Process
Comic books are sent to CGC for grading and encapsulation either directly by the owner through CGC's website or through an authorized dealer. People sending in comics themselves can get a 10% discount from CGC by using the "Internet Partners" links on their submission page. Comics may also be submitted to the company from an individual who signs up for one of their two membership options, associate or premium, and pays an annual membership fee. A person does NOT need to be a member of anything CGC-related to send books in, nor do you need a comic dealer middleman to submit books. The company also accepts submissions in person by sending representatives to several comic book conventions. Upon receipt, the comics are inspected by 1 pre-grader for obvious defects (missing pages, etc.) and are then graded by 3 graders in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment. The grades are not averaged together, the Head Grader determines the final grade. So for example, if 2 graders rated a book at 7.0 and the Head Grader decided it was a 7.5, the book is a 7.5. The graders look for damage and signs of restoration. The comic books are then graded on a scale from 0.5 to 10. These numbers correspond with more traditional descriptive grades such as "very fine", "near mint", and "mint", with the higher numbers indicating a better grade.
In addition to the numeric grade, CGC also uses color-coded labels to categorize comics:
| Label | Description |
| Universal (blue) | a standard comic book |
| Universal (blue) No Grade (NG) | a comic book that is in such bad shape that CGC will not give it a grade, only verify that it is an actual original comic book. CGC will slab pages of a comic book in this manner. |
| 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 with a significant defect that needs specific description or one with an unauthenticated signature For example, an otherwise "near mint" condition book with a 4-inch back cover tear would be given a Qualified grade of "9.0, back cover 4-inch tear." |
| Signature Series (yellow) | a book signed by someone of significance to the comic, as witnessed by an employee of CGC, and the signature certified as authentic. |
| Signature Series Restored (yellow/purple) | a book with a signature that has been authenticated, and is showing evidence of restoration |
| Modern (red) | No longer in use, originally used to distinguish modern comics *CGC will accept receipt of previously "RED" labeled books to be encapsulated in a new container and labeled with a blue label at the same grade. |
| Wizard First (red and white) | No longer in use, originally used by CGC/Wizard Magazine as a new type of slabbed collectible. Only 3 grades were given to comics submitted by Wizard directly to CGC: 9.0, 9.5, and 10.0. This is the only time CGC has ever used the grade "9.5". |
After grading, the comics are placed in an inner well - a sealed sleeve of Barex, a highly gas-impermeable plastic polymer. Then, the comics are sonically sealed in a hard plastic, tamper-evident holder. This process is often referred to in comics jargon "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 (e.g., Eerie #1) as these books may easily be counterfeited.
Read more about this topic: Comics Guaranty
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