Sealed MarioLand Gameboy Game Graded at 85-90?

[Igorr]

I just send out a sealed pretty mint looking MarioLand from 89 Gameboy game in to get graded. Value??

I have ALL intentions to sell it once I get it back in around 40 days. I assume it will get at least an 85.

[neuropolitique]

Vectorman is a hypocrite!

it will be graded an 85.

[skaar]

Would you like to buy a bridge?

[Carey85]

Just make sure that you get back the copy that you sent. I heard from a reliable source that they remove the contents of the game boxes that they grade before resealing them. Caveat emptor is all I've got to say. Best of luck with your slabbed game.

[skaar]

Just make sure that you get back the copy that you sent. I heard from a reliable source that they remove the contents of the game boxes that they grade before resealing them. Caveat emptor is all I've got to say. Best of luck with your slabbed game.

Victory.

[The Shawn]

No sence worrying about it, they seal it in with silicon and then plexiglass it, you'll never get it open again anyhow...

[GrandAmChandler]

If you decide to pay someone else to estimate the grading of a videogame, three things.

1. You are insane. (Yes that includes everyone else looking to get games "graded".

2. Try VAG games, they are much better than the VGA anyways.

3. See number one.

[carlcarlson]

How much did you pay to have it graded? That amount will determine how hard I will laugh.

[Carey85]

I just got back another game professionally graded by VAG games:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2725/4293808158_66b457a277_o.jpg

I personally think it is their best work to date.

[SpasticFuctard]

I like VAG games, especially the one where you try to make it queef...

[Ze_ro]

People who send in sealed games to get graded, and then immediately put them on eBay are the heart and soul of this hobby.

--Zero

[Carey85]

BTW, VAG hermaphroditically seals all of their games to keep them dry and crispy until the nuclear holocaust of 1987 destroys us all.

[SpasticFuctard]

I love to play with My VAG games!

[Carey85]

VAG now grades controllers, folks!

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2677/4293824708_cb0b6b7524_o.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4293087333_5e70cd6886_o.jpg

The only reason they gave it a 90 and not a 95 was on account of the presence of Goodwill ink on the box. I wasn't happy about it.

[dcx516]

I don't know why you would waste your money on that bullshit. The only thing they are an authority on is how to wrap something in plastic. I you could have put your game in a zip lock bag and saved a whole lot of money

[scooterb23]

I got a VAG grade for a picture of a cart I found on the internet! They really liked this one, because I didn't know they could give grades over 100! I'll probably put this pic on ebay later!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/scooterb23/legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-sea.jpg

[portnoyd]

I just send out a sealed pretty mint looking MarioLand from 89 Gameboy game in to get graded. Value??

I have ALL intentions to sell it once I get it back in around 40 days. I assume it will get at least an 85.

The value is the same as an ungraded game. No, that doesn't count when some retard, who you seem to be aspiring to, puts their game on eBay for 400% the going rate and it sits their for 7 months, until some other moronic opportunistic buys it, only to put it back up immediately for 600% the going rate.

VGA is making a killing by pretending to increase value of sealed titles when all they are doing is rubbing their dick on your game before making an arbitrary meaningless rating and sticking it into a plastic box. Meanwhile, they have your money and you have the same thing you had before.

Keep supporting this bullshit and watch it all collapse like comic books when they start grading CIB games and carts.

[neuropolitique]

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/neuropolitique/vag2.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a85/neuropolitique/vag1.jpg

I love graded games.

Also, if you don't get the UV protected triple staple seal you are wasting your money.

[Carey85]

I, erm... the VAG has just perfected a vaccuum sealing process that is sure to revolutionize game slabbing forever:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4293137097_b641716d1a_o.jpg

Never worry about your games suffering from freezer burn ever again, folks! Seriously, it is time to get on the bandwagon!!!1!11!1one!!11!

[Igorr]

Ok, so I guess you guy are not fans of graded games huh? Thanks anyway, just checking no need to be harsh.

