AFA Grading.

[huedell]

Just curious...enlighten us with your wisdom: What do you think makes AFA or CGC or ANY grading company an authority??!!?? I'd like to hear your take on this..

What makes them an authority?

When they can stay in business, it makes them an authority IMHO---the more successful they are, the more authoritative they are ---simply because collectors say so with their wallets/behavior.

Here are the facts: AFA has more than one incident where they couldn't even tell a repro emblem from an original. Here's the auction and here's the grade they gave it where they didn't even bother to mention that THE EMBLEM IS NOT A ORIGINAL.

You ever see Gleason/Pryor/Donner's THE TOY film? I'm about to have Ned Beatty take his pants down.

If you haven't seen the film, the essence of my point here is that you and Brian and any toy collector can relate any facts you'd like----but that doesn't change the reality of AFA's recognized authority.

That's not a problem with a so called "Recognized Authority" ??!!??

It's a glaring oversight.

"Oversight"---a word that in another context I could use to describe T-Bolt, your, and others' assessment of my Museum posts and their motives here, by the way.

Case in point, and more directly ON point----when did I ever say that AFA's cited mistakes weren't problematic?

Observe that I noted AFA made MISTAKE. I said in one of my posts that drew your attention

"A mistake doesn't suddenly negate recognized authority."

And I never said that that wasn't a problem. It IS a problem---to a good amount people's welfare, I'll add.

Yet the AFA organization has, at the moment, an indisputable foothold in defining prices for toys. And that's a fact.

And it's a fact that has bearing in the context of my (simple) point. You guys aren't getting my point, I assume, because your frustration over AFA's shortcomings have affected you the point to where if I point out that AFA is an authority, you feel like I'm attacking you and/or supporting AFA's shortcomings in spite of me never posting that I DID support them.

If, for some reason, you have been missing my point because of a personal long-running MM community frustration with me as a MM poster...well, I'm sorry that's occurring, but I humbly ask you to please try to keep your vendettas on a case-to-case (i.e. thread-to-thread) basis. If my "agitator" reputation precedes me so much that I begin to become the topic of the thread despite me not saying anything particular in that particular thread to deserve it---well, to analogously quote a wise old ghost "The Emperor has already won."

Brian just showed an example of an F'n Custom that was graded....Really??!!?? That's the sign of a "Recognized Authority" ??!!?? More like a joke".

But, apparently, not ENOUGH of a joke to take them down a peg in the community as far as being leading authorities in the field of grading figures.

Again as was pointed out a few times by me....THEY HAVE NO WRITTEN STANDARDS OR GUIDELINES on how they grade. You can't tell me, in all honesty, that you would put your faith in a company like that. Just because a company is mainly supported by the "Star Wars Collectors" universe that it makes them an authority on anything other than that...yet they grade everything. Didn't they also grade those FAKE Palitoy Star Wars figure recently? Yeah...some "Recognized Authority".

You're using those quotation marks as if to imply they AREN'T a recognized authority? Well, if so, see above.

But if you're using those quotes to emphasize their shortcomings at recognizing fakes---well, yeah, you're right, grading fakes as if they were the real deal is not very becoming of a recognized authority. I feel kinda insulted you'd think I'd ever disagree with that if that was your implication. But if it was, it's ok, I'll get over it.

Please enlighten us all on how they are an authority. I am genuinely curious.

I am also interested at continuing our discussions and debates----I also apologize in advance for my Net-posting mannerisms---it's just my way of having fun---but I don't want to alienate myself here....so, I'll do my best not to sound too jerky too much of the time. But I WILL sound like a jerk somewhat, regardless, as I'm very passionate and not so socially tactful---Amen.

[mvanis]

Custom 12" Batman gets AFA graded. Authority indeed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16456[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16457[/ATTACH]

To be fair, that's graded by UKG and not AFA.

[Boy_Wonder_1978]

Custom 12" Batman gets AFA graded. Authority indeed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16456[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16457[/ATTACH]

Quite.

[Gorn Captain]

^^^true, but you know what I mean.

I sure do!

So I want to make this statement: an elephant is bigger than an ant.
I would now like to hear Huedell's opinion about this....

[thunderbolt]

^^^true, but you know what I mean.

