BGS grading: what you need to know.

The big number.
And everything around it.

The slab is the sealed rigid holder. Its label identifies the manga and describes its condition. Before looking at the grade, check title, volume, publisher and printing: a strong result for another edition does not establish the value of yours.

The book grade is not an average of these fields. Read them separately, then consider them together. Check the certification number too: request a readable photograph and verify the details through the grading company when its service is available.

For identification, start with our first-print guide. For authenticity, follow the separate guides to counterfeit tankōbon and counterfeit zasshi.

One decimal can change
the comparison.

The manga scale reaches 10 and uses smaller steps at the top: 9.0, 9.2, 9.4, 9.6, 9.8, 9.9, 10. It differs from the BGS trading-card scale. Moving from 9.6 to 9.8 can coincide with a substantial price change; it does not mean the book is “2% better”. Grades rank condition rather than measuring value proportionally. [2–3]

Read page quality rather than guessing it

The descriptions below appear on labels. We retain the original wording and explain its meaning. You can also select each description in the interactive panel.

Exceptional White is recorded on a Ranma ½ graded 8.5 in our database: very white pages do not automatically produce an exceptional book grade. Beckett also documents that wording on a Dragon Ball debut magazine. [5]

The book grade is a useful starting point for comparable sales. Jacket and pages add details that can matter considerably, particularly between copies of the same grade. No fixed percentage of the price belongs to each field.

No grade.
Sometimes, a major part of the price.

The obi is the paper band. On the slabs documented here you see Includes obi, rather than a number summarising its condition. Yet its value can be substantial: for someone seeking a complete copy, finding the correct band may be harder than finding the book.

Collectors also seek and trade separate obi. A heavily worn band can still be desirable, particularly for a historical volume; authenticity, the correct match and completeness remain essential. Folds, tears, repairs and cut-out coupons do not stop mattering because there is no numerical grade.

“Included” records a band’s presence: by itself it does not establish that it belongs to the first printing. Explore our archive: Jujutsu Kaisen for the coupon, Vagabond for completeness and variants, and Kagurabachi for a case where the band’s appearance alone cannot identify the printing. Some editions were issued without an obi: do not penalise them for an accessory they never had.

To measure an obi premium, compare sales of the same volume and grade, matching jacket, pages, status and period as closely as possible. The live comparison further down provides a concrete example.

9.8, 9.9, 10.
Three distinct steps.

Collectors sometimes call a 9.8 tankōbon a “gem”. In our market analysis it is a practical high-condition threshold. Beckett’s official terminology is more specific:

A small step in grade can mean a large step in price. Establish that premium from completed sales of the same title, printing and accessories. Very high asking prices show what a seller hopes to receive; they cannot establish that a 9.9 typically sells for ten times a 9.8.

The 10 exists. Read what this label says.

To establish how many copies are currently certified, use a dated Population Report. Claiming “only two exist” without that check can make a guide inaccurate or outdated.

For zasshi, the context changes

A weekly magazine was made to be read, folded, passed around and often discarded. A well-preserved historical issue can be difficult to find. That is why our analysis also uses 9.0 and above as a high-condition threshold for zasshi; it does not rename the grade Gem Mint.

Our Weekly Shōnen Jump #34 from 1997 example contains 4 copies at 9.0 or above among 118 certifications in the 18 August 2026 snapshot, which includes Conserved copies. This is a specific sample, not the distribution of every magazine. Even 7.5 can be a strong result for a historical zasshi; the same number on a modern release needs a different reading.

Gem rate is a percentage: certifications meeting a stated threshold divided by the sample total, multiplied by 100. It is not another word for a grade, nor an arbitrary raw copy’s chance of reaching it. Our population guide explains the example, distribution and limitations.

A high grade does not erase
a treatment.

When a few decimals can change the price, “improving” a book before submission can be tempting. That is the moment to understand what an intervention actually does. Sanding edges, trimming a cover, lightening paper or repairing a part can leave traces that Beckett detects and records.

Read the classification and especially the central note, where jacket and obi details also appear. The print is small, and listing titles may omit it. Inspect the label photograph even when the seller focuses only on the grade.

If you come from TCG collecting, do not assume treatment makes the numerical grade disappear. The manga examples we have documented retain numerical grades alongside classifications and treatment notes. Trading-card companies and services do not all handle alterations identically either.

