Jump to content

YOURTURN

Member
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,166

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Feedback

    0%

 Content Type 

Everything posted by YOURTURN

  1. YOURTURN

    FINAL NOVEMBER UPDATE: "SEE YOU SPACE COWBOY."

    This December I will be dealing with the fact that I have been receiving SSI (i.e. permanent disability) for 12 years. With 11 of those 12 years finding this to be an issue, both personally and as a hobbyist.

    Let me explain.

    Out of every franchise, theme, etc. I have attempted to collect... Star Wars was the only franchise I felt the most comfortable collecting. Simply because my parents worked hard to get me almost all of the original figures, and some other stuff tied to it, from late 1981 to the 1985.

    My feeling is that if I talked about my collecting goals in mid-2011, I would have either built a MOC collection surrounding that... Or... Had been a member of NintendoAge prior to my arrival in 2019. And that a lot of the issues, and damage, I did face elsewhere would have not happened.

    Which is not a guarantee since my variation of Asperger's/Autism had made me an easy target elsewhere.

    So instead of just leaving (again) on terms that were tied to red flags, I need to leave just because my return to Tokyo (injuries and all) is that my "graded collection" goals work better elsewhere. At a forum where graded collectibles, regardless of age and rarity, make sense to the majority of said collectors.

    Which is why I am bowing out, with plans to only offer an update if going for a graded MOC Star Wars collection (of any kind) does give me the results I have been aiming for since 2011.

    With me also planning to use this time to finish Dark Souls, choose who gets my "Surprise Santa" gift, and hopefully start 2024 ending this accursed issue before I turn 50 (I'm 47, BTW).

    So... With that said... Happy holidays.