[Icarus Moonsight]

HAN SLABBED FIRST! END OF DISCUSSION! I SAID END!!!

http://pointov.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/han-solo-in-carbonite-2.jpg

Dude, it's not really you. Grading/slabbing is blight. I guess you weren't around when this shit hit the fan the first time. Eh, it happens. Very sore subject. Switch to VAG if you insist on continuing though. :D

[Igorr]

No, No, I am good. I am not here oftern enough to read everything about everything. I guess you guys dont like grading. Thats fine. Just looking. I am a loose nes game collector. I dont get the grading either. Thanks anyway.

[Gameguy]

I'm actually curious to how much a sealed Super Mario Land is worth, I think I have one somewhere that I never got around to opening(I remember getting one new back when the Gameboy Color first came out but I never opened it, I had a used loose cart so I didn't need to open it). I think mine is the Player's Choice version, what's the difference in value between the original version and the re-release?

Obviously I don't consider a graded copy to be worth anymore money, it's just a nice expensive container to protect the games without adding any more value to it.

[Tenjikuronin]

Keep supporting this bullshit and watch it all collapse like comic books when they start grading CIB games and carts.

Good point.....that CGC nonsense with comics was silly....grading is so subjective anyway (one person's VG- is another person's G+).

[DuckTalesNES]

But for some reason, grading was huge for baseball cards. It seems weird to me.

[fahlim003]

I got a VAG grade for a picture of a cart I found on the internet! They really liked this one, because I didn't know they could give grades over 100! I'll probably put this pic on ebay later!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/scooterb23/legend-of-zelda-links-awakening-sea.jpg

Forget ebay, I'll take that beaut, and some maths lesson too if you got any?

[dcx516]

This is the type of bullshit that grading games leads to:
http://stores.ebay.com/MegaStar-Entertainment__W0QQ_fsubZ938751014

[Letiumtide]

This is the type of bullshit that grading games leads to:
http://stores.ebay.com/MegaStar-Entertainment__W0QQ_fsubZ938751014

Oh god. I had to go see his recent sales. Who in their right mind actually buys stuff like that? Silly.

[Snappaccino]

This is the type of bullshit that grading games leads to:
http://stores.ebay.com/MegaStar-Entertainment__W0QQ_fsubZ938751014

I'd like to slap the next person to buy something from this guy *waits* yes yes.

[Gameguy]

This is the type of bullshit that grading games leads to:
http://stores.ebay.com/MegaStar-Entertainment__W0QQ_fsubZ938751014
I've looked through the feedback, and very few things actually sold. That guy mostly bought stuff from other sellers(including crazy bones for some reason, it must be a parent buying stuff for his kids). A lot of the sealed games that sold weren't even graded, and really didn't sell for all that much. Some stuff sold for a bit(new copy of Final Fantasy VII for $200), but considering that used copies still go for over $50 it's not that much. In general I see factory sealed games selling for way more than I would think they're worth, whether they're graded or not. Of course if I had sealed games I wanted to sell, I'd like them to sell for high prices too(I won't deny that).

I don't think I missed much from the feedback, did I miss anything really crazy?

[Jorpho]

Just make sure that you get back the copy that you sent. I heard from a reliable source that they remove the contents of the game boxes that they grade before resealing them. Caveat emptor is all I've got to say. Best of luck with your slabbed game.Srsly? I'd believe it.

[Icarus Moonsight]

How to steal peoples stuff and charge them for it... Gotta slab 'em all! LOL

[portnoyd]

Slab sellers spend a lot of money on the games themselves and getting them slabbed. They sell so few of them that's hard to believe they are turning a profit off of them.

[rpepper9]

Just make sure that you get back the copy that you sent. I heard from a reliable source that they remove the contents of the game boxes that they grade before resealing them. Caveat emptor is all I've got to say. Best of luck with your slabbed game.

Please elaborate. Wouldn't the customer realize that the seam was different/incorrect? Or wouldn't you at least notice the weight difference?

On second thought, what would be the point of pulling the game out? Example from OP, Why would the graders want a loose copy of Super Mario Land? Even with the booklet we are looking at about 5.00 on eBay. I wouldn't think that would be worth the possibility of a bad rep for you service.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Please elaborate. Wouldn't the customer realize that the seam was different/incorrect? Or wouldn't you at least notice the weight difference?

Electric scales... We can get pretty accurate. The trifold and hori seams wouldn't be too hard, properly equipped.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_THR3SZhbQ_E/SCmjDfZNRZI/AAAAAAAAA1E/Q0QmEj0VSzs/s400/02+Idol+Swap.jpg

Hey! Slabber! KILL!

[rpepper9]

Off topic, but the above photo of Indiana Jones brings to mind the new season of Robot Chicken. Anyone seen the episode where they have the guys constructing the tunnel up to the idol explaining everything as he goes to the chief of the tribe? And the chief is freaking out on all the money being spent!

Heeeelarrious!

[Icarus Moonsight]

We got the boulder!

[bgreenlee]

I just send out a sealed pretty mint looking MarioLand from 89 Gameboy game in to get graded. Value??

I have ALL intentions to sell it once I get it back in around 40 days. I assume it will get at least an 85.

Check the price-check section in NintendoAge (http://www.nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=My.Home) or the "what's it worth" section of SealedGameHeaven (http://www.sealedgameheaven.com/forum/).

Apparently, DP members prefer flaming to being helpful... :roll:

[SpasticFuctard]

Check the price-check section in NintendoAge (http://www.nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=My.Home) or the "what's it worth" section of SealedGameHeaven (http://www.sealedgameheaven.com/forum/).

Apparently, DP members prefer flaming to being helpful... :roll:

I give that White Knight a 7 out of 10; The East German Judge only gave you a 5.5. Try harder next time.

[ErmangelnSeelen]

look at that ebay store...it saddens me. Every game that gets "slabbed" is another game that's essentially off the market forever. it's just doomed to sit on an ebay store for years.

[Ze_ro]

Please elaborate. Wouldn't the customer realize that the seam was different/incorrect? Or wouldn't you at least notice the weight difference?
In my opinion, the sealed game scene is so young that people really don't have the experience yet to tell the difference between a legitimate seal and a reseal. People at NA have tried to make lists of how NES games were sealed, but there are variants out there (known and unknown), and there are tons of people who have easy access to the kind of equipment used to seal things. I can't imagine spending hundreds or thousands on a rare sealed game when for all I know, the seller has already replaced the cartridge and manual with SMB/DH so he can dump the loose cart and manual on eBay for even more money.

Slabbing games seems even more ridiculous... if the best people in our hobby often can't tell the difference between a factory seal or a reseal, then why on earth would anyone trust VGA with it? But hey, no one will ever open up that slab or tear off the shrinkwrap to find out anyways, because they're too worried the game will lose it's value... so who cares, right?

When we're reduced to trying to judge the age of plastic, or trying to look for signs that a box flap may have once been opened, then I think we really need to reexamine our priorities in this hobby.

--Zero

[jb143]

I think everyone is just bitter that they didn't think up the idea first. Buy a bunch of cheap plasctic cases, collect money and a boxed game from people, open the box and replace the treasure hidden inside with a bag of dirt weighing about the same, seal the box inside previously mentioned plasctic case, assign an arbitrary value to it, sent it to your customer, laugh all the way to the bank.

[Bojay1997]

Check the price-check section in NintendoAge (http://www.nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=My.Home) or the "what's it worth" section of SealedGameHeaven (http://www.sealedgameheaven.com/forum/).

Apparently, DP members prefer flaming to being helpful... :roll:

Or we care so much about this hobby that we don't want the dozen or so morons who are sending stuff in to get graded, listing and re-listing the same games on Ebay, all the while either faking bids or selling to each other to actually start a new market for their crap, thereby encouraging others to do the same which in turn makes collecting harder and more expensive for the rest of us.

