Sideshow and AFA

[Shai]

So,this is how AFA is grading Sideshow figures, I think it display very well...I might do it with one of my Jason part 3.

https://cgi.ebay.com/Buffy-the-Vamp...ryZ36554QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem

 

[screamingmetal]

That's neat, but I bet it's costly.
I don't think I would try it.

 

[Darklord Dave]

That's insane! Let him out he has to breath! Well, as a vampire he doesn't breath, but you know what I mean.

 

[occulum]

that one of the things that I love about the PFs. No urge whatsoever to keep them in the box cause they resale pretty much the same even if opened & displayed

 

[Darth Madden]

Why anyone would want to do that to a figure is beyond me. I can undertand for baseball cards but figures or comics its just stupid.

 

[dekadentdave]

I think the whole AFA thing is a total con. I would never buy something AFA graded let alone pay them to grade something of mine. To keep something contained in an airtight acrylic case it becomes something not real, something you can only look at, not touch. At that point you might as well just take a picture of it and look at that instead of having it.

 

[Amanaman]

The AFA movement is the symptom of a much deeper psychological ****-up, once you take it beyond vintage figures from the 70s-80s. It was only a matter of time 'til this disease crept into Sideshow's 1/6 line, as I'm sure many Hasbro scalpers upgraded their addictions. Fortunately, most Sideshow collectors have better sense than this.

 

[dekadentdave]

AFA=Bragging Rights Only

Seriously, the highest or "absolute perfect" rating would be that it was so mint that it was practically graded the minute it rolled off the factory assembly line with the paint not even dried yet. That is the most assinine grading I have ever heard of. If it has one fleck of dust it is immediately downgraded. If people are so sick that they have to have pristine toys that cannot be touched and displayed like trophies then they are living in airtight plastic bubbles themselves and have no concept of reality.

My life is too short. I want to have fun and play with these things before I die because I can't take my AFA graded 9.9 figures to the grave with me.

 

[Amanaman]

Damn right, decadent. Don't forget that most things go through human hands at the factory (see here how figures are made).

Many people forget their mortality and place importance on meaningless things.

Why not grade sealed-in-box PS3's or old cereal boxes? This bizarre nostalgia fetish is no longer about having fun, it's self-mutilation.

 

[dekadentdave]

The concept of MINT IN BOX or MINT CONDITION is perpetuated by dealers and resellers to capitalize on ignorance. Only a fool would buy an outrageously overinflated AFA graded figure and pay out the nose for it. As some of you youngsters out there start getting older, these concepts will become very clear to you. I remember getting suckered into this philosophy when I collected comic books and cards when I was a kid but now I see through this whole conspiracy.

 

[Amanaman]

You've got a good pulse on this, and you're right, this mentality originates from the comic book guy types. It's contagious. I know even I got suckered into speculating for a short while with POTF2 figures, LOL. I knew there was something wrong with that mentality, but I never bothered asking why.

I still speculate, but only for the purpose of getting good deals. I'd rather pay below MSRP whenever possible, but whatever I buy, I keep - for myself, for FUN!

Now you look at Sideshow, and it attracts a considerably large customer base that evolved completely separate from the comicbookguy-types - statue and doll collectors. Even today if you told anyone "I collect statues", they may not give you the same reaction if you were say "I collect action figures". There's nothing wrong with plastic toys, it's just how the hobby has been drowned by these bad elements. Fortunately I don't see this AFA thing become a trend for Sideshow. I haven't seen any AFA graded MR props, yet...

 

[BigLeagueChu]

I completely support the AFA system. As long as grading is completely objective (which in and of itself I'm sure can be debated), it is an excellent way to "define" quality. From my experience with Gen 1 Transformers, there are quality differences between 90, 85, 80, etc. and I think the grading is consistent. Especially with buying sight unseen from eBay, having a serial numbered grade gives buyers peace of mind of what they are actually getting. If someone says "mint in sealed box", well...that is open for interpretation, and I almost got scammed buying a MISB Gen 1 Megatron that wasn't really sealed.

As far as paying a couple thousand dollars more for a 90, over an 85, that's an individual's choice.

But as far as getting statues graded, that's ridiculous. I used to not even think the box or packaging or COA was needed, since I have never sold anything anyway. With this Spike 12'' figure, if there is sealed tape on it, I don't see anything wrong with grading it. It does seem silly to do so with something so newly released, but to each his own.

 

[dekadentdave]

I completely support the AFA system. As long as grading is completely objective (which in and of itself I'm sure can be debated), it is an excellent way to "define" quality.

That is a contradiction. Grading is entirely subjective. I have seen collectors argue over the grading of a comic book because it had one tiny little mark.

 

[galactiboy]

Eh to each there own... I'm not a fan of AFA grading since like to open all my stuff and enjoy it that way. Although if someone wants to have "the best" example out there of a figure who am I to judge?

Also, maybe all the people spending mucho-dollars on the AFA stuff will cause others to dislike the loose and damaged-card stuff, and then I can buy it at a cheaper price

 

[BigLeagueChu]

That is a contradiction. Grading is entirely subjective. I have seen collectors argue over the grading of a comic book because it had one tiny little mark.

Yeah one tiny mark on something like Action Comics #1 will bring a heated debate! Yes grading is subjective and what I think AFA brings is just some sort of standard. If I am looking for a mint piece, and AFA tells me it's graded 85 with perfect window, minor corner wear, no flap crease, etc, I have to believe that 85 is an objective grade. Sure not all 85s will be the same, but AFA's "stamp of approval" means it's at least within certain guidelines. And these guidelines are all that I have to go by. And if I ever sell something graded, the buyer will be able to use that grade as something as objective as it's going to get.

 

[BigLeagueChu]

Eh to each there own... I'm not a fan of AFA grading since like to open all my stuff and enjoy it that way. Although if someone wants to have "the best" example out there of a figure who am I to judge?

Also, maybe all the people spending mucho-dollars on the AFA stuff will cause others to dislike the loose and damaged-card stuff, and then I can buy it at a cheaper price

I gotta admit, I used to collect toys and never open them, thinking they would be worth something. Oh how the ways of my collecting have changed! I am all for opening stuff, and I think that's what got me into statues, because I can just open the darn thing and display it and enjoy it. On the flip side to that coin, certain vintage toys that bring back childhood memories get me excited when they are all mint and unopened. I dunno, it's just me.

 

[dekadentdave]

Well I don't care about any kind of grade when I buy off ebay and that is the point I am making. To me, MINT IN BOX means "Hasn't been opened yet" and that I will get to experience the joy of opening it up for the first time as if it had just been purchased off the shelf. I could care less if the box is an 8.5 or 9 or has one small ding or crease. All I need to know is that the figure inside is in perfect unplayed with condition.