Graded Figures: Do you own any? Opinions/thoughts..

[Scott!]

I thought this could be a fun thread.

I've been noticing a lot over the past few years that graded figures have really came to the fore with more people buying/grading figures. It's been so prominent with Hasbro's and pre production/prototypes and LJN's.

But, the question is.. what is your personal opinion?

I have never been one for it personally, but my opinion has changed. I own one graded figure, but it didn't have any reason as to why I bought it. Over the past wee while I've seen a lot of guys getting their figures graded and I think it's great to see these figures from the 80's/90's being properly preserved. It just adds that extra look to the figures and it's really cool to know you own a "minty mint" figure if that makes sense.

Seeing Hasbro's loose being graded is also great, and I think it adds an extra way to collect.

Do you own any graded figures, post them in the thread and keep this going. Be cool to have a discussion with fellow collectors about it.

This is the one I own, I know it's a Jakks but I did think this thread would be better in this board rather than the Jakks board as they don't get graded too much.

[punksnotdead]

Great figure and a perfect one to get graded.

I don't have any wrestling figures graded but I have a bunch of vintage Star Wars stuff graded and I absolutely love the presentation. CSA is near where I live. So I've been contemplating diving into it much more over the last two years. I also have an AFA Raiders of the Lost Ark Indy graded 85 that's a top five piece in my collection. People can not want to accept that people will pay more for nicer MOCs but they absolutely do, to the tune of five, six, ten times more, and, while it's undeniably subjective, it's as close to verifiable quality as we have right now. It's not about that for me, but it helps with insurance and if anything were to ever happen to me so my wife can sell my more valuable pieces.

I don't think everything needs to be graded. For instance, I prefer all of my WWF Hasbro figures loose and on display. However, if I were to ever finally buy the mail away Hogan, I would absolutely get it graded. Those are the situations that make sense for me. I was introduced to this world through comics. I've been buying CGC graded comics since high school. They were at Wizard World in like 02 or 03 and I was already into it. So I have Hulk 181 and New Mutants 98 and that kind of stuff graded for comics, and it's always been normal to me. Same with sports cards. I'm not nearly as into that but I've had BGS graded cards for like twenty years. It's odd to me that the figure community didn't take to it quicker outside of the Star Wars world where it's widely accepted.

[Scott!]

Dec 3, 2021 12:54:37 GMT -5 punksnotdead said:

Great figure and a perfect one to get graded.

I don't have any wrestling figures graded but I have a bunch of vintage Star Wars stuff graded and I absolutely love the presentation. CSA is near where I live. So I've been contemplating diving into it much more over the last two years. I also have an AFA Raiders of the Lost Ark Indy graded 85 that's a top five piece in my collection. People can not want to accept that people will pay more for nicer MOCs but they absolutely do, to the tune of five, six, ten times more, and, while it's undeniably subjective, it's as close to verifiable quality as we have right now. It's not about that for me, but it helps with insurance and if anything were to ever happen to me so my wife can sell my more valuable pieces.

I don't think everything needs to be graded. For instance, I prefer all of my WWF Hasbro figures loose and on display. However, if I were to ever finally buy the mail away Hogan, I would absolutely get it graded. Those are the situations that make sense for me. I was introduced to this world through comics. I've been buying CGC graded comics since high school. They were at Wizard World in like 02 or 03 and I was already into it. So I have Hulk 181 and New Mutants 98 and that kind of stuff graded for comics, and it's always been normal to me. Same with sports cards. I'm not nearly as into that but I've had BGS graded cards for like twenty years. It's odd to me that the figure community didn't take to it quicker outside of the Star Wars world where it's widely accepted.

I think Covid has upped the amount of people collecting cards. I collect Pokemon cards, and seeing some of the prices of cards I had a few years ago, to now, it's unbelievable. You're 100% right, people will absolutely pay more for condition. Cards that were a few quid years ago are now in the hundreds, even thousands, if they're "gradeable" due to the price collectors are paying now. People are now buying packs to pull the good cards specifically to get graded straight away. It's not about selling now what you pull, it's all about grading.

WWE figures aren't as widespread graded, compared to original WWF, and that's a bit of a shame. But, honestly, give it time. In the next 5-10 years I think the Classics will be the next thing that is done in big volumes. I think it's a bit early yet, but their time will come.

[Warriah']

Maybe I’m in the minority but I personally feel like grading is a massive scam and a way to artificially increase the perceived value of something. Be it games, figures, cards or whatever.

People in the grading industry were recently outed for basically racketeering. I don’t trust it at all.