[Zoltor]

I'm all for grading, but only if It's properly graded lol.

A box with massive damage or wide crush marks/creases shouldn't be getting 9.0/90 ratings, hell they shouldn't even be giving them 8.0/80 ratings, let alone 8.5/85.

Properly graded, and sealed in a "hard case"(to prevent future damage) should increase to value to about "double"(not the 400%+ that people are puting them on ebay at) of what it would normally be worth in said condition, however with the crappy grading, and sealing being shouwn in this thread, it would actually probally detract from the value if anything, not add to it.

[tubeway]

How do other sealed collectible markets compare? Action figures are easy, since most show the full product through a window in the packaging or a blister pack. But what about records and movies? Laserdiscs? Those are all forms of media where the product is almost completely hidden by the packaging.

[Bojay1997]

How do other sealed collectible markets compare? Action figures are easy, since most show the full product through a window in the packaging or a blister pack. But what about records and movies? Laserdiscs? Those are all forms of media where the product is almost completely hidden by the packaging.

I'm not aware of any companies grading and sealing those materials for the same reasons that game grading/sealing is ridiculous. All they would really be grading is the outer box and wrap. Nobody will ever know what the game inside looks like or the manual looks like until they open it. Unlike an action figure or comic where you can actually grade the whole item, this ignores a huge part of the product and the underlying function of the item (i.e. whether or not the game plays). For those reasons and for many others, I doubt game grading/sealing will ever take off beyond the handful of people doing it currently.

[Bojay1997]

I'm all for grading, but only if It's properly graded lol.

A box with massive damage or wide crush marks/creases shouldn't be getting 9.0/90 ratings, hell they shouldn't even be giving them 8.0/80 ratings, let alone 8.5/85.

Properly graded, and sealed in a "hard case"(to prevent future damage) should increase to value to about "double"(not the 400%+ that people are puting them on ebay at) of what it would normally be worth in said condition, however with the crappy grading, and sealing being shouwn in this thread, it would actually probally detract from the value if anything, not add to it.

I can't tell if you are being sarcastic or if you really are a moron and think that all those pictures are anything other than clever attacks on the stupidity of paying someone to grade a game and stick it in a sealed plastic case.

[Icarus Moonsight]

*stares at a DVD trying to view the content*
*still trying*
*losing hope*

I'd have to conclude; I don't think it's the packaging that's the problem.

[Zoltor]

How do other sealed collectible markets compare? Action figures are easy, since most show the full product through a window in the packaging or a blister pack. But what about records and movies? Laserdiscs? Those are all forms of media where the product is almost completely hidden by the packaging.

Well the best/most stable, and reliable grading system in a collectable market, I would have to say is PSA rating of sports cards/non sports cards(aka like MTG cards).

The only issue with PSA, is they don't recognize signatures/signed non sports cards as a collectable aspect(which it is, just like it is with sports cards, well as long as It's the actual artist who signed it anyway), so they wont grade any signed cards(which is bound to eventually change), but other then that, they're perfect at what they do, and thus exceptionally reliablr(which inturn creates a stable market for graded cards).

[megasdkirby]

The value is the same as an ungraded game. No, that doesn't count when some retard, who you seem to be aspiring to, puts their game on eBay for 400% the going rate and it sits their for 7 months, until some other moronic opportunistic buys it, only to put it back up immediately for 600% the going rate.

VGA is making a killing by pretending to increase value of sealed titles when all they are doing is rubbing their dick on your game before making an arbitrary meaningless rating and sticking it into a plastic box. Meanwhile, they have your money and you have the same thing you had before.

Keep supporting this bullshit and watch it all collapse like comic books when they start grading CIB games and carts.

