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NOTES ON THE GRADING GUIDE


NOTES: Please examine my eBay feedback to feel assured that I only adhere to the strictest possible grading.  Each item which received a grade is examined under high light to make absolute sure any and all flaws are caught.  Click on the thumbnail photos to the left of the listing to see a larger high resolution example of an actual item that I've graded by this system.  

Some photo or magazine collectors may adhere to different grading systems, however I am most comfortable with a ten point system which seems to take into account a larger variation of possibilities.  The categories (Magazines, Photos, Trading Cards) are not absolute--by this I mean that several paper items which I sell may be graded by magazine standards (which is appx. 80% about the covers), while heavier stock items may be graded by Photo standards, and cardboard stock items graded by Trading Card standards. 

The zones with a yellow background are what I consider the most average grades for these particular items--in other words, anything above would bring a premium in price, anything below would be severely discounted.  Items falling within the yellow zone are a good option for collectors, items above it for investors.  Please take into account with that previous statement that most of my items are over 50 years old, some up to 100 years old!

Qualifications: What to do if you have an otherwise nearly pristine 80-year old photo, definitely an EX-MT or 7/10 item, but it has one major flaw, let's say a one-inch tear into the border.  Items such as this are tough to place an actual grade on, but I'll usually take one of two routes to establish some sort of grade to label it: 1) I'll state that the item would grade EX-MT or 7/10 and then mention the tear is what keeps it from that, or 2) I'll actually grade the item F-G or 2.5/10 and then note that this is only due to the one imperfection and quote that this is otherwise an EX-MT or 7.5/10 photo.

Note on Pricing: In order to figure my pricing I usually establish a base rate for commons (items featuring lesser stars) and use that base rate for a NM or 8/10 item.  For those rare vintage items actually grading higher than this I will add a large percentage (150% and higher), but these are rare cases.  For items grading less than NM or 8/10 I will establish prices based on the numerical value of the grade.  Example 1) NM item valued at $10, so an EX-MT or 7/10 item priced at $7.00 ($10.00 X 0.70) and a G-VG or 3.5/10 item priced at $3.50 ($10.00 X 0.35).  Example 2) NM item valued at $16, so an EX+ or 6/10 item priced at $9.50 ($16 X 0.60 and rounded) and a VG or 4/10 item priced at $6.50 ($16.00 X 0.40 and rounded).

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