Comic book grading scale: 10.0 Gem Mint to 0.5 Poor
A 10-point ladder with no 9.7 or 9.5. When a book sits between two grades, the lower one is assigned.
How the scale works
Raw condition uses a 10-point ladder with named designations. Only these numbers are valid: 10.0, 9.9, 9.8, 9.6, 9.4, 9.2, 9.0, 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, 7.0, 6.5, 6.0, 5.5, 5.0, 4.5, 4.0, 3.5, 3.0, 2.5, 2.0, 1.8, 1.5, 1.0, and 0.5. There is no 9.7, 9.5, or 8.8 on this scale. If a book sits between two rungs, the lower grade is the honest one. Want a second read? GradeMyGrail is an AI comic book grader for raw books — photograph front and back and get a conservative grade for 50¢.
A number is not a sale price and it is not a sealed holder. It is a conservative read of structure plus paper. Color-breaking defects (white paper showing through ink) cost more than the same-size bend that did not crack color. Page quality is a hard ceiling: a sharp cover cannot outrun tan or brittle interiors.
For a walkthrough, start with how to grade a comic book at home. Letter shorthand such as NM vs VF vs FN vs VG is a band, not a single number.
The full ladder
Use the table as a map, not a checklist to game. Length of a crease is only one factor. Depth, color break, location, and accumulation all move the grade. Manufacturing defects (printer crease, minor miswrap, tiny bindery chips) are treated more leniently than handling of the same size — except at 9.8 and above, where almost nothing is shrugged off.
| Grade | Designation | In short |
|---|---|---|
| 10.0 | Gem Mint | No manufacturing or handling defects. White pages only. |
| 9.9 | Mint | Nearly 10.0; at most a very minor manufacturing defect. No handling. White or Off-White to White. |
| 9.8 | NM/M | Nearly perfect. Negligible defects. Any meaningful color break usually prevents 9.8. Off-White typical minimum. |
| 9.6 | NM+ | Very well preserved. Several minor defects. Very minor non-color-breaking bend preferred. |
| 9.4 | NM | Minor wear. Up to 1/16" non-color-breaking bend; no crease. Cream to Off-White. |
| 9.2 | NM− | Some wear. 1/16–1/8" bend, no color break. No spine split. Cream. |
| 9.0 | VF/NM | Good eye appeal with several minor defects. About 1/8" non-breaking bend; very minor stress. |
| 8.5 | VF+ | Attractive with a moderate defect or many small ones. Light Tan to Off-White cannot exceed 8.5. |
| 8.0 | VF | Classic benchmark: a barely noticeable 1/4" non-color-breaking crease. No missing pieces under classic VF. |
| 7.5 | VF− | More accumulation than 8.0. Tan to Off-White maxes near this rung. |
| 7.0 | FN/VF | A major defect or heavy accumulation. Slight spine roll. A major color break often lives here. |
| 6.5 | FN+ | Major defect plus smaller ones. Slightly brittle pages cannot exceed 6.5. |
| 6.0 | FN | Up to about 1/4" spine split. Centerfold may be loose, not detached. Not brittle. |
| 5.5 | FN− | Several moderate defects. Moderate structural wear. |
| 5.0 | VG/FN | Average collectible. Up to 1/2" spine split. Loose but attached centerfold. |
| 4.5 | VG+ | Slightly below average. Small missing pieces may begin to appear. |
| 4.0 | VG | Up to 1" spine split. Small triangular or square piece allowed. A detached cover often stops here. |
| 3.5 | VG− | Several major defects. Brittle pages cannot exceed 3.5. |
| 3.0 | GD/VG | Book-length crease possible. 1–1.5" spine split. Rusted or replaced staples possible. |
| 2.5 | GD+ | Extensive handling. Larger missing pieces. |
| 2.0 | GD | Up to about 2" spine split. Heavy staining or foxing. Staples may be degraded or missing. |
| 1.8 | GD− | Numerous major defects. Significant missing material possible. |
| 1.5 | FR/GD | Heavy accumulation. About 2" to two-thirds spine split. Brittleness beginning. |
| 1.0 | FR | Up to about two-thirds spine split. Up to 1/4 of the front missing or no back cover — not both. |
| 0.5 | Poor | Heavily defaced. Extensive missing material. May fall apart. |
Hard ceilings that override a pretty cover
Paper color is a ceiling, not a bonus. White is required for 10.0. Off-White to White is the lowest allowed for 9.9. Off-White is the typical minimum for 9.8 and above. Light Tan to Off-White cannot exceed 8.5. Tan to Off-White cannot exceed about 7.5. Slightly brittle cannot exceed 6.5. Brittle cannot exceed 3.5.
Completeness sits above cosmetics. Missing story pages or a missing cover is a severe downgrade no matter how white the remaining paper is. An interior photograph is how the ceiling is applied. If you only send a pretty wrap, a conservative estimate assumes paper that might be worse than you hoped.
- White required for 10.0.
- Off-White to White lowest for 9.9.
- Off-White typical minimum for 9.8+.
- Light Tan to Off-White max 8.5.
- Tan to Off-White max ~7.5.
- Slightly brittle max 6.5; brittle max 3.5.
Color breaks move the number more than size
A color-breaking crease, tick, or bend — white paper showing through cracked ink — is substantially more serious than the same-length defect that did not break color. Pressing can relax a wave or a light non-breaking bend. It cannot put ink back. At the top of the ladder, any meaningful color break usually prevents the highest near-mint reads.
That is why a 9.8 is rare on a handled book, and why a “quarter-inch crease” is not one defect: with a white line it sits lower than without. When photos are ambiguous, the lower, more serious reading wins.
Chart estimate for raw condition only — not a professional certification.
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