Comic book grading and ebay

[Megospidey]

Anyone who has ever bought higher end comics on ebay has read this line..."I'm not a professional grader, so I won't put a grade on it. I will leave that up to you."

And yet, most higher end/collectibe/desireable comics almost always have a buy it now price. How do they come up with this price if they don't know how to grade?

If they are going on the price they paid for it, then I am sure they didn't purchase it at that price without knowing how it graded.

I just wish for once someone would write: "I'm grading this at a 4.0 by the comic book industry guidelines. If you don't agree with my grade, don't buy my comic."

[WannabeMego]

The Bigger Question...What are the qualifications of a Professional (Comic Book) Grader?

Answer: There are none...There are No Exams, No Classes, No Certifications...Nothing.

So in theory...There are no Professional Graders.

I love and hate this topic every time it comes up.

...but I know what you mean and agree with you 100%.

[johnmiic]

You ever read the disclaimer Mile High Comics has on every auction? They should be kicked off eBay for that. They bring in so much revenue eBay allows them to say what they say.

[madmarva]

I'm glad I got out of buying older comics before ebay ever started. In the 80s and early 90s, I bought a ton of silver-age books and some gold through mail order, cons and any comic book store I could get to.

I also sold off all those books. It's amazing how a person will tell you a book is fine condition when selling it and call good or fair when buying it.

Grading is subjective. Pay what you think is a fair price for a book and enjoy having it. But I really wouldn't buy a high-priced book by mail order unless I knew the person and his grading well.

The one good thing about ebay when buying is that it and paypal almost always backs up the buyer when he/she wants to return an item — at least from my experience selling.

I think sellers are reluctant to list a firm grade because of the subjective nature of graders out there and of course the desire to get the most out of a book.

The best grader I ever dealt with, though, is the guy who owns The Comic Book Store in Little Rock. The guy's kind of smart alec but I was never unhappy with his grading. I bought a Batman No. 6 from him around 1992 for $280. He graded it as good. About a year and half later, Metropolis Comics graded it as Fine and gave me $1,000 in trade at a con in Charlotte, NC. I really think the book was a good from the description in the Comics Price Guide, but Metro probably had a buyer for the book on the line.

[Megospidey]

^ That guys name is Mike Tierney. I've dealt with him for years and yes, he is a bit of a smart alec know-it-all. But, he does grade fairly and consistently AND he offers you a reasonable price for your books.

Whenever I'm in the market for a higher end, specific silver or bronze age book, I go to him.

[suspense39]

metropolis ebay

metropolis is always changing their grading standards ( in my opinion) i have bought books that seem like a solid VG and a G minus all being sold as a G. ebay is just a crap shoot i have had some amazing deals based on misgrading and some crappy ones as well it all seems to balance out. FYI i was told by a dealer at the last comic convention to stay away from mid grade comics due to the fact that people will overpay for low grade and pay big money for high (investment) grade but as a dealer he always has to give a big discount on mid grade.

[bleit1701]

I only bid on auctions that have a good size pic so I can judge for myself. I've been burned and got some books that were better than stated. You just have to keep your eyes open and be patient. And smart.

[madmarva]

What is the accepted guide for comics prices today? Is it Overstreet? When I got out of collecting older books in the mid to late 90s, Wizard seemed to be what many were using, particularly on the newer stuff.

Is today more of a market price on ebay? Or is there a standard?

[Adam West]

In theory, that is the purpose of comic grading services. You have an "objective" person grading the item. In coin collecting, this is serious stuff. PCGS is considered the best of the coin graders. They have an elaborate website that will tell you how many coins from a certain date graded a 70 (perfect) and there are grey sheets dealers use that will easily give a buy price and sell price for the condition. NGC is 2nd. They don't have as good of a reputation as PCGS because NGC grades higher for the same coin.