I want to see pics of peoples VGA graded games!

[DemonATX]

Originally Posted by Iwatasan

Tell me more.

Well first I think I'm going to gather the games together so I can send them in all at once. I'm still looking for an original print of Zelda 1 for NES because I don't want the classic series reprint. Same for Zelda 2. Then there's Link to the Past for Super Nintendo which is also proving hard to find because I don't want a player's choice, I want the original black box. Now we start geting into the gameboy era with Link's Awakening and the DX version for color along with Seasons and Ages which people want hundreds of dollars for nowadays (I remember saving up 70-80 bucks back in the day and riding my bike to toys r us to get these games >.>) Now I already got Ocrina of time Collector's Edition for N64 and have a bid up on ebay for Majora's Mask Collector's edition, those weren't too bad to find. Which brings us to the gamecube era windwaker, four swords, and a couple zelda compilations including a promotional collector's edition that I also have a bid up for. Now were up to the easy part with all the DS and Wii games, no prob finding those. Haven't decided if i should keep my US limited edition of skyward sword sealed and just go get a regular version to play, I might do that.

All in All this is a fun little project I've come up with that's keeping me pretty entertained over here in Iraq lol.

[Iwatasan]

Dude...you're my new forum buddy
Zelda is all I collect, it's the whole reason I joined here. You and I should get together and compare notes. I've amassed quite a lot of info on available editions and such...amassing info is a lot cheaper than amassing products ...and I'll admit it, I love spreadsheets :B

So yeah I know about the games and editions and stuff already but what I'm really interested in is this VGA grading. I've been seeing this on eBay lately for some Zelda games, particularly Super Smash Bros, and I've been thinking how nice those cases are and how cool it would be to have a verifiable grade of condition. I think my most recent half of the collection would score well considering for each release since Twilight Princess for Wii I've bought two copies to keep one sealed, and I've been working my way backward to the oldest games.

But I haven't looked into yet...I'm waiting till I have my credit cards paid off before I go convincing myself to spend a bunch of money on something new like this
Can you give me the gist of it?

[surfdude73]

sorry for sounding stupid but what is VGA

[DemonATX]

Originally Posted by surfdude73

sorry for sounding stupid but what is VGA

VGA stands for Video Game Authority, it's a third party company that looks at the condition of sealed games you send them and puts a numerical value of 1-100 along with putting the game in a case for better preservation.

Basically you use them to increase the value of your game and preserve it better.

http://www.vggrader.com/default.aspx

[DemonATX]

Originally Posted by Iwatasan

Can you give me the gist of it?

I think I might start a new thread and kind of document what I'm doing as well as have a sort of checklist for my self lol, were getting away from why i made this thread >.<

here:
http://collectorsedition.org/forums/...2778#post32778

[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.

[DemonATX]

Thanks for the insight gurps, all of these points have been brought to my attention beforehand. It'll turn out all right, I'm not worried about it. If anything I'll have a nice collection of sealed games I wanted anyways.

[gurpswoo1]

LOL no problem, can't wait to see these.

[Saturn]

Customs opening VGA graded cases? I get pissed just by hearing that, let alone if it happened to me. Seriously, I'm not interested in VGA at all, so much that I'm working on my own ratings for myself alone. But I'd put the customs services in court for that because they have noabsolute right to do that. But it shouldn't happen over here. Customs suck only because they don't know how to handle packages for inspection but they haven't touch the contents of something I bought in years, no matter if it's sealed or surrounded by bubble wrap. As much as they realize what the item is, they don't touch it. If I ever buy something sealed and open it, I don't know what I'll do to them.

[vhal_x]

I bought a Limited Edition Alien Head Box Set for my boyfriend's Christmas last year, and customs opened it, and then sellotaped it shut with white tape with red writing on it, saying that it had been checked by customs - got it literally a fortnight before Christmas, despite it being posted at the end of October by the seller :/ I was complaining to the seller aswell as I thought they had scammed me, but no customs just decided to keep it for almost a month!