AFA Grading

[Megatron]

There are a many greater things in life that have more risk than posting something overseas. You can buy sliding bottom cases from a few sources so if you do have something MIB or MISB that is always an option.

Absolutely, that's my point.

I work part time at an auction house (1 day a week) and a nice display case really does increase the price. It doesn't matter if the item is still accessible or not. It does defy logic but that is what the market demands. Taxidermy, coins, photos, stamps all of them and more.

I have nothing against display cases at all, which is a separate thing to grading.

Anyone who grades anything - on the boards here, ebay have taken it onto themselves to be the authority on that item. If someone grades a yellowed toy with a missing arm as mint or 8/10 everyone knows its not. AFA have turned it into a business, how long it will last is anyones guess, but if you are against companys finding market niches and a making profit you need to be out protesting at companys alot bigger than AFA!

Of course, but I refuse to pay overinflated prices for someone else's authoritative opinion when it doesn't make an item any more valuable to me because of it.

I'm against companies finding market niches that they can exploit for profit. Meaning, they're not much use except to encourage people to spend money. The best way to protest something is not to encourage it, which I generally do already for anything I don't agree with.

[Skullcruncher]

I'm against companies finding market niches that they can exploit for profit. Meaning, they're not much use except to encourage people to spend money. The best way to protest something is not to encourage it, which I generally do already for anything I don't agree with.

I'm not sure who is being exploited here? The people who want to buy collections of high grade items? I dont think so - if somewant wants to spend thousands to have the only one in the world then good luck to them.

You dont have to agree with what they are doing - hell I want to punch anyone thats asks me to donate money to a charity on the street becasue I dont agree how they go about it - but its people who are uninformed which annoys me and drew me into this discussion in the first place.

[Skullcruncher]

I have nothing against display cases at all, which is a separate thing to grading.

So you just dislike opinions when they are provided as a service? I'm lost.

[Skullcruncher]

Of course, but I refuse to pay overinflated prices for someone else's authoritative opinion when it doesn't make an item any more valuable to me because of it.

Well it does actually. The best example on TV would be Pawn Stars. They have all sorts of 'experts' they bring when they want to check something is real and these experts often offer the current market value. This is the way the world works - things are authenticated, you dont have to agree but this is what happens.

[Megatron]

I'm not sure who is being exploited here? The people who want to buy collections of high grade items? I dont think so - if somewant wants to spend thousands to have the only one in the world then good luck to them.

No... that has nothing to do with it. A high quality and/or rare item will always be sought after and valued, regardless of whether it has been highly graded or not. If someone wants to buy a graded item that's fine, but not everyone wants to, as per comment below.

So you just dislike opinions when they are provided as a service? I'm lost.

I dislike it when the market becomes saturated with AFAed items that at the same time happen to be rare or hard to find. So as a collector, I either have to accept that higher priced AFA item because there aren't any others available (which I don't want to do), or wait until a non-graded, comparable item comes along, which may never happen.

So to answer your question, the people who are going to be exploited are those who seek high value/rare items that are only available at inflated prices because the only ones they can get have been AFAed.

Well it does actually. The best example on TV would be Pawn Stars. They have all sorts of 'experts' they bring when they want to check something is real and these experts often offer the current market value. This is the way the world works - things are authenticated, you dont have to agree but this is what happens.

I did say "to me", meaning for me, personally. But I'm sure I wouldn't be the only one.

[Skullcruncher]

No... that has nothing to do with it. A high quality and/or rare item will always be sought after and valued, regardless of whether it has been highly graded or not. If someone wants to buy a graded item that's fine, but not everyone wants to, as per comment below.

I dislike it when the market becomes saturated with AFAed items that at the same time happen to be rare or hard to find. So as a collector, I either have to accept that higher priced AFA item because there aren't any others available (which I don't want to do), or wait until a non-graded, comparable item comes along, which may never happen.

So to answer your question, the people who are going to be exploited are those who seek high value/rare items that are only available at inflated prices because the only ones they can get have been AFAed.

We'll you are in a bind then - if anyone feels expolited becuase of that they really dont know what the meaning exploited is.

Agree, once a MISB item is found it tends to get cased up, there are MISB collectors around who are not worried about getting their item protected but the majority are cased because well - that tape could fall off any minute and it could easily be damaged if its not protected!

But is also comes back if you want a MISB item enough you will find it - network make contacts, MISB transformers just dont drop of trees. Unless say the item you are looking for is just impossible to find MIB as well!

[Megatron]

We'll you are in a bind then - if anyone feels expolited becuase of that they really dont know what the meaning exploited is.

Agree, once a MISB item is found it tends to get cased up, there are MISB collectors around who are not worried about getting their item protected but the majority are cased because well - that tape could fall off any minute and it could easily be damaged if its not protected!

But is also comes back if you want a MISB item enough you will find it - network make contacts, MISB transformers just dont drop of trees. Unless say the item you are looking for is just impossible to find MIB as well!

In general, exploitation is subtle and done on a mass scale, without people even being aware they're being exploited. In this case, the market is being introduced and slowly saturated with AFAed high end vintage toys. This is what I've been finding, anyway.

And yes, as I've already agreed, networking is great. And again, getting an item cased is separate to paying a high premium because it's also been graded.

[heretic2010]

Getting items graded is about preserving it in the same condition at the time it was graded and the score it gets roughly gives you an idea of the condition of the item. Im sure most of you have bought something where it was described as near mint and then when you recieve it, the condition was not as near mint in your eyes. AFA does not decide on the prices of AFA'd items, its what people are willing to pay for it by their own choice Also items that have been AFA'd looks really nice inside the case.

[griffin]

People... please keep in mind that everyone has different reasons for collecting what they collect (not just toys either).
Being too critical of hobby behaviours you don't understand or embrace, or even the mere profit motivation of third-party businesses that others solicit, can lead to defensive responses by others who are just enjoying the same hobby you do, in a different way.

If something isn't an actual criminal scam, and you don't use it to complain about your own experience, it is best to avoid/limit your opinions on it, especially if it is a legal business that people here use for reasons you don't have an interest in or value as significantly (investment, security, integrity, etc).

[Skullcruncher]

In general, exploitation is subtle and done on a mass scale, without people even being aware they're being exploited. In this case, the market is being introduced and slowly saturated with AFAed high end vintage toys. This is what I've been finding, anyway.

So first world explotation? There is no conspiracy, just market forces.

I just did a quick search for AFA 85 and AFA 90 MISB or MOSC vintage items less than 100 over many toy lines, hardly saturation. Something at saturation would be a G1 encore hoist or ironhide. Can hardly give those things away.