CGC vs CBCS: Which Grading Service Should You Use?

If you own valuable comic books, professional grading is one of the best ways to protect your investment and maximize resale value. But which service should you use — CGC (Certified Guaranty Company) or CBCS (Comic Book Certification Service)? Both grade comics on a 0.5–10.0 scale and seal them in protective cases, but there are meaningful differences that affect your bottom line.

CGC vs CBCS at a Glance

When to Choose CGC

For maximum resale value, CGC is the clear winner. Because CGC dominates the market, buyers are more familiar with and confident in CGC grades. This translates directly to higher sale prices. A CGC 9.8 copy of a hot modern book will consistently sell for more than the same book in a CBCS 9.8 case. For high-value Golden Age and Silver Age keys, the difference can be significant — sometimes 10–20% or more.

If you're grading comics specifically to sell them, CGC is almost always the right choice. The higher resale price more than offsets any additional cost or wait time.

When to Choose CBCS

CBCS is a solid alternative that offers slightly lower prices and often faster turnaround times. For personal collection comics that you don't plan to sell immediately, CBCS provides the same level of protection and authentication at a lower cost. CBCS is also a good choice for mid-value modern books where the price difference between CGC and CBCS slabs is minimal.

CBCS has also been gaining market acceptance, and the gap between CGC and CBCS resale prices has been narrowing, particularly for modern books.

Should You Get Your Comics Graded at All?

Grading isn't always worth the investment. Here's a general rule of thumb:

Pro Tips for Grading Submissions

Pre-screen your books. Before paying for grading, carefully examine each comic for defects — spine stress, color-breaking creases, foxing, stains, and writing. Be realistic about the likely grade. Overestimating condition is the most common and costly mistake sellers make.

Consider pressing first. Comic pressing (removing minor defects through careful heat and pressure) can improve a book's grade by 0.5–1.0 points, which can translate to hundreds or thousands of dollars in value for key issues. Many grading submissions include a pressing service.

Use the right tier. Both CGC and CBCS offer different pricing tiers based on the comic's declared value. Make sure you select the correct tier to avoid delays and additional charges.

Protect your comics during shipping. Use gem mint or full-back boards, top-loaders or graded comic mailers, and plenty of padding. A comic that gets damaged in transit is a nightmare.

We Handle Grading Submissions for You

At Tri-State Comics, we submit comics to CGC on behalf of our consignment clients. We know how to prep books for the best possible grades, and we handle all the logistics — submission forms, shipping, insurance, and tracking. If you have ungraded comics that you think should be slabbed before selling, we can advise you on which books are worth the investment and manage the entire process.