Basic Comic Book Lingo - A Comprehensive List

     Whenever you enter a new hobby there will always be a lot to learn.  This is a handy little guide to help any new people coming in to comic book collecting.  Some of these terms/lingo are used quite often and others are rarely used and are just down for reference.  This is a comprehensive list that includes the spectrum from buyers to sellers to collectors.  Some are specifically geared towards the grading process and storage as well.  Here they are in no particular order:

• LCS - Local Comic Shop
• Variant - A comic book that has an alternative cover that is different from the original released cover.
• Virgin Variant - A comic with an alternative cover that doesn't have any logos/titles/numbering on the cover.  It's essentially the art without anything else added.
• Blank Variant - A comic without any cover art, usually has the title of the series on the cover.  These are used by fans and collectors to get custom artwork and signatures on them.
• Trade Variant - A comic with an alternative cover that has the logo/title/numbering on it.
• Sketch Variant - A comics with an alternative cover that usually has just the artist sketch of the cover before coloring and finishing the art, can be a concept.
• RI - Retailer Incentive, often times they'll be referred by the following numbers. 1:10/25/100 - this means that the store/retailer had to buy or order 10/25/100 copies in order to get that one particular cover.  Also meaning that one of the particular variant cover was printed per 10/25/100 copies.
• Ratios: 1:10, 1:15, 1:20, 1:30, 1:50, 1:75, 1:100, 1:150, 1:200, 1:250, 1:300, 1:500, 1:1,000, 1:2,000, 1:4,999, 1:5,000, 1:10,000, 1:1,000,000
• 2nd/3rd Printing - Often times when a particualr comic is popular the publisher will print the original book another time.  This means that it is not the original printing but the 2nd or 3rd time this comic has been printed.
• Slab/Slabbing - A slab is a comic that is graded and encapisulated in a hard plastic shell.  Slabbing is the act of getting comics graded by a third-party company.
• HC - Hard Cover
• SC - Soft Cover
• TPB - Trade Paper Back, these are usually soft cover.
• Graphic Novel - Another term for TPB, usually a number of comic books that are put in to a trade paper back to easily read in one sitting.
• Omnibus - Large collected comics that usually have more than a dozen different books/stories in one big soft or hard cover book.
• Run - A series of comics where a story is told, usually by the same writer and or artist.
• Cameo - When a character is shown briefly in a comic book.
• Story Arc - A story line that will continue through a number of comic book issues.
• Limited-Series/Mini-Series - Usually a comic run that the story is usually done in under 6 issues.  
• Maxi-Series - A comic run that will have 6+ issues to tell the story.
• Crossover - Whenever a story crosses over to another title or character in another comic book.
• Die-Cut Cover - When areas of a comic cove are precut to a special shape to create a specific desired effect.
• Embossed Cover - When a pattern is purposely pressed into the cover of a comic boo, creating a raised section during the manufacturing process.
• Foxing - Tiny orange-brown spots or formations that appear on a cover and/or interior pages of a comic book that is caused by mold.
• Gatefold Cover - A cover that folds into itself.
• Annual - Usually a comic book with more pages than the average book, tend to come out during holidays or at the end of the year.
• One-Shot - A comic where the story is contained in only one issue.
• Key - A comic with a significant event, usually a first appearance of a character or important event to the character or story.
• Grail - A term assigned to whatever a collector believes is an often sought after book that is not easily attained.  This all depends on what the collector likes to collect and reads.  Grails can range widely for each different collector.
• Indy - Refers to any other publisher asides from the biggest two which are Marvel and DC.
• ASM - Abbreviation for Amazing Spider-Man comic books.
• Ashcan - A prepublication issue of a comic book usually used to show to potential advertisers to get a title published.
• Ghost - A comic that is rarely seen for sale.
• Claim - Refers to a buyer claiming a certain book listed.
• ISO - In Search Of
• NFS - Not For Sale
• BIN - Buy It Now
• OBO - Or Best Offer
• Waffle - Since FB doesn't allow raffles, many groups use this term to refer to a book that is offered for sale through buying spots, similar to a lottery.
• Mini/Macro/Nano - When a slot isn't filled in a waffle/raffle, the seller usually sells more spots at a reduced rate for a chance to get a spot/spots in the main waffle/raffle.
• Stacker - A comic sale that is cumulative, where the high bidder wins all comics listed.
• Hard Close - Means that there is hard cut off time when the bidding or sale will end.  
• Soft Close - Means that the seller will announce the closing of each book or sale.  Giving people the chance to increase their bids and chances of winning a book.
• G/S - Refers to buying "Goods and Services" through PayPal, usually the way to do business with strangers as the buyer is protected by PayPal.  In the event the seller doesn't deliver books or merchandise.  PayPal does charge a fee to the seller for using this service.
• FF - Refers to buying "Friends and Family" through PayPal, usually the way to do business on Instagram and with people in person.  No fees are taken out by PayPal for this transaction.
• PP - PayPal shortened.
• Pre-Sale - When a retailer or store allots a certain amount of books for sale usually at a certain time while supplies last.  This is a sale done prior to when books will be printed or available to ship.