[kinnikuman]

I don't see the point in grading unless it's for 100+ figures you'll sell one day as a lot. No one figure is going to break the bank with the exception of maybe a couple figures thus far in history. So say you have a mint SES Punk and you grade it and it's all sealed. You'll sell it one day and what? Have a few hundred bucks. Big deal. Grading and perserving should be for very collectible things, like first edition of comic books, etc.

[Nivro™]

MOC graded figures are cool if its something worth grading IMO. I wouldnt get a regular Hasbro for instance graded but maybe a green card

Loose figures seem weird graded. Even if its a proto like R&B Valentine

[newgenandy]

Dec 3, 2021 17:14:53 GMT -5 Warriah' said:

Maybe I’m in the minority but I personally feel like grading is a massive scam and a way to artificially increase the perceived value of something. Be it games, figures, cards or whatever.

People in the grading industry were recently outed for basically racketeering. I don’t trust it at all.

I agree with one exception - comics. There has been a scale agreed on by multiple companies and experts which began back in the 60s

Wrestling figures there is not enough expertise about - look at the examples of hasbro figures being incorrectly graded or customs graded. An el matador and martel were graded as ‘strike force’ and a custom kamala moon belly were graded so there’s not ebough knowledge to verify the figure in that industry

The games one is very dodgy - something like the grading company snd suction company were related and employees of them were purchasing for big bucks givin an inflated market value and they also didn’t publish population reports which again fomo could make people bid high not knowing there’s 10 other copies graded the same

[Ruby Fusion]

Not a fan of grading, just a money-making scam imho...

We've seen atrocities in the past, as newgenandy mentioned... The worst was loose Hasbro Warlord & Berzerker graded as Powers of Pain! Berzerker was Nord the Barbarian, not The Barbarian.

[newgenandy]

Dec 4, 2021 13:31:38 GMT -5 Ruby Fusion said:

Not a fan of grading, just a money-making scam imho...

We've seen atrocities in the past, as newgenandy mentioned... The worst was loose Hasbro Warlord & Berzerker graded as Powers of Pain! Berzerker was Nord the Barbarian, not The Barbarian.

I knew there was a powers of pain one but couldn’t remember how they did it! That’s it! My god - basic research would’ve told them that was wrong

Whereas because comic collecting has been such a thing for so long they know about types of paper, ink, can spot forgeries, all grade to the same scale etc. There have been instances of comics sent to different grading companies and getting the same result after being broken out of the slab and sent back off. It’s pretty much just comic grading which I think is respectable.

Probably cards next because baseball cards and others have again been graded for years and years

consider the first baseball card is from 1886, first comic considered to be from 1837, first action figure 1946 so the action figure medium as a thing is a lot younger than other items which get graded. Action figures for many years were toys snd ‘collecting’ and displaying figures and then being more than toys is also very young - Theresa reason they quickly stopped producing stands for the LJNs as examples

[casanova]

Haven’t been a fan of grading until I have started collecting Hasbro MOCs. Grading simply helps to identify if the card, bubble and figure have the quality I want. Ungraded figures can be hit and miss.
There is absolutely no reason for me to grade loose Hasbro figures but could see this being useful for LJN as they usually tend to fall over and might be displayed better this way.

[PVA]

Not a fan of grading in general:

I know, It is the ‘hot’ thing to slab every baseball/trading card but is very subjective based on the grader and the differences between a 7 and 8 is not consistent. People are cracking open the slabs and resubmitting the same card and getting a higher grade. So the POP is inaccurate too. Plus I rather display my cards in a binder then a box of thick plastic slabs lol

So yeah, It is nice If you have a rare 1/20 figure graded and protected but wouldn’t increase the value for me.

[casanova]

The inconsistency is one of the biggest issues. UKG feels like the are quite consistent and I prefer them over AFA.
I am still debating if I should send my WWF Hasbro Josca collection to them and let them grade. I would honestly let them grade all at once and hope for a better rating as a set. Who knows... 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Scott!]

Dec 5, 2021 9:31:47 GMT -5 PVA said:

Not a fan of grading in general:

I know, It is the ‘hot’ thing to slab every baseball/trading card but is very subjective based on the grader and the differences between a 7 and 8 is not consistent. People are cracking open the slabs and resubmitting the same card and getting a higher grade. So the POP is inaccurate too. Plus I rather display my cards in a binder then a box of thick plastic slabs lol

So yeah, It is nice If you have a rare 1/20 figure graded and protected but wouldn’t increase the value for me.

I'm with you on both points. I collect cards, but I'd rather have them in a binder and as I said, the Piper is no more valuable to me being graded. It's nice to have it graded because I really do love the case, but it doesn't increase its value to me.

