RH | 4,928 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) Here's an article on the purchase: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210714005598/en/5011649/Collectors-Universe-Expands-Into-Video-Game-Authentication-Grading-with-Acquisition-of-Wata-Games I admit I found out about this here on this forum, but this is news worthy of a topic by itself, plus not everyone is reading the "Heritage Auctions", or "Crazy Prices" threads that might be interested in this bit of news. Edited July 14, 2021 by RH 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExplodedHamster | 404 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) To be clear, it’s Collector’s Universe that purchased WATA. CU purchased PSA I think in like January, and also purchased Goldin earlier this month. Or at least that’s when the announcements happened. Blackstone purchased CGC, which was announced I think last week. It was same day as Goldin announcement. Anyone got a wall chart? Lol Edited July 14, 2021 by ExplodedHamster 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OptOut | 8,889 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Damn, looks like I'm gonna have to update my WATAroboros... 1 3 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodysGameRoom | 2,008 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Creating a company and then selling it is the American Dream. Good on them for figuring it out. Too bad they fucked with the hobby so bad in the process. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiamiSlice | 3,098 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Not surprising. The space is heating up and there's two main players competing to get in on video game grading (CGC being the other one). And while Wata may be experts in grading, they clearly are not experts in running a business at scale, and they haven't been able to keep up with demand. So maybe the new owners can turn things around. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,415 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 At least we'll get a Reserved Investments video about this 4 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamW | 713 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 22 minutes ago, RH said: Here's an article on the purchase: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210714005598/en/5011649/Collectors-Universe-Expands-Into-Video-Game-Authentication-Grading-with-Acquisition-of-Wata-Games I admit I found out about this here on this forum, but this is news worthy of a topic by itself, plus not everyone is reading the "Heritage Auctions", or "Crazy Prices" threads that might be interested in this bit of news. So CU now owns both an auction house and a grader that's allegedly had a nice cozy relationship with a different auction house? This should be interesting... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DefaultGen | 5,415 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 minute ago, AdamW said: So CU now owns both an auction house and a grader that's allegedly had a nice cozy relationship with a different auction house? This should be interesting... Beckett is a grader, price guide, and marketplace! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApebitMusic | 130 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 As a card collector myself, I do not like PSA. Lots of shadiness, grading counterfeits as genuine, etc. I am a much bigger fan of CSG and SGC. I don't see myself ever submitting to WATA again (only did once). VGA or the new CCG company for me. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CodysGameRoom | 2,008 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 I'll grade games for $10 a game. You send me a jpg of the game, and I'll assign a letter grade. Please PM me for more details. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 4,928 Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, CodysGameRoom said: I'll grade games for $10 a game. You send me a jpg of the game, and I'll assign a letter grade. Please PM me for more details. FINALLY, some real competition for The CasualCart Grading Company! 1 hour ago, OptOut said: Damn, looks like I'm gonna have to update my WATAroboros... Where's the dog? No!!! Was he sold too?!?!?! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RH | 4,928 Posted July 14, 2021 Author Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, ExplodedHamster said: To be clear, it’s Collector’s Universe that purchased WATA. CU purchased PSA I think in like January, and also purchased Goldin earlier this month. Or at least that’s when the announcements happened. Blackstone purchased CGC, which was announced I think last week. It was same day as Goldin announcement. Anyone got a wall chart? Lol I fixed the title. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulag Joe | 584 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, DefaultGen said: At least we'll get a Reserved Investments video about this I saw his recent one about CGC giving Wata a run for their money. I guess now that PSA owns Wata, it might be the other way around, and they could continue to hold those pop reports hostsage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doner24 | 1,197 Moderator · Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Just now, Gulag Joe said: I saw his recent one about CGC giving Wata a run for their money. I guess now that PSA owns Wata, it might be the other way around, and they could continue to hold those pop reports hostsage. PSA didn’t purchase them, and they have their own issues with demand. They also publish population reports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a3quit4s | 4,111 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 Someone please insert the Obama giving Obama a medal meme here, which sums up all of this nicely. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulag Joe | 584 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 minute ago, doner24 said: PSA didn’t purchase them, and they have their own issues with demand. They also publish population reports. CU owns PSA and now also owns Wata. Regarding pop reports, I wouldn't be surprised if a condition of the sale for Wata was to keep them secret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inasuma | 1,203 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 1 hour ago, DefaultGen said: At least we'll get a Reserved Investments video about this honestly the only content i care about at this point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doner24 | 1,197 Moderator · Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 12 minutes ago, Gulag Joe said: CU owns PSA and now also owns Wata. Regarding pop reports, I wouldn't be surprised if a condition of the sale for Wata was to keep them secret. Exactly, PSA doesn’t own WATA, a big difference from what you said above. As someone that works in Business Development and has helped broker multi-million dollar acquisitions, I place the odds such a condition was included in the sale as slim to none, and slim just left town. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gulag Joe | 584 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 13 minutes ago, doner24 said: Exactly, PSA doesn’t own WATA, a big difference from what you said above. As someone that works in Business Development and has helped broker multi-million dollar acquisitions, I place the odds such a condition was included in the sale as slim to none, and slim just left town. Good for you 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BreaKBeatZ | 136 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 The long con is over and Deniz won. Remember those sappy posts on NintendoAge about how collecting games gave him purpose in life, filled holes in his heart, taught him how to love, blah blah blah, etc.? Hilarious. 1 1 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inasuma | 1,203 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) 3 minutes ago, BreaKBeatZ said: The long con is over and Deniz won. Remember those sappy posts on NintendoAge about how collecting games gave him purpose in life, filled holes in his heart, taught him how to love, blah blah blah, etc.? Hilarious. I know this is a stab at Deniz but it's important to remember one thing: Deniz had money before WATA. The dude clearly genuinely enjoys games, too. Interviews with him proves that. That said, he isn't like the majority of collectors. He's managed to complete MULTIPLE console collections before the age of 30. I'm 30 now and it blows my mind. It should surprise no one that a person coming from wealth wants to turn their favorite hobby into further wealth generation. Edited July 14, 2021 by inasuma 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,736 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 23 minutes ago, inasuma said: I know this is a stab at Deniz but it's important to remember one thing: Deniz had money before WATA. The dude clearly genuinely enjoys games, too. Interviews with him proves that. That said, he isn't like the majority of collectors. He's managed to complete MULTIPLE console collections before the age of 30. I'm 30 now and it blows my mind. It should surprise no one that a person coming from wealth wants to turn their favorite hobby into further wealth generation. What a joke. I'm definitely not wealthy, but am going on 8K-9K+ games. Yeah, I only have one true "full set", but the majority of my sets are at 50%+, and I'm collecting for 20+ machines. Deniz's dad has money, and was also big into comics or some for other shit. Therefore Deniz decided to take such connections and turn it into Wata. Deniz was a douche bag in the NA days, even more now. He's a fraud, a poseur, not much more to discuss about this. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcgamer | 4,736 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) 31 minutes ago, BreaKBeatZ said: The long con is over and Deniz won. Remember those sappy posts on NintendoAge about how collecting games gave him purpose in life, filled holes in his heart, taught him how to love, blah blah blah, etc.? Hilarious. Yeah, I remember those posts. I called Deniz out back in the day and got hell for it, looks like I just called a spade a spade. Edited July 14, 2021 by fcgamer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
a3quit4s | 4,111 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 (edited) To be fair, it could have been about the love of games to start. Money does weird things to people. Either way WATA was created to be sold off, everyone realized it when they needed to scale up to meet demand and simply did nothing. Just waiting to cash out. Edit: Although people said he comes from money so maybe it was just the success of what he created. Edited July 14, 2021 by a3quit4s 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YOURTURN | 1,256 Posted July 14, 2021 Share Posted July 14, 2021 3 hours ago, DefaultGen said: Beckett is a grader, price guide, and marketplace! And the company that has published my first two (and only two) published articles. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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