Portnoyd, you are my new hero. :D

Really, what is the entire purpose of this "grading" bullshit anyway? It's not like it will magically make the person who holds it popular or grant the person an assload of money. There is simply NO reason why this grading system exists in the first place.

I keep seeing this bullshit appear on both Ebay and Amazon, and it's quite retarded. A nice complete copy for $30 or some game graded by some unknown jackoff for $400?

What's worse? Some idiot WILL eventually purchase the $400 copy. What the hell?


People who send in sealed games to get graded, and then immediately put them on eBay are the heart and soul of this hobby.

--Zero

QFT.

[GameBoyGeek]

Well this thread has officially helped make up my mind about grading. I had thought about having several of my factory sealed games graded and to be honest I thought it was kinda stupid. Glad curiosity didn't get the best of me. In the long run I don't know that people arnt opening my games and trying to reseal them. Im not much of a sealed game collector I'll buy them if i find them in stores or video game shops like game over. But Ive only bought 2 sealed games from eBay. Hagen final conflict and a case of donkey Kong land 3 games still in the Nintendo shipping box.

[EColeman24]

Off topic, but the above photo of Indiana Jones brings to mind the new season of Robot Chicken. Anyone seen the episode where they have the guys constructing the tunnel up to the idol explaining everything as he goes to the chief of the tribe? And the chief is freaking out on all the money being spent!

Heeeelarrious!

Robot chicken never ceases to amaze and amuse me!! I try not to miss an episode of that show...thank god for DVR :bigmac:

[Jorpho]

Really, what is the entire purpose of this "grading" bullshit anyway? It's not like it will magically make the person who holds it popular or grant the person an assload of money. There is simply NO reason why this grading system exists in the first place.Oh, sure there is. As long as people are picky about getting sealed games, they're going to be picky about the condition the sealed games are in. As the point of collecting sealed games eludes me in the first place, I can't elaborate much beyond that.

[darkslime]

Yeah it does grant the person an assload of money if it gets a high grade because some fucktard will buy it for an inflated price.

I'm thinking of getting some of my shit graded and letting it sit on eBay for awhile. It'll sell eventually.

[tubeway]

Even better: The people that one-up sealed game collectors by collecting sealed shipping cartons that have like six copies of the same game. Imagine one of those behind plexiglass with a grading sticker. Oh, the joys of our hobby and the neurotic collectors that exist on its fringes.

[megasdkirby]

Oh, sure there is. As long as people are picky about getting sealed games, they're going to be picky about the condition the sealed games are in. As the point of collecting sealed games eludes me in the first place, I can't elaborate much beyond that.

But don't they (VGA) open the games before placing them in that stupid plastic? If they did, it just lost all rarity value. I'm not too sure about this though, but it would be shocking if they did open the game to verify the contents.

[darkslime]

There's really no way to tell. For all we know the VGA opens the game up and puts some rocks in equal to the weight of the video game, then sells the cart and manual on eBay.

[Zoltor]

But don't they (VGA) open the games before placing them in that stupid plastic? If they did, it just lost all rarity value. I'm not too sure about this though, but it would be shocking if they did open the game to verify the contents.

Holy crap, they better not open factory sealed boxes or not only does it completely defeat the purpose of getting something graded, but it also drops the value of the item down by an insane amount.

[Jimmy Yakapucci]

Holy crap, they better not open factory sealed boxes or not only does it completely defeat the purpose of getting something graded, but it also drops the value of the item down by an insane amount.

Don't worry. They don't open the boxes. This, of course, means that they are only grading a box and not the game. At least with a comic book they also examine all the pages during the grading process. I can't remember the name of the overseas grading site, but from looking at their grading scale they take off more for an imperfection in the shrink wrap than they do if the disc has popped off the spindle and is rattling around in the case. Yes sir, you have a mint 10 case on that game that is now probably all scratched up. Go figure.

JY

[megasdkirby]

I can't remember the name of the overseas grading site, but from looking at their grading scale they take off more for an imperfection in the shrink wrap than they do if the disc has popped off the spindle and is rattling around in the case. Yes sir, you have a mint 10 case on that game that is now probably all scratched up. Go figure.

