[gurpswoo1]

Before you guys go ahead and do a VGA grading project, you need to understand that it's not the hoy grail on Collecting.

This is my sole opinion only and my thoughts on my experience with them.

Video game grading is a fairly new thing, they have yet to supply credentials on who is grading these games. Nor do they give you an idea on the grading process, what scale is used and how each item is judge. Now that's not to say they are not fully qualified, it just they don't tell you anything and don't respond to the question. Actually they don't respond to anything quickly, not sure why. So like I said it's a fairly new thing.

In the past they have been known to grade games which have been resealed, this is bad but I'v only heard of one case though. More worryingly is the fact that if they are not sure on the seal or game, it is rejected and sent back to you at your cost. These so call experts don't seem to know as much as they say, Again they fail to say why it can not graded.

Now their cases are a different matter, very good quality and great protection, expensive but worth it to protect and preserve your games. This is main reason why I got dead space graded, the fact it got a nice grade was even better but was not my original intention. It sure looks nice in that case though.

So a word of caution, VGA is gaining in popularity but there are many collector's aware of the good and bad of the process. I have shown a very negative side of VGA, there are many good points also. The increase in value, supposed authenticity.

To sum up:

Good
- Increase in value (grade 85 or above only, opposite is less, unless no higher grade exist)
- preservations
- clean finish
- supposed authenticity ( if collector's believe VGA grade is real then it makes no difference)
- packaged very well when dispatched


Bad)
- Expensive grading cost for larger items
- Slow, even if pay extra for quick turn around they still take at least a week than they said, cheapest takes 2 months)
- known to mistakenly grade a reseal ( although unless collector's now about this mistake then makes no difference)
- Charge your card shipping cost, you have no say what it is and believe me it's expensive especially for anyone outside NA. I got the shock of my life
- shipping to them also needs to be taken into account
- Customs may open your VGA graded case and internal game, has been known to happen.


Remember this is just my personal opinion, there are far more out there that don't have this opinion. I don't want to put you off but I just don't want you to go into VGA on the same assumptions as I did either.

The choice is yours in the end.