# CGC Comic Census - Population Report Data (`lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper`) Actor

Get CGC graded comic book population data. Search by title or browse publishers. Full grade breakdown (0.5 through 10.0) with variants, label categories, and totals.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [lulz bot](https://apify.com/lulzasaur) (community)
- **Categories:** Other
- **Stats:** 1 total users, 0 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $10.00 / 1,000 results

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

Actors are web data automations that power AI and operations. They run on the Apify platform to scrape websites, process data, connect APIs, and automate workflows.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.
Actors are written with capital "A".

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.
The best way to integrate Actors is as follows.

- **AI agents and MCP clients** — the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/integrations/mcp.md) at `https://mcp.apify.com` (remote, streamable HTTP, OAuth on first use).
- **Agentic workflows and local Actor development** — [Agent Skills](https://apify.com/.well-known/agent-skills/index.json) with the [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): `npm install -g apify-cli`, then `apify login`.
- **JavaScript/TypeScript projects** — the official [JS/TS client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md): `npm install apify-client`.
- **Python projects** — the official [Python client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md): `pip install apify-client`.
- **Any other language** — the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md).

For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below.

For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt).

# README

## CGC Comic Census — Population Report Data

Get CGC graded comic book population data as clean JSON. Search by title, browse by publisher, or look up a specific issue — with a full grade breakdown (0.5 through 10.0), variants, label categories, and totals.

### What it extracts

- **Title, issue number, issue date**
- **Variant** — variant/edition label
- **Population totals** — total graded count
- **Full grade breakdown** — population at each grade (10.0, 9.8, 9.6, 9.4, 9.2, 9.0, 8.0, … down to 0.5)
- **Master ID** — CGC's identifier for the issue

### Input

Four ways to query — pick the one that fits:

| Field | Type | Default | Description |
|-------|------|---------|-------------|
| `searchQuery` | string | — | Search by title (e.g. `Batman`) |
| `publisher` | string | — | Browse a publisher's issues |
| `groupID` | integer | — | Direct lookup by CGC group ID |
| `masterID` | string | — | Single-issue lookup by master ID |
| `category` | string | `comics` | Census category |
| `maxResults` | integer | 100 | Maximum records to return |
| `includeVariants` | boolean | `true` | Include variant editions |

#### Example input

```json
{
  "searchQuery": "Batman",
  "category": "comics",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "includeVariants": true
}
```

### Output

Each record is one issue's population report:

```json
{
  "title": "Batman",
  "issueNumber": "1",
  "issueDate": "1940-04",
  "variant": "",
  "population_Total": 1875,
  "population_10_0": 0,
  "population_9_8": 3,
  "population_9_6": 8,
  "population_9_4": 21,
  "population_9_2": 34,
  "population_9_0": 52,
  "population_8_0": 96,
  "masterID": "12345"
}
```

### Use cases

- **Collectors & investors**: gauge scarcity of high-grade copies before buying
- **Comic dealers**: price inventory using population scarcity data
- **Graded-market analysts**: track population changes over time
- **Registry builders**: compile grade distribution datasets
- **Auction research**: understand supply for a title/grade combination

### Notes on data source & proxies

This actor pulls from CGC's census API and paginates politely (50 issues per page). No proxy is required.

***

### Related scrapers by lulzasaur

- [MyComicShop Scraper](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/mycomicshop-scraper)
- [PSA Population Report](https://apify.com/lulzasaur/psa-pop-scraper)

# Actor input Schema

## `searchQuery` (type: `string`):

Search for a comic title (e.g. 'Batman', 'Amazing Spider-Man', 'Walking Dead'). Returns matching titles with full population data.

## `publisher` (type: `string`):

Filter by publisher (e.g. 'Marvel', 'DC Comics', 'Image'). Used with searchQuery or alone to browse.

## `groupID` (type: `integer`):

Direct CGC group ID for a specific title. Get this from a search result. Fetches all issues with grade breakdowns.

## `masterID` (type: `string`):

CGC master ID for a single issue (e.g. '0000186' for Batman #1). Returns detailed label category breakdown.

## `category` (type: `string`):

Category to search in.

## `maxResults` (type: `integer`):

Maximum number of issues to return. Default 100, max 5000.

## `includeVariants` (type: `boolean`):

Include variant covers in results (default: true).

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "searchQuery": "Batman",
  "category": "comics",
  "maxResults": 100,
  "includeVariants": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "searchQuery": "Batman"
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "searchQuery": "Batman" }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "searchQuery": "Batman"
}' |
apify call lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,lulzasaur/cgc-census-scraper"
        }
    }
}

```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/eQ0Hks8qmR5B1Cah0/builds/NXVTEfVWA4lvRNYDi/openapi.json