including appreciation, nostalgia, financial profit, and completion of the collection. The [[comic book]] came to light the [[pop culture]] arena in the 1930s due to the popularity of [[superhero]] characters [[Superman]], [[Batman]], and [[Captain Marvel (DC Comics)|Captain Marvel]]. Since the 1960s, two publishers have dominated the comic book industry: [[Marvel Comics]], publisher of such comics as ''[[Spider-Man]]'', ''[[X-Men]]'', and ''[[Fantastic Four]]'', and [[DC Comics]], which publishes titles such as ''[[Superman]]'', ''[[Batman]]'', and ''[[Wonder Woman]]''. Other large non-[[manga]] publishers include [[Image Comics]] and [[Dark Horse Comics]].
As comic books regained their popularity in the 1960s during the boom of the [[Silver Age of Comic Books]], fans organized [[comic book convention]]s, where fans could meet to discuss their favorite comics with each other and eventually with the comics' creators themselves. As of 2006, <!-- How many? -->numerous conventions and festivals are held around the world, with [[San Diego Comic Con]] being the largest and best-known convention in the United States.
While some people collect comic books for personal interest in the medium or characters, others prefer to collect for profit. To assist both types of comic book collector, [[comic book price guide]]s are available and provide estimates of comic book values as well as information on comic book creators and characters. The price guides assign values for comic books based on demand, availability, and the copy's condition. The longest running price guide is the annual [[Overstreet|Overstreet Price Guide]], first published in 1970. Current monthly price guides include [[Comics Buyer's Guide]] and Wizard Magazine. The growth of the Internet in the late 1990s saw development of online [[databases]] that tracked comic book creators and character appearances and storylines, as well as websites that combine comic book price guides with personalized collection tracking to provide collection values in real-time. The [[Grand Comic-Book Database]] is a popular online resource for comic book creator and character information. Popular online price guide and collection tracking services include [http://comicbookrealm.com comicbookrealm.com], [http://www.comicspriceguide.com comicspriceguide.com], and [http://www.nostomania.com nostomania.com]. The increased popularity of online auctioning services like [[eBay]] or Heritage Galleries for buying and selling comic books has greatly increased the visibility of actual comic book sale prices, leading to improved price guide accuracy, particularly for online price guides such as nostomania.com that base their values solely on sales data captured from online sources[http://www.nostomania.com/servlets/com.nostomania.CatPage?name=BestDataMain].
In response to collectors' interest in preserving their collections, products designed for the protection and storage of comic books became available, <!-- when? -->including special bags; boxes; and acid-free "backing boards", designed to keep the comic book flat.
==History==
The origins of comic book collecting as an organized hobby has its roots in the [[underground comics]] movement. Before the late 1960s virtually no specialized comic stores existed and the notion of comics as collectible art was in its infancy. In the US a few specialist shops had opened their doors by the 1960s, but were still a small market. In the UK, the only distribution channels available were ordinary news stands and [[mail order]] publications like ''Exchange and Mart'' or through [[zines]] run by the early panelologists themselves. During the 1970s major comic publishers like [[Marvel Comics|Marvel]] and [[DC Comics]] started to recognize the new movements and started publishing material that was intended for sale in specialist shops only. When Marvel tested the new specialist market with the title ''[[Dazzler]]'' the comic sold over 400,000 copies, a very respectable figure and one that astounded the company. Hereafter, comics publishers started tailoring ever increasing percentages of marketing and production solely for the sale in specialist stores. While the bulk of the revenues still came from sales through regular channels, the ability to focus more specifically on specific target groups as well as distributing comics not on a sale-or-return basis, but in limited runs according to sales predictions from the retailers themselves, over-printing and overhead costs could be drastically reduced. From the 1970s to the present day, comics publishers have been targeting more and more of their titles to collector audiences with features such as limited editions, the use of high quality paper, or the inclusion of novelty items.
===The speculator boom===
From roughly 1985 through 1993, comic book [[speculation]] reached its highest peaks. This boom period began with the publication of titles like ''[[Batman: The Dark Knight Returns]]'' and ''[[Watchmen]]'' and "summer [[Fictional crossover|crossover]] epics" like ''[[Crisis on Infinite Earths]]'' and ''[[Secret Wars]]''. After ''Watchmen'' and ''Dark Knight Returns'' made their mark, mainstream attention returned to the comic book industry in 1989 with the success of the movie ''[[Batman (1989 film)|Batman]]'' and again in 1993 with "[[The Death of Superman]]" storyline.
