Survey Regarding the Potential of a New Video Game Grader in the Market

[cromag27 | 46]

4 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Not really sure how you derived that.

previous posts that have demonstrated a clear pattern of behavior.  he can dish it but not take it. 

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3 minutes ago, cromag27 said:

you’re free to do what you want. don’t play the victim card. 

Says the person crying bullying with zero cause???

1 minute ago, cromag27 said:

i never said i’m uncomfortable. but you can’t act like a snowflake when someone calls you out for your behavior. that’s worse than the behavior itself. you just admitted you act the way you do on purpose. ok, fair enough. don’t cry when there are consequences. 

Consequences? Well, what have you got? I don't really see any... Apart from I was planning to go to bed but instead I'm up jacking off and also talking with you. 

I mean, to be fair I've had better nights... But also WAY way worse... 

 

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

50 minutes ago, SNESNESCUBE64 said:

Alright so I have a legit question that didn't get answered. What makes you different? Turnaround times aren't a very good gauge because that fluctuates with increased folk sending you stuff. I don't care about what you have done before or your projected turnaround times. Just the one question of what makes you stand out.

If I haven't answered this yet specifically enough, does this help:

We believe (others will disagree) our scoring system that uses 130 scores over 26 specific areas across box, manual and cartridge is more thorough than others.  We will mark on a diagram where we saw something that we marked as a negative agains the score And most importantly the scorecard will be attached to your game viewable in the customer admin section - full transparency at exactly how we got to your grade.

The scoring system is a 200 point system that translates to a grade on a point scale - by halfs.  We won't go by 5s except for the highest score.  You grade is a number from 0-100, period.  Not questions about is this 9.2 actually a 9.3999 just not a 9.4 and not 80+ from VGA...??? Is is 81, 82, 83, 84, 84.9?  Our grade is what it is. 

We are introducing Black Box and Zelda variant designations right on the front of the label.  At a glance you'll know which printing (1-11 for example on OG 17 NES games) the game is and for Zelda, which variant the box is, the game is and the manual is.  Not necessary for this group but for many collector's we believe this will be a welcome addition of important information.  

POP report - WATA says they have the data, so where's the report?  Is it possible a POP report hurts their business and that's why they haven't published it?  We absolutely understand and respect that a POP report can be misinterpreted and for the good of the hobby/industry must be handled responsibly but how long does that mean waiting?  At what point do you trust people to understand the data and make their own decisions rather than babysitting everyone by not releasing that data.  That said, they sure don't mind commenting on population of high end games that are getting headlines on Rally Rd and Pawn Stars and HA auctions to drive up demand and prices yet won't release full POP reports?  

We will be different by not being the only show in town.  Others have disagreed but competition (yes, quality competition) makes everyone better - WATA has very little incentive to do better right now, maybe many don't think they need to but at least some aren't happy with current options.  

Our labels may not match the impressive level of WATA but will be superior to what VGA provides.  

I understand you (and others have mentioned) they care about turnaround times, but when WATA was taking literally 9-12 months to return games people cared a lot. Keeping to our estimates is important and is a differing factor - fair to say assuming we can do it.  We believe we can of course. Time will tell.  It's clearly not a dealbreaker as WATA and VGA thrive despite brutally slow turnaround.  

Easy to use website and ordering process - WATA isn't bad, but VGA is, well, not as easy.

Hope this helps.  We aren't reinventing the wheel, nor are we trying to. 

[cromag27 | 46]

Just now, fcgamer said:

I'm not playing the victim card , I'm just stating the obvious here. He's asking the wrong demographics for feedback. We both know that, do you dare to disagree? If so please tell me why I'm wrong

no, sorry. i completely agree with that. and that’s what i pointed out as well - wrong audience. 

the issue is the line that divides the two main audiences. on this platform the line is clearly learning towards one side than the other, which is normal. but what’s disturbing is the hate and angry feelings certain people here have towards the other side. they act like it’s personal when it’s just business. 

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

58 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Honestly not seeing the perks, donating money to receive discounts? Not very enticing at all imo.

You can pre-purchase grading at a 33% discount through the Indiegogo page.  And as a thank you for certain levels of donation we are offering LIFETIME discounts on all future grading services - to quote Tosh - that's not nothin' 

[fcgamer | 4,753]

Just now, VideoGameGradersLLC said:

You can pre-purchase grading at a 33% discount through the Indiegogo page.  And as a thank you for certain levels of donation we are offering LIFETIME discounts on all future grading services - to quote Tosh - that's not nothin' 

People are being locked into something that may or may not take off, and that doesn't even address any of the issues that @SNESNESCUBE64 and others mentioned about trying to get others to jump ship from what they are used to and comfortable with.

im really not trying to be as much of an antagonistic jerk as I might sound in some of my posts, rather I just think these are issues that most definitely should be addressed.

 

 

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

34 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

So you're doing your research on the wrong market .

