What is grading?

When it comes to the world of collectibles, whether it be comics, toys, coins, video games, stamps, or even posters professional grading has become the new standard for collectors today. What is grading? For those who do not know grading is the process of sending your collectibles to an independent third-party company to assess the condition of your items at hand. Every item is graded in relation to a numerical grading system and then sealed to never be touched by human hands again. Grading is important not only for the physical security of the item, but also for securing your investment. Professional grading has turned collecting from a hobby to an actual commoditized asset that you manage similar to your E-Trade portfolio. Once an item is graded, the value becomes more solid with less variance or room for interpretation you could say. For example, once a particular comic is graded “8.5” there is a set range you can expect on a return, very similar to gold. An 8.5 is going to sell for more than an 8.0 but less than a 9.0. Collecting at that point becomes more of a numbers game than actual appreciation for the comic. Just think, every important comic that is collected in graded condition is never read again. It is forever sealed in an acrylic slab.

If you are reading this at home as a collector and are new to grading, then you are probably asking yourself where to get your items graded. Well, that is a very important question. This is because for every reputable grading company there have been several pop-up companies through the years that are not credible and do not hold weight in the collecting community. When grading comics, your no question companies to go with are CGC and CBCS. Both are equally respected with decades of presence in the community, for sport and non-sport trading cards Beckett, CGC, and PSA are all respected choices. For toys you have AFA and CAS, and coins and currency you have PCGS and NGC. The important thing is not everything is worth grading. You do not want to waste your money grading things not worth grading. This is a process for the seasoned collector. If you are not a collector but have items you would like to sell or think they would benefit from grading, bring them down to the auction house! We are always happy to help and point you in the right direction. With good collectibles having them grading and sold at auction is the only way to guarantee the highest price possible. You do not want to sell outright, especially in ungraded condition. That’s why through auction we work on consignment and it’s a team effort, the more you make the more we make.