Once aware of this niche market, the mainstream press focused on its potential for making money. Features appeared in newspapers, magazines and television shows detailing how rare, high-demand comics such as ''[[Action Comics]]'' #1 and ''[[Incredible Hulk]]'' #181 (the first appearances of [[Wolverine (comics)|Wolverine]]) had sold for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
During this time, comic book publishers began to pander specifically to the collectors' market. Techniques used included [[variant cover]]s, [[polybag]]s, and [[gimmick]] covers. When a comic was polybagged, the collector had to choose between either reading the comic book or keeping it in pristine condition for potential financial gain, or doing both by buying two copies. Gimmicks included glow-in-the-dark, hologram-enhanced, or foil-embossed covers. Gimmicks were almost entirely cosmetic in nature, and almost never extended to improved content of the comics. However, many speculators would buy multiple copies of these issues, anticipating that demand would allow them to sell them for a substantial profit at some nebulous point in the future.
This period also saw a corresponding expansion in price guide publications, most notably [[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard Magazine]], which helped fuel the speculator boom with monthly columns such as the "Wizard Top 10" (highlighting the "hottest" back-issues of the month), "Market Watch" (which not only reported back-issue market trends, but also predicted future price trends), and "Comic Watch" (highlighting key "undervalued" back-issues).
Ironically, the speculators who made a profit or at least broke even on their comic book "investments" did so only by selling to other speculators. In truth, very few of the comics produced in the early 90's have retained their value in the current market; with hundreds of thousands (or, in several prominent cases, over ten million) copies produced of certain issues, the value of these comics has all but disappeared. "Hot" comics like ''X-Men'' #1 and ''Youngblood'' #1 can today be found selling for under a dollar apiece.
Veteran comic book fans pointed out an important fact about the high value of classic comic books that was largely overlooked by the speculators: original comic books of the [[Golden Age of Comic Books]] were genuinely rare. Most of the original comic books had not survived to the present era, having been thrown out in the trash or discarded as worthless children's waste (just like [[baseball cards]] typically were at that time) by parents (stories of uncaring parents throwing out their kids' comic book collections are well known to the [[post-WW2 baby boom|Baby Boom]] generation), or recycled along with other periodicals in the paper [[drive (charity)|drives]] of [[World War II]]. As a result, a comic book of interest to fans or collectors from the 1940s through the 1960s, such as an original issue of ''Superman,'' ''Captain America,'' ''Challengers of the Unknown,'' or ''Vault of Horror,'' was often extremely difficult to find and thus highly prized by collectors, in a manner similar to coin collectors seeking copies of the [[1955 doubled die cent]]. In many ways, with an enormous supply of high-grade copies, the "hot" comics of the speculator boom were the complete opposite.
===The bust of the speculator market===
The comic book speculator market reached a saturation point in the early 1990s and finally collapsed between 1993 through 1997. Two-thirds of all comic book specialty stores closed in this time period, and numerous publishers were driven out of business. Even industry giant [[Marvel Comics]] was forced to declare bankruptcy in 1997, although they were able to continue publishing. It is surmised that one of the main factors in Marvel's downfall was the decision to switch to self distribution. Up until then, many publishers went through secondary distributors (such as the current and only mass distributor, [[Diamond Comic Distributors]]) and Marvel felt it could preserve some of its cash flow if it made the move to becoming one of the few publishers to also distribute directly to the comic market. This backfired terribly when the bottom fell out of the market, as they were stocked with multiple printings of variant and "collectible" issues that were no longer in high demand and they could not cover the costs of their distribution service.
The bust can also be linked back to some of the series that caused the boom, a few years earlier. [[DC Comics|DC's]] decision to publish two blockbuster stories depicting the loss of their two major superheroes ("[[Knightfall]]" - the breaking of the Batman - and "[[The Death of Superman]]"), and their subsequent flooding of the press as to its supposed "finality", is considered by some collectors to have started a slow decay within the non-regular buyer comic community which then led to drops in sales. Many comic retailers believe that numerous comic speculators took the death and crippling of two major characters to signify the end of the Batman and Superman series. As many comic readers and retailers knew full well, very little in comics actually changes with any finality. Many aspects of the status quo returned after the story arcs were over (Superman died, but was resurrected, and Batman was crippled, but eventually recovered).
