Another Overstreet question 1 1

[GlennSimpson]

I've seen where this comes up a bit around here and somewhat doesn't seem to be taken seriously, so let me ask the question a different way.

As someone with a large collection, I would be trying to grade issues in that collection to narrow down the ones to hypothetically send to CGC.  In order to do that, I need to grade the books as close to accurately as I might.

The most recent Overstreet Grading Guide edition (from November 2016) has lots of pictures and information on determining the grade.  It also has the benefit of having the information well organized.

Online, I am hearing two schools of thought.  One is that Overstreet has collaborated with CGC on the standards.  Another is that they are still different, although I haven't pinned down specifically which ways.

If you were someone in my position, trying to grade books to determine if they merited sending to CGC, would you reference the Overstreet Grading guide?  Or would you stick to the various videos and whatnot that try to reverse-engineer the CGC grades, where the information is generally less centralized?

[steveinthecity]

While not meaning to invalidate or be dismissive of Overstreet grading standards, if the intent is to have your books graded by CGC I’d familiarize myself more so with CGC grading. Admittedly CGC doesn’t provide their standards in a nice, orderly list(or at all), but you can see tendencies such as CGC being far tougher on corners than OPG is, for example.  
Maybe post a few of your books(in varying condition) in the “Buddy Can You Spare A Grade?” forum and see how your grading matches up with members here on the boards.

[theCapraAegagrus]

OSPG and CGC are 2 different standards.

[GlennSimpson]

So what do we think the intention of CGC is for me to do in the hypothetical situation?  Or do they not consider it their responsibility to prevent me from sending in Speedball #1 in 3.0 ?

[Lightning55]

Here is the CGC Grading Scale: https://www.cgccomics.com/grading/grading-scale/

Very skeletal, intentionally???? 

They do a much better job on the "Page Quality" tab at that same location, quite descriptive in comparison.

[GlennSimpson]

I assume CGC keeps it vague so people can't argue with them over the grade (or at least not any more than they probably do now).  But that doesn't do other people much good. 

I think the problem is that even the Overstreet guide isn't sufficiently specific, but if you go to the internet for more information, all you get is CGC-reverse-engineering.

Edited January 25, 2021 by GlennSimpson

[Lightning55]

I find the Overstreet Grading Guide to be very comprehensive, short of them having your EXACT book to analyze, and that can't happen.  Grading guides are not offered as an exact science, just a framework for you to align your thoughts to the industry standards. 

One person may downgrade for a 1/2" crease as much as another person downgrades for a 5/8" crease (Oh, No!!!!!  The system is ruined!).  With 23 grading levels, if you can't get it "pretty close", you're doing it wrong.

And even if you got it spot on, that doesn't mean a thing.  It's just one man's opinion.  The grade you receive could be quite different, up or down. 

If it's that close that you are unsure whether to send it in, put it back the box and move on to something you are sure warrants grading.  And that applies differently for different goals - personal collection, or to sell. 

After you have pulled all the "sure things", sent them in, gotten them back, learned from that, THEN take a fresh look at the "maybe" stack.

[Toz]

5 hours ago, GlennSimpson said:

So what do we think the intention of CGC is for me to do in the hypothetical situation?  Or do they not consider it their responsibility to prevent me from sending in Speedball #1 in 3.0 ?

I'm pretty sure they will grade the book for you and gladly take your money.

Also take the advice given here and post books in the "Spare a Grade" forum and see what everyone says.Look at books posted here,either slabbed or not in the market place and you will begin to get a better handle on it.

There is a ton & a half of wisdom here at your disposal free to use.Use it.

[Deadpoolica]

5 hours ago, GlennSimpson said:

Or do they not consider it their responsibility to prevent me from sending in Speedball #1 in 3.0 ?

it's not their responsibility 

[Deadpoolica]

1 hour ago, Hello Boils and Ghouls said:

That is not their responsibility whatsoever. If you send them a comic they will slab it, that's the deal. It's up to the submitter to know what they're doing. 

[GlennSimpson]

12 minutes ago, Toz said:

I'm pretty sure they will grade the book for you and gladly take your money.

Also take the advice given here and post books in the "Spare a Grade" forum and see what everyone says.Look at books posted here,either slabbed or not in the market place and you will begin to get a better handle on it.

There is a ton & a half of wisdom here at your disposal free to use.Use it.

Yes, there is a ton of horribly disorganized information on grading on the internet.  I know all of these things you guys are telling me, the problem is the information is not organized or consistent.  One source says finger-dents don't matter unless it is shooting for 9.8.  Another guy in a video cracks a 9.4 and can't find anything wrong with it except for 3-4 finger dents.  Books that are already (and still) slabbed, you can't tell anything about the surface of the book, dents and whatnot.