  2. YOURTURN
    Same here. They always either misuse the word "scam" or act like it's a personal agenda. But as for the second part? It boils down to the fact that there is a collector who wants "grade X" from "grading company Y". And if it means they have to pay a premium for a new collectible, or just simply do a straight trade down, they will do it. Especially since the added amount they spend is not for the grade. It's a convenience fee for them. My experiences (when it comes to the first part) is why I am just buying raw and having what I intend to keep long term/permanent be graded by CGA in 2024.
  3. YOURTURN
    Ummm... The images from that link are from the original. ArtePiazza did a spectacular job with the remake (just like they did with remakes of a number of Dragon Quest games).
  4. YOURTURN
    For those who still don't know me... The answer is yes. Just not with Sony. I had issues with them during their PlayStation 3 days. To the point I did something that had their lawyers call me up to say that they were going to look into the HafuGirl issue (that many were bringing up for months in their forums). And using their consoles ended after my second attempt at owning a PlayStation 4, which turned out to be a boring experience. But past that? I do miss the simplicity of an older controller. But I love the fact that I can play both modern and retro games on a single console. With my only complaint with Nintendo is that they do not offer Dragon Warrior I-IV as part of their online service offerings.
  5. YOURTURN
    Yup. Because it was a collaboration between Nintendo and Square, my only guess is that Square did all of the production and designs while Nintendo did the publishing. Next thing I know is that you guys did not know that Samus Aran has a cameo appearance in the game (click here).
  6. YOURTURN
    Happy turkey dropping eating day!
  7. YOURTURN
    Just like @CT, I also have to agree to disagree. But since this is Thanksgiving, I will point out that value is based on supply and demand. As opposed to hype-induced demand. With Mickey Mantle's demand being tied to legit sport enthusiasts. While Super Mario 64 was not given that much attention before the whole Wata-HA scenario. Either way... I am asking those who do not know how to respond to what I say to use your time by donating to the @fcgamer NEEDS A BEER EVERY TIME HE IS REMINDED THAT THERE ARE THINGS WRONG WITH GRADING COMPANIES Foundation. Thank you. And also happy turkey eating day.
  8. YOURTURN
    I have to agree. Simply because the last decade by itself has become both a speculative market and a hobby for me. Not sure if it is for others, but it has for me. Because if it is not about me taking a chance on a product I see on eBay, it is also how "mature" those tied to the hobby can be when confronted with anything that does not fit their interests. In the end I have also turned my financial losses into data that helps me figure out what I could improve on. It is not for everybody, but it does help me know know what to expect if I ever chose to revisit the need to do business with CGA, Super Potato, or even people in forums. As well as my interest in Sotheby's collaborations with NigoⓇ. Also agree. Which is why I treat the collecting end of any hobby as a speculation market. And also regret knowing nobody in 2011 that was into video game collecting while I was preparing to receive permanent disability. But it also makes me feel a bit more grateful when I do business with Mandarake. Because I paid ~$20 USD (~$50 USD with shipping) for some rare promotional products that go for ~$200 USD (~$300 USD with taxes and shipping) on eBay And once again, I agree. Just because the end result shows that only Nintendo has helped give the video game market said organic feeling. While the addition of forums and vlogs have helped reduce that organic status. With the end result being that while Beanie Babies fall under the same trend as Cabbage Patch Kids, the competitive end of the speculative market has helped all given hype a means to keep this side of every hobby afloat. Which is why I took a page out of the vintage graded Star Wars collectors' rulebook and decided to have my current collection build be a more focus-based niche than complete. With me wondering if I should aim for variants of what I choose to collect, even though the more modern import market makes that be trickier than, let's say, this (click here).
  9. YOURTURN
    ^ 100% this. I mean 1upped (not going to tag her here) is the very definition of a passionate graded game collector. With her passion being a motivation to a collector like me. I mean did she ever brag about how much she paid for a game? No. Did she also treat her collection as a social status? Also no. She made it her way to collect, she brought her passion of collecting to the boards, and those (again, including me) see her as a positive influence in this part of the hobby. Then again... I have spanned my attempts at graded [insert product or type here] because I love the idea of owning a protected/slightly preserved collectible that I may never see in that condition again. Always with me losing money just because it was more about the passion than the value. With me supporting those who use their profits to finance their hobby, as opposed to just using hype to make a quick dollar. Just because that is how it should have been. I totally miss the days when "buying and selling" were nothing more than the ins and outs of this hobby. It made complete sense to me when somebody would buy a cart or CIB copy as a means to fill in a gap, or simply sell what they no longer want as a way to finance what they now want to collect. Plus, the space scenario is why I have shrunk down my current graded collection goals. Because I have seen what you are talking about. And the results in some have me wonder what the collector had to sacrifice in the end. That is pretty much it. If this was a comic book thing, people would have mentioned how well known collectors bought certain issues in bulk all because of some shared speculated theory. With eBay showing signs that people ramped up prices for older raw and graded comic books just because they believed they could cash in before it happens. If you are talking about VGA, I have tried to bring up complaints on how lazy they are with foreign game titles/variants. In the end a few members here ended up downplaying that by saying "Anybody can see a sticker on the packaging." Which turned into a hilarious sense of irony because that excuse became an irony just because people complained about that same issue when Wata did it to a North American copy of a game. But yeah... I guess the reprisal of this report (click here) does point out that the pre-Wata era was worse. But even then, for every "for profit" teabagger there are those who collect graded collectibles for a legitimate reason (click here). With me learning for the past 10+ years is that those who turn into some type of wanker had also found themselves financially screwed over at some point. While the rest have nice collections they are willing to share online. Hi... I'm that "nobody" you speak of. All because the idea of me overspending in hopes of either starting a collection, or have a better idea on how I want to build that collection, has been less stressful when compared to me trying to belong somewhere (both offline and online). Oh, and my means of aiming for a graded collection is tied to the idea that I would have it in the same condition when I am ready to pass it down to the next generation. Hopefully a future family member that I had grown to like. Similar boat for me. My introduction to CGA was tied to legitimate graded Transformers collectors. With this branching out to legitimate graded Star Wars collectors and even their VGA branch. Which itself resulted in me finding legitimate graded video game collectors. But that was pretty much it before my research had me see how bad this has become. For beginners, the OP tied to this anti-CAS Star Wars topic (click here) was rumored to receive benefits from CGA for doing stuff like this. Between this, the responses I had gotten from a CGA representative, and the topic I had posted a link to (see above), all I saw was the effects that started during CGA's Tom Darby era to be similar (but in a more mild sense) to the one you have mentioned. But like you said, these companies have to rebuild their trust in some form. With me guessing that for others, the "band waggoneers" no longer care just because CGC is their new fad. With those who stuck with Wata being no different those who still trust VGA when it comes to their own scandals.
  10. YOURTURN
    Personally speaking? I feel like the separate years I have tried to start an AFA graded Transformers was a mistake. Let's simplify that by saying it boils down to select groups that claim to either be collectors and/or fans. But graded video games? That is another topic. One that became the reason why I joined NintendoAge in 2019 as YOURTURN and VGS in 2020 as FenrirZero. Before I reverted my name back (for off-topic reasons). So if I have to give myself a reason to stick with it... I have to side with the same reason @final fight cd gave. More specifically when it came to VGA graded NES titles. Which happens to be the reason why I have convinced myself to reboot my goals by building a strictly limited VGA graded Switch collection. I mean do I need to do a full run? I have tried with both Dragon Quest and ATLUS. But in the end I found myself questioning why I was collecting a game that I would not choose to play. With is why I still love this idea. In the end it has to do with me having a collection of Switch exclusives (timed and variants included; remasters excluded) that I have enjoyed playing. Because knowing me, once the day Nintendo unveils the Switch 2's successor... I want to see what I have for the Switch be preserved/displayed in my collection. Even if I don't have a complete run, a huge collection, or whatever. But as of right now? I will not bother with Wata just because my test run with them was unsatisfactory, will not deal with both CGC and CAS for a number of reasons, and cannot do business with UKG. Plus, I also know a good chunk of both the scandals and controversies tied to CGA. So me being pissed off at them is not a biggie these days. Plus... My rule of thumb in regards to collecting graded boils down to "Which portions of the Switch library matter to me?" With me just getting those titles graded, and playing everything digitally.
  11. YOURTURN