Many comic speculators who were only in the market to see important comics mature, then sell them for a tidy profit, didn't quite understand how quick the turn around would be on the story recant, and many rushed out to scoop up as many copies of whatever issues were to be deemed significant. Comic shops received not only staggering sales during the week that Superman died, but also had to try and meet the demand. This led to the saturation of the market and the devaluing of what was thought to be the end of an American icon. Some comic book retailers and theorists deem DC's practices in the press forum and their relationship with the non-specialized consumer to be grossly negligent of the status of the market, and that their marketing campaign, whereas most likely not malicious in intent, spelled doom for the speculator market and comic sales in general. Others place the blame for the comic market crash on Marvel (whose product line had bloated to hundreds of separate titles by late 1993, including the poorly received "[[Marvel UK]]" and "[[Marvel 2099|2099]]" lines) or creator-owned upstart [[Image Comics]] (who fed the speculator feeding frenzy more than any other comics publisher).
Other publishing houses had different problems. [[Valiant Comics]] — at one point the 3rd largest comic book publisher — was sold to the video game giant [[Acclaim Entertainment]] for $65 million in June 1994. Acclaim renamed the line Acclaim Comics in 1996. Their primary motivation was to make the properties more suitable for use in video game development. Eventually, Acclaim filed for bankruptcy following the collapse of its video game business. The miniseries ''[[Deathmate]]'' — a crossover between [[Image Comics]] and [[Valiant Comics]] — is often considered to have been the final nail in the speculation market's coffin; although heavily hyped and highly anticipated when initially solicited, the books from the Image Comics side shipped so many months late that reader interest disappeared by the time the series finally materialized, leaving some retailers holding literally hundreds of unsellable copies of the various ''Deathmate'' crossovers. Other companies, such as [[Defiant Comics]], [[Triumphant Comics]], and [[Malibu Comics]] also ceased publication in the period between 1993 and 1997.
===Post-bubble speculation===
Since 1997, comic book sales have fallen to a fraction of early-1990s levels, with print runs of many popular titles down as much as 90% from their peaks. Currently, most of the hype generated around the major companies' comics involves changes to the characters, well-known creators writing or illustrating a title, and buzz surrounding an adaptation to another medium such as film or television. The one remaining bastion for comic speculation remains in online auction sites such as [[eBay]]; but even there, comic books remain a buyer's market. The highest price paid for a comic book is $350,000 for ''Marvel Comics No. 1'' bought by Jay Parrino (USA) in November 2001.
In the 2000s, prices for rare near-mint comics rose steadily, doubling in some cases. This was aided in part by newly-established comic book grading companies, such as [[Professional Grading eXperts LLC]] (PGX) and [[Comic Guaranty LLC]] (CGC). Improved accountability has increased collector confidence, although some collectors have complained that the market has become more about speculation instead of being focused on the art and stories.<ref name = "Bang">{{cite news | first = Conor| last = Dougherty | title = Bang! Pow! Cash! | url = http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB112743839686449481-HoWwaIFglcjpwh1nMQRhOOprWRU_20060923.html?mod=rss_free | publisher = Wall Street Journal |date=2005-09-23 | accessdate = 2008-01-14}}</ref>
==Conservation of comics==
Comics, being a printed medium, should be stored in cool, dark places, as sunlight can [[bleaching|bleach]] the pages, and heat and moisture can also damage them. Sunlight can also react with the [[paper]], causing it to "yellow", as well as having a bleaching effect on the [[inks]] used within the comic. Some [[Collecting|collectors]] advise against storing comics in cardboard boxes, or using backing boards, as these are both sources of [[acid]] which can react with the fibers of the paper of comics, eventually destroying a comic. If these products are used to store comics, these collectors advise using products marked as acid free.
[[PET film (biaxially oriented)|PET film]], [[polyethylene]] or [[polypropylene]] storage bags are popular, and allow a comic to be "bagged" in a contained environment, and have become the traditional way of storing comics. Most comic shops now sell comics already in bags, although the quality of the bag can vary. It should be noted that even some plastic bags are not considered "archival safe" because various plastic compositions may contain elements or have other properties that could harm the comic in years to come. Only PET film is truly considered archival safe as polyethylene and polypropylene will eventually break down. It is debatable whether these bags are sufficient to protect comics from the acids of cardboard storage boxes as mentioned above.
