ExplodedHamster

50-75k??? No offense, but anyone who says that is ignorant of the current market and the amount of new money that has entered into it. A sealed Megaman just went for over 75k this past weekend and I know for a fact that there has been an offer of 250k+ on the SMB since the sale. It’s not my place to out the person who offered it, but I know it’s happened. I believe there have been multiple in that range and above, actually.

“If you have the grader selling the freshly graded goods.” There no other way to read that, brother. And if overlap is two companies working together to promote one another, yes. But that’s quite normal. The only way it’s not is if you suspect two long-time well-respected members of the community here are cooking grades to benefit HA. On the one hand, you claim you aren’t doing that, while on the other you basically are.

WATA and HA are separate companies, HA is not grading the games. So what if one guy is on an advisory board, they have mutual interest in using one another to profit and WATA wanted to tailor to comic collectors, so who better to ask? Companies do this all the time. This episode of Pawn Stars was obviously a staged advertisement for everyone involved, but that’s what Pawn Stars is. I think that’s pretty clear to anyone who’s ever seen the show.

I’ve taken a look at other RTB seam games and this one is actually pretty consistent seamwork, just with the hangtab sticking out. But I looked at some past sales of the poster offer variant and I’ve only seen the back V overlap. Quite possible this is just a later release of the game, though.

The older games are, yes. Why they are so damned hard to find with mint cello. Then the “newer” used a more “flexible” plastic. Looking at the Ebay copy again, pics 4 and 5...the squiggles on the seams on the corners concern me. Looks less like a factory seal, which is straighter, and more like a...hand...job? I’ve contrasted with a few other RTB-seam games and it seems abnormal.

It’s not at all uncommon to see the same game with different seamwork, but usually it’s during a different release period and there is something discernibly different on the back of the box. For example Sonic 2 Tube Seam was not assembled in the USA and RTB seam was. I’ll check the 3 copies and compare.

Funny you asked, I have this one watched and I’ve gone back and forth. I THINK it’s fake, as all the X Men I’ve seen have a vertical strip on the back. Check out the one on HA this week as an example. I’m trying to see any indications this might be a later release from the one on HA, but they look identical on the back, I think? The seamwork also looks off to me on the one on Ebay. Just something about the look of it compared to others I’ve seen. I’d say I’m 75%, but could also be wrong. It’s scared me off enough not to bid, but I’m not positive. I might actually have another at home, I’ll check it out and respond later, if so.

That bubble is gonna pop any day now folks... Dear Lord, these numbers!

I don’t understand why anyone would care? It’s not your game, why would you care if someone else wants to slab it and display it? I mean I have hundreds of CIBs that are basically purely for show not slabbed because I use an Everdrive, how is this any different? I’d guess most serious collectors with hundreds of games play like 1% of their games more than once every few years. What’s the difference if it’s slabbed or in a plastic box protector? As for the IMP change, I agree with it, but they should make sure to announce new discoveries as grading occurs in order to give heads ups as to what’s now IMP and was not before.

Why wouldn’t a long-term collector/investor of sealed games be biased? Certainly they want the market to boom as much as the next long-term collector. Or they might be biased the other way if they dislike a fellow collector, happens all the time. In the end, it’s worth what someone pays for it. Deniz wasn’t lying about the other offer, so I’m not really sure what better data points are out there that would outweigh it coming from anyone different. That has to be the most objective data point possible. If I was viewing, I’d definitely want to know what offers had been received over speculation from random collector X.

Who would you ask, if not Deniz? The "collector's market," as we'll call it, is basically coming up on a year and has been led by WATA. Most random sellers you'll find in brick and mortar either don't know who WATA is or are just now learning. Heritage probably has the best data at this point, but obviously that's a legit conflict, so can't ask them.

Rockin Kats went cheap, yes. I’d expect for the time being for more obscure games like that to stay low for a bit, then jump up when we get population reports etc. Same for Uninvited. I won the Dragon Warrior 9.6/A+ for like $2300 with BP, and I gotta say I’m thrilled. The 1HP variant in mint condition with no sun fading is very difficult to come across. My maximum was a lot higher. I only bid on DW and made a good run at Contra, but enough was enough at some point lol...

On the one hand, that’s understandable. On the other, sellers are still making way more there than the competition most of the time. It more than makes up for it.

Much better experience not having to wait 5 hours behind the comics. HA did a phenomenal job all around. Sunday should be good, too.

Still, 75k with BP is pretty phenomenal.

I predicted $62,000

well I got a minty 1p DW for the same amount a golf just went, so that’s good...

Well, we now have someone publicly saying they’re gonna bid over 100k on the MegaMan and they know of someone else who plans to complete. Popcorn...

Man, these numbers in the feature auction ending today are already huge. It’s going to be massive.

We'll see is all anyone can say at this point. Friday will tell us.

Lol as I fell asleep I realized I did this, but never bothered to edit. Damnit!

Howard Phelps... And, yes, they were in the test market 8 months after launch. Edit - PHILLIPS

It does if you never open it! Ignorance is bliss, baby.

I believe that negatively impacts the wrap grade, but I’m not 100% certain.

In that vein, here’s one of mine that cracks me up: