Video Game Authority Grading

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I see there are some sellers on Ebay selling some NES/SNES/PSX items graded by VGA for way more than I thought such things could fetch. I have several sealed items from these systems that from my naked eye look mint or near mint.

Is it worth getting some of these graded with the VGA plastic cases? The prices aren't entirely unreasonable.

Just one Ebay example is this seller who has sold quite a few graded items looking at his feedback.

http://shop.ebay.com/rarebucky/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=25
 
A long, interesting post about VGA-graded games hit GameSniped awhile back; it's definitely worth a read - http://www.gamesniped.com/2008/04/09/first-vga-graded-games-hit-ebay/

Myself, I'm not a sealed collector, so I personally don't care either way (I'm R. Kasahara in the comments in that post, BTW). Similar grading schemes exist for other collectables like comics and sports cards, but the VGA isn't as established as those, and I don't know if graded items in general are worth the money.
 
I'd just be happy with actually owning a copy of whatever I bought in a condition that I feel is appropriate for my collecting. Don't need some group to tell me how much they feel it's worth.
As for the link, $200 for a sealed copy of Kingdom Hearts?! I bet this guy is buying games today to set in a closet and sell 10 years from now at an inflated price. I found a copy of Kingdom Hearts at my local Target for $5, and it's sitting on my shelf right now unopened. I guess I could make about $100 on it by this guys reasoning.
 
Video game collecting should never be an investment. Yes, we all want our games to go up in value, we all want to sell out games for more than we paid for them. Put your money is much better off in a mutual fund than in eight bit plastic.
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Truth. Same applies to those people that buy games from one store and trade them in at another just to make about $5 or $10 a game. There are far better ways to make way more money with much less effort.
 
Games are meant to be played. A copy of a game I can't play is worthless to me.

Granted, there are other people that feel differently. A lot of people collect action figures which they never take out of the box. But I just don't think collecting an item for the sake of just having the item with no intent to ever play it is in the spirit of the gaming hobby. You're not collecting the game; you're just collecting the box art, instruction manual and a CD with a label.

Besides, it's not well known but many CDs and DVDs have "CD rot", which is a problem from the manufacture process where air bubbles get trapped under the sealing. Over time data gets lost. The hard reality is these games, unlike coins or action figures, have a shelf life.
 
Look at this hogwash:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Earthbound-Supe...Item&pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item1c118fefdc

Earthbound for SNES, it never came shrinkwrapped, but now it can be certified as NEW? By that logic, what's to stop people from taking games that look mint, tossing them into a capsule and saying "Dur hur, it's new."? Just look at those corner dents. Is that a bend on the top flap? You telling me if I had kept my cardboard Earthbound box I could've pulled the same crap?
 
So this became another place for people to tell me how bad it is to invest in videogames? lmz00, the thousands of dollars I've made from videogame sales over the last couple years beg to differ with your "far better ways to make more money with less effort".

Back to the OP, I wouldn't have them grade my game but I like that there's something out there for people to compare to.

Oh, and therpgfanatic, books rot too but there seems to be a huge book market where people pay huge amounts of money for books they will never read. I guess collectors don't adhere to your hardcore definition of gamer.
 
[quote name='Indigo_Streetlight']Look at this hogwash:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Earthbound-Supe...Item&pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item1c118fefdc

Earthbound for SNES, it never came shrinkwrapped, but now it can be certified as NEW? By that logic, what's to stop people from taking games that look mint, tossing them into a capsule and saying "Dur hur, it's new."? Just look at those corner dents. Is that a bend on the top flap? You telling me if I had kept my cardboard Earthbound box I could've pulled the same crap?[/QUOTE]

That is rarebucky and he is legit (know him from NA). He is definitly making money but at the same time he spends money too. Someone else on the site has 2 new Earthbounds and 3 sealed Chrono Triggers and rarebucky offered him $2000 a piece for them. Also if you kept a cardboard Earthbound box it is worth approx. $70. Not saying this isn't a ridiculous price just saying you can legitimately get $2000 for a new Earthbound.
 