Corrugated plastic boxes, preferred by some collectors, offer greater protection against acid while also offering better protection against moisture damage and vermin damage. [[Comic book original art collecting|Original art]] can also be better protected against direct sunlight as well as acid deterioration by using an archival quality [[picture frame|frame]] coupled with glass which has been treated to protect against [[ultraviolet]] rays{{fn|1}}.
{{main|Comics Guaranty LLC}}
In the column ''Comic Book Vitamins''<ref>[http://www.projectfanboy.com/vb/showthread.php?p=2597#post2597 Project Fanboy Column: Comic Book Vitamins]</ref> on the [[Project Fanboy]] website, Steven Sykora discussed the controversial but increasingly popular way to preserve collections which entails submitting your comic books to the [[Comics Guaranty LLC| CGC]] where comics are inspected for flaws, graded accordingly and placed in an inner well - a sealed sleeve of Barex, a highly gas-impermeable plastic polymer. Then, the comics are sealed through a combination of compression and ultrasonic vibration in a transparent, hard plastic capsule. This process is often referred to in slang as "slabbing" and there is debate as to whether this provides better protection for your comic books than an acid-free backing board and Mylar sleeve.
'''Comic Guaranty LLC''', also known as '''CGC''', is a [[Sarasota, Florida]] [[comic book]] grading service. CGC is an independent member of the [[Certified Collectibles Group]] of companies. It is the first independent and impartial [[third party]] grading service for [[comic books]]. The company was launched in early 2000 and has since gone on to become an important yet controversial part of the [[comic book collecting]] community. The company has been described as "extremely important" to the comic book collection market by Robert Overstreet, author of the [[Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide]]. [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4155/is_20040817/ai_n12556944] CGC's President, Steve Borock, is also the company's primary grader. [http://www.cgccomics.com/about/the_graders.asp]
== Process ==
Comic books and comic-related magazines can be submitted to CGC for grading and encapsulation either through an authorized dealer or directly by the owner through CGC's Internet partners (at a 10% discount). They may also be submitted to the company by paying an annual membership fee. The company also sends representatives to several [[comic book convention]]s. [http://www.cgccomics.com/faq/index.asp#question2] The comic books are graded on a scale from 0.5 to 10. [http://www.cgccomics.com/grading/grading.asp]
In addition to the numeric grade, CGC also uses color-coded labels to categorize comics: [http://www.cgccomics.com/grading/label_description.asp]
{| border=1
|style="background:silver" | Label||style="background:silver" | Definition
|-
|Universal (blue)||a standard comic book
|-
|Restored (purple)||a book that has evidence of restoration, either amateur (A) or professional (P), combined with the descriptors slight (S), moderate (M), or extensive (E)
|-
|Qualified (green)||a book that would otherwise have been graded higher if not for a significant defect, where the grade listed is only the "apparent" grade, not the actual.
|-
|Signature Series (yellow)||an unrestored book signed by one of its creators, as witnessed by an employee of CGC
|-
|Signature Series Restored (yellow/purple)||an authenticated signed book showing evidence of restoration
|-
|Modern (red)||No longer in use, originally used to distinguish [[Modern_Age_of_Comic_Books|modern comics]]
|-
|}
After grading, the comics are placed in an inner well (a sealed [[Barex]] sleeve, similar to [[Mylar]]), then sonically sealed in a hard plastic, tamper-evident holder. This process is often referred in slang as "slabbing". A label is affixed at the top indicating the title, date, grade, page quality, and any notes, such as notable creators. Books which would be damaged by encapsulation are returned without this process. Examples of this include books with cover overhang (i.e., the cover protrudes beyond the interior book), some European variants, and Museum Editions of modern comics. In such cases, the grading fees are refunded and the book is returned ungraded. Although ashcans are graded, CGC will not grade certain [[black-and-white]] books (i.e. Eerie # 1) as these books may easily be [[counterfeit]]ed.
== CGC ==
Not all experts agree with CGC's grades. The comic book store chain [[Mile High Comics]] offers their customers a refund if a comic book which they evaluated as "Near Mint" is given a lower grade by CGC. [http://www.milehighcomics.com/information/grade.html] There has also been controversy regarding CGC's policies on conservation, restoration, and trimming, as well as concern about its impartiality.
