Looking for AFA answers

[megoat]

, elasticizer migration, distortion stress.

How strange. These were the names of my two first bands in high school. Everyone told us that The Elasticizer Migration could have went on to make big waves but our bass player went up and joined the navy. Oh well.......

[ABMAC]

If you have a packaged figure that you want to protect, you're better off buying a case for it yourself. The condition of a figure can change due to UV exposure, elasticizer migration, or distortion stress. AFA cases do not protect against any of these. It's best to have your figure graded at the time it's sold, and you can have that done here at no cost.

[RG]

IMO AFA is a pure con nothing more! They slap a grade on a figure and call it a day. I've seen AFA 90's that should have been 80's, and 80's that should have been 95's. I haven't seen much in Megos that have been graded by AFA, but I've seem my fair share of their grades on vintage Star Wars, GI Joe etc.

One collector I know, refers to people who buy A.F.A. as .... Another. F-ing. Amateur Because they need someone else to tell them what they are collecting and he has a point. AFA puts false values on items. Take a rare figure say Alter Ego Bruce Wayne, he gets a grade of 95 tons of people go crazy and drive the price way up two or three times what a mint ungraded one sells for ... why because a couple guys out there have mental issues and they want to have "The Best" Now take another Bruce that is super mint and would pull a 100 (if AFA would give it out) but isn't graded and it goes for 1/3 the price why because it has no AFA grade ... some would say well that's why they have stuff graded ... that's crap! It's the same figure and IS worth the same, it's just some over pay for a number someone else slaps on an item. Lets say I or another collector puts a fair grade on a super mint item, would you pay 3 times more than it's value for it because we put a grade on it. ... I hope not! And people shouldn't over pay for AFA's opinion either.

AFA does include the case they put them in ... but be careful if you send in a carded figure ... there is no support for the bubble and many times the bubble is ripped off of the card inside the case while being shipped.

for standard it's around the price toys2cool said, but that takes a few weeks and I would never trust a company with my valuables for that long. They do have faster service, but it costs.

[Megospidey]

People here do not view carded or boxed figures the same as comic books or baseball cards. Paper items need to be sealed; toys do not.

Why grade them and seal them permanently when you can buy acrylic holders that you can open from time to time, take them out, and actually hold them? Besides, graders (of anything collectible) cannot be totally objective - they are humans and humans make mistakes.

You will probably find that most here feel the same as starbuk - LET THOSE TOYS BE FREE!!!

[toys2cool]

It's like $30-$40 a figure,I say it's worth it if it's a really rare figure or something in almost perfect condition,as collectors pay top dollar for those,what kind of figure where you thinking of grading?

[shownuff!]

Hi all,

I am new to collecting and was hoping you could share your experiences with AFA grading.

I have gotten a few figures MOC and was wondering if I should send them to AFA.

Pros and Cons are needed. Costs?

I would think that every collector with a MOC would want there special treasures sealed for protection, right?

Does AFA provide the enclosure or do I purchase one and send it in along with the figure?

Thanks for your answers!