General Sealed & Graded Discussion

[WalterWhiteJr. | 1,162]

39 minutes ago, GPX said:

I think the difficulty of making concrete definitions of, “gamer”, collector”, “investor”, “reseller” etc, lies in the fact that most of us are a combo of these groups of factions. 

We all need some sort of collection to game, and most collectors also play games in some capacity. Additionally, most collectors with an overflowing collection often have to sell, and most resellers often have a private collection. So the distinction between the groups are never really clear cut.

 

Don’t forget “manipulator”

[3rdStrongestMole | 430]

45 minutes ago, GPX said:

I think the difficulty of making concrete definitions of, “gamer”, collector”, “investor”, “reseller” etc, lies in the fact that most of us are a combo of these groups of factions. 

We all need some sort of collection to game, and most collectors also play games in some capacity. Additionally, most collectors with an overflowing collection often have to sell, and most resellers often have a private collection. So the distinction between the groups are never really clear cut.

 

I think most people here are a combo of these things... I don't feel like there's anything wrong with that.

Plain and simple... pure investors and those falsely inflating the market are the problem. That has lately come in the form of graded games, and I think they've gotten lumped into that seedy or snarky category because of that.  

Game grading is not bad, inherently, but I think it's getting abused.

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

10 hours ago, GPX said:

The previous point with @CodysGameRoom, he mentioned “grading isn’t a part of collecting”.

Sorry, but that's not what I said. Go back and read the thread. I never said anywhere that "grading isn't a part of collecting". I said grading is grading, collecting is collecting. I also never said that buying graded games or getting your games graded makes you NOT a collector. I'm not gatekeeping shit.

Then I realized that we were getting bogged down in the semantics of it, and that I was referring to the actual act of collecting, while you were referring more to the hobby as a whole. I also realized you may have been referring to PURCHASING pre-graded games, while I was referring to grading games you already own. 

So please understand that, and don't misquote me. 

[inasuma | 1,203]

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

 

[greennamek | 16]

1 hour ago, inasuma said:

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

Good lord, this on top of all the other issues that have already been exposed. Wata certainly has their work cut out for them should they ever want to regain the trust of their collectors/consumers.

[tidaldreams | 654]

1 hour ago, inasuma said:

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

 

lol wtf... anyone watching this video make sure to watch to the end!

[inasuma | 1,203]

29 minutes ago, greennamek said:

Good lord, this on top of all the other issues that have already been exposed. Wata certainly has their work cut out for them should they ever want to regain the trust of their collectors/consumers.

it really sounds like wata is drowning in orders and as a result cutting corners. allegedly they do a final "quality" check but clearly they don't. Then there's the questionable rip in the seal which looks funnily just like what would happen if someone were to pull up a sticker on cellophane, that also happens to go outside the edge of the sticker. So IDK, feels fishy.

[3rdStrongestMole | 430]

1 hour ago, inasuma said:

it really sounds like wata is drowning in orders and as a result cutting corners. allegedly they do a final "quality" check but clearly they don't. Then there's the questionable rip in the seal which looks funnily just like what would happen if someone were to pull up a sticker on cellophane, that also happens to go outside the edge of the sticker. So IDK, feels fishy.

Yeah. Possibly having people do these tasks that shouldn't be because they're so backlogged.  Uh oooohh... not good if that's the case. 

[greennamek | 16]

I'm really curious to see how Wata's operations will be affected by Collectors Universe acquiring them. Bringing Wata under the same corporate roof as PSA and PCGS should hopefully help them?

[OptOut | 8,883]

5 hours ago, inasuma said:

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

 

This dude's hair is something else, geez!

[Gulag Joe | 582]

6 hours ago, inasuma said:

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

 

Wow!!! Here's an actual photo of what it looks like inside Wata's deep cleaning and encapsulation department:

Edited September 12, 2021 by Gulag Joe

[fcgamer | 4,723]

On 9/10/2021 at 4:02 AM, GPX said:

Yeah, you got me on a technicality. 

However, if an investor collects and shows their collection in public, no one would know if he/she is an investor or collector, but only himself/herself. The main point being, if people do whatever to keep for a long time, then that’s collecting. What people do with the games after a lengthy period, then that will make them who they are - collector/investor/both.

Disagree, it's generally quite easy to spot those doing it for the "likes", th "epeen" or investing compared to for genuine interest.

[Dumars2001 | 164]

9 hours ago, inasuma said:

Stranger than fiction video by CooltrainerRyan. Looks like his Red got lost at Wata and finally got returned with a rip from when they took off the sticker and writing on the inner plastic holder. Wild.

 

Man, this is 100% unacceptable/scary. After watching this video, I would be scared to death to submit anything to them. I would be absolutely livid if this happened to me and my game. 