=== Pressing vs. conservation vs. restoration vs. trimming ===
*There is disagreement in the Comic Book community on the definition of restoration. Some collectors feel that any work done to improve the quality of a book should be defined as restoration. CGC defines it as "treatment that returns the comic book to a known or assumed state through the addition of non-original material for aesthetic enhancement". [http://www.cgccomics.com/resources/glossary.asp#r] This includes changes in chemical composition and trimming.
*CGC does NOT consider the following to be Restoration, and may receive a Blue (Universal) label: tape removal, dry cleaning (erasing pencil writing or surface grime with an eraser or other object), tucking loose wraps back under a staple [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1345019&Searchpage=3&Main=1342297&Words=sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post1345019],disassembly and reassembly of a comic [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1433649&Searchpage=3&Main=1383374&Words=sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post1433649], certain staple replacement, and pressing [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=103875&Searchpage=1&Main=102805&Words=public+relations+sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post103875].
*Pressing is one the most controversial topics today. Some collectors feel this should be called "enhancements" or "manipulation". some dealers refuse to proactively disclose pressing for fear of falling sales. {{cn|date=May 2007}} Their argument is that most collectors don't care about pressing, so revealing this information is trivial, and shouldn't affect sales. CGC's president, Steve Borock, expressed his views on this:
<blockquote>
"Q: What is your personal opinion about pressing a comic book prior to grading submittal?<br />
<br />
Steve Borock: Who cares? Really, when you get down to it, dealers and smart hobbyists have been doing it for years and years. So the Certified Collectible's Group helps let the cat out of the bag, wants to keep Friesen under their umbrella because they feel his company would be a good fit (see PCS entry below), and the biggest complainers are the guys who don't want the collectors to have a level playing field. Taking a bend or fold that does not break color out of a comic book is not a bad thing. It is not like you are adding glue and/or color touch, using something artificial, to bring paper closer back to LOOK like it's original state. You ARE bringing it back closer to its original state. I and many of the top collector's and dealers have never seen a problem with this".[http://stlcomics.com/columns/ironslab/IV/]
</blockquote>
*If it meets CGC's approval, disassembly and reassembly of a comic may not be counted as restoration. [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1433649&Searchpage=3&Main=1383374&Words=sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post1433649] [http://stlcomics.com/columns/ironslab/IV/] In one case, a book which had previously received a low CGC grade (4.0) was given a much higher rating by CGC when re-submited (9.0). [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1065511&Searchpage=1&Main=1065511&Words=+sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post1065511].
*CGC has deemed Matt Nelson (Classic Restorations) a "featured partner", and mentions him (and only him) specifically in the CGC Restoration FAQ: [http://www.cgccomics.com/faq/index.asp#question18c]. Comments about this include: "What I do take issue with is that CGC is openly choosing sides, which I do not feel is impartial, in promoting Matt's (Nelson) services in its FAQ. I can't imagine that CGC would so brazenly promote a particular comic book dealer simply because CGC staff personally believed that dealer's prices, grades or inventory were better than the rest.I have expressed my concern with what I feel is a demonstration of improper bias and I would encourage others to do the same. This has nothing to do with Matt, pressing or restoration. It has to do with CGC not only remaining independent and impartial but also ensuring the public perception of both exists." [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1596771&page=0&fpart=all]
Steve Borock has posted the reasons for only listing Nelson: [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1611240&Searchpage=1&Main=1518757&Words=+Foolkiller&topic=&Search=true#Post1611240] and the reason CGC will not list Tracy Heft's name in the Glossary: [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=450023&Searchpage=1&Main=447181&Words=+newerthannew&topic=&Search=true#Post450023]
=== Jason Ewert ===
*The Jason Ewert scandal. After the discovery of a micro-trimmed Fantastic Four #3 that CGC did not detect, [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=906540&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1], others were discovered and CGC posted an official announcement, banning Ewert from CGC in toto.[http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=947557&Searchpage=1&Main=947557&Words=+sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post947557].
*CGC also released an official announcement that they would recheck any and all Ewert books for free, but this information was only available on their threaded board (here [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=1089207&an=0&page=0#Post1089207])- not on their website, and not reported to any trade magazines (CBG, Wizard, etc).
*After (and/or because of?) the Ewert scandal, CGC curtailed the usability of their CGC serial number search on their website. The serial number search was used to identify other books submitted by Jason Ewert, and several other trimmed books came to light which wouldn't have if the search engine was then like it is now. People have questioned CGC's motivation for this hindering change.
=== Grading ===
*CGC does not reveal their grading standards. However, CGC does consult with Overstreet for their Grading Guides, and most, if not all, of the Senior Graders at CGC are Overstreet Advisors, including Steve Borock (President of CGC), Mark Haspel (Vice-President of CGC), Paul Litch (Modern Age Specialist), among others. At one point Steve Borock announced that CGC was going to fully adopt Overstreet standards [http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=3025&si=121], but then 3 weeks later backpedaled from that assertion [http://forum.stlcomics.com/viewtopic.php?t=2589&view=previous&sid=18e7926c9cafda3027a351558e39a3c2].
*CGC used to put some grading notes on the label, but hasn't done this since 2001, when, dealers asked for the notes to be removed from the label. The argument was that dealers were saying that it was confusing for customers, and customers were complaining. These customers thought that the grade given was not the final grade, that it was before you subtracted the grading notes from the stated grade. Why anyone would think CGC would operate in this manner is unknown, but apparently it occurred so frequently that CGC did what the dealers asked. Grading notes are available by calling CGC. Members of the Collector's Society ($100 a year) can look up the date graded online.
*CGC does not put the traditional alphabetical grade on the label anymore, the alphabetic descriptive grade (NM = near mint, VG = very good, etc.) was dropped when they revised their labels in 2004 to emphasize the numeric grade and make it clearly readable from a distance - a beneficial look for those buying and selling graded books. Here's Steve Borock's explanation for the change: "The quick answer and bottom line here is that the grade needed to be bigger so people could see it from far away. It was a pain, at conventions, to see the grade on the label on a sellers wall from in front of their table. Also, Nomenclature was removed, not only to make the grade bigger but it was fast becoming obsolete to many buyers of certified comics. When we give out grades over the phone we don't say 3.5 VG minus, we just say 3.5. It is very rare that I hear a customer talking to me about a grade and saying very fine to near mint, they just say 9.0. Finally, and you may not believe this, but we have gotten calls from people who are new to comics and hate anything with a minus next to it. One guy did not care that his book was a 3.5, he just did not understand why he had a minus sign, what he called a negative, on his book."[http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=240770&Searchpage=3&Main=240496&Words=sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post240770]
Some argue that this was a way for CGC to "brand" their service, while CGC argued that the numeric grade is easier to explain and understand and that four years of the company's presence in the marketplace had shifted the emphasis away from the alpha descriptive to the numeric point scale. Nevertheless, this was a controversial move to seen by some as a calculated break from Overstreet. Overstreet now lists both the numeric point grade and the alpha descriptive grade in their annual price guide and their official grading guide.
*CGC does not subtract for several errors that occurred during the manufacture of the comic book. A book can have a large spine miswrap or the book can be miscut, and it can still get a 9.4 or higher. CGC does not take these manufacturing flaws into consideration when grading a comic, but they are still considered flaws by most collectors. Eye appeal used to be very important, but CGC has made that somewhat obsolete. For these reasons alone, one 9.4 can vary drastically from another 9.4, and you should never book a book without a scan, thinking "it's a 9.4, they're all alike..."
*CGC does not put the date the book was graded on the label. However, this can be obtained by calling CGC directly.
*CGC does not put both grades (the apparent grade and the actual grade) for Qualified (Green) books.
=== Paper Conservation Services ===
*In October 2005, CGC's parent company, the Certified Collectibles Group, announced the launch of a new separate company called Paper Conservation Service (PCS) with CGC's main restoration expert Chris Friesen as its President. The company's stated purpose was to "perform conservation to prolong the life of a comic book". PCS defined conservation to include deacidification, structural repair, reinforcement, pressing, and dry cleaning. The announcement also differentiated between conservation and restoration, saying that the company would not perform services which it defined as restoration. PCS also planned to offer consulting services regarding comic book conservation. [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=966745&page=0&fpart=1&vc=1] However, the Certified Collectibles Group announced PCS's dissolution in April 2006, two months after the company's planned incorporation. Steven Eichenbaum, CEO of the Certified Collectibles Group cited the perceived conflict of interest between CGC and PCS as the reason for the decision. [http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=11762&si=121] One concern was that comics with restoration could be "unrestored" to the point where they would receive the blue Universal label and could then be sold as if the comic had never been restored. Steve Borock confirmed this possibility in an interview. [http://stlcomics.com/columns/ironslab/IV/] and also on CGC,s chat board [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=103875&Searchpage=1&Main=102805&Words=public+relations+sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post103875]
=== Pedigree and "From the Collection Of" designations ===
*CGC did not reveal their Pedigree requirements/standards for the first 7 years of business. In late 2006 some wondered "Has CGC changed their pedigree criteria?" [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1550219&Searchpage=2&Main=1550216&Words=Red+Hook&topic=&Search=true#Post1550219] and later CGC did publish the requirements when they upgraded their website. [http://www.cgccomics.com/resources/pedigree.asp]. Mark Haspel (Vice-President of CGC) is considered an expert on Pedigree detection and has contributed to a book about Pedigrees that will be published in 2007.
