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Visual Glossary of Terms Used in Comic Book Grading
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Started by The_Man_Of_Steel,

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The_Man_Of_Steel

The_Man_Of_Steel

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I was searching for OWL (OverStreet Whiteness Level) with google, so that I could see a side by side comparison of page whiteness. As a result of the search I came up with the following site: Visual Glossary of Terms Used in Comic Book Grading This is by far the largest glossary of comic book grading and description terms, I have found online. If your interested in viewing a comparison of page whiteness, then look in the "O" section under OWL

 

Anybody have comics with "Smoke Damage"? I think I have a few books that have high grade front & back covers, but the inside pages have turned grey in color.

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The_Man_Of_Steel

The_Man_Of_Steel

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Ok here it is in text, please keep in mind that I'm NOT TAKING ANY CREDIT for the following glossary of terms. Credit it given at the bottom of this post, and links are included my first post. If you want to see visual examples see the online guide. Please take time to check out the site, there are other things you might find interesting.

 

Visual Glossary of Terms Used in Comic Grading and Description

 

ABRADED CORNER - Corner area is rough. May include extreme edge of corner or cover area around corner.

 

ABRASION - An area of a cover or spine has been roughened by rubbing against a rough surface. See also, PAPER ABRASION

 

ARRIVAL DATE - Date stamped or written on the cover by local reseller or wholesaler. Usually precedes the issue date on the book.

 

AVERAGEFINE - Fine minus to VG/F grade, or MID-GRADE CONDITION

 

BAXTERPAPER - Higher quality than the usual comic stock. Baxter is a heavy, often glossy, paper used in many high-end comics.

 

BBC - Bottom of Back Cover.

 

BC - Back Cover.

 

BINDER HOLES - Wholes punched into comics to fot them to a three ring binder.

 

BINDER PERFS - See PERFORATIONS

 

BINDERY CORNER - Triangular, straight and small tears which occur on the corners of comics as a result of a cutting error at the bindery.

 

BINDERY DEFECT - Defects associated with the binding process, including mistrimming, miswrapping, inaccurate stapling, etc.

 

BINDERY ERROR - See BINDERY DEFECT.

 

BLACK COVER - Black covers tend to show creasing, fading, scuffing, and color loss defects more clearly than lighter colored ones.

 

BLUNTED CORNER - See CORNER BLUNTING.

 

BOUND COPY - A copy that has been bound into a book. The process requires that the spine be trimmed off and sometimes sewn into a book-like binding.

 

BOUND SHORT - See also JOINED PAGES and SIAMESE PAGES. This is a bindery error where the pages are not separated along their right edges.

 

BRITTLENESS - Poor physical page quality. Pages can be easily chipped or flaked with normal pressure.

 

BROWNING - Paper is becoming brown due to age and oxidation. This term is often used to denote physical page quality which is not BRITTLE, but darker than tanned. See also OWL.

 

CENTER CREASE - See SUBSCRIPTION CREASE

 

CENTERFOLD - Pages at the very center of the book, where the staple ends bend in.

 

CENTER SPREAD - See CENTERFOLD

 

CFO - CENTERFOLD out.

 

CHIP OR CHIP CUT - Missing piece smaller than 1 square millimeter.

 

CIRCULATION FOLD - See SUBSCRIPTION FOLD.

 

COLOR FLAKE - Color has been flaked or abraded away in an area greater than 1mm in diameter. In a color flake, the white paper beneath the color layer is visible. When small, these are sometimes difficult to differentiate from INK SKIPS.

 

COLOR FLECK - Color has been flaked or abraded away in an area less than or equal to 1mm in diameter. In a color flake, the white paper beneath the color layer is visible. These are sometimes difficult to differentiate from very small INK SKIPS.

 

COLOR TOUCH - Color inks have been used to restore or repair areas where color has been lost.

 

COMIC BOOK REPAIR - Where a physical defect such as a tear, detachment, separation or cut has been physically repaired by application of tape, glue or another foreign substance. This is a defect.

 

COMIC BOOK RESTORATION - Any attempt, whether professional or amateur, to enhance the appearance of a comic book. These procedures may include any or all of the following techniques: Recoloring, adding missing paper, stain, ink, dirt or tape removal, whitening, pressing out wrinkles, staple replacement, trimming, re-glossing, etc. Note: Unprofessional work can lower the value of a book.

