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Thread: OK is it really worth getting the VGA GRADING ?

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    Insert Coin (Level 0) PROTOTYPE's Avatar
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    Question OK is it really worth getting the VGA GRADING ?

    I have a seal small jewel case version of king fields one in mint condition. [ the small jewel case version is the harder to find of the two ] what do you guy's think?
    If it's not fun? Your not really playing.

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    What do you mean by "worth it"? If you're referring to the numbers game, then you'll just have to look at eBay prices and the way they're trending and decide if selling the game as-is will get you more money than whatever profits you'll have left after you get it slabbed and sell it off, either now or at some later date. (However, I imagine the VGA pricing bubble won't endure indefinitely, so you'd probably want to sell it sooner rather than later.)

    If you're not interested in selling it, then the question is meaningless.
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    Box protectors will do for normal games. And ones valuable enough to want to further minimize shipping damage.

    Save VGA for games who warrant it. It'll mark a treasure in your collection or to the right buyers.
    Lum fan.

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    You have to look really closely at the shrinkwrap. Even the smallest tears or damage will downgrade it.

    It can be worth doing for 'good' titles, that is, rare sealed stuff or common in demand stuff.

    How long will you keep it? In the long long term (10+ years?), my belief is that grading will be worth it for nearly anything that will grade 90 and up. But if you plan to make a quick flip, grading hasn't caught on universally for video games, so you may be wasting your time and money.

    If I was a huge fan of a game and I had it mint/sealed, regardless of where value was going, I'd consider having it graded.

    If you are using your last dollar to grade something, don't bother. Grading is a luxury item at this point.

    If throwing down $50-$100 for an acrylic case sounds like an awesome investment, then it's always time to have your sealed item graded.

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    Talking Thanks for the replys

    Well, I do love the game.. Also, I though it cost like 25.00 and anymore then that would be a no go. Just wanted to see what collectors though of the Idea. Would look kind of pretty though
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    Quote Originally Posted by ianoid View Post
    You have to look really closely at the shrinkwrap. Even the smallest tears or damage will downgrade it.

    It can be worth doing for 'good' titles, that is, rare sealed stuff or common in demand stuff.

    How long will you keep it? In the long long term (10+ years?), my belief is that grading will be worth it for nearly anything that will grade 90 and up. But if you plan to make a quick flip, grading hasn't caught on universally for video games, so you may be wasting your time and money.

    If I was a huge fan of a game and I had it mint/sealed, regardless of where value was going, I'd consider having it graded.

    If you are using your last dollar to grade something, don't bother. Grading is a luxury item at this point.

    If throwing down $50-$100 for an acrylic case sounds like an awesome investment, then it's always time to have your sealed item graded.
    The problem is that getting a 90 on many games is very difficult, even if the game comes out of a factory sealed shipping case. I would say in my experience that most jewel case games that to most collectors look mint sealed grade at between 85 and 85+. I really don't see the point of getting anything graded unless you're just looking to maximize resale value and you know it's something VGA sealed collector's want in that condition and are willing to pay a premium to buy. You can buy a nice acrylic case for a lot less than $50, so there really isn't much point to VGA for someone looking to keep the game in their collection.

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    Why do people say "sell off" instead of just sell? It's only a internet thing, people don't say that in life. Anyway, if you have somthing graded from an unopened factory case it might get an 8 but with a "u" for untouched by hands , this is actually better than a 9.

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    Quote Originally Posted by LimitedEditionMuseum View Post
    Why do people say "sell off" instead of just sell? It's only a internet thing, people don't say that in life.
    Yes. Yes they do.
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    If you are going to keep the game, it isn't worth it because you are basically paying for the acrylic case. Like the others have said, you can get a case for a lot less than what they charge for grading.

    If you were looking to sell, it still isn't worth it, becase the game doesn't have a lot of demand/value. So even if some value was gained by grading it, the value gained would very likely be less that what was paid to have it graded.