I'm aware of and using the tools, the tools aren't all that great.

What I was kinda hoping for was things like "if it's an Overstreet 9.2, you can probably assume it's a CGC 9.4" or some such.

Edited January 26, 2021 by GlennSimpson

[Deadpoolica]

6 minutes ago, GlennSimpson said:

What I was kinda hoping for was things like "if it's an Overstreet 9.2, you can probably assume it's a CGC 9.4" or some such.

Well you won't get that anywhere

[thehumantorch]

10 minutes ago, GlennSimpson said:

Yes, there is a ton of horribly disorganized information on grading on the internet.  I know all of these things you guys are telling me, the problem is the information is not organized or consistent.  One source says finger-dents don't matter unless it is shooting for 9.8.  Another guy in a video cracks a 9.4 and can't find anything wrong with it except for 3-4 finger dents.  Books that are already (and still) slabbed, you can't tell anything about the surface of the book, dents and whatnot.

I'm aware of and using the tools, the tools aren't all that great.

What I was kinda hoping for was things like "if it's an Overstreet 9.2, you can probably assume it's a CGC 9.4" or some such.

There's a lot of bad information about grading on the internet.

You got great advice above, send in books that are clearly worth getting graded even if you're off on grade, and learn from each submission.  Also, scan the front and back cover and go over the interior carefully before submitting so that you have a good baseline for what you sent.

[GlennSimpson]

16 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

There's a lot of bad information about grading on the internet.

You got great advice above, send in books that are clearly worth getting graded even if you're off on grade, and learn from each submission.  Also, scan the front and back cover and go over the interior carefully before submitting so that you have a good baseline for what you sent.

And what if I just want to accurately grade books that I have no intention of submitting, because while they aren't worth much (individually, although collectively they can be worth a lot), I'd still like for my collection to be accurately graded?

Edited January 26, 2021 by GlennSimpson

[thehumantorch]

33 minutes ago, GlennSimpson said:

And what if I just want to accurately grade books that I have no intention of submitting, because while they aren't worth much (individually, although collectively they can be worth a lot), I'd still like for my collection to be accurately graded?

Well, I was referencing your initial post.

"If you were someone in my position, trying to grade books to determine if they merited sending to CGC, would you reference the Overstreet Grading guide?  Or would you stick to the various videos and whatnot that try to reverse-engineer the CGC grades, where the information is generally less centralized?"

If you just want to accurately grade books perhaps just study the overstreet guide and grade to it.  At least the overstreet guide gives you clear and detailed information on their grading standards.

[GlennSimpson]

30 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

Well, I was referencing your initial post.

"If you were someone in my position, trying to grade books to determine if they merited sending to CGC, would you reference the Overstreet Grading guide?  Or would you stick to the various videos and whatnot that try to reverse-engineer the CGC grades, where the information is generally less centralized?"

If you just want to accurately grade books perhaps just study the overstreet guide and grade to it.  At least the overstreet guide gives you clear and detailed information on their grading standards.

Well, yeah, the original hypothetical was because that would seem to be the more usual situation where having some clear standards would make sense, but mine is really the later.

[thehumantorch]

Just now, GlennSimpson said:

Well, yeah, the original hypothetical was because that would seem to be the more usual situation where having some clear standards would make sense, but mine is really the later.

understood.  If you're trying to grade accurately and none of the issues are worth a great deal singularly it won't matter a great deal which grading standard you choose.

[GlennSimpson]

4 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

understood.  If you're trying to grade accurately and none of the issues are worth a great deal singularly it won't matter a great deal which grading standard you choose.

Well, yes and no.  Because if I'm using the Overstreet guide for grading (to keep it conservative), then for a given book that is $3 or $4 in 9.2, it's only $1 in 9.0.  Now multiply that times like 30,000 books (where the other 14,000 or so are probably worth more than cover) and that's a big difference in value.  

[GlennSimpson]

By the way, I do appreciate everyone's comments.  

[KCOComics]

Just remember grading isn't an exact science. You could get CGCs detailed criteria, follow every step to the T and still come up with a different grade then them. 

It's pretty common for the same book to be submitted multiple times and recieve different grades. 

 

The point is, grading is subjective. CGC is the standard, but 1 grader may grade a book with one spine tic as a 9.8, another cgc grader may give it a 9.6. Getting to that level of specificity is difficult. 

Overstreet is a good guide. The spare a grade area taught me a ton and it's fun.  When I grade my own books, I try to be very conservative.  That way if you do submit to CGC you generally won't be disappointed.