Frequently Asked Questions
Are my items securely protected through the post?
All items are sent securely with comic bags and boards and in mailers designed to ship media items, such as comics.
Can I stop my subscription anytime I want?
Because you purchase items at point of sale, whether daily, weekly or monthly, you are not tied into any contract with Venture Comics.
What happens if my items are lost or damaged?
If your items are damaged we will replace them on return to us, customers pay return postage costs only. If items are not received, after waiting 14 working days from notification, we will replace them with like for like items or refund any payment of items.
What is your refund policy?
We give refunds for lost items, after waiting 14 working days from notification. If you change your mind on any items you can return them to us, within 14 days of receipt. We will refund the cost of items paid, but we do not refund postage costs. If there is an error with your order that is solely our fault we will aim to rectify this at no extra cost.
Is my payment information secure?
All payment information is made through secure providers and as such Venture Comics does not keep your payment details on file.
Will I be able to review my purchases and check items I bought?
You can review items in your shopping cart before paying for them and add or remove any items. You will be notified of any purchases you make via email and you can also log onto your account and check your purchase history.
Can I contact you with any queries I may have?
You can use the contact page to send any questions or queries to us and we aim to answer you the same day.
Which methods of payment do you accept?
We accept all major credit and debit cards, as well as PayPal. In some circumstances we will accept postal orders or cheques, but please contact us first as we cannot send any items until all funds are cleared.
Where do you deliver items to?
We currently deliver to UK mainland, including Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. If you wish to purchase items from Europe or Worldwide we can do this, but we will have to charge adequate shipping costs.
Comic Grading Standards
When reviewing the possible defects a comic may have as shown below for the various grades, please keep in mind that while a single defect may not reduce a comic's grade, that defect if repeated and/or combined with other accumulated defects, may push the grade down by one or more grades.
Near Mint (NM) condition
| Near Mint/Mint | NM/M | 9.8 |
| Near Mint+ | NM+ | 9.6 |
| Near Mint | NM | 9.4 |
| Near Mint- | NM- | 9.2 |
A nearly perfect copy that looks brand new with only a few very minor defects. Acceptable minor defects on a NM copy include: a very small amount of spine stresses, very minor instances of denting (two or three at most), slight corner blunting, and minor (less than 1/8") bends without color breaks.
On the ten-point grading scale, a lower grade like 9.2 will allow these defects in a greater quantity and degree than a higher grade like 9.8, which sometimes may have no discernible defects at all. We do not assign the grades 9.9 and 10.0 to any unslabbed "raw" comics. You will only see these ultra-high grades on comics slabbed by one of the grading services. There is such a small degree of separation between the grades 9.8, 9.9, and 10.0 that even the most experienced comic graders may disagree on which of these three grades to assign to an apparently flawless comic, so the highest grade we will assign to a comic is 9.8.
In some cases it is possible for a comic shipped brand new from the publisher, or purchased new from a comic store's shelves, to already be in less than near mint condition due to the way the comic was produced, shipped, stored, or handled prior to purchase.
Very Fine (VF) condition
| Very Fine/Near Mint | VF/NM | 9.0 |
| Very Fine+ | VF+ | 8.5 |
| Very Fine | VF | 8.0 |
| Very Fine- | VF- | 7.5 |
A VF copy has minor defects, but is in overall excellent condition. Most well-kept modern comics (especially if they have been read) fall into this grade. Acceptable defects on a VF are minor and include: Minor corner wear, a light accumulation of spine stress that may include color-break, a light accumulation of dents, and bends or folds less than 1/4" (note that on a VF copy, some color-break is allowed in a bend/fold).
Fine (FN) condition
| Fine/Very Fine | FN/VF | 7.0 |
| Fine+ | FN+ | 6.5 |
| Fine | FN | 6.0 |
| Fine- | FN- | 5.5 |
A comic in FN condition is considered "above average" but still displays some wear. In general, the eye appeal is somewhat reduced due to either an accumulation of minor defects or one or two moderate defects. Acceptable defects on a FN copy include: Slight spine roll, a moderate accumulation of spine stresses that may break color, a spine split of less than 1/2", minor water spotting or residue (less than the size of a dime), an impacted corner, and moderate foxing.
Very Good (VG) condition
| Very Good/Fine | VG/FN | 5.0 |
| Very Good+ | VG+ | 4.5 |
| Very Good | VG | 4.0 |
| Very Good- | VG- | 3.5 |
A comic in VG condition shows some significant wear, but has not accumulated enough total defects to reduce eye appeal to the point that it is not a desirable copy. A VG copy may have an accumulation of minor defects or one or two major ones. Acceptable defects on a VG copy include: Spine roll, 1/2" to 1" spine splits or other tears, a cover or centerfold that is detached at one staple, discoloration due to oxidation, and a moderate accumulation of water damage or staining.
Good (GD) condition
| Good/Very Good | GD/VG | 3.0 |
| Good+ | GD+ | 2.5 |
| Good | GD | 2.0 |
| Good- | GD- | 1.8 |
A GD copy has major defects, but is still complete and readable. A GD copy will have a significant amount of damage, usually an accumulation of smaller defects punctuated with some major defects. Acceptable defects on a GD copy include: A vertical book-length crease, 1.5"-2" spine split, cover or centerfold completely detached, major tears, heavy discoloration/brittleness due to oxidation, heavy amounts of staining, residue, and water damage.
Fair (FR) condition
| Fair/Good | FR/GD | 1.5 |
| Fair | FR | 1.0 |
A FR is the lowest grade a comic book can receive as long as the story and art are complete. A FR copy will have virtually no eye appeal and will display major damage. A comic book in FR condition may have non-story elements such as coupons, ad pages, or Marvel Value Stamps cut or torn out of the book. Types of damage that place a comic in FR range include: A spine split of up to 2/3 the length of the book, a missing back cover provided the front cover is still attached, severe water damage or residue damage, mold, and paper deterioration due to oxidation.
Poor (PR) condition
| Poor | PR | 0.5 |
Comic books in PR condition may be missing up to 4 pages (two spreads) of story pages or display severe damage that affects the readability of the book.