What's your feeling on VGA? (Video Game Authority) ***Need Advice Please***
So anyways, I just signed up for NintendoAge. I've been collecting NES games ever since I was young. I have a handful of factory sealed & a bunch of CIB. And a bunch loose cartridges. I've recently heard about VGA.
What's your feelings on this company? Do you feel it's a scam that will devalue my games in the future? Or is a good investment?
My personal feelings are that I want my game permanently sealed! (I like that idea, which most don't) In that case it won't ever be damaged, cause I'm never going to open it anyways. What I don't like is how I've read the grading has been inconsistent and I don't want people to start disliking this company's integrity if I get my games graded.
So, is there a nice acyclic plastic case that is very nice and includes space for a hang tab? Because all the games I would get graded have hang tabs and I DO NOT WENT THEM BENT! Does VGA still bend the hang tabs in the cases or what have they been doing recently?
Any suggestions on what I should do would be so helpful. I want to display my games so badly in my house, but I'm too afraid since factory sealed. I want it permanently sealed so that fear can be over... But I don't wanna hurt my games in the long run.
What's your feelings on this company? Do you feel it's a scam that will devalue my games in the future? Or is a good investment?
My personal feelings are that I want my game permanently sealed! (I like that idea, which most don't) In that case it won't ever be damaged, cause I'm never going to open it anyways. What I don't like is how I've read the grading has been inconsistent and I don't want people to start disliking this company's integrity if I get my games graded.
So, is there a nice acyclic plastic case that is very nice and includes space for a hang tab? Because all the games I would get graded have hang tabs and I DO NOT WENT THEM BENT! Does VGA still bend the hang tabs in the cases or what have they been doing recently?
Any suggestions on what I should do would be so helpful. I want to display my games so badly in my house, but I'm too afraid since factory sealed. I want it permanently sealed so that fear can be over... But I don't wanna hurt my games in the long run.
Comments
There is one collector here that will rate his OWN games (and others) a 9.0 when 99.9% og collectors would call them MINT. I have come to know him ad one of the toughest critics out there.
So unless FRISBEE goes to work for VGA grading games....... (lol)
You get the point grading is verry subjective.
If your games are not MINT MINT I would simply buy the box protectors for sale here. They fit closly to the boxex without scraping them and are wonderful to have.
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=21754&highlight_key=y&keyword1=vga
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=13488&highlight_key=y&keyword1=vga
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=10423&highlight_key=y&keyword1=vga
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=8088&highlight_key=y&keyword1=vga
http://www.nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=6435&highlight_key=y&keyword1=vga
Grading a sealed game won't devalue your game, sometimes it even adds value, depending on the game and the grade. I can't figure out why a little number glued to an acrylic cover would improve the value of anything but hey.
Also, I don't think the box protectors here accommodate hangtabs, do they?
Neil, I don't know what there is to say that hasn't already been said. Dan has got some good reading linked for you there if you want it.
As for displaying them. If you get archival cases that's fine.. they block out the UV rays. The default non-archival cases DO NOT block out UV rays so displaying them will fade your game. FYI.
welcome to the site
~~NGD
Bronty, I've bought factory sealed games from you on ebay in the very far past. Do you ever get your games VGA graded?
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to blow the money and get them rated & sealed for good. I do worry all the time about something happening to them. That feeling could finally go away.
Thanks welcoming me to the site guys. I think I'm going to like it here.
Bronty, I've bought factory sealed games from you on ebay in the very far past. Do you ever get your games VGA graded?
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to blow the money and get them rated & sealed for good. I do worry all the time about something happening to them. That feeling could finally go away.
Ah so we've met before? Welcome welcome. What's your ebay username?
I do have some of them vga graded. Actually I have 55 of them coming back in the mail right now.
Everybody on this site knows where I stand on this subject - tee hee - I LOVE VGA and they way it preserves my games - but I can also understand why others don't - I asked my father, who has one of the larger comic collections on the West coast about the issue - when CGC first entered the grading business for comics, collectors WERE NOT happy about it - and neither was my dad - now all of his high dollar books are graded - CGC is now THE standard - but the argument will always be there that you can't read your books after they are slabbed and that's true - so what I've always done is for the games that I have graded, I ALSO have loose or CIB so that I can play them as well - I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE VALUE AND IF IT MAKES MY COLLECTION MORE EXPENSIVE - I don't plan on selling my games - but for almost all the old NES stuff, the boxes are very easily damaged and I just like the way they (VGA) display the games AND PRESERVE them- and yes, most of the arguments have already been made - just my two pennies
who's your dad if you don't mind me asking? What he says is absolutely true, everyone myself included freaking hated cgc. And now very few people would buy an expensive book that isn't cgc'd.
