Albums & Graphic Novels: What to Record

Identification

Publisher Text Comics & graphic novels

Publisher or imprint, e.g. Marvel, DC, Image, Dark Horse, Dupuis, Shueisha.

Series Text Comics & graphic novels

Series title with volume where needed, e.g. The Amazing Spider-Man (1963).

Issue number Text Comics & graphic novels

Issue or volume number as printed, e.g. 129, 1/2, Annual 3.

Title Text Comics & graphic novels

The title or name the object is known by, as given by its maker, publisher or catalogue.

Cover date Text Comics & graphic novels

Cover date as printed, e.g. February 1974.

Cover / variant Text Comics & graphic novels

Cover variant, e.g. Cover A, 1:25 ratio variant, newsstand edition, virgin cover, price variant.

Key issue Text Comics & graphic novels

Why the issue matters, e.g. first appearance of the Punisher, origin story, death of a character.

Reference link Link Comics & graphic novels

Web page about this object or its reference entry (catalogue, database, sale).

Album edition Choice, or your own

Edition of a comic album; for bandes dessinées the first edition (édition originale) is identified by the back cover list and legal deposit date.

• First edition (EO)
• Later printing
• Reprint / new edition
• Limited / deluxe edition (tirage de tête)
• Integral / collected edition

ISBN Text

ISBN-10 or ISBN-13 (books since about 1970).

Creators

Writer Text Comics & graphic novels

Writer or writers.

Artist Text Comics & graphic novels

Penciller and inker; cover artist if different.

Grading

Condition on the 10-point scale and the grading holder.

Grade Choice Comics & graphic novels

Grade on the 10-point scale of CGC and CBCS (Overstreet terms); for ungraded books your own estimate.

25 choices

• 10.0 Gem Mint
• 9.9 Mint
• 9.8 NM/M
• 9.6 NM+
• 9.4 NM
• 9.2 NM-
• 9.0 VF/NM
• 8.5 VF+
• 8.0 VF
• 7.5 VF-
• 7.0 FN/VF
• 6.5 FN+
• 6.0 FN
• 5.5 FN-
• 5.0 VG/FN
• 4.5 VG+
• 4.0 VG
• 3.5 VG-
• 3.0 G/VG
• 2.5 G+
• 2.0 G
• 1.8 G-
• 1.5 FR/G
• 1.0 FR
• 0.5 PR

Grading service Choice, or your own Comics & graphic novels

Service that graded and encapsulated the book.

• CGC
• CBCS
• PGX
• Not graded (raw)

Certification number Text Comics & graphic novels

Number on the grading holder (slab) or authentication certificate, to look it up in the service's database.

Label type Choice, or your own Comics & graphic novels

Label colour of the CGC holder, telling whether the book is unaltered, signed, restored or has a qualifying defect.

• Universal (blue)
• Signature Series (yellow)
• Qualified (green)
• Restored (purple)
• Conserved (grey)
• Not applicable

Page quality Choice Comics & graphic novels

Colour and suppleness of the interior pages as noted by the grading services.

• White
• Off-white to white
• Off-white
• Cream to off-white
• Cream
• Light tan to cream
• Light tan
• Tan to light tan
• Tan
• Brittle

Signed by Text Comics & graphic novels

Who signed the book, with witness (e.g. CGC Signature Series) if any.

Condition

Condition notes Text Comics & graphic novels

Faults, wear and damage in detail.

Restoration & repairs Text Comics & graphic novels

Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date Comics & graphic novels

Date the object came into the collection.

Acquisition method Choice, or your own Comics & graphic novels

How the object came into the collection.

• Purchase
• Auction
• Gift
• Inheritance
• Exchange / trade
• Self-collected / found
• Commission

Acquired from Text Comics & graphic novels

Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.

Purchase price Amount Comics & graphic novels

Price paid including fees and premiums.

Provenance Text Comics & graphic novels

Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount Comics & graphic novels

Current market value as estimated.

Valuation date Date Comics & graphic novels

Date of the current value estimate.

Valuation basis Choice Comics & graphic novels

What the estimated value is based on.

• Own estimate
• Recent sales / auction results
• Dealer offer
• Catalogue value
• Professional appraisal
• Insurance valuation

Insured value Amount Comics & graphic novels

Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text Comics & graphic novels

Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.

Storage location Text Comics & graphic novels

Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.