[Gorn Captain]

Its just not a thread till Hue has the opposing viewpoint. I should start one about the sky being blue and how long that takes.

Sometimes the sky is grey. I have that on good authority...


Seriously. I think the AFA have become an "authority" because they have given that title to themselves, and then the ball started rolling. People just started to assume that this was indeed the case. If you do consider yourself an authority, you can't afford mistakes. I wouldn't go to a surgeon that "gets it wrong now and and then, but is often right." No, he needs to play a perfect game...or get out of the game, or at least take his fake diploma off the wall.
If granting yourself a title makes you respectable, you can from now on address me as The Lord Honorable Highly Impressive Emperor of Belgium. Send me your figures, and I shall give my verdict on them!

[thunderbolt]

Its just not a thread till Hue has the opposing viewpoint. I should start one about the sky being blue and how long that takes.

[Blue Meanie]

As is common with these AFA comments, I'm confused on the meaning of your post, Brian. A mistake doesn't suddenly negate recognized authority.

Just curious...enlighten us with your wisdom: What do you think makes AFA or CGC or ANY grading company an authority??!!?? I'd like to hear your take on this.

Here are the facts: AFA has more than one incident where they couldn't even tell a repro emblem from an original. Here's the auction and here's the grade they gave it where they didn't even bother to mention that THE EMBLEM IS NOT A ORIGINAL:





That's not a problem with a so called "Recognized Authority" ??!!??

Brian just showed an example of an F'n Custom that was graded....Really??!!?? That's the sign of a "Recognized Authority" ??!!?? More like a joke.

Again as was pointed out a few times by me....THEY HAVE NO WRITTEN STANDARDS OR GUIDELINES on how they grade. You can't tell me, in all honesty, that you would put your faith in a company like that. Just because a company is mainly supported by the "Star Wars Collectors" universe that it makes them an authority on anything other than that...yet they grade everything. Didn't they also grade those FAKE Palitoy Star Wars figure recently? Yeah...some "Recognized Authority".

Please enlighten us all on how they are an authority. I am genuinely curious.

[skid14]

as a collector, ive seen way too many "mistakes" from them. i dont care what number is stuck on it either....my eyes work, i know what im looking at.

as an investor, i can see it as a good tool for making as much profit as possible. if thats what you want to do..

im just a collector so its useless to me.

[palitoy]

I have personally seen dozens of Mego mistakes like this and the recent palitoy scandal suggests the Emperor has no clothes. I strongly believe they aren't an authority on Mego figures based on the rookie mistakes they consistently make.

BTW just so you know the good people at "Royal Dry Cleaners" aren't from a noble family.

[huedell]

Custom 12" Batman gets AFA graded. Authority indeed.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16456[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]16457[/ATTACH]

As is common with these AFA comments, I'm confused on the meaning of your post, Brian. A mistake doesn't suddenly negate recognized authority.

[huedell]

So just the fact that you're in business, makes you reliable and legit? Hmmm...

I guess you could say that.

When someone becomes recognized, their opinion becomes valuable and undeniably a part of the hobby.

So, I guess that makes 'em reliable and legit.

Whether an individual finds that valuable or not---that's a different story for every person.

EDITED TO ADD: On 2nd glance, I think you misunderstood what I meant when I said when I said AFA is in business.

What I meant was that AFA is in business.... i.e. they are "in the game" Period.

[palitoy]

Custom 12" Batman gets AFA graded. Authority indeed.

11960123_508049219373454_8117506382228758859_n.jpg11220909_508049209373455_2632730714714919858_n.jpg

[Gorn Captain]

I find it very strange that posters within this thread are attempting to write off AFA as inconsequential----that's a futile quest. AFA is in business. Period.

So just the fact that you're in business, makes you reliable and legit? Hmmm...

[huedell]

This is the biggest turn off for me with grading, the idea that it elevates an item to 10 times it's going rate because somebody I don't know or trust gave it a number and a plastic case.

It's a recognized "expert" someone. People may not agree that the Plaid Stallions guy's opinion is "expert", but that's just baloney---you're a world-recognized expert, and that's bankable (as you can attest) compared to a plain ol' "somebody" lacking recognized credentials.

I find it very strange that posters within this thread are attempting to write off AFA as inconsequential----that's a futile quest. AFA is in business. Period.