• FOC - Abbreviation for Final Order Cutoff, when a store or retailer needs to put in their order with the distributer for books
• FCBD - Abbreviation for Free Comic Book Day
• LCSD - Abbreviation for Local Comic Shop Day
• CCA - Abbreviation for the Comics Code Authority
• Centerfold - The stapled, four-page middle sheet of a comic.
• Newstand - A comic with a bar code on the bottom left corner of a book,usually sold at a newstand.
• Direct Edition - A comic with a character where the bar code would be  on the bottom left corner of a book, sold exclusively at comic book stores.
• HTF - Hard To Find
• NM - Near-Mint
• VF - Very-Fine
• FN - Fine
• GD - Good
• VG - Very-Good
• WP - White Pages
• Arrival Date - A marking or stamping usually on the cover of a comic book, placed by the distributor or the newsstand dealer to note when the book was placed on the newsstand.
• BC - Back Cover
• Center Crease - Usually from a comic that was sent through a subscription service where the book was folded in half for mailing.
• NC - No Cover
• OWL - Overstreet Whiteness Level.  Overstreet printed annual price guides used by collectors long before the internet.  They also developed a color standard for grading interior pages of a comic and the degree of whiteness.
• Facsimile - Marvel reprints significant books that almost duplicates an exact copy of the original book in a limited run.  
• Indicia - The portion of a comic book where the publishing and tile information is displayed.  Usually located at the bottom of the first page of the book.  Many times this is where you can find out if a book is a 2nd or 3rd printing of a book.
• MVS - Marvel Value Stamp - A small stamp that was in books in the 70's.  This was a promotion done by the publisher in order to make readers clip them out and send them in for a prize.  Unfortunately this will bring down the grade of a book dramatically if it is missing from a book.
• Raw - A comic book that is not graded.
• Floppy - A term used to describe comic books as they were bendable vs traditional hardback books.
• Restored/Restoration - Grade assigned by a third-party grading company to specify that the particular issue has been retouched or restored by a number of methods to present better.
• Trimmed - Grade assigned by a third-party grading company to specify that a book or the book's cover has been cut.  
• Married - When different pages or parts of a book are combined in one book to make it complete.  Also when the interiors of one book are combined with the cover of another book.  Usually when there are significant issues with the cover or interior.
• POC - Pencil writing on cover.
• POOO - Pages out of order.
• CGC - Certified Guaranty Company - One of the most popular third-party grading companies.
• CGC SS - CGC Signature Series - Only books where an official from the grading company has witnessed the signing of the book.
• CBCS - Comic Book Certification Services - The 2nd most popular third-party grading company.
• CBCS ASP - CBCS Authentic Signing Process - Only books where an official from the grading company has witnessed the signing of the book.
• Yellow Label - A third-party color designated to signed comics, where an official from the company was there to witness the signature of a book.
• Green Label - CGC Qualified label for comics that have a significant defect.  Common examples are where things are cut out or missing from the book or a signature is not witnessed by CGC.
• Purple Label - CGC Restored label for comics that have any evidence of repair or restoration of any kind.
• Gold Label - CGC Pedigree label for comics that come from a recognized Pedigree collection.
• Pedigree - An extensive collection of exceptional comic books.  Usually older books that were stored away in ideal conditions for long periods of time.
• Newton Ring - Also referred to as the "rainbow effect".  This is the result of two different plastics that have different refractive indexes are placed together, common on CGC graded books.
• NG - CGC grade designation for No Grade, where a comic book is missing a cover, a page, or more of the book.
• PG - CGC grade designation for a Page from a book.
• CVR - CGC grade designation for just a Cover of a book. 
• MCU - Marvel Cinematic Universe 
• DCEU - DC Entertainment Universe
• Golden Age - comics made from 1938 - 1956 (Always have a cover price of 10 cents)
• Silver Age - comics made from 1956 - 1970 (Usually have a cover price of 12 - 20 cents)
• Bronze Age - comics made from 1970 -1984 (Usually have a cover price of 15 - 50 cents)
• Copper Age - comics made from 1984 - 1991 (Usually have a cover price of 50 cents - $1.25)
• Modern Age - comics made from 1991 - present
• Mylar - The best type of comic book sleeve/bag to store your comics in.  This type of plastic is stronger, resistant to aging condidtions, and lasts extremely long.
• Acid-Free - Comic book storage supplies that have acid removed to help with preservation and slowing the aging of comics.
• Short Box - Storage box for comics that can fit about 120-150+ books depending on size and thickness of books/bags/boards.
• Long Box - Storage box for comics that can fit about 250-300+ books depending on size and thickness of books/bags/boards.
• Top Loader - A thick clear plastic holder for a comic, where the book is loaded in to the shell from the top, hence the name.
• J-Channel - A type of vinyl siding trim used for houses, that collectors commonly use as a hack to display their graded and raw books.

There's so many more I imagine that I didn't list but this list will be updated frequently as I remember certain terms/lingo I forgot or have learned myself.

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