JY

It would be funny if the game is graded solely on the box, yet there is no actual game INSIDE the box.

LOL

[tubeway]

It would be funny if the game is graded solely on the box, yet there is no actual game INSIDE the box.

LOL

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about people that are sending them reseals that don't even contain the game they claim they do, getting those slabbed and reselling them on ebay?

Does VAG even have a publicly accessible database with serial numbers to verify this stuff? What's to stop someone from selling games that weren't even graded by VAG on ebay as VAG graded games?

[Jorpho]

What's to stop someone from selling games that weren't even graded by VAG on ebay as VAG graded games?We need to get on this! I propose we start an organization to which people can send their VAG-graded games to get them certified as VAG-graded. And then put the slab inside another slab.

[megasdkirby]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about people that are sending them reseals that don't even contain the game they claim they do, getting those slabbed and reselling them on ebay?

Does VAG even have a publicly accessible database with serial numbers to verify this stuff? What's to stop someone from selling games that weren't even graded by VAG on ebay as VAG graded games?

Now that would be freaky. I wonder if anyone who has had their gamed "slabbed and graded" ever opened one to see what is inside?

I don't know which is a bigger scam: this or that stupid ass Fockerz website.

[Gameguy]

Don't worry. They don't open the boxes. This, of course, means that they are only grading a box and not the game. At least with a comic book they also examine all the pages during the grading process.
To me that's worse with comic books, once it's graded how can you read it? I was into comic books and I appreciated all of the book, meaning the story itself, the artwork from all pages, the feel of turning the pages, even the smell of the pages. If it's stuck in a case all you're seeing is the cover. What's the point? Old comics aren't new anyway, they've been read at least once so why seal them away?

With sealed games it doesn't matter, it's a new copy and it won't be opened anyway. If you just want it in your collection to look at all you'll care about is the outer box, just knowing it's a new copy would be enough. Even if the save battery is dead or it's defective, that won't really matter as it won't be opened.

I'm not in favour of any grading, it just seems unnecessary to me.

[Icarus Moonsight]

What about people that are sending them reseals that don't even contain the game they claim they do, getting those slabbed and reselling them on ebay?

This came up the first time this shit was floated... That's the fatal flaw. Either they have to open and verify contents and grade the totality of it (which just makes your sealed game a glorified reseal) or they only grade the exterior and then God only knows what is actually in that box... Either way, it makes the service and process completely useless and highly suspect.

Since they are just grading the box (officially) I'd just send them a reseal with Combat/SMB-DH or whatever common as dirt surrogate you have handy. Wouldn't matter, display-wise, since the box is all you will ever see again forever. Hell, I'd like to do it and then put out a video where I open the slabbed BS and expose the farce for what it is... Someone that is capable of doing a good reseal should take up the torch. I don't know how, nor have the stuff to do it.

[Tenjikuronin]

To me that's worse with comic books, once it's graded how can you read it? I was into comic books and I appreciated all of the book, meaning the story itself, the artwork from all pages, the feel of turning the pages, even the smell of the pages. If it's stuck in a case all you're seeing is the cover. What's the point? Old comics aren't new anyway, they've been read at least once so why seal them away?


Not that I'm a fan of CGC, but the purpose of grading comics is usually to gain further money during resale. The case and the grading essentially confirms to the buyer that they are recieving an authentic (non-restored) item and that CGC has given it a grade off of their scale. Generally most sellers don't care about the actual reading part of the comics and are usually just interested in resale. That's why I tell people who are buying comics for reading to not bother with graded copies and insted just find cheap copies in poor condition (great for reading but zero resale value).