Doing research in only one place would be foolish.  You make good points, but the more feedback we can get from a variety of sources makes us smarter as we move forward with our business plan.  And we understand this is not our core audience but there are a lot of very smart people in this group.  

[fcgamer | 4,753]

6 minutes ago, cromag27 said:

no, sorry. i completely agree with that. and that’s what i pointed out as well - wrong audience. 

the issue is the line that divides the two main audiences. on this platform the line is clearly learning towards one side than the other, which is normal. but what’s disturbing is the hate and angry feelings certain people here have towards the other side. they act like it’s personal when it’s just business. 

It's not hate, rather it's a bunch of outsiders trying to tell non investors what and how to collect. That's the issue.

It's like I said earlier, if I'm a vegetarian and you're talking to me about how to grill my steaks, or what to eat , it's going to get old very very quickly, hence why it's silly to be doing market research in a group of people who most definitely aren't the target market.

[Gloves | 11,830]

5 minutes ago, VideoGameGradersLLC said:

You can pre-purchase grading at a 33% discount through the Indiegogo page.  And as a thank you for certain levels of donation we are offering LIFETIME discounts on all future grading services - to quote Tosh - that's not nothin' 

Honestly you're just not providing enough information for anyone to trust you, as I have said (IMO). Indiegogo makes no promises or protections whatsoever for our money when contributing. Anyone donating to you right now is doing so based SOLELY on your website, which frankly isn't anything to go by. Pie in the sky dreams of quick turnarounds with no evidence or public strategy. Nothing even like "We have dozens of qualified and highly trained graders at the ready to handle the process", nor "This is what our boxes look like". You're providing NOTHING with regard to proof of concept.

If anyone backs you at this stage it's based on nothing but pure blind trust.

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

23 minutes ago, Khromak said:

it's not as simple as your website/pitch make it sound.

We are fully aware of this, we simply can't layout every single aspect or our plan or give full details of why and how we are handling every detail of a new business.  

I do think some of your examples are a bit absurd, exaggerated for affect I'm sure, but point taken.  No business can prepare for every single scenario but we can plan smartly and be as prepared as possible.  

[fcgamer | 4,753]

2 minutes ago, VideoGameGradersLLC said:

Doing research in only one place would be foolish.  You make good points, but the more feedback we can get from a variety of sources makes us smarter as we move forward with our business plan.  And we understand this is not our core audience but there are a lot of very smart people in this group.  

I agree that doing research in only one market would be foolish, however doing research in a group of people where nobody cares is also foolish, and a waste of resources, unless you are trying byo convert that market. Who knows, in this instance maybe you are, but I think it will be a very hard sell, sort of like if you started doing research on the wii-using grandmas at senior centres.

[fcgamer | 4,753]

@VideoGameGradersLLC: Serious question. Will there be points deducted based on smell? I have some games that look fine, even though they have a musty / moldy damp smell to them. Others likely have the same with smoke games.

Surely a game that has a "neutral" smell should grade higher than one with a smoke or mold smell?

[OptOut | 8,892]

3 minutes ago, cromag27 said:

 they act like it’s personal when it’s just business. 

Okay well I am gonna have to go soon, so let's get real for a minute.

As alluded to before there IS legitimate bad blood among many of the users on this site and the entire speculation market. We had our home torn up from under us when NintendoAge was bought and destroyed in a matter of months after more than a decade of fostering an amazing community.

It was bought and destroyed by GoCollect, in conjunction with the rise of WATA and the marketing push that brought HA and a whole slew of fat wallets into the sealed/graded scene. The very FOUNDER of NintendoAge is on the board of WATA, as is the person he sold it too, and they grew rich off the destruction of our home.

And, the thing is, THEN as NOW, the VAST majority of us were never interested in sealed collecting or graded collecting to begin with. Our home was destroyed and our friends briefly scattered for the sake of a cause NONE of us wanted anything to do with.

But, here we are. The ties that bound this community were far stronger than the interests that tried to rend us. We are here, and we shall stay.

You, and your friends are more than welcome to join us, as I said there IS a place for all here. And, frankly I personally DO find the graded and investment scene fascinating for various reasons, and so do many of us.

But, do not question our EMOTIONAL investment in this hobby. For THAT is why we are still here, and that is why we will ALWAYS be here, long after you've sold up or out of whatever "investments" you are making.

Anyway, with that, I'm going to bed. Cheerio fellas, see you in the morning! 

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

6 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

trying to get others to jump ship from what they are used to and comfortable with.

For sure.  Friendster was the ultimate social media platform, noone will ever leave it, hey look MySpace - now that's amazing, noone will ever leave MySpace.  The auto industry, banking industry - too big to fail???  Well if not for the government they were absolutely not too big to fail. People won't buy cars entirely online - ever, that's ridiculous.  Tesla disagrees.  As does Carvanna and Vroom.  