I think there's going to be a lot of similarity between games and coins in the next few decades. A lot of older coin people started collecting out of pocket change, so they were from the enjoyment camp and had a tendency to laugh at the same coins when somebody put them in a space bubble. However, there's still a portion of the market where A) Money is not an object, or B) Who may be too young to remember when such items were easily accessible.
 
[quote name='Indigo_Streetlight']I think there's going to be a lot of similarity between games and coins in the next few decades. A lot of older coin people started collecting out of pocket change, so they were from the enjoyment camp and had a tendency to laugh at the same coins when somebody put them in a space bubble. However, there's still a portion of the market where A) Money is not an object, or B) Who may be too young to remember when such items were easily accessible.[/QUOTE]

The guy who had the new earthbounds and sealed Chrono Triggers got them on clearance for $10 a piece and still didn't want to sell them for $10,000. Just goes to show you that sometimes sentimental value can out-weigh $$ value.
 
[quote name='depascal22']Oh, and therpgfanatic, books rot too but there seems to be a huge book market where people pay huge amounts of money for books they will never read. I guess collectors don't adhere to your hardcore definition of gamer.[/QUOTE]
One big difference with books and games is that yellowed books, ones where the spines are beat up, etc., are still readable (they also might be easier to restore to a readable/useable condition, but I don't know; that's just an educated guess on my part). If the data on a game cartridge or disk deteriorates over time, or otherwise gets damaged, there's a good chance it'll make the entire game unplayable.
 
[quote name='blueshinra']One big difference with books and games is that yellowed books, ones where the spines are beat up, etc., are still readable (they also might be easier to restore to a readable/useable condition, but I don't know; that's just an educated guess on my part). If the data on a game cartridge or disk deteriorates over time, or otherwise gets damaged, there's a good chance it'll make the entire game unplayable.[/QUOTE]

Yes, unreadable books are pretty much worthless.

There are professionals who repair manuscripts and books.

I realize I'm not going to be able to stop people from sealing videogames in plastic and hanging them on a display somewhere, but that doesn't mean I can't think the whole thing is silly.

Just because you can find people willing to pay ridiculous amounts of money for a game they will never play doesn't make it "more serious". A fool and his money are soon parted.

I can understand a collector paying a lot for a complete game in excellent condition. What I don't understand is doing so without the intent to ever play it. If you're just buying it to sell it, you're not a collector; you're a dealer.

And I really do think the value for old CD / DVD games that have "never been opened" is over-stated since many of those games will have CD rot and be unplayable. I'd much rather have a copy that has been opened and I know works, than a copy which is essentially a mystery.
 
I think grading games sealed or not is kinda silly but people will make a business where there's a demand just like comic and sports collectible grading. People only pay to have a game graded if they believe it will help them get more out of their investment in the game. I think the reason people collect sealed games with the intention to never open/play them is for a financial investment.
 
Why would you care what other people do with their money? Are there only certain things you will allow me to spend my hard earned money on?

Do you think a person will pay a premium for a sealed game and then immediately rip it open to play it just because that's what you do?

C'mon guys. You're old enough to realize that not everyone approaches gaming with the same exact passion that you do. Some people like shooters. Some people only play online. Some people like to collect sealed classics that go for crazy amounts of money. Diff'rent strokes.
 
Are you saying that people who buy sealed games never play them? I buy them because I'm anal/obsessive-compulsive and would never buy or play an opened/used game, not because a game I spent $250 on might be worth $300 a few years from now. (That's just me, though. I'm guessing most would be perfectly happy to play the cheapest copy they could get their hands on, and leave the sealed games to the collectors.)
 
That's exactly what I'm saying. Sealed games are mainly for collectors. You aren't a rarity but you should know that you have to pay a premium for sealed copies. Your OCD is causing you to spend more money on rare sealed games not the community.

Besides, it just seems like you're being snobbish for no reason. You only buy sealed games because you can't stand to have a dirty copy that was in someone else's house for two weeks. That's cool. Don't poo poo the community that keeps older games sealed (and theoretically gives you more opportunities to play older games) just because your personal opinion that games are not an investment.
 