you can either support it or you don't have to. The only people who really get butt-hurt about VGA anymore (no offense Jason), are those who don't collect sealed games. At first I was put off by it, but I came to accept it. I don't have anything graded, but one day plan on getting all my stuff done in one full swoop. In the meantime I "box protector" them and keep them stored safely away from light. I personally am doing this until VGA gets a bit more established... although they are pretty good now, i think they have room for improvement
Everybody on this site knows where I stand on this subject - tee hee - I LOVE VGA and they way it preserves my games - but I can also understand why others don't - I asked my father, who has one of the larger comic collections on the West coast about the issue - when CGC first entered the grading business for comics, collectors WERE NOT happy about it - and neither was my dad - now all of his high dollar books are graded - CGC is now THE standard - but the argument will always be there that you can't read your books after they are slabbed and that's true - so what I've always done is for the games that I have graded, I ALSO have loose or CIB so that I can play them as well - I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE VALUE AND IF IT MAKES MY COLLECTION MORE EXPENSIVE - I don't plan on selling my games - but for almost all the old NES stuff, the boxes are very easily damaged and I just like the way they (VGA) display the games AND PRESERVE them- and yes, most of the arguments have already been made - just my two pennies
who's your dad if you don't mind me asking? What he says is absolutely true, everyone myself included freaking hated cgc. And now very few people would buy an expensive book that isn't cgc'd.
I would like to know as well, as my Dad is a huge collector too. VGA is gonna pick up SOMEDAY like Cgc, but the thing is now cgc is more reliable (not that it is fully reliable), but it's evolved into something that people base prices off of, especially when the prices can range into the 10s of thousands, or hundreds. My dad doesn't like to cgc, and he actually doesn't when he goes to sell, however I'm going to start selling some books on ebay for him soon, and we're going to have to cgc them. (For example, he has 4 AF15's, and none are cgc'd, because people can actually tell the difference between a 4 and 4.6, or 4.4, it gets tricky when it's in the 9's. However, for VG's, not many people can grade these games just by looking at them. The difference between a 85 and a 90 is tiny. In comics, the difference between a 9.4 and a 9.6 is mammoth, and can make thousands of dollars of a difference with just 1 grade higher.
Thanks welcoming me to the site guys. I think I'm going to like it here.
Bronty, I've bought factory sealed games from you on ebay in the very far past. Do you ever get your games VGA graded?
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to blow the money and get them rated & sealed for good. I do worry all the time about something happening to them. That feeling could finally go away.
Ah so we've met before? Welcome welcome. What's your ebay username?
I do have some of them vga graded. Actually I have 55 of them coming back in the mail right now.
I believe I bought a copy of the original Super Mario Bros (factory sealed w/ hangtab) over a year ago from you. My account is ntgallagher. I haven't purchased any games in awhile though. But I heard you were a legit seller from some other collectors and that's why I purchased from you. It's a beautiful copy. Haha, I want to get it VGA graded so I can make sure I never damage it.
I think a lot of it has already been said. While I was initially in a "wait and see" attitude towards VGA when they first emerged, they have come a long way and I support them. I've gotten several games graded from them. I don't know how well the standard cases block UV, as I didn't get the UV protected cases. With this thought in mind, I don't display the actual sealed games (they are tucked safely away). I have some mint box-only "stand ins" in their place for display in the sliding bottom cases.
Ya know here is how i see it.
you can either support it or you don't have to. The only people who really get butt-hurt about VGA anymore (no offense Jason), are those who don't collect sealed games.
I always attacked the service knowing full well that I would never collect sealed games. I just don't see the need for the service personally. I think it is silly to waste money on myself. I do have about 15 or so sealed games and I wouldn't have them graded even if the service was free, just something I don't want to support myself. To each their own though. I am sure everyone is sick of reading my thoughts on it from all the other threads. After all, none of our opinions really matter so long as VGA is making money they will continue to offer the service regardless.
~~NGD
Thanks welcoming me to the site guys. I think I'm going to like it here.
Bronty, I've bought factory sealed games from you on ebay in the very far past. Do you ever get your games VGA graded?
Right now, I'm thinking I'm going to blow the money and get them rated & sealed for good. I do worry all the time about something happening to them. That feeling could finally go away.
Ah so we've met before? Welcome welcome. What's your ebay username?
I do have some of them vga graded. Actually I have 55 of them coming back in the mail right now.
I believe I bought a copy of the original Super Mario Bros (factory sealed w/ hangtab) over a year ago from you. My account is ntgallagher. I haven't purchased any games in awhile though. But I heard you were a legit seller from some other collectors and that's why I purchased from you. It's a beautiful copy. Haha, I want to get it VGA graded so I can make sure I never damage it.
I'm glad you're happy with it
cheers
Dan
Ya know here is how i see it.
you can either support it or you don't have to. The only people who really get butt-hurt about VGA anymore (no offense Jason), are those who don't collect sealed games.
