Every comic we sell is listed with a grade, a short code like NM or VF that tells you the condition. Here is what the common grades mean, so you know what you are buying.
The common grades
- Mint (MT, 10.0): a perfect copy. Extremely rare in practice.
- Near Mint (NM, 9.4): nearly flawless. Bright color and gloss, sharp corners, lies flat, at most a tiny imperfection.
- Very Fine (VF, 8.0): an excellent copy with minor wear, such as slight corner blunting or a faint spine tick.
- Fine (FN, 6.0): a solid, attractive copy that shows moderate wear from being read.
- Very Good (VG, 4.0): noticeable wear, small creases and some color loss, but complete and presentable.
- Good (GD, 2.0) and below: heavy wear. Often chosen as an affordable reading copy of an older book.
What drives the grade
Graders look at the spine, the corners, the cover gloss and color, creases, tears, staples and the paper inside. A single big flaw, such as a long spine split, can lower the grade more than lots of tiny ones.
Which grade should you buy?
If you want a collectible you can keep in a box for years, aim for VF or better. If you just want to read a classic story, a lower grade is a fine, cheaper way to do it. Either way, our listings describe the condition in words as well, so there are no surprises.
For a longer look, see our comic book grading guide, then browse comics by series.