[portnoyd]

Not that I'm a fan of VGA, but the purpose of grading sealed games is usually to gain further money during resale. The case and the grading essentially confirms to the buyer that they are recieving an authentic (unopened) item and that VGA has given it a grade off of their scale. Generally most sellers don't care about the actual playing of the games and are usually just interested in resale. That's why I tell people who are buying comics for reading to not bother with graded copies and insted just find cheap copies opened.

Thought it'd be interesting to take out the comics and put in sealed games. The question that arrives from this is how can VGA be sure that seals are authentic? What makes them so much better at it than us? Have they ever turned down a game for being a fake?

Also, what good is their scale? In comics, it's paper - much weaker. In games, it's cardboard under plastic wrap. Much better protected. How much of a worth is their scale here?

[Jorpho]

In theory, they could keep track of exactly how particular games were sealed, including variations in seals, and good $deity this is ridiculous.

[Tenjikuronin]

Thought it'd be interesting to take out the comics and put in sealed games. The question that arrives from this is how can VGA be sure that seals are authentic? What makes them so much better at it than us? Have they ever turned down a game for being a fake?

Also, what good is their scale? In comics, it's paper - much weaker. In games, it's cardboard under plastic wrap. Much better protected. How much of a worth is their scale here?


Oh, I agree. Grading sealed games is stupid, much like grading comics professionally is a waste of money (unless its pre-1950 and you are planning to sell it). Not sure about VGA, but I know that with CGC they have a grading scale which closely follows that used by book resellers in grading normal books (with special considerations given to comic specific defects). I guess with comics the scale is at least based off of an existing grading technique wheras with games there really isn't any specific grading precedent in place.

Either way, they are both a waste of time.

[Jorpho]

So what was the point to collecting (and then not opening) sealed games again?

[PapaStu]

So what was the point to collecting (and then not opening) sealed games again?

Same reason to collect anything. To 'have' it.

[Gameguy]

Not that I'm a fan of CGC, but the purpose of grading comics is usually to gain further money during resale. The case and the grading essentially confirms to the buyer that they are recieving an authentic (non-restored) item and that CGC has given it a grade off of their scale. Generally most sellers don't care about the actual reading part of the comics and are usually just interested in resale. That's why I tell people who are buying comics for reading to not bother with graded copies and insted just find cheap copies in poor condition (great for reading but zero resale value).
I was thinking more as a buyer, rather than a seller. Why would any comic collector buy a comic if they didn't want to read it? If a comic isn't restored(De-acidification), it would slowly deteriorate anyway because of the acid in the paper, the grading wouldn't even be accurate over a long period of time but nobody would know as it's sealed away. The grade listed on the case would eventually become inaccurate and really meaningless.

I could understand grading sports cards as you'd still be able to see the entire thing(front and back), but comics make no sense to me at all.

[tubeway]

Same reason to collect anything. To 'have' it.

To gain some kind of sense of accomplishment through the acquiring and ownership of goods that other people also want.

Also, on an incredibly juvenile note, I know what I'd do if I worked at the VAG.

I'd fart into the case before sealing it.

[murdoc rose]

igorr sorry for all this but slabbing is generally hated but its here to stay :(, when I was into baseball cards I use to buy goudeys with low grades bust them open and sell them for twice what i payed, as far as what its worth no idea last i checked there weren't that many games being graded but it also has alot to do with the company. gl hope you don't get ripped off

[rpepper9]

Well the best/most stable, and reliable grading system in a collectable market, I would have to say is PSA rating of sports cards/non sports cards(aka like MTG cards).

The only issue with PSA, is they don't recognize signatures/signed non sports cards as a collectable aspect(which it is, just like it is with sports cards, well as long as It's the actual artist who signed it anyway), so they wont grade any signed cards(which is bound to eventually change), but other then that, they're perfect at what they do, and thus exceptionally reliablr(which inturn creates a stable market for graded cards).

Beckett will grade cards with signatures. I know they will grade a card that came from the manufacture, and I think they will grade signatures you obtained on your own. They even go as far as to give the card one grade and the quality/authenticity of the signature a separate grade.