your thoughts on AFA ratings?

[bowspearer]

Why? That makes you less qualified than me.

What I'm saying is that your mindset here is flawed for this kind of debate.

So for some reason there are still historians and other humans in 2000 years, and yet despite our world's ridiculous amount of information and material possessions, the only evidence left of eighties toys is ones left in acrylic boxes?

A majorly strawman argument here. For starters the Minoans were incredibly advanced. Then you have the pyramids, where if they weren't built by aliens then there was an advanced civilisation there, and if they were built by them, you still have an advanced civilisation there.

Yet practically everything from those civilisations is gone. Then you have the steam engine- first built by Archemedes. Gone. It took us 1700 years to rediscover it. We still don't know how the Romans were simultaneously able to blow 2 layered glass vessels- for now that information has been lost.

You talk about all the info we have- if we get hit with enough electro magnetic radiation in one hit- something like a massive coronal mass ejection, like the one which hit us in 1850, then all that information can be kissed goodbye.

Humanity has been "wiped out" multiple times in the past to varying degrees. Yet every single time we resiliently bounce back. Because humans are always curious, there will always be historians. When humans in the future get curious, then they will always want to find artefacts- the more complete and the better condition they are in, the better.

Sure there'll be evidence of toys in the future that aren't sealed up, but they're be a case of finding half an arm or a fist somewhere where historians are left puzzled as to what each individual bit is for, especially if they only find that bit.

A toy sealed in an Acrylic case though, has the best chance of being intact for them to study.

No. Artworks are meant to be looked at. Records and documents are meant to be read. Toys are meant to be played with.

In other words, we should avoid using items as evidence in court cases the moment they don't serve a function of being looked at in everyday life then. Considering that historical artifacts, or evidence, work the exact same way as evidence used in a court of law, that's exactly what you are saying.

[liegeprime]

Nah I dont think Id be a fan of AFA. Too pricy and I cant get to the toys when it's sealed like that, to play with. I do have some (only more recent versions) TFs MISC/B but they are doubles... more of actually a backup, coz the toys nowadays just don't have the sturdiness of toys from years ago. So i keep one more juuuust in case. I dunno how much AFAing costs but Ive often heard its pretty expensive for just 1 small figure.

@ Janda. I know the feeling of enjoying your collection just by looking at it, as well as being able to play with it. The casings look good as it really accentuates displaying your toys in such nice cases, but if your going to invest, invest it on good display cases not necessarily the AFA types, coz really I think that's what your after in the long run anyways...how to keep and display your toys minty good looking for so many years (even way after your gone).
Prolly have a look at acrylic display cases on sale at online stores, invest in glass display shelves as well. Id think you'd get more bang for your buck for those investment and as well as more cases too.
It's like (just an example) 1 glass display case + 2-3 acrylic display cases = 1 AFA'd toy. Id go for the former since as like you I dont have a lot of money to throw around so Id like to get MORE for my money.

[Sky Shadow]

A majorly strawman argument here.

A straw man argument is this:

Do you realise you just effectively argued against the existence of museums in general there (as every single artefact in a museum was originally a commodity of some kind, even if it was just a brick)?

and this:

The problem with your argument is that you're looking from the present forward as opposed to the future back, and your entire argument here falls apart as a result.

and this:

In other words, we should avoid using items as evidence in court cases the moment they don't serve a function of being looked at in everyday life then. Considering that historical artifacts, or evidence, work the exact same way as evidence used in a court of law, that's exactly what you are saying.

You, on the other hand, are likening unique historical paintings to

a lithograph poster

Unlike La Gioconda or Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers or No. 5, 1948, Transformers and other 80s toys - like lithographic posters - are mass-produced items that exist in such numbers that there will always be ridiculous quantities of them, not unique items that need to be preserved.

[bowspearer]

You, on the other hand, are likening unique historical paintings to

I take back my being nice about this, you ARE completely unqualified on this topic and it shows itself in spades as you continue to show a complete inability to grasp the way history and archeology work if you think that those studying ancient societies ONLY care about unique paintings and works of art. You're like someone with no building qualifictions trying to argue with a builder that the foundations to a building or supporting walls aren't needed on a house and it shows a mile off.

Unlike La Gioconda or Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers or No. 5, 1948, Transformers and other 80s toys - like lithographic posters - are mass-produced items that exist in such numbers that there will always be ridiculous quantities of them, not unique items that need to be preserved.

Right so according to you, highly advanced civilisations in the past NEVER had mass produced items that were used daily- after all if they did according to your argument, we'd have easy access to them. Yet we don't (including numerous ancient works like the books of Livy which were also fairly widely read by the upper class), funny about that.

[Demonac]

Right so according to you, highly advanced civilisations in the past NEVER had mass produced items that were used daily- after all if they did according to your argument, we'd have easy access to them. Yet we don't (including numerous ancient works like the books of Livy which were also fairly widely read by the upper class), funny about that.

I've watched Time Team in the past, so I guess I'm kinda qualified to add my 2c worth.
Aren't the items dug up from ancient times nearly always everyday items?
Coins, cutlery, pottery? I can understand why books wouldn't survive the test of time, as they decompose fairly quickly.

[1orion2many]

Please keep this topic on track and play nice, Everyone is qualified to give their own opinion, just because you dislike what is said and have a differing opinion doesn't make it wrong. This is directed at all the Protagonists on this thread.

[1orion2many]

I have no appreciation of sealed items myself with AFA graded sealed boxes, In general I like to take my TF's out and display them. Seems like a complete waste of time having a Transformer that you don't get to transform.

[Sky Shadow]

I take back my being nice about this, you ARE completely unqualified on this topic and it shows itself in spades as you continue to show a complete inability to grasp the way history and archeology work if you think that those studying ancient societies ONLY care about unique paintings and works of art. You're like someone with no building qualifictions trying to argue with a builder that the foundations to a building or supporting walls aren't needed on a house and it shows a mile off.

Or, to remove this new straw man argument, in this case, I'm literally someone who's had tertiary History qualifications for over a decade, post graduate History qualifications since 2002, who has subsequently been employed in the field of History as a result, and is arguing with someone who still has no qualifications, an imaginary post graduate qualification and imaginary doctorate.

None of which is relevant to the fact that it is impossible to be unqualified to have the opinion that AFA grading is daft.

[liegeprime]

btw is the AFA case airtight? I haven't really seen one in person so just curious.

[kup]

btw is the AFA case airtight? I haven't really seen one in person so just curious.

I don't think it is but having it not being vacuum sealed defeats this whole 'historical preservation' argument and makes the box just an artificially expensive gimmick.