Sealed MarioLand Gameboy Game Graded at 85-90?

[tubeway]

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

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

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.

[Ed Oscuro]

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

All you can do with baseball cards or coins is look at the exterior. With a card, there's literally only two parts (card front, card back w/ gum stain). It does make sense to grade those because both can be worn which literally wears away details (well, with coins anyway...with cards it's usually just a subjective thing based on impossible criteria like "was it centered right").

While I don't think I own any PROGRADED cards or coins, there was a recognized grading standard in place before the pro graders set up shop (Red Book anyone?) that eventually won the respect of enthusiasts and investors.

Comics and especially games make no sense (for starters) because they can't be enjoyed in a bag or box.

But they also don't add any real grading value. Trying to grade a game is almost like trying to grade a car. It has lots of parts and the hidden parts can degrade over time in a way that a coin or a card doesn't. More to the point you can't see the insides, so you have to take it on faith the fancy-dancy scanner (what would they use, anyway? Both CAT and MRI should be bad for games) can see if the manual is damaged or off-printed, and of course unlike a slabbed card or coin you can easily still damage it by shaking it around (but nobody will be able to tell). So, on top of all the other woes, there's no respected grading standard in place and it certainly isn't widely respected.

This is why I only go for opened games...that way you can check the contents, and make sure that it's a game in there and not an ancient twinkie.

[allyourblood]

Woah, woah, woah.


Let's talk more about these ancient twinkies.

[Hawksmoor]

I wholeheartedly agree with the majority sentiment that game grading is ridiculous. However, this is a hobby where people routinely pay a shit ton of money for sealed games just to have them sit on a shelf. That seems equally absurd, yet isn't scoffed at the same way game grading is. Go figure.

[Vectorman0]

I wholeheartedly agree with the majority sentiment that game grading is ridiculous. However, this is a hobby where people routinely pay a shit ton of money for sealed games just to have them sit on a shelf. That seems equally absurd, yet isn't scoffed at the same way game grading is. Go figure.

Collecting sealed games for your own personal gratification is very different than buying sealed games, getting them graded, and trying to sell them for absurd amounts of money you know they aren't worth.

[Jorpho]

Collecting sealed games for your own personal gratification is very different than buying sealed games, getting them graded, and trying to sell them for absurd amounts of money you know they aren't worth.

If you can actually make money that way, it can also be good for your own personal gratification.