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Do grader notes list defects in order of worst to least? Other questions on grader notes as well.
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14 posts in this topic

It seems as if grader notes list defects in order of worst to least but maybe I am wrong. it would be good to hear it officially. I searched CGC's site and the internet and read everything I could find but nothing. In fact it seems as if every question I have about grader notes & pressing is NEVER answered when I search for them. They just go on and on about every common sense thing you could think of. Anyway.... Also do they sometimes not mention color breaks with creases or spine stresses? Seems like sometimes I see "CREASE, BREAKS COLOR" while other times they just say "CREASE" even though it looks as if there is the tiniest of a color break. I try to look at it with a magnifying glass but it's tough to tell through the case. One other thing I notice with the grader notes is that they seem to miss some fairly obvious things so is it that sometimes the list is not conclusive? If you get your comic pressed and then regraded do they look at the original notes and go for there or do they grade it again blindly? If they do it blindly it seems as if you could really get screwed if the original grader missed something.

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For the books I own, there is no discernible order in which the grader notes are listed. So, I would have to say that they are not by default listed by how impactful the defect is. Also, they don't always list all of the defects they observe.

Usually - if not always - "CREASE" means a non-color-breaking crease.

Grader notes are definitely not conclusive. As I mentioned, they don't always list each defect they observe.

If you get a comic pressed, the grader's are allegedly unaware of its history. Someone has claimed that CGC graders can be aware if CCS performed on an item, though.

Yes, getting a comic re-graded always presents the risk of something new being observed, or the comic taking a hit. It's why I usually don't suggest pressing unless I think it's worth the money and I think it'll improve objectively.

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1 minute ago, theCapraAegagrus said:

For the books I own, there is no discernible order in which the grader notes are listed. So, I would have to say that they are not by default listed by how impactful the defect is. Also, they don't always list all of the defects they observe.

Usually - if not always - "CREASE" means a non-color-breaking crease.

Grader notes are definitely not conclusive. As I mentioned, they don't always list each defect they observe.

If you get a comic pressed, the grader's are allegedly unaware of its history. Someone has claimed that CGC graders can be aware if CCS performed on an item, though.

Yes, getting a comic re-graded always presents the risk of something new being observed, or the comic taking a hit. It's why I usually don't suggest pressing unless I think it's worth the money and I think it'll improve objectively.

 

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2 minutes ago, paulbh1 said:

Thanks Capra that is EXTREMELY helpful and clears everything up. I wish you worked for CGC or, at least, wrote the FAQ for GRADER NOTES and PRESSING on their website! :-)

That's a horrible thing to wish upon someone!

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52 minutes ago, NoProbBob said:

Not to diss the Goat but doesn't the FAQ basically tell you the same thing?

https://www.cgccomics.com/grading/cgc-grader-notes/

Nope, it sure doesn't. That is the very first thing I read when I was trying to find the answers to my questions and it doesn't address ANY of my questions. I am not the type that is going to lazily just post questions. I have no problem trying to find the answers myself if I can. 

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My second question was: "do they sometimes not mention color breaks with creases or spine stresses?" and that link did not address that, or any of my questions. Please, let's stop wasting our time on this. I am only taking the time to respond because I am new here and I don't want an unearned reputation that your posts imply. 

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On 11/12/2020 at 11:11 AM, paulbh1 said:

It seems as if grader notes list defects in order of worst to least but maybe I am wrong. it would be good to hear it officially. I searched CGC's site and the internet and read everything I could find but nothing. In fact it seems as if every question I have about grader notes & pressing is NEVER answered when I search for them. They just go on and on about every common sense thing you could think of. Anyway.... Also do they sometimes not mention color breaks with creases or spine stresses? Seems like sometimes I see "CREASE, BREAKS COLOR" while other times they just say "CREASE" even though it looks as if there is the tiniest of a color break. I try to look at it with a magnifying glass but it's tough to tell through the case. One other thing I notice with the grader notes is that they seem to miss some fairly obvious things so is it that sometimes the list is not conclusive? If you get your comic pressed and then regraded do they look at the original notes and go for there or do they grade it again blindly? If they do it blindly it seems as if you could really get screwed if the original grader missed something.

Grading notes can vary dramatically from grader to grader. Some graders take very clear and concise notes while others can be more vague. But a crease generally means a common everyday crease, which may or may not break color. Some creases have both attributes---part of it may break color and part of it may not. A more descriptive grader may go into more detail, but from what I understand, the last few years the grading notes can be selected from a drop down menu which was implemented in the interest of saving time. The notes aren't necessarily complete or comprehensive, but they're often used to describe the more subtle flaws that may not be visible once the book has been slabbed. And if you get your comic pressed and regraded the original notes and label will no longer be relevant, so new notes should be entered to reflect the current condition of that particular book. 

I hope this helps...

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On 11/12/2020 at 11:11 AM, paulbh1 said:

It seems as if grader notes list defects in order of worst to least but maybe I am wrong. it would be good to hear it officially. I searched CGC's site and the internet and read everything I could find but nothing. In fact it seems as if every question I have about grader notes & pressing is NEVER answered when I search for them. They just go on and on about every common sense thing you could think of. Anyway.... Also do they sometimes not mention color breaks with creases or spine stresses? Seems like sometimes I see "CREASE, BREAKS COLOR" while other times they just say "CREASE" even though it looks as if there is the tiniest of a color break. I try to look at it with a magnifying glass but it's tough to tell through the case. One other thing I notice with the grader notes is that they seem to miss some fairly obvious things so is it that sometimes the list is not conclusive? If you get your comic pressed and then regraded do they look at the original notes and go for there or do they grade it again blindly? If they do it blindly it seems as if you could really get screwed if the original grader missed something.

Important thing you need to know: the grader notes are just extra and by no means are they comprehensive.

So they are not necesarily in the order of worst and on and there is certainly something missing. 9.6 books have no grader notes and yet obviously there is a flaw somewhere preventing it from a 9.8.

Also, the grader notes are not looked at when the book is regraded. When the book is handled by a grader, the grader is not made aware of any history pertaining to that book (aside from the obvious pedigrees since the markings on those are unavoidable but your question does not relate to that).


And yes, if your book was slightly overgraded initially, the new grader can most definitely be more strict and your book could come back lower than the initial grade.

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FWIW from my experience sumbitting hundreds of books with varying grades maybe 5 to 10 (a VERY small percentage) even have graders notes, and of the ones that do the notes are incredibly vague. "Moderate staining" "crease", etc...

IMO if anyone out there is considering purchasing graders notes, don't waste your money. (Unless it is a lower grade, very high value book as these appear to have more detailed notes. Strong stress on APPEAR, no gaurantee)

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