A plain-English guide to third-party comic grading. What it is, who does it, what it costs, what to expect, and how to find a local drop-off shop.
Third-party grading is when a professional grading company evaluates your comic, assigns it a numerical grade on a 10-point scale, and seals it in a tamper-evident plastic case (a "slab"). Once slabbed, the comic's grade is fixed and trusted — buyers don't have to take your word for the condition.
Grading matters most for key issues (first appearances, major story moments) and high-value books where condition swings price by hundreds or thousands of dollars. A raw (ungraded) Amazing Spider-Man #300 in "near mint" is worth a guess — a CGC 9.8 of the same book has a defined market value within a few percent.
Grading is not free, though. You're paying for the company's reputation, the work to grade and slab the book, and the insured shipping in both directions. The math has to make sense.
Three companies dominate comic grading. CGC is the market leader by a wide margin, but CBCS has gained ground and PGX is still around. Here's how they stack up.
| CGC | CBCS | PGX | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2000 | 2014 | 2002 |
| Market share | Dominant — most resale liquidity | Growing #2 | Niche — limited buyer trust |
| Resale premium | Highest — most collectors want CGC | Solid — slight discount vs CGC | Often discounted vs raw equivalents |
| Notable feature | Industry standard. Largest signed-witness program. | Verified Signature program. Free press / pre-screen. | Lower price point |
| Best for | Almost everything, especially keys | Modern signed books, signatures | Personal collection grading, low-value books |
All three companies use the same numerical scale. Here's what the grades mean in practice.
Service tier determines turnaround time and the price ceiling on what you can submit. Faster = more expensive. Most collectors use Modern, Economy, or Standard. Always check CGC's site for current pricing — these change.
CBCS pricing is generally similar to CGC, with a strong free pre-screen / pressing option that's worth knowing about. Confirm current pricing on cbcscomics.com.
You can mail your books directly to CGC or CBCS yourself. But local drop-off shops — comic stores that have signed up as official drop-off locations — handle the hard parts for you:
Insurance and shipping. They consolidate submissions into bulk shipments, which lowers per-book shipping cost and gets your books fully insured in transit.
Pressing recommendations. A pre-grade press can lift a book from 9.4 to 9.8, which can double or triple its value. Local shops know which books benefit and which don't.
Tier guidance. They'll tell you if your book is worth grading at all, and which tier makes economic sense. Saves you submitting a book that nets less than the grading fee.
No CGC membership required. CGC requires individual collectors to be members ($25–$299/year). Submitting through a local shop bypasses the membership requirement.
CSNM tags shops in our directory that offer CGC drop-off service. Search by your city or state.
Browse our directory of comic shops that offer CGC drop-off service across the US and Canada.
Find a CGC drop-off shop →Should I press my book first? If it has a non-color-breaking defect (small bend, slight spine roll, dish warp), pressing can boost the grade by half a point or more. For a high-value key, this often pays off. For modern books worth under $50 raw, it usually doesn't.
What's the difference between blue, yellow, and green CGC labels? Blue = standard universal grade. Yellow = signature series (signed and witnessed by CGC). Green = qualified (book has a defect that's noted but not factored into the grade, like a missing coupon). Purple = restored. Blue holds the most resale value.
Can I submit a book that's already in a CGC slab to be regraded? Yes — it's called a "ReHolder" or "CrossOver" service if you're switching companies. CGC charges separately for breaking out and regrading. Worth doing if you think the original grade was conservative.
How long does it really take? CGC's stated turnaround times are aspirational. Plan on adding 30–60% to whatever they quote, especially during peak periods (after major movie releases or convention seasons).