 

CONDITION - The state of preservation of a comic book. In the ONE (Overstreet Numerical Equivalent) method, comics are [were] rated on a 100 point scale with:

 

Mint = 100 - 98

Near Mint = 97 - 90

Very Fine = 89 - 75

Fine = 74 - 55

Very Good = 54 - 30

Good = 34 - 15

Fair = 14 - 5

Poor = 4 - 1

 

The ONE, or its verbal equivalents are the standard terms for grading comics used by most modern collectors and dealers. See also, Grading FAQ

 

CORNER BLUNTING - Compression FOLDS at approximately 45 degrees to the ends and sides of the comic, as if the corner of the comic were dropped against a hard surface.

 

CORNER CREASE - Visible (usually white to off-white) crease line located within 1" of a corner on a cover. A more significant defect than CORNER FOLD, but closely related.

 

CORNER CROPPED - Usually limited to one or another cover, this defect involves a straight tear which has developed from a heavy CORNER CREASE, and implies that a small portion of the corner is missing.

 

CORNER FOLD- A FOLD occuring within 1" of a corner on either of the covers. Less significant as a defect than a CORNER CREASE, but related. LOOK

 

COUPON CUT - A coupon has been neatly cut out somewhere in a comic. The advertiser should state whether the cut has effected any artwork or text related to the stories.

 

COUPON MISSING - See COUPON CUT

 

COVER GLOSS - The reflective quality of the cover ink.

 

COVER DETACHED - The staples no longer bind the cover.

 

COVER LOOSE - The cover is loosely bound by the staples.

 

COVER MISSING - See NO COVER

 

COVER OFF - See COVER DETACHED

 

COVER REATTACHED - A REPAIR in which staples or glue have been used to affix a cover to the pages or binding.

 

COVER TRIMMED - Cover has been reduced in size by neatly cutting away rough or damaged edges.

 

CREASE - A fold which causes ink removal usually resulting in a white line. See CORNER CREASE, READING CREASE, HAIRLINE CREASE, LIGHT CREASE, HEAVY CREASE.

 

CUT - A straight, more or less clean separation of paper. See also TEAR and SEPARATION.

 

CVR - Cover.

 

DATE STAMP - Stamp pad or date pad ink printing is found somewhere on the comic (usually on a cover).

 

DEACIDIFICATION - Reduction of acidity in paper.

 

DEFECT - Flaw.

 

DEFORMED STAPLE - A bent or incompletely penetrating staple. See SHALLOW STAPLE

 

DENT - An indentation that does not penetrate the paper nor remove any color or gloss. Less severe defect than a CREASE.

 

DIMPLE - A small surface indentation on the cover usually caused by excessive thumb/finger pressure. Typically, dimples occur on the edge of a cover. Synonymous with DENT.

 

DIRTY - Foreign substances adhere to a cover or page. See also SOILING.

 

DISTRIBUTOR PAINTED STRIPES - See DISTRIBUTOR STRIPES

 

DISTRIBUTOR STRIPES - Distributor's often color code comics for efficient distribution. These stripes are typically about 1" wide and can be found on the top edge of the book. They are often blue, green, red or yellow. Distributor Stripes are not a defect.

 

DOUBLE - A duplicate copy of the same comic book.

 

DOUBLE COVER - The book is bound with two identical covers. Exterior cover often protects interior cover from wear and damage.Considered ... desirable ... by some collectors and may increase ... value.

 

DRY PRESS - ROLLED SPINES and FOLDS can be corrected through the use of this machine.

 

DUST SHADOW - A darkened, often linear, patch where the cover was exposed to settling dust. the dust may accumulate, leaving a permanent stain.Can be difficult to differentiate from SUN SHADOWS and OXIDATION SHADOWS.

 

ERASER MARK - Eraser's tend to dull cover gloss and sometimes fade or completely remove color.

 

EXTENDERS - See STAPLE EXTENDERS

 

EYE APPEAL - Similar to OVERALL APPEARANCE. A term which refers to the overall look of a comic book when held at approximately arms length. A comic may have nice eye appeal, yet have hidden detects which reduce grade.

 

FADED COVER - See FADING.