[quote name='blueshinra']One big difference with books and games is that yellowed books, ones where the spines are beat up, etc., are still readable (they also might be easier to restore to a readable/useable condition, but I don't know; that's just an educated guess on my part). If the data on a game cartridge or disk deteriorates over time, or otherwise gets damaged, there's a good chance it'll make the entire game unplayable.[/QUOTE]

What we might see in the future is that certain titles will have more of tendency to fail due to differences in manufacturing techniques. Though if I can still come across CDs from the 80s in excellent playing condition, that's telling you that not everything is designed to instantly fall apart--likewise not all games are going to be exposed to the same conditions of sunlight and moisture.

Another thing we don't know about is advances in game restoration that might occur in the future. Would it be possible to "cook" the disc and reburn the game data in a manner similar to CD-RWs, only more sophisticated?
 
[quote name='Indigo_Streetlight']What we might see in the future is that certain titles will have more of tendency to fail due to differences in manufacturing techniques. Though if I can still come across CDs from the 80s in excellent playing condition, that's telling you that not everything is designed to instantly fall apart--likewise not all games are going to be exposed to the same conditions of sunlight and moisture.

Another thing we don't know about is advances in game restoration that might occur in the future. Would it be possible to "cook" the disc and reburn the game data in a manner similar to CD-RWs, only more sophisticated?[/QUOTE]
Both true. The writable material in the vast majority of CDs and DVDs is made of material which oxidizes over time if not properly sealed, so good quality disks are of the utmost importance. (Note to those who weren't aware: this is what therpgfanatic meant by "CD rot".) Quality of materials affects other storage mediums as well (paper, film, etc.), so of course it's to be expected with digital ones; I have books where the pages have yellowed quicker than others, due to things like the acid content in the paper.

Book restoration has been around for a lot longer, but I think a greater hurdle with data storage mediums is the invisibility, to the naked eye, of the content. Yet like you said, it's possible that there could be some future technology that will enable easier data restoration, much like how today's tech has improved book restoration.

For right now, there are some great archival-quality blank media available, but AFAIK, they generally aren't used for mass-produced games, and it's becoming harder all the time to legitimately archive games for personal use without running into legal and technological (read: copy protection) stumbling blocks. I feel it's simply a matter of time, though, especially if the market keeps trending towards downloads, much as music has. In the meantime, I'll just take good care of my stuff, but I've always done that anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard ;)
 
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[quote name='depascal22']That's exactly what I'm saying. Sealed games are mainly for collectors. You aren't a rarity but you should know that you have to pay a premium for sealed copies. Your OCD is causing you to spend more money on rare sealed games not the community.

Besides, it just seems like you're being snobbish for no reason. You only buy sealed games because you can't stand to have a dirty copy that was in someone else's house for two weeks. That's cool. Don't poo poo the community that keeps older games sealed (and theoretically gives you more opportunities to play older games) just because your personal opinion that games are not an investment.[/QUOTE]
I'm not "poo poo-ing the community." I can see the appeal of having sealed games on display, and I'm thankful for the people that sell them.
 
[quote name='blueshinra']Both true. The writable material in the vast majority of CDs and DVDs is made of material which oxidizes over time if not properly sealed, so good quality disks are of the utmost importance. (Note to those who weren't aware: this is what therpgfanatic meant by "CD rot".) Quality of materials affects other storage mediums as well (paper, film, etc.), so of course it's to be expected with digital ones; I have books where the pages have yellowed quicker than others, due to things like the acid content in the paper.

Book restoration has been around for a lot longer, but I think a greater hurdle with data storage mediums is the invisibility, to the naked eye, of the content. Yet like you said, it's possible that there could be some future technology that will enable easier data restoration, much like how today's tech has improved book restoration.

