Collector guides in this series
For a decade "CGC or CBCS?" was the grading question, and there were sensible answers on both sides. Then in spring 2026 the question answered itself. If you searched for this page hoping for a comparison to help you choose, the honest version is short: you can no longer choose, because CBCS is no longer grading. But there are still a lot of CBCS slabs in UK collections, I buy them every week, and what happens to those is a question worth a proper answer.
The short version
CBCS stopped accepting new submissions on 17 April 2026. CGC is now the only major comic grading company taking books.
Your CBCS graded comics are still graded comics. The label is still a professional opinion, the certification records are still online, and buyers still buy them. What has changed is the price gap against CGC and the fact that nobody is standing behind the holder any more.
What happened
On 24 March 2026 Beckett, CBCS's parent company, announced it was shutting the comic grading business down. Its statement said: "As part of our strategy to focus on the Beckett brand, we've made the challenging decision to shut down CBCS." The stated reason was a focus on the core Beckett brand and its trading card and autograph authentication services.
Submissions closed on 17 April 2026. Everything received before that date was graded and returned as normal, and Beckett said the CBCS population report would stay active, with previously graded comics still documented in the CBCS database. So the numbers on the labels still trace back to a record.
That is the whole of what has been announced. If you read anything more dramatic than that, treat it with suspicion.
How the two actually compared
It is worth recording this properly, because a lot of CBCS books are going to change hands over the next few years and the people buying them should know what they were.
| CGC | CBCS | |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2000, Florida | 2014, by Steve Borock, formerly CGC's head grader, with Dr Michael Bornstein and Alec Bornstein |
| Owner | Certified Collectibles Group | Beckett, which acquired it and closed it in 2026 |
| Grading scale | Ten-point, 0.5 to 10.0, 25 steps | The same ten-point scale, so a CBCS 8.0 was meant to mean what a CGC 8.0 means |
| Witnessed signatures | Signature Series, yellow label | Witnessed Signature programme |
| Unwitnessed signatures | CGC x JSA Authentic Autograph label, authenticated after the fact by JSA | Verified Signature programme, which authenticated signatures CBCS had not witnessed. For years this was CBCS's biggest advantage |
| UK submissions | London office in Bloomsbury since September 2018, plus authorised dealers | No UK office; books went to the United States |
| Market price, like for like | Higher | Lower, with the gap widest on expensive keys |
| Status | Grading | Closed to submissions from 17 April 2026 |
What CBCS had going for it was real. It was typically cheaper, it had a loyal following for its customer service, and its willingness to authenticate a signature after the event meant that the signed book from a convention twenty years ago could be slabbed with the signature recognised. CGC only matched that with its JSA partnership relatively recently.
What CGC had going for it was the market. Like for like, a CGC slab sold for more than a CBCS slab at the same grade, because more buyers knew the brand, more of the record prices were in CGC holders, and the biggest auction results were overwhelmingly CGC. That gap was small on cheap books and large on expensive ones, and it is the reason most people who were grading to sell chose CGC even when CBCS was cheaper.
What to do with your CBCS slabs
You have three options and only one of them costs money.
1. Nothing
For most books this is the right answer. The grade was a professional opinion when it was given and closing the company did not change the comic inside. I buy CBCS slabs, other dealers buy them, and collectors buy them. Price them against sold results for CBCS copies specifically, not CGC copies, and you will be fine.
The one practical loss is service. If the holder cracks, or you want a review, there is no CBCS to send it back to. Look after the case.
2. Cross it over to CGC
CGC runs a CrossOver service for comics graded by other companies. The book has to arrive intact in the other company's holder, CGC removes it, and grades it to CGC's own standard. CGC is explicit that there is no guarantee the grade will be the same as the one on the old label. It can come back higher, the same, or lower.
That makes crossover a decision about value. On a key where a CGC holder at the same grade sells for noticeably more than the CBCS holder, and the difference comfortably covers the fee, the shipping and the risk of a lower number, it can be worth doing. On an ordinary book it is money spent to end up roughly where you started. Run it through the calculator on my grading guide as if it were a raw submission, and be honest about the chance of a downgrade.
3. Crack it and submit raw
Same outcome as a crossover with more risk and no benefit, because you lose the old grade as a reference and you handle the book yourself. If you are going to move a book to CGC, use the crossover service and let CGC open the holder.
Signed books need extra care. A CBCS Verified Signature label recorded an authentication that CGC did not witness. Ask CGC how a specific signed book will be treated on crossover before you send it, because "graded 9.6, signature not recognised" is not the result you want.
Where UK collectors grade now
CGC. There are smaller grading companies, but the market that pays a premium for a slab pays it for a CGC slab, and that was true before CBCS closed.
From the UK you have two routes. CGC's London office, which opened in Bloomsbury in September 2018, accepts comic submissions and ships them to the United States for grading, handling the insurance and customs on the way. Or a CGC authorised dealer batches your books with others and handles the paperwork. Either way the books are graded in Florida and come back sealed. The process, the UK fees and a calculator to tell you whether a specific book is worth grading are all in my CGC grading guide, and what the number on the label means is in CGC grades explained.
Selling CBCS graded comics
Two pieces of advice. First, photograph the whole label clearly, front and back, and include the certification number in the listing. Buyers who are unsure about CBCS now want to see that the book is documented, and the population record is still there to check. Second, price against sold CBCS results, not CGC results. A seller who lists a CBCS 9.8 at the CGC 9.8 price will sit unsold for months and blame the market.
Or send me the photos. I price graded books against what the same holder and grade actually sold for this month, and I will make you an offer with no obligation to take it.
Questions people ask
Is CBCS still grading comics?
No. Beckett announced on 24 March 2026 that it was shutting CBCS down, and new submissions stopped on 17 April 2026. Books already submitted before that date were graded and returned as normal.
Are my CBCS graded comics worthless now?
No. The grade on the label was a professional opinion when it was given and it still is. The CBCS population report and certification records remain online, and buyers, including me, still buy CBCS slabs. What has changed is that there is no longer a company standing behind the holder if you need a reholder or a review.
Should I cross my CBCS books over to CGC?
Only the valuable ones. CGC's CrossOver service removes the book from the CBCS holder and grades it to CGC's standard, with no guarantee it will get the same number. On a high-value key where the CGC holder sells for noticeably more, the fee and the risk can be worth it. On an ordinary book they are not.
Which sells for more, CGC or CBCS?
Like for like, CGC. That was true before the closure and it is more true now that CGC is the only major comic grader still taking submissions. The gap is smallest on cheap books and biggest on expensive keys.
Where do I get comics graded in the UK now?
Through CGC. You can submit via CGC's London office in Bloomsbury, which opened in September 2018 and ships books to the United States for grading with insurance and customs handled, or through a CGC authorised dealer who batches submissions. My CGC grading guide covers the process and the costs.
I still buy CBCS slabs
Blue label, yellow label, CBCS or CGC, send me photos and I will make you an offer based on what graded books are actually selling for this month.
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