 

FADING - Color has faded on one or more covers because of exposure to sunlight or or another source of ultraviolet light.

 

FANNED PAGES - The right edge of the book has a fanned appearance, with the pages 'fanning out.' This results from a severe SPINE ROLL, where the pages are progressively pulled away from the edge.

 

FC - Front Cover.

 

FILE COPY - A high grade comic originating from the publisher's file. Not all file copies are in pristine mint condition.

 

FINGER OILS - Oils from human skin transfer easily to comics and cause quicker accumulation of dust and dirt.

 

FLECK - See COLOR FLECK

 

FN - The comic is in Fine CONDITION

 

FOLDING ERROR - A BINDERY DEFECT. The book is folded off-center resulting in the appearance of a portion of the back cover on the front or vice versa.

 

FOLDED OFF-CENTER - See FOLDING ERROR

 

FOLD - A linear dent or upward or downward bend that does not result in color loss. A less severe defect than a CREASE, but related.

 

FOXING - A spotting effect produced by the growth of molds, usually along the edge of a comic.

 

FREEZE DRY - Process used to preserve paper that has been wet before mildew damage can occur.

 

G - The Comic is in Good CONDITION

 

GLASSES ATTACHED - The special red and green cellophane glasses which originally came with a 3D comic are still attached.

 

GLASSES DETACHED - The special red and green cellophane glasses which originally came with a 3D comic are not attached.

 

GLUE or GLUED - RESTORATION or REPAIR method involving glue.

 

GRADE - Overall condition of a comic book as measured, presumably, against a standard. The most accepted terms and grading method are published in The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide. See CONDITION and WHITENESS

 

LEVEL - See also mst's Grading FAQ

 

GREASE PENCIL - A wax based marker commonly used to write on cardboard.

 

GREASE PENCIL ON COVER - Indicates that someone marked the cover of a comic with a GREASE PENCIL, usually with a resale price or an arrival date.

 

HAIRLINE CREASE - A fine, wispy CREASE less than a half millimeter thick.

 

HEAVY CREASING - A CREASE that is longer than 2 inches, or a CREASE which is thicker than a LIGHT CREASE and much thicker than a HAIRLINE CREASE.

 

IBC - Inside Back Cover.

IFC - Inside Front Cover

 

IMPACT CREASE - CREASE along an edge of a cover that results from an impact against the edge. Usually appears as one or more concentric half-circles.

 

INITIALS ON COVER - Someone's initials are written on the cover.

 

INIT. ON CVR - INITIALS ON COVER

 

INK SKIP - A streak or blank spot where ink was not applied during printing.

 

INK SMUDGE - Typically, these appear as inked finger or thumb prints. They result from handling the book before the ink dries.

 

INVESTMENT GRADE COPY - A book of great value or sufficiently high grade, appropriate for sale at profit.

 

JOINED PAGES - (1) Bindery defect in which pages are "trimmed long" and are not separated at right hand corner(s) or along right edge. See SIAMESE PAGES. (2) A rare printing defect where a new roll of paper is glued to the spent roll while still on the press. This glued intersection appears as a vertical "stripe" of double thick newsprint on one of the interior pages.

 

LBC - Lower or Left Side or Edge Of Back Cover.

LFC - Lower or Left Side or Edge Of Front Cover.

LFT - Left.

 

LIGHT CREASING - A CREASE 2" long or less, or a thin CREASE between .5 and 1 millimeter thick. See also HAIRLINE CREASE and HEAVY CREASING.

 

LLBC - Lower Left Corner of Back Cover.

 

LOGO - The title on the front cover.

 

LOGO CUT - See REMAINDERS.

 

LOOSE STAPLES - Staples that can be easily moved and no longer hold comic pages tightly. Implies that the spine is not tight. Books with this defect rarely achieve a grade higher than Fine Minus. See also POPPED STAPLES

 

LRBC - Lower Right Corner Of Back Cover.

LRFC - Lower Right Corner Of Front Cover.

 

M - The comic is in Mint CONDITION - Caveat emptor! Many if not most new comics on sale at shops do not even achieve this grade.

 

MANUFACTURING FOLD - Typically occurs on one or both covers. These folds result from the manufacturing process and may be difficult to differentiate from other FOLDS.

