Comic Books: 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).

Age Choice

Era of US comics as used in the price guides (boundaries differ slightly between sources).

• Platinum Age (1897 to 1937)
• Golden Age (1938 to 1955)
• Silver Age (1956 to 1969)
• Bronze Age (1970 to 1984)
• Copper Age (1984 to 1991)
• Modern Age (1992 to today)

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.