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Grading & authentication

What is a raw comic?

Published Sep 14, 2026 · Updated Sep 14, 2026 · 1 min read

Short answerA raw comic is one that has not been encapsulated by a grading company. It may never have been graded, or it may have been cracked out of a slab. Raw books are cheaper to buy and can be read and handled, but the buyer has to trust the seller's description of condition and restoration, which is why reputable sellers provide full scans and a grade estimate.

Raw vs graded

A graded (slabbed) book comes with an independent condition report sealed inside a holder. A raw book comes with whatever the seller says about it. That difference is the whole story: raw books are the same objects, just without the certification.

Why buy raw

  • Price. You are not paying for the grading fee or the certification premium.
  • Reading copies. A raw copy can be opened and enjoyed.
  • Submission candidates. Buying raw, pressing, and grading yourself is how many dealers and collectors add value — if you can grade accurately.
  • Low-value books. Most comics are not worth grading; raw is the only sensible way to collect them.

The risks

  • Over-grading. Sellers, honest or not, tend to grade optimistically. A raw "NM" often comes back 8.5 from CGC.
  • Undisclosed restoration. Colour touch and trimming are hard to spot in photos.
  • Counterfeits and reprints of key issues sold as originals.

How we sell raw books

Every raw copy in the store is graded in-house on the 10-point scale, checked for restoration under magnification and UV, and photographed with every defect disclosed. If you disagree with our assessment when it arrives, return it within the inspection window for a full refund. Raw books are marked as ungraded in the store and can be filtered by grader.

Should you grade it?

See Should I get my comic graded? for the maths — for keys and high-grade copies the answer is usually yes; for common books, usually no.

Written by the Rare Comics Collectors grading team. Spotted an error or have a question this guide does not answer? Tell us.

Keep reading

  • Grading

    What is a CGC graded comic?

    A CGC graded comic is a comic book that Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) has examined, assigned a numeric grade from 0.5 to 10.0, and sealed in a tamper-evident plastic holder with a label that records the grade, the page quality and any restoration. The holder and label let a buyer trust the condition without opening the book.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Grading

    How are comics graded? The 10-point scale explained

    Comics are graded on a 10-point scale that runs from 0.5 (Poor) to 10.0 (Gem Mint), with 25 steps in between. Graders assess the book's structure, surface, spine, corners, page quality and completeness, then assign the highest grade the worst significant defect allows. CGC and CBCS both use this scale, which comes from the Overstreet grading standard.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Grading

    CGC vs CBCS: what is the difference?

    CGC (founded 2000) and CBCS (founded 2014) are the two main third-party comic grading companies in the United States. Both grade on the same 10-point scale and encapsulate books in tamper-evident holders. CGC has the larger census and the deeper resale market, so its slabs often carry a modest premium; CBCS is known for its signature verification, which authenticates signatures after the fact rather than requiring a witness.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Grading

    What do CGC label colours mean?

    The colour of a CGC label tells you what kind of grade you are looking at before you read a word: blue (Universal) means an unrestored book graded on its own merits, yellow (Signature Series) means a signature witnessed by CGC, purple (Restored) means the book has been repaired or altered, and green (Qualified) means one significant defect has been set aside from the grade.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Grading

    What does “restored” mean on a comic label?

    A restored comic has been repaired or altered to improve its appearance: colour touch to hide wear, tears sealed with glue, missing pieces replaced, edges trimmed, chemical cleaning, re-glossing or pages married in from another copy. CGC and CBCS disclose restoration on a purple label with the extent and quality of the work, and restored copies sell at a steep discount to unrestored copies of the same grade.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026

  • Grading

    What is page quality on a graded comic, and why does it matter?

    Page quality describes the colour of a comic's interior paper, from White through Off-White, Cream and Tan to Brittle. It is printed on the grading label separately from the numeric grade. Whiter pages mean the paper has aged less, so between two copies with the same grade the one with whiter pages is worth more and is a safer long-term hold.

    Updated Sep 14, 2026