These copies can remain tradable, often at much lower prices than examples without declared interventions. Compare them as a separate segment. Altered, Conserved, Restored and Married are not interchangeable terms: our alteration guide explains eight photographed examples with their complete central BGS notes.

Before submitting,
remove the jacket and inspect the book.

It is an easy step to skip when the outer cover wins you over. Take your time, use a clean surface and avoid forcing the binding. Start with the volume itself, then examine the jacket and accessories.

1. Front and back covers. Look for folds, dents, grooves, scratches, abrasion, stains and colour changes. A straight-on photo can hide an indentation: examine the surface under oblique light too.
2. Spine, corners and binding. Inspect crushing, opening creases, worn ends, separation and glue traces. Do not force the book beyond its natural opening resistance.
3. Page edges and interiors. Check top, bottom and fore-edge for yellowing, stains, waviness, tears, cuts and missing leaves. White pages do not rule out structural damage.
4. Dust jacket. Examine both sides, flaps, folds, edges and corners. Its separate grade may help explain different prices for books with the same main grade.
5. Obi and completeness. Check the correct design, continuity of the band, any expected coupon and repairs. Photograph the colophon and inserts too.
6. Treatment traces. If something looks wrong, seek another opinion before trying to clean it. Do not remove a defect simply to chase a decimal.

Build a plausible grade range, not a promise. In Graded prices, select several grades to compare a cautious outcome with a better one. Use the five-view galleries in the archive as photographic references. Our WhatsApp community can help you discuss a preliminary assessment; the grading company makes the final decision.

Before shipping, confirm accepted formats, packaging instructions and service availability directly. Our format and protection guide helps with choosing a suitable sleeve.

Six designs.
Your choice.

You choose the label artwork, rather than the colour of the plastic holder. Beckett offers six options independently of the grade. A red or purple design does not indicate a condition category or an alteration. [4]

1. Speed LinesDynamic lines · white and grey
2. Horror SpiralSpiral · grey and black
3. Cherry BlossomsCherry flowers · pink
4. Lily PadsWater lilies · green
5. Red BridgeRed bridge · red and black
6. WisteriaWisteria · purple

How much room does it need?
Start with the right dimensions.

A slab protects the manga, but adds bulk. Before choosing a sleeve, display or shelf, distinguish the book that fits inside from the holder you need to store.

For a sleeve, measure the closed slab.

Measure width, height and thickness at the outermost points, including rims and protrusions. A flat sleeve must wrap around the thickness too: matching only the slab’s front width is not enough. Usable body height and the closure flap are different measurements.

Choose protection that slides on without pressure and check where the adhesive sits. For materials and storage, continue to our format and sleeve guide.

A raw copy’s price
starts with its condition.

Two ungraded copies of the same volume can look similar in a listing yet have very different prospects after inspection. In a market that distinguishes condition, buyers have reason to consider the potential grade, alongside edition, obi and possible interventions.

A broad raw-price average can therefore be misleading: it mixes worn copies, better examples, different accessories and incomplete descriptions. That number becomes useful only when you know which copies it includes.

Buying raw and grading can create value for someone skilled at selecting copies. The margin depends on the purchase price, actual result and proceeds after costs. That also applies to a 7.5 zasshi: a strong grade in its context does not, by itself, make the purchase profitable.

Cautious net proceeds − raw purchase − grading − shipping and other costs = possible margin

Include selling fees, insurance and applicable charges without counting them twice. Use several completed sales, not the highest asking price. If the purchase only works at the best imaginable grade, you are relying on a very narrow outcome.

Same grade, details that change the price

Switch between with/without obi and with/without alterations. The panels read our database and show sales, periods and observed differences while matching several attributes. Samples can be small and cannot isolate every difference between copies.

How to compare in Graded prices

Choose the title and printing, then narrow grade, obi, status, jacket, pages and period. Multiple grades can be selected, but begin at the same grade when studying an accessory. The median describes the selected sales: with few results, inspect every row’s date, photo and notes. The obi premium compares group medians; it does not prove the band alone explains the difference.

Will the grading premium shrink? It could: more certified supply and buyers better able to assess raw books may reduce part of the information advantage. That is our market hypothesis, not an established forecast. Demand, scarce high grades and confidence in certification may pull the other way.

What if I choose another grading company?

This guide covers Beckett. EGC, GRAAD and other operators have their own services and criteria: check their rules before submitting. An identical number from different companies does not automatically imply identical standards or prices.