What Qualifies a Comic Book as Mint?
The grade of “mint” has been abused by a lot of comic book sellers. There are tons of people that have some very nice looking comic books to the naked eye, but technically there are only very few comic books that should be able to reach this level.
The CGC takes this grade very seriously. They do not roll out many “Mint” comic books. Also, just because your comic book is graded as mint, you still should know that not all will be worth the same value. For example, a mint comic book of one of the premier storylines such as Spiderman or Batman will sell for much more than a Youngblood or West Coast Avengers.
The following are criteria for a Mint comic book:
First view the outside.
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No creases should be on the cover
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There should be no fading on the cover
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It should lay flat on a flat surface. There should be no curving
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There should be no rolling on the spine of the comic book
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Stapes on the comic book should not have any rust on them
Second view the interior of the book
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Absolutely no cuts or tears within any of the pages
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No discoloration or fading in any of the interior pages
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No stains or marks
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Autographs are accepted
Generally, the comic book should appear as if it had just come from the store.
So what is the difference between Mint and Near Mint?
The only differences are that the cover may be a bit crooked or off center. Minor binder tears are fine but should be no more than 1/16th inch long. There is also allowable very minor fading within the interior pages.
So what is the difference between Near Mint and Very Fine?
First off, be leary of anyone who is selling an older comic book above this grade. With the way paper ages, discoloration is almost expected. The comic book does not have to lay all the way flat and can contain some wear. There is often expected to be some fading of the cover. There can be slight creases on the corners of the comic book. General slight wear on the spine, including lines, is acceptable. The spine, however, should still remain flat. Minor printing or binding problems are okay for a near mint comic book. Slightly discolored pages are accepted, including the typical yellowish tint that older paper will have. Absolutely no stains or major discoloration is okay for a near mint copy.
So if that is the case of a Poor Graded Comic Book look like?
Pretty simple, these are not going to be worth much. You probably will not see them for sell very often because they are mainly just readers. Only those very old and rare comic books would be worth anything if they were graded at this level. You should expect to find missing pages, bends, tears, and/or unprinted markings throughout the comic book. The grade explains what you should expect to receive.