 

MARVEL CHIPPING - A bindery (trimming/cutting) defect that causes a series of chips and tears at the top, bottom, and right edge of the cover. This is caused where the cutting blade of an industrial paper trimmer becomes dull. Dubbed "Marvel chipping" because it can occur quite often with that company's comics from the late 50s and early 60s but can also occur with any companies comic books from the late 1940s through the middle 1960s.

 

MAVERICK PAGES - Pages on the interior are not uniform in size or shape. Usually a bindery defect.

 

MAVERICK SIGNATURE - See MAVERICK PAGES.

 

MAVERICK STAPLE - See DEFORMED STAPLE. May also refer to a staple placed in the wrong location - i.e. through the back or front cover, away from the spine fold.

 

MID-GRADE - For most collectors and dealers, this means that the book is in the Very Good to Fine range of CONDITION

 

MID SPINE - Between the staples.

 

MISCUT - Covers are irregularly cut at the bindery (i.e. irregularly shaped or sized).

 

MISTRIMMED - MISCUT.

 

MISWRAPPED - The staples and spine fold were not placed correctly on the cover. Part of the back cover appears on the front or vice-versa, and the right edge of the book may be uneven from front to back, or vice versa. See also BINDERY DEFECT.

 

MOISTURE DAMAGE -Wrinkling or other physical damage, and/or stains caused by absorption of a liquid.

 

MOISTURE RING - Circular MOISTURE DAMAGE or WATER STAIN, typically resulting from a glass or other vessel which sat on the cover.

 

MOTH BALL SMELL - A comic smells like moth balls after it has been stored with them for a while.

 

MULTIPLE BINDERY STAPLES - Unnecessary additional staples were applied at the bindery.

 

MULTIPLE READING CREASES - See READING CREASES.

 

MYLAR - An inert, very hard, space age plastic used to make high quality protective bags and sleeves used for comic book storage. Mylar is a trademark of the Dupont Co.

 

MYLAR SLEEVE - See MYLAR

 

NAME STAMP - A person's name, address or signature has been stamped on the comic, typically on the front cover.

 

NC - No cover. See COVER MISSING

 

NIT-PICKER - A collector or investor who can not be satisfied with the condition of a comic.

 

NM - The comic is in Near Mint CONDITION.

 

NO COVER - COVER MISSING

 

OFF-CENTER FOLDING - See FOLDING ERROR

 

OIL DAMAGE - See OIL STAIN

 

OIL STAIN - A translucent patch where oils have penetrated paper.

 

ONE - Overstreet Numerical Equivalency. In the 1999 ONE (Overstreet Numerical Equivalent) method, comics are rated on a 10 point scale with:

 

Mint = 10 - 9.8

Near Mint = 9.8 - 9.0

Very Fine = 9.0 - 7.0

Fine = 7.0 - 5.0

Very Good = 5.0 - 3.0

Good = 3.0 - 1.5

Fair = 1.0 - 1.5

and

Poor = .5 - 1.0

 

An earlier version of the ONE included a 100 point scale. The ten point scale, which has been designed simply by moving a single decimal place, is supposed to be easier to use, but it is difficult to imagine why.

The verbal equivalents of the ONE are more common standard terms for grading comics used by most modern collectors and dealers. In this system, grades are typically stated using minus (-) or plus (+) signs to designate where within a grade range a comic falls. For example, a VG+ comic may have an ONE of 4.5, while a VG- may have 3.5. Also, a grade such as VG/F (read Very Good to Fine) will have an ONE of about 5. Since it is very difficult to express overall appearance in quantitative, objective, terms, and since it is impossible for any grading system to anticipate all of the possible combinations of defects and defect severity which may be present in a comic, relatively few people bother to state ONE grades for all but the most rare comics. See also, Grading FAQ

See also CONDITION

 

OVERALL APPEARANCE - How the book looks at first blush, without reference to quantity of minor defects. Similar to EYE APPEAL

 

OVER-COVER - The cover extends about 1/16th of an inch beyond the edge of the pages. In this condition, the extended edge of the cover is more prone to damage than the other edges.

 

OVER-GRADE - When a collector or dealer, intentionally or not, GRADES a comic higher than its actual CONDITION

 

OWL - Overstreet WHITENESS Level. A published industry color standard for grading interior pages of a comic.

