Condition Grading

A standardised assessment of an object's physical state, used to price collectibles such as coins, cards and comics.

Example

Two copies of the same comic selling at very different prices because of their condition grades.

Important

Small differences in grade can mean large differences in price, and grading is an expert opinion, not a fact.

Related terms

• Provenance — The documented history of ownership of an object such as a painting, watch or bottle of wine.
• Authentication Cost — The cost of verifying that an object is genuine, such as expert opinions, certificates and scientific testing.

Lessons that explain it

• Appraising one item: authenticate before you price, not after — Five checks on one specific opportunity, starting with proof the object is genuinely what it claims to be - because a confident price on a fake or misattributed item is not a discount, it is a total loss waiting for a buyer to notice. (13 min)

All 578 terms in the Investing glossary