    "MINOR" (for many) COLLECTING UPDATE: UNDONE.

  12. YOURTURN
    Tell me about it. When I was heavy in Transformers the biggest topic I would read was which "production variant" of Optimus Prime was the true first release. [This link is all I can find on the subject.] In all cases the means of having a "first release" Optimus Prime is based more on which Diaclone (not Microman) overstock variant somebody is willing to buy. Which is why I am happy not dealing with stuff like that anymore. Because at the end of the day, it's all fun and games until somebody calls Optimus Prime a "former Microman toy". And then "chairs" start to fly around, people take sides as it stopped being about a print ratio for that product, and the mod who lost has to be Jerry Springer.
  13. YOURTURN
    My "Top 3" are... 1) Those who think that by calling themselves a "fan" of any game, series, or franchise, it somehow automatically means that they can act like they deserve more than what is being offered. Reason: Not every game is a "one size fits all" scenario. Just like not every AAA game that came out in Japan automatically means it will sell as well outside Japan. Nor be distributed outside Japan due to a licensing scenario (ex. Dragon Quest XI on the 3DS). Stuff the "fans" should know but do not because it does not give them what the "customers" want. 2) The "rare game" people who base rarity on secondary market prices, often the higher end ones, and not how hard it is to find said game. Reason: In my case I had made my second (failed) attempt at getting the "first purchase benefits" sticker variant of Dragon Quest Heroes I∙II for Nintendo Switch. The end result was that the official Japanese site says that the offer was "very limited" and did not say which stores participated in said offer. Yet... Trying to see how rare it is among all of the Switch games gave me results like this one (click here). 3) Uneducated gamers who think their "Graded games are a scam!" comments automatically make it a scam. Reason: They sound less educated, at least to me, than those who think a market value is how anybody should determine a game's rarity. In the end, using hype to manipulate the market is a scam. Trying to sell a slightly better protected game is not. The remaining two are the "Games are meant to be played." types; more specifically those who act like the people they use as examples are not collectors themselves. And the "This game is rare because it costs this much!" types.
  14. YOURTURN
    Sorry for not making that clear. What I was talking about happened at a well known Transformers fan forum in 2012. It's one of those sites that have me appreciate you guys. And one that had me notice actual changes during my last visit in 2021. In the end all I can say is that I am glad they had wised up, but my brief time at NintendoAge was still saner than my brief return to that forum.
  15. YOURTURN
    That's because in all fairness I'd rather deal with a "We worked hard on this." vibe than what I received from others when I had made suggestions to them. With me getting a response to why a 'anxiety system' would work being the site admin showing that he cared more about himself than the forum, the moderators who were doing their job, and its owner.
  16. YOURTURN
    I agree. But I also had urges to say "Those are hype prices!" just because there are tons of people who act like their assumptions are concluded facts, with any facts they overlooked just being a waste of their time. Which turned out to be a sad move for them. But I guess that is what happens when people choose to be impatient.
  17. YOURTURN
    When it was first introduced, I brought up a similar point. Because to me it would have been more fun to see a video game forum that has a "start" and "continue" option on the opening page. That way people who are looking for a particular theme or topic could press "continue" and be shown results of what they are looking for. Kind of like how the old Famicom/NES games required passwords to be where they had left off. But I also had decided to drop the thought because I ended up feeling like my opinion was deemed "offensive" back then.
  18. YOURTURN
    Sorry about the loss, @fcgamer. I don't know what else to say. So I will just say, and hope if sounds the way I am typing it, is "As long as you are alive, a piece of him will always live on."
  19. YOURTURN