 

OXIDATION SHADOW - Darker, usually linear area at the edge of some comics stored in stacks. Some portion of the cover was not covered by the comic immediately above it and was exposed to the air. Also see DUST SHADOW and

SUN SHADOW

 

PAGES MISSING - The book is missing one or more pages.

 

PAGES OUT OF ORDER - The pages are bound in the wrong order (rare)

 

PAGE QUALITY - Refers to the WHITENESS level of the interior pages and their physical state. The physical preservation of a comic's interior pages is usually described in terms of SUPPLEness or BRITTLEness, while page quality should be judged against a published standard such as the Overstreet Whiteness Level (OWL).

 

PAGES TRIMMED - A cutting tool has been used to trim on or more edges of a comic. See also MISCUT

 

PAGES UPSIDE DOWN - A bindery defect. In this case, the pages are vertically reversed relative to the covers.

 

PAPER ABRASION - Rough area on a comic cover where color has been scratched away through contact with a rough surface, revealing the paper beneath the ink.

 

PEDIGREED COMIC - A comic from a pedigreed collection. See PROVENANCE

 

PEDIGREED COPY - See PEDIGREED COMIC

 

PEN IMPRESSION - A linear dent caused by writing on paper positioned on top of a comic. Best observed while holding the book at an angle from a light source.

 

PERFECT BINDING - A binding technique involving glue as opposed to staples.

 

PERFORATIONS - Small hole at the page margins which sometimes occur as part of the manufacturing process. Not considered a defect. Perforations are sometimes used to tell if a comic is an unread copy. In such a copy tell-tale clicks are heard when the book is opened for the first time as the perforations separate.

 

PHOTO REACTIVE COLORS - PHOTO REACTIVE INKS

 

PHOTO REACTIVE INKS - Certain inks used in the printing of comics that contain a higher proportion of metals thus decreasing their stability and resistance to fading. Comics with these inks/colors commonly have faded covers. Examples are: "DC dark green" (e.g. Showcase #8, Superman #100), blue (Showcase #13), purple (Showcase #14), and orange-red (Showcase #4).

 

PICKLE SMELL - See VINEGAR SMELL Sorry, no scratch and sniff available on the web.... yet!

 

PNEUMATIC CUTTER - An industrial paper cutting tool.

 

POC - Pencil writing on cover.

 

POLYPROPYLENE - A plastic often used in comic storage. Has been judged to be harmful when used for long term storage. If you use poly bags, it is recommended that you replace them often.

 

POOO - See PAGES OUT OF ORDER.

 

POPPED STAPLE - A staple no longer binds the cover and the cover is split at the staple.

 

PORTRAIT BOX - Rectangular box usually located left of the logo (especially on Marvel and DC books from about 1960 to 1990), containing either portraits or a standard pose of the character(s) involved in the series.

 

PRICE STICKERS - Adhesive backed stickers applied to comic covers to alter the cover price. Some (sic - I would say most) collectors view them as a defect.

 

PRINTER'S SMUDGE - See INK SMUDGE, PRINTING DEFECT.

 

PRINTING DEFECT - A defect caused by the printing process. Examples would include paper wrinkling, mis-cut edges, mis-folded spine, untrimmed pages, off registered color, off-centered trimming, mis-folded and mis-bound pages.

 

PRINT THROUGH - This is not necessarily a defect. The term refers to a cover through which you can see the printing on its reverse. Very common on WHITE COVERS See also TRANSPARENT COVER

 

PROGRESSIVE ROLLED SPINE - SPINE ROLL is more pronounced on one end than the other.

 

PROVENANCE - The origin of a comic book. Some collectors feel that books from well known collections are more valuable than others, regardless of grade. See PEDIGREE.

 

PUZZLE FILLED IN - A game or puzzle has been written on.

 

QUINONE - The substance in ink that promotes oxidation and discoloration and is associated with transfer stains. (2) A yellowish, crystalline compound with an irritating odor, obtained by the oxidation of aniline, and regarded as a benzene with two hydrogen atoms replaced by two oxygen atoms. It is used in tanning and making dyes. Quinone will oxidize another material and be itself reduced to hydroquinone.

 

RAT CHEW - Rodent gnawing damage.

 

RBC - Right Side or Edge of Back Cover.

 

READING COPY - A low grade (Poor, Fair, or Good) comic which is suited for research or reading.