*CGC will put "From the collection of" on the label if there is an arguable reason for it, or if you submit a monetary minimum (confirmed by Steve Borock, but the minimum amount of money is unknown at this time). Such as when the book comes from a collection assembled by a well known comic book creator like Stan Lee or Don Rosa or a celebrity such as Nicholas Cage. However, this is defined as a provenance, not a pedigree. Some collectors feel that this is misleading other collectors into thinking these are pedigrees as the only way you tell the difference is where this info is located on the label. Any person can receive the "From the collection of" notation if a minimum amount of books are submitted (see Dallas Stephens and the Mile High II collection).
=== Public relations ===
*Heritage Auction's Jim Halperin owns stock in CGC. This has been confirmed by Halperin on the CGC message board [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=669810&Searchpage=1&Main=668110&Words=+jhalpe&topic=&Search=true#Post669810] and by Steve Borock [http://stlcomics.com/columns/ironslab/IV/]
*CGC's relationship with Wizard Magazine is also watched by critics. Their relationship extends past running ads and having a special "CGC Price Guide" section. CGC teamed up with Wizard to create "Wizard First", Here is the official announcement of the program and what it does and does not entail [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=465028&Searchpage=1&Main=464798&Words=wizard+first+sborock&topic=&Search=true#Post465028] and here is an (example [http://collectibles.search.ebay.com/wizard-first-9-5_Comics_W0QQbsZSearchQQcatrefZC6QQfclZ3QQfromZR2QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsacatZ63QQsaprchiZQQsaprcloZQQsargnZQ2d1QQsaslcZ2QQsatitleZwizardQ20firstQ209Q2e5QQsbrftogZ1QQsofocusZunknown]) where Wizard would send bulk comics to CGC to have graded, and then Wizard would sell them at a hefty mark-up. CGC created a special label for Wizard, and also a special new grade: 9.5. This is the only time CGC uses 9.5. CGC originally wanted to call the Red labeled books "Wizard Age".
*CGC has started to accept advertising on their website/chatboard from comic dealers (January 2007). "Doesn't CGC have a duty to not only maintain impartiality in fact, but also maintain the appearance of impartiality and avoid situations where impartiality could be reasonably questioned? The acceptance of ad revenue from big submitters just further deepens the perception that CGC **could** be indebted to certain parties and that they may strive harder to assure that the "customer remains satisfied." [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=comicgen&Number=1596771&page=0&fpart=all]
=== Submissions and determining costs ===
*CGC charges books by Tier. The tiers are determined by 2 things, "Fair Market Value" and these value the submitter supplied on the submission form. The comic may be bumped by CGC graders to a higher tier if they feel that the book was not properly valued or that value is inconsistent with GPA. It is placed in the correct Grading Tier to reflect the value of the comic in the marketplace. Graders do have access to sales data and sites where comics are sold and sites where sales figures are tracked. Gemma, a CGC Moderator, has also confirmed that CGC uses GPAnalysis to determine what tier you book is submitted as. This is understandable, as GPA only reports slabbed book sales. She did not mention if this was an average of the prices realized. This seems unfair and open to manipulation, since one large sale (possibly dealer to dealer) can raise your submission costs substantially.
Others feel a company that is grading books should not be determining the values of those books too. The more valuable the book, the higher the grading cost and the faster the turnaround time as CGC does not want to hold onto books worth thousands of dollars for long periods of time. The Overstreet Price Guide does not catalogue prices of slabbed books, and this is the reason the guide's top grade is now 9.2 - books that grade 9.4 and higher mostly sell for a price higher than the Guide's reported 9.2 price. Overstreet had a short-lived publication called Overstreet's Comic Price Review that tracked sales on slabbed comics, but it is no longer published.
