The CGC case has two main parts, the "inner well" and the "outer well". The inner well and most important part as it has direct contact with the comic, is made of PETG (Polyethylene terephthalate glycol). The outer well is made of a tough, impact and stain resistant plastic called SAN (Styrene-Acrylonitrile).

 An explanation of PETG and SAN (in layman's terms) can be summed up this way, PETG is a widely used material that is great for preservation and long term storage. SAN is an impact and stain resistant plastic with great clarity. Mylar, a word most of us in the comic industry are familiar with, is a PET (polyethylene terephthalate)...a polyester, formally called BoPET, the "Bo" is simply short for "Biaxially Oriented" which refers to how it is stretched into sheets during production.

 So what does that have to do with PETG? Well the addition of the "G" means Glycol was added which enhances the clarity and longevity of the pliability of the chemical makeup of PET over time.

 PETG is an inert plastic, in plastic speak "inert" basically means "archival" another word many of us in comic books are aware of. In its "raw form" it is ideal for long term storage and preservation for our priceless collectibles. I say in its "raw form" because other materials could be introduced during manufacturing of PETG to accomplish certain specific needs required by the end product or intended use. Why does this matter? Well as soon as any other materials are introduced it may still be referred to as PETG but that end product may no longer be suitable for long term storage, possibly having adverse affects on what it comes in contact with, ie...our comic books.

 Now I am quite certain our friends at CGC have our best interests in mind and would be sure their manufacturers keep any non archival materials out of the process.

 The outer well really is not that important when it comes to archival quality as it is not going to touch the book, however other qualities are important here.

 Clarity, scratch resistance, durability, these are some characteristics that will help keep our investment safe and looking beautiful for years to come. Well CGC did a great job here as well, SAN is what they call a "Copolymer" meaning it combines two or more materials (in this case styrene and acrylonitrile) to produce (in this case) a rigid, clear material with high impact resistance and good heat and chemical resistance. Something to keep in mind, in this situation clarity is key because we all want our books to look bright and vibrant in these cases. As soon as you start adding materials that are more scratch resistant and durable, that clarity lessens more and more.

 So in the end CGC did a great job in choosing some great quality material that embodies the best of all of the necessary characteristics we want.

Is everyone still with me? Hopefully I didn't lose you through that science lesson.

What is important to us, as comic collectors is that PETG is about as safe as a material that we can ask for to have our ever degrading paper collectibles packed inside of.  CGC adds a sheet of microchamber paper to the front and back inside covers of every comic book they encapsulate to help absorb those acids that are constantly being released from our comics

Do CGC Slabs Have UV Protection?

No, CGC Cases have no built in protection form damaging UV rays that could fade or deteriorate the comic, magazine or art inside. The inner and outer well of the case are made from raw materials such as PETG and SAN and have no added UV inhibitors.

Personally I am happy that their cases are not UV safe, if they were many of the UV Blocking Products we offer for Graded Comic Books would be unnecessary!

 But really, why does CGC not add UV inhibitors to the outer well of their cases? I mean that would be just another level of added protection for the comic inside, correct? 

 Well, here is a couple things to think about, although slight, adding a UV inhibitor to the SAN Copolymer mixture will affect the clarity of the plastic, taking a small step backwards from one of their goals. Cost is another factor to consider, for reference I can give you an example from personal experience, a sheet of standard acrylic is less than one-half the cost of a sheet of 99% UV Safe acrylic of similar size and thickness.

 The best answer I could get from a CGC rep when I asked about why they do not have UV protected cases was "We looked into UV for outer cases a few years ago and there were some issues (not cost) as to why it wouldn’t work, but I’m not exactly sure what those reasons were."

Why Is There A Plastic Flap Inside My CGC Case?

The plastic flap sometimes used either along the spine or bottom edge of the comic book is simply put in place when needed to keep the book from shifting or moving inside the slab.

Will CGC Cases Break?

yes, they are made of plastic materials more focused on protection, preservation and clarity over durability. Having a more durable case would mean sacrificing those other qualities.

Can A CGC Case Be Opened?

Yes, but not without damaging the case and therefor rendering the grade and any certified signatures or markings on the book (if applicable) invalid. Unless done by or in the presence of and authorized CGC representative.

 Here are a few scenarios in which you may want to open your slab and remove your comic but still want to preserve certain characteristics about the book.

1)You want to get your comic pressed and cleaned. -A regrade is your goal in this situation so removing the book from it's current slab on your own is acceptable.

2)You want to get your comic reholdered into a new slab but you want to keep the grade on your current slab. -You   MUST send the entire sealed slab in to CGC for reholdering.

  ***It is worth noting that although unlikely it is possible to have the comic come back a different grade after reholdering. On a side note to this scenario, if you are reholdering due to a damaged case, if the case is broken or separated to the point that the comic book can be removed, the comic will be regraded.

3)You want to get an artist or writers signature on your book (that currently does not have any authorized signatures, Blue Label) -You may remove the book on your own

because whenever a signature, remarque or anything is added to the comic it will automatically get re-graded. However remember that you MUST get the signature, remarque, etc in the presence of an authorized CGC representative.

4) You want to get additional signatures, etc. on a book that already has signature(s) -The book will get regraded no matter what however do not open the case unless in the presence of an Authorized CGC representative or the existing signature(s) on the book will no longer be certified.

 So that's it! I hope this information helps to answer some of the questions you may have had regarding your CGC cases. If you are looking for answers to questions I missed in this article I would love to hear them and I will do my best to track down the answers for you!