 

READING CREASES - Book length cover creasing on or near and paralell to the spine resulting from bending the pages back over the spine. Especially common in thick and square bound books.

 

RECESSED STAPLES - Staples which are sunk below the edge of the spine, but have not punched through the cover. Often the spine will appear to pinch inward slightly at a recessed staple.

 

REGLOSSING - A 'repair' which is generally considered unethical and defective and which is intended to restore cover gloss with the application of a silicon spray or other glossy fixative.

 

REMAINDERS - Comics which did not sell. Before the 1960s, covers or portions of covers were often removed and returned to publishers for credit. See THREE FOURTHS COVER

 

REMAINDERS COPY - See REMAINDERS

RESEARCH COPY - See READING COPY

 

RESTORATION - The fine art of repairing a comic to look as close as possible to its original condition.

 

RESTORED COPY - Any comic that has been restored to any degree.

 

RETURN COPY - See REMAINDERS

 

RETURN - See REMAINDERS

 

RFC - Right Edge of Front Cover.

 

RICE PAPER - Rice paper is often used in restoration to repair cuts and separations. It is thin and transparent.

 

RIP - Rough TEAR. See also CUT, SEPARATION.

 

ROLLED SPINE - A defect which occurs as a result of reading and folding back pages. When the book lies flat, the spine points upward. There are different degrees of spine roll. Degree, in this case effects grade. See PROGRESSIVE

ROLLED SPINE

 

ROUGH SPINE - See ABRADED SPINE

 

ROUNDED CORNER - The corner has assumed a round shape from general wear. See also ABRADED CORNER

 

RT - Right

 

RUB - PLEASE HELP - I HAVE KNOW IDEA WHAT THIS IS SUPPOSED TO MEAN - A SCUFF? - WRITE ME WITH A DEFINITION AND GET A PUBLISHED ACKNOWLEDGEMENT RIGHT HERE!

 

RUST MIGRATION - Rust stains have spread from the staple onto the book. See RUST STAIN, RUSTY STAPLES.

 

RUST STAIN - Either the staples or an object once located nearby rusted and left a stain on the book.

 

RUSTY STAPLES - Oxidized reddish brown staples.

 

SADDLE STITCH - The staple binding of magazines and comic books.

 

SCRAPED STAPLE - Staple which has had rust or other discoloration removed by scraping the surface. This condition is readily identifiable under a hand lens.

 

SCUFF - Light paper ABRASION.

 

SEPARATION - Usually refers to a straight SPLIT between the covers, occuring along the spine.

 

SEWN SPINE - A comic with many spine perforations where binders thread held it into a bound volume.

 

SHALLOW STAPLE - Staple that has not penetrated all of the pages and whose extenders are not entirely visible at the centerfold. See DEFORMED STAPLE

 

SIAMESE PAGES - Bindery defect in which pages are "trimmed long" and are not separated at right hand corner(s) or along right edge. See JOINED PAGES.

 

SIG - SIGNATURE

 

SIGNATURE DUPLICATED - A rare bindery defect in which a SIGNATURE is inadvertently duplicated. This may also displace and/or replace an adjacent signature. (See "Signatures").

 

SIGNATURE OUT OF ORDER - A rare bindery defect in which SIGNATURES of pages are bound in the wrong sequence. For example, a 32 page comic book with this defect usually has pages in the following order: 9-16,1-8, 25-32,17-24.

 

SIGNATURE REVERSED - A section of the book, corresponding to a single SIGNATURE is upside down relative to the covers.

 

SIGS - See SIGNATURES

 

SIGNATURES - A large sheet of paper printed with four or a multiple of four pages. It is folded and cut to become a section of pages for a comic book.

 

SMOKE DAMAGE - Smoke causes a gray to black discoloration.

 

SOILING - Organic and inorganic substances and residues on the surface of the paper. Different from STAINS.

 

SPINE - The left edge of a comic at which it is bound.

 

SPINE CHIP - A small piece missing from the spine.

 

SPINE ROLL - See ROLLED SPINE and PROGRESSIVE ROLLED SPINE

 

SPINE SPLIT - Even separation at the spine fold, commonly above or below the staple. LOOK

 

SPINE STRESS - A small fold, usually less than 1/4 inch long perpendicular to the spine. LOOK See also TRANSVERSE STRESS LINE, TRANSVERSE STRESS TEAR, STRESS LINE.

