Screaming Monkey Comics - proud authorized dealers for CGC

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Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) revolutionized the comic book marketplace when it was founded in 2000 by providing clear, objective and impartial assessments of authenticity and grade. Today, CGC is the world's largest and most trusted third-party grading service for comics, trading cards, magazines, concert posters and related collectibles with more than 10 million collectibles certified since 2000.

 

As an authorized dealer for CGC, we’ll carefully ship out your favorite books to get graded - and you won’t have to worry about being home when they come back. We’ll give you a call when they arrive, and you can pick up your graded books at your convenience.

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Why should I get my comic books graded?

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Why get your books graded? Aside from them looking cool, you'll find that a graded book is much easier to sell.  The process is unofficially called "slabbing"  - after your comic has been officially

assigned a grade, it will be encased in a protective, hard plastic case.....or "slab," as the kids call it.

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Grading books aren't exactly necessary if it's a low-priced comic.  But when you get into highly collectible books, a grading service will do wonders for you.

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Let's say you have a copy of TALES OF SUSPENSE #39 to sell.  Any potential buyer is going to be

very, very, very cautious about buying it - especially if you're trying to sell the book on-line and the buyer doesn't have the benefit of seeing the book in person.   Unless you're an expert at grading books and describing flaws, you may miss a potential defect and you'll be forced to negotiate a refund.   With an

official CGC grade, you'll find all serious collectors will not question the integrity and condition of the

book - making it infinitely easier to sell!

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Are there any downsides to getting books graded?

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Only one - once the book has been slabbed, it's sealed tight.   You won't be able to read the cool

story anymore.   CGC Grading is intended to preserve valuable comics from further damage, so if this is a book that you really have no intention of ever selling (and you might want to read it again in the future) this might not be a service you need.

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Does getting my comic book graded increase its value?

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Sometimes yes, sometimes no.    I remember a customer once brought in a copy of Excalibur #18 (1990) that had been graded as a 9.8 condition.    He was hoping to get $50 for it.    Unfortunately, in mint condition, that comic is worth $3.    Yes, it's a nearly flawless copy - but it's a flawless copy of a three dollar book!

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Getting a book graded doesn't increase the value of a book - it just verifies what the grade is.  And a near mint copy of a three dollar book is still a three dollar book.   For the millions of non-key comic books out there, don't be surprised if the selling price of the book is the same as the ungraded price - so choose your books carefully when you submit them for grading!

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On the flip side - a key book, especially one in high demand and getting a higher than average grade, may sell higher than what it's worth, especially if it gets into an on-line bidding war.

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What's a "key" book?

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A "key" comic is something that's significant for some reason - the first appearance of a popular character, a pivotal moment in the history of the book, the first published work of an important artist - some important characteristic that consistently puts it at the top of collector's "want list."

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Key books are always a good bet when you're considering on grading.

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Am I supposed to get every comic book I own graded?

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Only if you're trying to go broke.  On average, you should expect to spend about $35 + shipping for each book you wish to get graded - that can add up very quickly!   So just do the math and compare what you're going to be spending to get the book graded versus how much an average book in that condition sells for, and decide if it's worth the investment!    

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What about "pressing"?

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Pressing  is a process that can enhance the appearance of a comic book by removing non-color breaking defects such as dents, bends, crunches, rippling, warping, spine rolls and indentations.

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We've always felt the added expense of pressing should be a decision left up to the owner of the book.

CGC does offer pressing services if this is a route you would like to take.    The fee for most books are $15 - $30 each, plus the regular shipping costs.    If this a service you're interested in prior to having your book graded, we'll explain the company's current turnaround times.

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Note: there are several individuals offering pressing services in this region.   Since we are not familiar enough with their work, Screaming Monkey Comics can't endorse or recommend any other folks offering this service.   We just don't know who's a professional and who's an amateur, and we'd rather not be liable in case someone we recommended mishandled or damaged your book - but we'll be happy to ship your book off for grading after you have it pressed by a service of your own choosing.

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How come some slabs have different color labels?

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Each comic will receive a specific color-coded label to assist collectors in quickly answering some of the basic questions each collector might ask before buying a book.    There are 12 colors, but there are the ones you'll see most often:

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BLUE - The Universal Label.   This is the majority of graded books - it has no autographs, no evidence of restoration, nor anything massively missing.

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YELLOW - The yellow signature series is for a submission that has a significant person’s autograph, which has been authenticated.

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YELLOW / BLACK SIGNATURE VERIFIED LABEL -  This is a new label introduced in 2024.   If you have a comic or magazine that was signed at a convention, a trade show or anywhere that CGC wasn't present to witness, you may now submit it for signature verification for an additional fee.   The signature will be verified, the book will be graded, and it'll be displayed with this new label.

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GREEN - The qualified green label is for any collectible that has a significant defect. The green label communicates that something is substantially wrong with the book despite being graded. This could be a missing page or an un-authenticated signature or missing staples.     A book with a single glaring defect, for example, might by a 6.0 book with a green label --- where if it were a blue universal label, it might be just a 1.0.     Green Labels are books that would normally have graded higher if it weren't for that one little defect.

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PURPLE - The purple restored label is for any comic book that has been repaired. In general, restoration significantly harms the value of a comic and some have dubbed this CGC designation as PLOD or “the purple label of death.”    We recommend only submitting restored books of when they're otherwise rare and highly sought after, and keep your expectations reasonable for what it would sell for.

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GOLD -  The pedigree gold label is applied to any item that is part of a collection CGC recognizes as being of exceptional quality. A pedigree label not only verifies the quality of a book, but highlights the quality of the collection it comes from.   To date, there are only 61 pedigree gold collections recognized by CGC.   More than likely, you do not own one.    Don't feel bad, we don't either.

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Sounds awesome!  How much does it cost?

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