Grading guide
Here at Landaura Comics we have many years of experience and have graded 1000's of comics. We grade our comics as fairly and consistently as possible using the following grading guide.
The key for the grading codes is as follows:
- Gem Mint (GM) 10.0 - The highest possible grade. The comic must be immaculate with no sign of any defects.
- Mint (M) 9.9 - Almost indistinguisable from a 10.0 but will have a very minor defect from manufacturing, but no evidence of defects from handling.
- Near Mint/Mint (NM/M) 9.8 - A near perfect comic with very slight handling or manufacturing defects.
- Near Mint Plus (NM+) 9.6 - This will be a very well-preserved comic with several minor defects from either manufacturing or handling.
- Near Mint (NM) 9.4 - A comic that is very well-preserved with minor wear and small defects from manufacturing or handling.
- Near Mint Minus (NM-) 9.2 - A very well-preserved comic with some wear and small handling or manufacturing defects.
- Very Fine/Near Mint (VF/NM) 9.0 - A very well-preserved comic which is aesthetically pleasing. There will be numerous minor handling and/or manufacturing defects.
- Very Fine Plus (VF+) 8.5 - An aesthetically pleasing comic with a moderate defect or a number of smaller defects.
- Very Fine (VF) 8.0 - A comic which is attractive but has a moderate defect or an accumulation of smaller defects.
- Very Fine Minus (VF-) 7.5 - A comic in above-average condition with a moderate defect or a number of smaller defects,
- Fine/Very Fine (FN/VF) 7.0 - A comic in above-average condition with a major defect or numerous small defects.
- Fine Plus (FN+) 6.5 - In above-average condition with either a major defect and some smaller defects, or a significant number of smaller defects.
- Fine (FN) 6.0 - A comic in a slightly above-average condition with either a major defect and some smaller defects, or a significant number of smaller defects.
- Fine Minus (FN-) 5.5 - A comic which is slightly above-average in condition with several moderate defects.
- Very Good/Fine (VG/FN) 5.0 - An average condition comic with several moderate defects.
- Very Good Plus (VG+) 4.5 - A comic which is in slighty below-average condition and has multiple moderate defects.
- Very Good (VG) 4 - A below-average comic with multiple moderate defects.
- Very Good Minus (VG-) 3.5 - A comic in below-average condition which has either several major defects or a lot of moderate defects.
- Good/Very Good (G/VG) 3.0 - A comic which has significant evidence of handling with several moderate-to-major defects.
- Good (G) 2.5 - A comic which shows extensive evidence of handling and multiple moderate-major defects.
- Good Minus (G-) 1.8 - A comic which shows extensive evidence of handling with a number of major defects.
- Fair/Good (FR/G) 1.5 - A comic which shows extensive evidence of handling with a heavy amount of major defects.
- Fair (FR) 1.0 - A comic which has been very badly handled with a heavy accumulation of major defects.
- Poor (P) 0.5 - A comic which is heavily defaced and has a number of major defects and may have some pieces missing .
We always err on the side of caution with our gradings and so you can be assured that gradings given will be at the top end of the grade. We do understand, however, that comic gradings are highly subjective. For this reason we use only the actual photos of the comic you would receive. We don't edit any of the images and we don't use stock photos (unless clearly stated in the description.). We would ask therefore that you use the images as the main guide. If you require more information on any of our comics, please contact us. Please also be aware that free gifts and posters which may have come with the original comics are only present if stated in the description.