Example of 1.5 (Fair - Good)

FAIR (FR) 

Very worn and soiled with possible small chunks out of the spine or cover. Some tears or heavy creases and marks or writing on the cover/inside. There may be some water damage or staining throughout. There may be a small panel or small coupon cut but all pages must be there. Watch out for those Marvel Value Stamps in 1970s American Marvels and those coupons for free gifts in early 1970s Marvel Weeklies! The pages may be brown and the quality so low that the edges appear delicate. This is basically a very rough copy.

Missing parts are a serious defect. If a comic, British or American, appears otherwise very high grade, a missing coupon or panel would devalue it. A small coupon or story panel by at least a couple of grades, a half page out by perhaps three overall grades. Thus a Very Fine with a missing part should grade no more than a VG at best.

If you are a dealer or wish to sell, perhaps it is better to grade and evaluate the comic overall and then mention the extent of the missing part. Thus your comic may satisfy all criteria for a Fine copy and then potential customers can decide if they can live with a Fine comic with a piece cut or missing.

GOOD (G) 

A well-read copy with minor tears or splits, slightly soiled and marked, slight rolled spine or creases but still complete and acceptable. Most comics that come out of garages and attics are in this grade and the damper climate of the United Kingdom may accentuate that musty comic smell with the pages very often browning (but not brittle in this grade). There may be a large price mark/bookshop stamp on the cover, some tape (but not excessive) and other repairs, corners of covers may be chipped or other small pieces missing but no more than about a 1" off the corner. Loose at one or both staples, but still quite readable. All the above applies to British comics but again there will be more general wear to the edges and corners. GOOD is basically quite a low grade.

 

Grading information and pictures provided by  Duncan McAlpine from www.comicpriceguide.co.uk

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