AFA grading....

[TheBigToyAuction.com]

I don't need to pay somebody to tell me how nice or bad something is ... I got my own eyes

Well, I think that's part of it. At a toy show, your eyes will give you an idea of the value of something right away, so that you know how much it's worth to you.

But with more online trading, what you consider to be "mint on card" might mean "sealed, tight, shiny bubble, no dings", whereas the for the guy on the other end of the transaction it might mean "got most of the rat poop off of it, and the bubble is attached on at least two corners"

We all know how misleading photographs can be, intentionally or unintentionally, so having a third party, independent grader, should make things easier, especially with subgrades that point out the exact flaws of the item.

In reality, though, it's debatable just how "independent" that grader is, and it puts everybody back at square one, but with all the extra costs of grading thrown in.

[TheBigToyAuction.com]

I was in the sports card market when the whole grading deal started. It took off like wild fire because everyone thought the grading system was fair. It wasn't. If you owned a large store that did huge volume on a regular basis you got better grading than a small store that did a lower number of items. I saw this on several occasions and there was even a situation where a card was graded by a smaller store and felt he had gotten a grade lower than the card actually was. The card was resubmitted through a larger dealer that did large volume and got a higher grade. Same grader different result. That was the end of grading in my opinion.

I've never dealt with coin/card graders, so I don't know as much about them (other than, with most auctioneers I work with, if a coin comes slabbed with anything other than the NGC or PGCS or , they will crack it open and send it out to get regraded rather than face liability for mis-representation). But that's always been an issue I've had with AFA.

No ethical apprasier in any field will ever charge an appraisal fee based on the expected appraised value of the property. There's such a huge conflict of interests there, that it's pretty much the first thing they teach in appraisal school, and is a violation of USPAP standards.

I don't know if they still use that sliding scale, as I haven't checked their website in a long time. But the fact that they started out with that system, to me, shows that their business model is concerned more with creating high value collectibles than correctly and accurately assessing a figures true condition.

On the plus side, though, they do make nice cases.

[enyawd72]

My first problem with AFA graded of toys, especially sealed ones, is that the grade is based purely on the ASSUMPTION that the toy is mint. Unlike a sports card or a comic book, you can't see everything or touch the thing.

How do you know that carded Spidey doesn't have a broken knee joint? How do you know if a boxed sealed Green Goblin has paint rub on his hat tip? How can you tell if that sealed Steve Austin has supple skin on his bionic arm or dry rot?

YOU CAN'T. So how can these guys state with 100% certainty that a toy is mint?

My second problem with grading is the qualifications of the grader. There is no "action figure university" where one learns this stuff. I actually called AFA and asked what their qualifications were. Their answer was "Well, we've been collectors for over 20 years, harumph, harumph."

Yeah, well so have I, so I guess I can do their job and save myself the money.
Any of us longtime collectors could look at a damn carded figure, say it's A-OK, slap it in some acrylic and charge someone. Doesn't suddenly make the thing worth more.

[Werewolf]

I agree. People go nuts for AFA graded Vintage Star Wars toys.

SW collectors have gotten more than weensy bit out there. Like spazing out if someone opens a dirt common figure on a beat to hell torn water stained card with a cracked yellow bubble. But outside of SW fanatics does anyone even give a crap about grading?

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

The other big problem with AFA grading is that any item sealed in their plastic tomb is still gonna degrade. Your Mego Mr Fantastic might be 8.5 now, but what happens in a few years when/if the head greys? And for toys, what happens when/if the plastic of the toy reacts with the plastic of the acrylic tomb?

Don C.

[bobws]

I don't believe in grading toys.

[generic]

I don't believe in grading toys.

It exists. I've seen it.

[TheBigToyAuction.com]

It exists. I've seen it.

No. AFA Grading is just a story parents make up to scare kids into behaving. :-)

[osker55]

grading is a waste of time an money don't need to pay someone to tell me wat MY toys are worth to them

[jetzjungle]

I think AFA is a lame way to get money out of collectors. I say...who cares except AFA because they want our money!

[RickD]

It is expensive getting items AFA graded! sometimes the return investment is not even worth it.

[TheBigToyAuction.com]

No. AFA Grading is just a story parents make up to scare kids into behaving. :-)

I stand corrected. AFA Grading *is* real.

[AJ Collector]

I said it before, and ....well you all know.