 

SPLIT SPINE - See SPINE SPLIT

SQUARE BACK - See PERFECT BINDING

SQUARE BOUND - See PERFECT BINDING

 

STAINS - Discoloration caused by a foreign substance.

 

STAPLE EXTENDERS - The portion of the staple that actually penetrates the paper and can be seen bent inward at the centerfold. The portion of the staple that is bent either upwards or downwards toward the center of the staple.

 

STAPLE HOLE - A punched out area in cover and interior pages caused by staple extender. This hole becomes enlarged (abraded) when staples are removed and replaced several times.

 

STAPLE LATERAL BAR - The portion of the staple that does not penetrate the paper and lies on top of the cover parallel to the spine. The part of the staple visible on the outside of he comic.

 

STAPLE PAGE - See CENTERFOLD

 

STAPLE REINFORCED - (1) To strengthen with additional materials the cover paper at the site of staple contact. (2) To strengthen with additional materials the centerfold and/or other pages at the points of staple contact.

 

STAPLE RUST MIGRATION - Rust stains have spread from the staple to the paper.

 

STAPLE TEAR - Usually referes to a tear perpendicular to the spine and articulating with one of the ends of a staple. LOOK See also STAPLE HOLES.

 

STAPLE POPPED - A staple is no longer attached. See STAPLE TEAR.

 

STICKER ON COVER - Price or other sticker affixed to cover.

 

STORE STAMP - Store name (and sometimes address and telephone number) stamped in ink via rubber stamp and stamp pad.

 

STRESS LINES - Light, tiny wrinkles occurring along the spine, projecting from the staples or appearing anywhere on the covers of a comic book.

 

STRESS SPLIT - Any clean paper SEPARATION caused by pressure. Most common at the spine.

 

SUBSCRIPTION CENTERCREASE - A long crease, usually the length of the entire book which occurs as a result of folding for mailing. See SUBSCRIPTION COPY.

 

SUBSCRIPTION COPY - These comics are sent by mail to subscribers and usually have been folded in half longitudinally. The folding generally causes a book-length FOLD or CREASE. See SUBSCRIPTION CREASE, SUBSCRIPTION FOLD.

 

SUBSCRIPTION FOLD - As with other FOLDS, this is an area which has been folded, but does not involve color loss (as CREASES do). See SUBSCRIPTION CREASE and SUBSCRIPTION COPY.

 

SUN SHADOW - A darker, often rectangular or triangular patch on the cover of a comic where it was exposed to the sun over a prolonged period. See OXIDATION SHADOW

 

SUPPLE - The condition of paper with little or no deterioration. Bendable, pliant, and limber. The opposite of BRITTLE.

 

TANNIN LINE - A brown to tan line often occurs when a comic has been effected by moisture and subsequently dried. These typically occur in conjunction with MOISTURE DAMAGE and WATER STAINS.

 

TAPE RESIDUE - Where cellophane tape has been removed, you may find residual adhesive substances which have penetrated paper fibre. These substances yellow rapidly and attract and bind dust and other particles.

 

TAPE STAIN - See TAPE RESIDUE

 

TOBC - Top of Back Cover.

 

TEAR - A uneven separation within a page or cover. Less of a defect than a RIP, more than CUTS and SEPARATIONS.

 

TEAR AT STAPLE - SeeSTAPLE TEAR

 

TEAR SEALED - A tear that has been glued together.

 

TOFC - Top of Front Cover.

 

THREE FOURTHS COVER - See REMAINDERS

 

TOS - Tape on spine. Typically, this denotes a condition where the entire spine has been taped lengthwise.

 

TRANSFER STAIN - Occurs on either the reverse of the front cover or the reverse of the back cover. A TRANSFER STAIN is a yellowed stain resulting from ink on the first or last page which has rubbed off onto an inside cover.

 

TRANSVERSE STRESS LINE - Fine crease of variable length emanating from the spine and running perpendicular to it.

 

TRANSVERSE STRESS TEAR - TRANSVERSE STRESS LINES that have developed into tears. Usually these only effect covers, but may extend a few pages into the comic when severe.