    Last update since I have realized that I have a lot of FUN (read: lots of games and merch) updates I cannot get myself to post. So I'll address the Secret Santa scenario and why I feel broken:

    - I said that lost my cat to old age.
    FACT: I had my cat from the time she was 10 weeks old to the day she passed the 18 year mark. At the end I had a family member not making the anxiety easy on me, and I ended up talking about my cat's endgame during the time she ended up dying. After that some have told me that I should just get another cat. In the end I felt that some of you guys would be sympathetic, which made me want to surprise those who did with a "thank you" themed Christmas gift.

    - I also said that I was in a car accident shortly after I got it paid off.
    FACT: This shook me up, but I finally ended up getting an EV. I do not do road trips, and my hope was to put any gas money into the rebuilding of my hobby... Which turned out to be sealed/graded video game stuff while I was trying to avoid it during my return to Tokyo.

    - I also listed a few bad things that I had experienced in Japan.
    FACT: I also bought both a brand new Switch OLED and a brand new Japan exclusive, Nintendo produced Tears of the Kingdom pro controller for less than what a standard Switch costs in NA. I also ended up making the best out of every bad situation, down to the fact that I had decided it was time to rethink my past decisions. Just like I did when I was doing everything ranging from me rebuilding my collection to X'mas shopping.

    - I also said none of that was a reason for me to not do the Secret Santa bit. Because in the end, I also said that my year was a "country music song" and not an excuse to snub you guys.
    FACT:     That reference is tied to the old joke that every time I guy loses something, a country music song is born. Or do I need to have a dog, a truck, a wife, and have all three run away with each other?

    - What I said that had me not do the Secret Santa was the following: I would aim to get the chosen member the perfect gift, get lost to the point I went from being in California to the French-Canadian portion of Canada, me experiencing the French guard scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and ultimately find out that some punk kid made headlines by making money after they subbed it to Wata for a profit.
    FACT: I try too hard to buy gifts for people I have never met, and had a few issues that made me not be successful in the end. Plus, my reason for not doing it was a... Wait for it... A satire.

    In the end I was told something that sums up as "Asking you to edit or delete your post is not an option for us." and "Here are things we assume you know nothing about." Despite the fact that I have TRIED to be a member here since MAY 18, 2020.

    I'm done. No clue what that means, but I can say that I miss NintendoAge. 😑

  20. YOURTURN

    For those who bother to read what I say...

    I will never have neither the youth, money, or benefits of being like any of you. Because everything tied to both my past and present dictate that to be the truth. Which is fine since I have found that the benefit of having Asperger's (Autism in North America) helps make your collections an interesting topic to me.

    Plus... I ended up joining NA because I made the mistake in 2011 where I started to focus on the idea of collecting Transformers instead of video games. My experience with the Transformers fandom was mostly toxic, but I will just say that the second forum I had attended was the very definition of that word.

    And... I ended up joining VGS because NA helped solidify my love of VGA graded NES titles. But I also quit two times because the way others started to act was, by far, different than how things were in NA. With nobody caring that their actions and behavior can have negative impacts on those they do not know.

    So why am I here? And why I am writing this? It goes back to my disability and the fact it keeps me from having a healthy social life. So despite the fact that I can compare members, evets, etc. to every existing forum I had attended... I need some type of social interaction that is not some type of AI (as proven to me in Japan).

    Thus why I am saying this after many of you made claims about me that did harm me. With hopes that by saying this both you and those you mention this to will realize that as bad as things can be for me... A lot of the indirect topics and comments tied to you guys have greatly helped me in the end.

