Another year and another Baltimore Comic Con has come and gone. This comics-focused convention showcases what our community is all about while providing a family-friendly atmosphere for every type of collector.

This year CGC came to dazzle, with onsite grading, panels, Signature Series assistance, and more. CGC sent longtime grader turned Vice President of Comics Shawn Caffrey as well, who was on deck to answer questions, host panels, and mingle with like-minded collectors.

On Saturday afternoon, CGC hosted a Comic Grading 101 panel, which went over the basic rules and principles of grading, Shawn was on hand showing real-time examples of how CGC grades, and how collectors could become better amateur graders themselves when they're out shopping for new books. The audience was a solid mix of people with varying degrees of knowledge, and Shawn was eager and more than happy to answer any question thrown his way. Grading comics is a tactile skill, but also a visual one as well. As someone who does amateur grading when looking through books myself, it is important to open the book, feel the spine, and of course, flip through the book to see if it's intact. Shawn noted that some graders can tell if a book is missing a page based purely on the weight of the book. It's an impressive skill to learn, and one I doubt I'll ever master.

On the show floor, CGC had quite a presence. Their booth was in the center of the action, with a line for submissions, JSA, Signature Series, and then some. I caught up with Shawn at the booth, and he was gracious enough to answer a few quick questions in regards to collecting and grading!

How important is it for CGC to be at shows like this?

It's really important because this way we can expand our customer base, we can show face, show that there are people behind the company, and we're here to take their books. A lot of people don't want to send their raw books in the mail, so we're here to do that for you. Which is fantastic! What better place to do that than Baltimore Comic Con! It's such a comic-centric show.

Have you had a lot of onsite submissions so far this year?

Yes, we have! We're running about 2,500 right now. We're hoping to hit that 4,000 sweet spot.

Will any books have to come back to Sarasota?

We are taking take-homes as well. Hopefully, we won't be bringing home any books that we are supposed to do here.

Is this your favorite show, and what is your favorite show in general?

This is one of my favorite shows. Like I said before about this being comic-centric; the media presence, the big booths, the glitz and glamor that you would see in San Diego...this show is more accessible for fans to be able to visit artists, writers, and get some face time with them instead of the mobs, the crowds of people. I love this show. This is one of my favorite cities to come to! I have a good friend base here, too!

Lastly...Do you think VHS will be the next big thing?

I hope so! I love VHS, and what I'm really excited about is one day we can open the doors for Signature Series VHS. I don't know when we're doing that, but I hope to see it soon.