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    Why would you waste your money on that VGA crap??? It's nothing but a bunch of bullsh*t. Play your game, enjoy it, and don't support that game grading thieving nonsense that only idiots spend their money on.

    thank you.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MyTurnToPlay View Post
    Why would you waste your money on that VGA crap??? It's nothing but a bunch of bullsh*t. Play your game, enjoy it, and don't support that game grading thieving nonsense that only idiots spend their money on.

    thank you.
    Amen, brother. I look at those people as selling a service that is absolutely worthless. Sure, it gives your game a "grade", but the market dictates its true value. It's not worth anything if you can't get someone to give that for it.
    Save your money on grading and instead buy another game that you'll actually play and not just set on a shelf and stare at in its stupid acrylic box.
    “The world has, forever and always, been brimming with shit-heads.” - Dana Gould

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    Quote Originally Posted by PROTOTYPE View Post
    Well, I do love the game.. Also, I though it cost like 25.00 and anymore then that would be a no go. Just wanted to see what collectors though of the Idea. Would look kind of pretty though
    Yeah it'll be more than $25 so you answered your own question. You have to pay to ship it to VGA, as well as insurance + return shipping too. If you're just subbing one game it's going to be closer to $40-$50 even if you opted for the slowest turnaround time possible (~2 months).

    On a title like this, I'd just leave it as-is. I only grade stuff that is 85+ or better, "Mint" to most untrained eyes. As someone already mentioned, I don't see a lot of demand for stuff that grades below gold (85+) in the future. Unless it's something really old next to impossible to find sealed Mint, like DK Jr. Math for example.
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    I've yet to find evidence that VGA raises the price on sealed games, except on a handful of sought after games (i.e. first party Nintendo), and the occasional rare as hell game (that Game Boy Bible cart). Virtually all VGA games listed on Ebay do not sell for much higher than their non-graded counterparts.
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    Quote Originally Posted by badinsults View Post
    I've yet to find evidence that VGA raises the price on sealed games, except on a handful of sought after games (i.e. first party Nintendo), and the occasional rare as hell game (that Game Boy Bible cart). Virtually all VGA games listed on Ebay do not sell for much higher than their non-graded counterparts.
    If they sell at all :3

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    You shouldn't get the VGA grading. It's not about the money. A lot of us don't want the retro game hobby to turn into something akin to baseball card collecting.

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    Quote Originally Posted by badinsults View Post
    I've yet to find evidence that VGA raises the price on sealed games, except on a handful of sought after games (i.e. first party Nintendo), and the occasional rare as hell game (that Game Boy Bible cart). Virtually all VGA games listed on Ebay do not sell for much higher than their non-graded counterparts.
    How many VGA games have you bought and sold exactly? As a buyer on sealed games I most certainly will pay more for a Gold graded copy than a raw copy. Key word is Gold graded. Of course a VGA 60 / 70 / 80 probably isn't selling for more than their non-graded counterparts.

    And as a seller on games I've submitted, the price increase is sometimes 400-1000%. Buy raw in Mint condition, get it graded at VGA 90 or higher, and buyers will find you. Easy sell within 24-48 hours everytime unless it's something absurdly expensive ($10,000+) where buyers may need to raise funds. I typically deal with games in the $100s and sometimes small 4 digits, but I don't go much higher than that.
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    Quote Originally Posted by PROTOTYPE View Post
    I have a seal small jewel case version of king fields one in mint condition. [ the small jewel case version is the harder to find of the two ] what do you guy's think?
    Mint as in new and sealed, or mint as in open item? I ask just because the VGA only grades "new" games.

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    Quote Originally Posted by wiggyx View Post
    Mint as in new and sealed, or mint as in open item? I ask just because the VGA only grades "new" games.
    Actually, VGA does grade opened but allegedly not used games, they just call them "qualified".

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    Trend started big time in the comics world.CGC has been slabbing comics for at least ten years. They sold like hotcakes for a bit too. Now, people seem to have come to their senses as they aren't selling anywhere near as good as they used to. I guess people decided they wanted to read the comics and realized that once it's slabbed, it's pretty much a done deal, especially after spending all of that money. There is wisdom here somewhere.

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    Quote Originally Posted by T2KFreeker View Post
    Trend started big time in the comics world.CGC has been slabbing comics for at least ten years. They sold like hotcakes for a bit too. Now, people seem to have come to their senses as they aren't selling anywhere near as good as they used to. I guess people decided they wanted to read the comics and realized that once it's slabbed, it's pretty much a done deal, especially after spending all of that money. There is wisdom here somewhere.
    Yep, the VGA grading thing seems to have slowed as well. There haven't been as many record breaking sales lately and I see a lot of stuff just sitting on Ebay for months at a time with no buyers. The stuff graded at 90 or above does seem to still sell quickly, but the reality is that there just isn't much of it out there, so the few collectors who buy it are always competing for it.

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