You will see the term CGC a lot on this site, so what is it?

CGC is an abbreviation for Certified Guaranty Company. They are an independent company that inspects, grades and encapsulates comic books in a hard plastic holder.

CGC gives comic books a grade based on a 10 point scale. They also conduct a restoration check. Once these two steps are complete the encapsulate the comic book in a tamper proof plastic holder with the title and grade at the top.

The benefits of the service include the restoration check, the protective holder, and most importantly an impartial grading level that buyers and sellers can agree on.

Example of a CGC graded comic in holder:

Action Comics 1 CGC 9.0