For right now, there are some great archival-quality blank media available, but AFAIK, they generally aren't used for mass-produced games, and it's becoming harder all the time to legitimately archive games for personal use without running into legal and technological (read: copy protection) stumbling blocks. I feel it's simply a matter of time, though, especially if the market keeps trending towards downloads, much as music has. In the meantime, I'll just take good care of my stuff, but I've always done that anyway, so it shouldn't be too hard ;)[/QUOTE]
I know you quote copyright but honestly collecting games is a hobby and like music you want to support whoever you like and want to continue making games. The data is saved on many sites on the internet and I recommend if you want to play games just get a ROM (even tho this is frowned upon let's be real if you can't buy it from stores you can't steal it).
 
[quote name='VideoGamesIzFun']I know you quote copyright but honestly collecting games is a hobby and like music you want to support whoever you like and want to continue making games. The data is saved on many sites on the internet and I recommend if you want to play games just get a ROM (even tho this is frowned upon let's be real if you can't buy it from stores you can't steal it).[/QUOTE]
Why can't I play what I collect? I like to do both, just like I like to enjoy every other thing that I collect. Unfortunately, it's much easier to maintain some things in great, useable condition (like books and comics) than others. Besides, it's not like I don't enjoy some of the basic thrills of collecting, like hunting down a rare item for months (or years), or stumbling on an amazing find at a great price.

I'm one of those pack-rat types who tends to collect authentic items for personal use rather than as an investment (though if I can eventually retire off of my stuff, I wouldn't complain ;) It would be awful hard to part with a lot of it, though!). If I want to keep games that I play a lot in the best condition possible, sometimes that means making backup disks or ISOs to boot from my hard drive, but it's rare that I can do so.

Also, you don't have to be a collector to want to support the creators of games; you can be a plain old player and do that too :p
 
[quote name='depascal22']Why would you care what other people do with their money? Are there only certain things you will allow me to spend my hard earned money on?

Do you think a person will pay a premium for a sealed game and then immediately rip it open to play it just because that's what you do?

C'mon guys. You're old enough to realize that not everyone approaches gaming with the same exact passion that you do. Some people like shooters. Some people only play online. Some people like to collect sealed classics that go for crazy amounts of money. Diff'rent strokes.[/QUOTE]

I think the main concern people have is that certain dealers are scooping up games, paying money to have them "graded" and then charging thousands of dollars for them when they really should only sell for a few hundred at most.

It matters a little more for rarer, high demand games like Earthbound and Super Mario RPG since they had small NA releases to begin with.
 
In the end they are only going to sell for what people are willing to pay so it doesnt really matter.
 
[quote name='therpgfanatic']I think the main concern people have is that certain dealers are scooping up games, paying money to have them "graded" and then charging thousands of dollars for them when they really should only sell for a few hundred at most.

It matters a little more for rarer, high demand games like Earthbound and Super Mario RPG since they had small NA releases to begin with.[/QUOTE]

I understand that but I don't see other resellers in other hobbies getting so much hate. That guy that kept his 66 Mustang in mint condition is going to want top dollar for his car. In fact, he gets more money the LESS he uses it. Does anyone argue about this? Do people bemoan the fact that they can't buy a low mileage classic muscle car "just to drive"? If you want a Mustang just to drive, you can find a beat up version. It's the same with games or any other collectible.

Can't you just download the games you just want to play on the Virtual Console, Xbox Live, or PSN?
 
My opinion on life is...

If you're going to do something, do it right the first time.

For me, this means if I want a new Samsung LCD TV 240 hz 40" 1080p blah blah blah and I have half the money saved for it but then I go to Wal-Mart and see a 54" Vizio Plasma TV for less than what I have already saved. I am not going to buy the Vizio just so that I can have a new TV. I hold out until I get what I wanted in the first place. Same goes for video games. If I am going to buy a sealed game, I would prefer to have the one that has been inspected by an unbiased third party who has documented and placed a serial number to track it's authenticity. Just like old coins. You may have a pretty Morgan Silver Dollar but if it ain't graded, you won't get the $$$ that you would if it was and you don't have the population numbers and certificates to boot. Not that the population numbers are accurate, but it is something to base prices from. Otherwise, it's a stab in the dark.
 
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