 

TRANSPARENT COVER - Printing on the first page or the reverse side of the front cover can be seen on the cover itself. This is not always considered a defect. See PRINT THROUGH

 

TRIMMED - Pages and covers are trimmed to size at the bindery. This term, however, may also refer to a repair process in which defects are removed with a sharp implement. Repair trimming is a defect.

 

TWO THIRDS COVER - See REMAINDERS

 

ULBC - Upper Left Corner of Back Cover.

ULFC - Upper Left Corner of Front Cover.

 

UNDER-GRADE - When a collector or dealer, intentionally or not, GRADES a comic below its actual CONDITION. Under-grading is often done intentionally by honest sellers when they are unsure which grade to assign to a book.

 

URBC - Upper Right Corner of Back Cover.

URFC - Upper Right Corner of Front Cover.

 

VINEGAR SMELL - The smell of acetic acid in newsprint that is deteriorating.

 

WAREHOUSE COPY - These books originate in a publisher's warehouse. Though similar to FILE COPIES, they do not necessarily occur in high grade. Warehouse books, which are usually stored without coverings in boxes, tend to show evidence of having rubbed and scuffed against other comics. COLOR FLECKS , BINDERY DEFECTS, and SCUFFS are common.

 

WATER DAMAGE - See MOISTURE DAMAGE

 

WATER STAIN - Some portion of the book has been stained by a transparent fluid which has left a light TANNIN LINE. Unlike MOISTURE DAMAGE, this defect does not necessarily indicate wrinkling or more severe physical damage, and is therefore considered less severe.

 

WHITE COVER - Comics with a lot of white on their cover show wear more readily than others and so, as with BLACK COVER comics, rarely occur in high grade. The demand for WHITE COVER books is fairly high.

 

WHITE PAGES - Pages are in a near-perfect state of preservation. See WHITENESS LEVEL and WHITENESS

 

WHITENESS - See WHITENESS LEVEL and WHITE PAGES

 

WHITENESS LEVEL - How white the interior pages are in comparison with a published standard. See OWL , PAGE QUALITY and

 

WORM HOLE - Holes eaten into paper by a variety insects or boring worms.

 

WRITING IMPRESSION - See PEN IMPRESSION

 

WRONG COVER - The wrong cover was attached at the bindery. Rare.

 

The Visual Glossary is based on the First Edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Grading Guide (1992, by Robert M. Overstreet and Gary M. Carter. Avon Books, New York), as well as communications with experts, and my own humble experience. It will always need work, and your input will be highly appreciated. Write me if you have something to add or a comment to make. All of the definitions below which are in italics are quoted directly from Overstreet 1992.

 

 

 

Although this is probably the best online glossary of terms, it could be updated, especially with CGC grading terms and abbreviations.

Edited by The_Man_Of_Steel
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ArnoldTBlumberg

ArnoldTBlumberg

Posted
Posted

Actually, I'd have to double-check, but this looks like somebody copied the entire glossary from the original Overstreet Grading Guide verbatim. Again, I'd have to check, but I certainly recognize the order and distinct detail of certain definitions. I would say the credit is not wholly given here. I'll double-check however.

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ArnoldTBlumberg

ArnoldTBlumberg

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Posted

Ah, don't worry about it, it's not *your* fault. Just mentioning it. You tend to find tons of material from both the old Grading Guide and the Price Guides on countless sites, some of them credited to the books, some of them not - but almost always they're lifted word for word. And in some cases, regardless of whether the site gives credit or not, they are *still* in violation of copyright by not asking permission to reproduce the material. This of course doesn't include many of the dealers and advisors who feature such info on their sites - I'm just talking about some of the more casual sites out there who think that by saying they've taken stuff from the Guide, they're covered. But that's not how it works.

 

Just call me the Old Curmudgeonly Copyright Cop! smile.gif You'd probably be surprised that I'm not a wizened oldster by the way I act.

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Hudson

Hudson

Posted
Posted

I know this thread is a bit old, however, I would like to ask the experts a question.

What "exactly" does the term CFO mean?

I know it means "Centerfold Out", but does that mean it is "Out" as in "detached" or "Out" as in "MIA - Missing in Action"? :juggle:

I believe the term refers to a completely missing centerfold, however, I would like to confirm that I am not mistaken in this belief.

Thank you.

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