    Which does not mean I expect 2024 to be better for me. Or you guys to magically become my friends. But rather me saying thank you for not being those who have helped make my life be this complicated/bad. 🙂

    Super Mario Nintendo GIF

    1. Show previous comments  1 more
    2. YOURTURN

      YOURTURN

       

      Thanks, @Link. And honestly? I want to be both optimistic and believe the same thing as well. Just because I always want to give people the reason of a doubt. As well as give them the opportunity to clear things up. Something I offer because I was once told that the fastest way to deescalate a situation is to first understand the person who had started it.

      But as of right now? You are one of my favorites here. So we can discuss this via PM. But until then, it just feels like a repeat of every reason why I felt like me leaving is for the best. 😅

    3. Link

      Link

      You can feel free to PM me if you want to 🙂

    4. YOURTURN

      YOURTURN

      Again, thanks @Link.

      I will consider that at a later date. But as of right now, the responses I received (via PM) has me wonder why nobody could ask me to edit or delete my traditional "I'm out" response. With the second one I had just responded to sounding too much like an excuse to do that. All because of a tradition that dates back to NA.

      I'll turn everything I was actually saying into an update at a later time. And expect a PM at a later date. Double if X'mas is coming close, and my love of being a "Surprise Santa" pops up. 🙂

  21. YOURTURN
    Not to necro your response, but I do relate to you when it came to that. What I mean is that before I started to be a moderator at this anime/video game forum (circa the PS2 days), there was a member that got hit hard with the ban hammer by a mod that had a "zero tolerance for any stupidity" policy. With me finding out how stupid he was. Because instead of him accepting my offer to have his account reinstated, he chose to attack me with literal hardcore "porn" on the forum while using fake IPs that still ended up rerouting to his ISP.
  22. YOURTURN
    Honestly? If I was going to be straight up sarcastic about anything I'd be "praising" this site's block function. Just because you making that type of response is one of those reasons why I opted to use said "useable" function. But to answer your "Is he being serious or sarcastic?" question... I'll be polite enough to point out that I did mention both Sharp's Twin Famicom and Hudson Soft's controller in that response. And that I have considered the idea of simplified those examples by stating that both products were officially licensed third party products in Japan. Would that help? Or should I have also quoted Microsoft's publicly stated comment sounding like they are targeting those who think that spending $50+ on a controller is highway robbery? Because that is what it sounds like: "Microsoft and other licensed Xbox hardware partners' accessories are designed and manufactured with quality standards for performance, security, and safety. Unauthorized accessories can compromise the gaming experience on Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S.) Players may receive a pop-up warning that their accessory is unauthorized. Eventually, the unauthorized accessory will be blocked from use to preserve the console gaming experience." Because all I am hearing from Microsoft is "Since we now own Call of Duty and Overwatch, we are going to follow the same guidelines that competition-based organizations like EVO use when it comes to banning illegally modified controllers." With unlicensed stuff often being a good workaround when it comes to the whole "mod = cheat =ban" rule. But yes... What I said can be seen as sarcastic thanks to Microsoft's desire to cut corners when it came to their comment. But I prefer to see it as a jab at both them and those who are going to use their assumptions as an excuse to whine.
  23. YOURTURN
    @Tanooki I am not going to lie, but that game had reminded me of the time you found out that the SNES was not high on my console list. But even then it is cool that you had that type of luck with that game. Which reminds me... I need to hope that I can get a new memory card for my OLED before I set it up. Because like you said, it's going to get cold soon. And with me, I hope to reconnect with my Nintendo game library once that chill hits the California coast.
  24. YOURTURN
    That article made more sense than how I probably sound to you guys. I mean unless somebody can totally shut things out when they are doing something, some portions of the hardware should be considered. Especially when it comes to what type of controller the individual player needs to play a game. For one, it could be an NES Advantage controller while using the NES "top loader" variant. While another it can be a Twin Famicom and an official Hudson Soft controller. With Microsoft "saying" (as opposed to what they think they are saying) to those who are using a cheap third-party controller to consider the fact that if they can at least buy a used Xbox Series X, they can also buy a used officially licensed controller.
  25. YOURTURN
    You said hard.
×
×
  • Create New...