I just can't believe how WATA treated this poor guy. He was so patient with them and then to get back a much worse conditioned game than the one that he sent in months ago. I really don't know what else to say.

[inasuma | 1,203]

1 hour ago, Dumars2001 said:

Man, this is 100% unacceptable/scary. After watching this video, I would be scared to death to submit anything to them. I would be absolutely livid if this happened to me and my game. 

I just can't believe how WATA treated this poor guy. He was so patient with them and then to get back a much worse conditioned game than the one that he sent in months ago. I really don't know what else to say.

IMO this is why they have an insurance policy. Wata should have bought the game off him (or at least offered to, for his troubles).

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

That video is wild. Who wrote something in sharpie on the front of the game?!

[phart010 | 1,707]

Is that even the same copy that he sent in? I wonder, can you still see the parts of the seam that stick up on the sides (see 2) after the game has been slabbed?
 

Also, looks like there is a slight angle in the cardboard just above Charizards tail in the before pics (see 1). This angle isn’t as apparent after it was slabbed.

[inasuma | 1,203]

14 minutes ago, phart010 said:

Is that even the same copy that he sent in? I wonder, can you still see the parts of the seam that stick up on the sides (see 2) after the game has been slabbed?
 

Also, looks like there is a slight angle in the cardboard just above Charizards tail in the before pics (see 1). This angle isn’t as apparent after it was slabbed.

For the seam, Wata has an inner plastic holder that will push down the seal, so that's correctly obscured.

As for the angle, It's really hard to say. Cameras have a way of distorting straight lines due to perspective. I wouldn't worry too much about that personally.

I think it's the same game but only really because the security sticker angle on the back is the same angle as the white sticker placed on top of it.

[phart010 | 1,707]

50 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

That video is wild. Who wrote something in sharpie on the front of the game?!

Looks like it says “Receiving”

[GPX | 1,369]

On 9/12/2021 at 12:56 AM, CodysGameRoom said:

Sorry, but that's not what I said. Go back and read the thread. I never said anywhere that "grading isn't a part of collecting". I said grading is grading, collecting is collecting. I also never said that buying graded games or getting your games graded makes you NOT a collector. I'm not gatekeeping shit.

Then I realized that we were getting bogged down in the semantics of it, and that I was referring to the actual act of collecting, while you were referring more to the hobby as a whole. I also realized you may have been referring to PURCHASING pre-graded games, while I was referring to grading games you already own. 

So please understand that, and don't misquote me. 

I don’t want to discuss the semantics in detail, but I was responding from a post you made:

On 9/10/2021 at 3:24 AM, CodysGameRoom said:

Sure. But grading isn't collecting, let's be careful with our words here. Collecting is collecting. Grading is just spending money to determine the condition. Which anyone with a set of eyes can do.

All the discussions I’ve made regarding “collecting”, I’ve talked in regarding the hobby itself. 

Regarding graded games, I’m also talking generally, whether you grade your own games, or buy a game from someone that’s already been graded. 

[GPX | 1,369]

17 hours ago, fcgamer said:

Disagree, it's generally quite easy to spot those doing it for the "likes", th "epeen" or investing compared to for genuine interest.

Those are your typical price hypers/pumpers. A lot of “investing” is done behind the scenes, where if you want to keep buying things on the low, then it’s in your best interest to not share all the juicy info to the world. And I stand by what I said about people often fall into several groups. You can still invest, game and collect all at the same time. I bet most of us are a hybrid, just in varying proportions.

[GPX | 1,369]

5 hours ago, CodysGameRoom said:

That video is wild. Who wrote something in sharpie on the front of the game?!

Yeah, why couldn’t they use stick-it labels?!

[T-Pac | 7,539]

[inasuma | 1,203]

3 hours ago, CasualCart said:

I didn’t realize you made comics so when I saw your avatar as the cart guy I was like “wtf why does someone make a comic about a random VGS member.” lol

[obnoxious | 107]

Watta hell, Wata??

A++ for a seal with a hole?

Edit: maybe the A++ was given because it was taken out of a sealed six pack.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/atari/river-raid-wata-94-a-sealed-1982-burgundy-box-2600-activision-1982-usa/a/312129-68019.s

Edited September 13, 2021 by obnoxious

[inasuma | 1,203]

40 minutes ago, obnoxious said:

Watta hell, Wata??

A++ for a seal with a hole?

Edit: maybe the A++ was given because it was taken out of a sealed six pack.

https://comics.ha.com/itm/video-games/atari/river-raid-wata-94-a-sealed-1982-burgundy-box-2600-activision-1982-usa/a/312129-68019.s

There’s also some Saturn games, with significant tears along edges and big chunks missing from corners, that are A+.