Fair examples, probably not but this is a challenge for all businesses - we also believe there are plenty of new opportunities for customers that aren't locked into WATA.  I'm guessing some people thought WATA couldn't take business from VGA.  My point is that just because someone else does a great job doesn't mean someone else can also do a great job and have market share.  People probably didn't send WATA 100 games on day one.  They sent a few, like what they saw, sent a few more, etc...now are loyal.  But why won't people try us?  Especially if they can pay the lowest fee level and in the beginning get 20 day turnaround times for 99 day turnaround prices?  We are confident they will like what they get and will send more - if we're wrong we will fail.  If we're right we'll grow slowly and be successful.  

[Jeevan | 8,938]

14 minutes ago, cromag27 said:

no, sorry. i completely agree with that. and that’s what i pointed out as well - wrong audience. 

the issue is the line that divides the two main audiences. on this platform the line is clearly learning towards one side than the other, which is normal. but what’s disturbing is the hate and angry feelings certain people here have towards the other side. they act like it’s personal when it’s just business. 

Well, to quote the great @SNESNESCUBE64.  These are toys for babies, yes there are ways to make money off them, we all see that, if there wasn't then why are video games still a thing.......

Some of us are angry because of the price hike.......I on the other hand am just sad.  Hopefully i haven't come off as a grumpy asshole, but i just think that it is a side of collecting i never wanna get into.  As i have said before in the previous posts in the thread and others, if I buy a game that is graded after all this is said and done, im cracking that biatch open and uploading a video on youtube and playing the shit out of it .  

[Avgn Gamer | 671]

I got a decent condition Wacky Races nes! 

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

11 minutes ago, Gloves said:

You're providing NOTHING with regard to proof of concept.

Our cases aren't finalized, can't show something we don't have.  

What would you like to see.  I've shared a lot details on this forum. 

[fcgamer | 4,753]

Just now, VideoGameGradersLLC said:

Our cases aren't finalized, can't show something we don't have.  

What would you like to see.  I've shared a lot details on this forum. 

Probably should have waited until the prototyping stage before asking for donations, especially without having any goodwill built up here.

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

6 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Serious question. Will there be points deducted based on smell? I have some games that look fine, even though they have a musty / moldy damp smell to them. Others likely have the same with smoke games.

Excellent point - I agree with you.  It has been discussed but a final decision has not been made as it would be the only element not related to appearance.  So despite your objections that this is the wrong place to solicit feedback you've made an excellent point and may have changed our scorecard in a real way.  

[VideoGameGradersLLC | 82]

Just now, fcgamer said:

Probably should have waited until the prototyping stage before asking for donations, especially without having any goodwill built up here.

Maybe, but timing is everything and with many, many things having to happen at the same and some how time the completions to lineup it's easier said than done.  We will certainly share more information on cases when we have more to show besides 2d/3d drawings in 4 variations. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,883]

So I can’t keep up with the pace at which stuff is being posted, but I’d just like you guys to know that this is the most interesting thing to happen here in months.  Bravo.  

[Jeevan | 8,938]

Just now, Hammerfestus said:

So I can’t keep up with the pace at which stuff is being posted, but I’d just like you guys to know that this is the most interesting thing to happen here in months.  Bravo.  

Did u not see the chili/potato debate......or the chubby cherub challenge? 

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

36 minutes ago, cromag27 said:

no, sorry. i completely agree with that. and that’s what i pointed out as well - wrong audience. 

the issue is the line that divides the two main audiences. on this platform the line is clearly learning towards one side than the other, which is normal. but what’s disturbing is the hate and angry feelings certain people here have towards the other side. they act like it’s personal when it’s just business. 

Its more of the cockeyness that new “investors” like to throw around. Not you specifically, but the whole 

Ill display my low end shit here

Attitude. You arent the first, and wont be the last. 
 

You dont know me, and I dont know you. I might make more in a month than you can in a few years, I just dont “invest” in video games. Maybe me throwing 50k down on something is pocket change, and I dont even consider it investing. Just throw away money. 
 

But I have been around long enough, and met enough collectors that deal in such high end shit that you might not even know it exists. 
 

those guys dont flex, because they don’t have to. 

You are welcome here, and absolutely welcome to discuss sealed investing and I will make sure no one is being mean to you. But you will get called out for being condescending

 

PS.  It is personal for a lot of people, even though its just business for you. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,883]

4 minutes ago, Jeevan said:

Did u not see the chili/potato debate......or the chubby cherub challenge? 

I actually did not see the chubby cherub thing.  Skipped that thread because... well I don’t have chubby cherub.  I think I saw the beginning of the potato debate but that’s a no brainer answer.

[OptOut | 8,892]

Just now, Hammerfestus said:

I actually did not see the chubby cherub thing.  Skipped that thread because... well I don’t have chubby cherub.  I think I saw the beginning of the potato debate but that’s a no brainer answer.

Potato, right?!