Grading Standards - Ours Vs. Theirs
 

In case you missed it there is an issue of the "holy grail" of comics being auctioned on eBay - the 1938 Superman #1. While it earned a grade of 9.0 (which I am guessing is pretty much pristine in that hobby) I couldn't help noticing the fact that it looks like the back cover has been torn at the top near the spine with what looks like at least a half-inch rip. I questioned the seller and got confirmation that it is a tear, and that since the tear was factory-produced it doesn't reduce the grade of this otherwise pristine issue.

Can you imagine that? A slightly torn page, on the back no less, and it still gets a 9.0 from the company which is the gold standard for comic book grading.

My comic book knowledge is minimal, but read on the CU board that the comic book grading system is different. A 9.0 isn't equivalent to a PSA 9 for a card, and there are grades of 9.2, 9.6, 9.8, etc.