*In March 2007 CGC created a new tier of service: "CGC is offering a new comic books submission tier, called the Value Tier, for books of any comic ages valued under $100 each. This service is priced at just $21 per book, making it the lowest priced submission option for comics issued prior to 1975. A minimum of 30 comic books is required per submission, and no pre-screen service is available. Books will be graded within an estimated 40 business days, the same turnaround time as our Economy Tier. Submitting comics using the Value Tier is the same as with any other service level. List at least 30 books with a fair market value of $100 or less (per book) on a CGC submission invoice. This service is not meant to be a discount on Economy Tier, and therefore CGC reserves the right to charge appropriate tier fees for all comic books with a fair market value significantly above $100."
*CGC recommends you get your books re-slabbed every 7 years because the microchamber paper (a small sheet of paper that is inserted between the inside covers and the interior of the comic to protect the comic from any paper off-gassing) becomes inert. [http://boards.collectors-society.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=76147&an=0&page=0#Post76147]
==Related Collecting==
{{main|Comic book original art collecting}}
[[Comic book original art collecting|Comic book original art]] is the collecting of the artists' production pencils and inks used in the creation of comic books. Unlike mass-produced comic books, there is only one piece of original art for each individual comic book page or cover.
==List of comics collections==
Many private collections of comics exist, and they have also started to find their way onto the shelves of public libraries. [[Museums]] and [[University|universities]] with notable collections of comics include:
* [http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/pcl/pcl18.html Allen and John Saunders Collection] at Bowling Green State University's Popular Culture Library.
* [http://www.bl.uk/collections/comics.html British Comics Collection] at The British Library.
* [http://www.loc.gov/ The United State's Library of Congress] holds many collections of comic strips, comic books and periodicals.
* [http://www.lib.msu.edu/comics/ Comic art collection] of Michigan State University.
* [http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/comics/ Comics Collection, including the Sol Davidson Collection] at the University of Florida.
* [http://www.nypl.org/research/chss/grd/resguides/comic/using.html Comic Book Research Guide] of The New York Public Library.
* [http://cartoons.osu.edu/ Cartoon Research Library] of Ohio State University
* [http://library.kent.ac.uk/cartoons/ CartoonHub] the website of the British Cartoon Archive, University of Kent
==Comic collectors==
Comic Collectors are people who collect comics or comic books. Many comic readers keep their comics for an indefinite period and have large accumulations, but a true collector differs in enthusiasm and degree; collectors will generally at least seek past issues rather than being content to read what new comics come along.
Comic collectors have undergone as many changes over the years as the medium they love, as westerns and pulp horrors have given way to super–men and mutants, and comics have moved from disposable newsstand monthlies to collectibles from specialized stores and now to trade paperbacks available at major–chain bookstores all over the country. Although sometimes portrayed negatively by popular media (such as the depiction of the character of [[Comic Book Guy]] in the TV show [[The Simpsons]]), comic book collecting is a wide–spread hobby, and popular venues such as the San Diego Comic-Con attract more than 80,000 fans over a four day period each year.
==Notes==
* {{fnb|1}} {{cite web | title=Collection Protection - For Comics | work=Bags Unlimited | url=http://www.savemycomics.com/ | accessmonthday=June 26 | accessyear=2005}}
* {{fnb|2}} {{cite web | title=Comic Book Collecting - A Beginner's Guide | work=TCBulk.com | url=http://www.tcbulk.com/scripts/HobbyCorner.asp | accessmonthday=August 28 | accessyear=2007}}
==References==
<references/>
* Sabin, Roger (1993) ''Adult Comics: An Introduction'' ISBN 0-415-04418-9
==External links==
* [http://comicbookrealm.com/ ComicBookRealm.com]
* [http://www.comicbookdb.com/ ComicBookDB.com]
* [http://www.comics.com/ Grand Comic-Book Database]
* [http://www.comic-con.org/ San Diego Comic Con]
* [http://www.comicbase.com/ ComicBase]
* [http://www.collectorz.com/comic/ Collectorz.com Comic Collector]
* [http://www.comicbooksecrets.com Comic Book Secrets]
* [http://www.ComicsPriceGuide.com Comic Price Guide and Collection Tracker]
* [http://www.ComicBookCollecting.net Comic Book Collecting]
* [http://www.superheroesonline.net Super Heroes Online]
[[Category:Comic book collecting| ]]
[[es:Comiquero]]