etzee

How manga is graded

There is no scale. There is completeness, and there is the spine.

The Metzee team14 Oct 20261 min read

No service grades manga, and no numbered ladder is in general use. What buyers in this category actually assess is simpler and stricter.

Completeness is the first grade

Sealed — shrink-wrap intact. Complete set — every volume present, stated by number. Partial set — exactly which are missing. Reading condition — read, worn, honestly described.

A description without volume numbers has left out the main fact. "Near complete" is not information. Describing manga.

Then paper condition

Spines first — creasing, cracking, and whether a book has been read flat. Spine fading across a run is visible immediately when the spines are photographed in a row. Page edges — yellowing, foxing, damp staining. Covers — bends, scuffs, curling, sticker marks. Dust jackets, where the edition had them, graded separately like any book.

Edition is not condition

Standard, deluxe, omnibus, collector's — that is which item you have, not what state it is in. Say both, in that order, and show the publication page so nobody has to take your word for the first part.

Figures and merchandise

Box and figure graded separately, with the box usually carrying more of the value. The toys guide has the vocabulary.

Borrowing a ladder

Some sellers describe manga using the book trade's ladder — fine, near fine, very good, good. If you do, say so, and remember that good means worn.

Questions people ask

Is yellowing a defect?

It is age, and it lowers value. Describe it and show the edges.

Does one missing volume ruin a set?

It changes what the set is. Say the number and price it as partial.

Are unofficial printings graded differently?

They are a different thing entirely and must never be sold as official. Counterfeits policy.

More: buying manga, what a collection is worth.

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