I always attacked the service knowing full well that I would never collect sealed games. I just don't see the need for the service personally. I think it is silly to waste money on myself. I do have about 15 or so sealed games and I wouldn't have them graded even if the service was free, just something I don't want to support myself. To each their own though. I am sure everyone is sick of reading my thoughts on it from all the other threads. After all, none of our opinions really matter so long as VGA is making money they will continue to offer the service regardless.
~~NGD
picture $500 for a sealed game, getting it in the mail and its way below your expectations with defects that didn't show up on the pictures. It happens quite a bit. As a buyer, you would like the comfort of knowing, not guessing, that it will meet your expectations.
As a seller, you can provide a sort of condition guarantee to the buyer that is more than just your word. Its not hard to see why these services spring up.
If it were a sealed copy of dance aerobics or most cib's, sure, there is no point, but for expensive sealed stuff it absolutely makes sense.
If it were a sealed copy of dance aerobics or most cib's, sure, there is no point, but for expensive sealed stuff it absolutely makes sense.
But can't you just get the same end goal by asking for a lot of pictures and a lot of scans? Frisbee is a mint whore and he can determine if a CIB is minty or not from pics. Plus from reading over some of the VGA threads they aren't 100% accurate on grading stuff anyways, so if your paying for the continuity like you said, and your not getting that 100% then what are you really paying for?
~~NGD
Everybody on this site knows where I stand on this subject - tee hee - I LOVE VGA and they way it preserves my games - but I can also understand why others don't - I asked my father, who has one of the larger comic collections on the West coast about the issue - when CGC first entered the grading business for comics, collectors WERE NOT happy about it - and neither was my dad - now all of his high dollar books are graded - CGC is now THE standard - but the argument will always be there that you can't read your books after they are slabbed and that's true - so what I've always done is for the games that I have graded, I ALSO have loose or CIB so that I can play them as well - I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT THE VALUE AND IF IT MAKES MY COLLECTION MORE EXPENSIVE - I don't plan on selling my games - but for almost all the old NES stuff, the boxes are very easily damaged and I just like the way they (VGA) display the games AND PRESERVE them- and yes, most of the arguments have already been made - just my two pennies
who's your dad if you don't mind me asking? What he says is absolutely true, everyone myself included freaking hated cgc. And now very few people would buy an expensive book that isn't cgc'd.
I would like to know as well, as my Dad is a huge collector too. VGA is gonna pick up SOMEDAY like Cgc, but the thing is now cgc is more reliable (not that it is fully reliable), but it's evolved into something that people base prices off of, especially when the prices can range into the 10s of thousands, or hundreds. My dad doesn't like to cgc, and he actually doesn't when he goes to sell, however I'm going to start selling some books on ebay for him soon, and we're going to have to cgc them. (For example, he has 4 AF15's, and none are cgc'd, because people can actually tell the difference between a 4 and 4.6, or 4.4, it gets tricky when it's in the 9's. However, for VG's, not many people can grade these games just by looking at them. The difference between a 85 and a 90 is tiny. In comics, the difference between a 9.4 and a 9.6 is mammoth, and can make thousands of dollars of a difference with just 1 grade higher.
If it were a sealed copy of dance aerobics or most cib's, sure, there is no point, but for expensive sealed stuff it absolutely makes sense.
But can't you just get the same end goal by asking for a lot of pictures and a lot of scans? Frisbee is a mint whore and he can determine if a CIB is minty or not from pics. Plus from reading over some of the VGA threads they aren't 100% accurate on grading stuff anyways, so if your paying for the continuity like you said, and your not getting that 100% then what are you really paying for?
~~NGD
Jason - it costs what, $30 or $40 to get a high-end sealed game graded? For that price you're getting the really nice hard case for protection and a grade that people understand and trust without needing all of the pictures.
Figure only 3/4 of the price is actually for the grade (the rest for the hard case) and it's pretty easy for me to see where the time I'd save on pictures is worth it. Time is money, and if I don't have to waste time to convince people of what I have, that is worth something in itself.
Opinions? I feel if I send mine in they'll all get 85s. Haha, it's just how I feel. I feel two of mine are mint and if they get 85s I'll be a bit upset.
I think the lowest that someone has paid for is a 60 or 65.
The games with 95 and higher are flawless. If you get 85's for all of your stuff that is a really good turn out.
What's the lowest VGA has graded a game? Every game I basically see is an 85 and that upsets me. They should give out 30,45,60 etc if need be. They should also give 95 more common if it's mint. I hear mint games getting 85 or 90.
Opinions? I feel if I send mine in they'll all get 85s. Haha, it's just how I feel. I feel two of mine are mint and if they get 85s I'll be a bit upset.
I know it's tough to accept this on word of mouth alone without looking at examples of the grades. But you will just have to believe me when I say that an 80 is good, an 85 is very nice, a 90 is simply amazing. Anything above that is just extra frosting imo, as what seperates 90-100 range are very small things. What's important is that all the graded games are on the same relative scale, so their 85 might be your 9.0 or whatever.