[PVA]

Dec 5, 2021 13:34:29 GMT -5 Scott! said:

Dec 5, 2021 9:31:47 GMT -5 PVA said:

Not a fan of grading in general:

I know, It is the ‘hot’ thing to slab every baseball/trading card but is very subjective based on the grader and the differences between a 7 and 8 is not consistent. People are cracking open the slabs and resubmitting the same card and getting a higher grade. So the POP is inaccurate too. Plus I rather display my cards in a binder then a box of thick plastic slabs lol

So yeah, It is nice If you have a rare 1/20 figure graded and protected but wouldn’t increase the value for me.

I'm with you on both points. I collect cards, but I'd rather have them in a binder and as I said, the Piper is no more valuable to me being graded. It's nice to have it graded because I really do love the case, but it doesn't increase its value to me.

Yeah I hear ya!
Just to be clear; your piper looks cool and since it is a rarer figure looks really nice graded and displayed in protective case. Great centerpiece of a collection.
And if you were to ever sell It there are plenty of people that would pay more for it being graded.

[Kasper.ca]

I think graded ANYTHING is pointless. Obviously, just my opinion.

The reason I say this, is because it's all random and relative based on the opinion of some other dude and really, offers nothing if you think about it.

I've sent in autographed items for authentification and grading, only to have it come back as a forgery. Even though I was right there watching the guy sign the item. So how can I trust anything they EVER do, when they tell me something I witnessed first hand, didn't actually happen.

I also opened up a fresh box of black card Duggan LJN. Literally case fresh and never even touched before. Someone sent one off for grading after he bought one of the 12 I had and he got like 8.5 NM. Damn thing was absolute perfection. Unless he messed it up before he sent it in, how was this not mint? Ridiculous.



Also, if an item is SUPER AWESOME condition, why does it matter what somebody else thinks? The item is either clearly good, decent shape or terrible... with varying degrees.

Having someone else "agree" on it and put a sticker on a box for it, doesn't make it any better to me.

[casanova]

Dec 5, 2021 18:52:50 GMT -5 Kasper.ca said:

I think graded ANYTHING is pointless. Obviously, just my opinion.

The reason I say this, is because it's all random and relative based on the opinion of some other dude and really, offers nothing if you think about it.

I've sent in autographed items for authentification and grading, only to have it come back as a forgery. Even though I was right there watching the guy sign the item. So how can I trust anything they EVER do, when they tell me something I witnessed first hand, didn't actually happen.

I also opened up a fresh box of black card Duggan LJN. Literally case fresh and never even touched before. Someone sent one off for grading after he bought one of the 12 I had and he got like 8.5 NM. Damn thing was absolute perfection. Unless he messed it up before he sent it in, how was this not mint? Ridiculous.



Also, if an item is SUPER AWESOME condition, why does it matter what somebody else thinks? The item is either clearly good, decent shape or terrible... with varying degrees.

Having someone else "agree" on it and put a sticker on a box for it, doesn't make it any better to me.

Agreed. 100%

Would love to see pics of that Duggan lot. You don’t happen to have any left do you?

[Kasper.ca]

Dec 12, 2021 2:44:54 GMT -5 casanova said:

Agreed. 100%

Would love to see pics of that Duggan lot. You don’t happen to have any left do you?

No, I sold 11 of them to finance my LJN collection as I was trying to grow it lol.
It's funny because back then they were only selling for $150-200 at the time.

I would be angry they sold for so low, but at the time we were buying managers for $40 and most others for $50 to $75 so prices are relative, I suppose.

I just looked through my Ebay history and see that I bought MOC Slick, Liz, Heenan, Fuji, Johhny V, Blassie and Albano all in the same day for $45-50 each

I only have 1 left (mine) and the box they came in.

[Scott!]

Dec 13, 2021 11:11:07 GMT -5 Kasper.ca said:

Dec 12, 2021 2:44:54 GMT -5 casanova said:

Agreed. 100%

Would love to see pics of that Duggan lot. You don’t happen to have any left do you?

No, I sold 11 of them to finance my LJN collection as I was trying to grow it lol.

I only have 1 left (mine) and the box they came in.

This is a totally off topic question, but in this day and age how does one acquire a sealed case of LJN's? I can't imagine there being many sealed cases left in the year 2021.

[Kasper.ca]

Dec 13, 2021 11:13:38 GMT -5 Scott! said:

This is a totally off topic question, but in this day and age how does one acquire a sealed case of LJN's? I can't imagine there being many sealed cases left in the year 2021.

This was about 7 years ago.

Was from an online auction from a company that did estate sales and crapthey found in storage.

I think there were 3 boxes total. One box of assorted managers, 2 boxes of black Duggans. I only got 1 box total.

Another user on here got a box, but I won't mention him here because I don't know if he discloses that info.

[Scott!]

Dec 13, 2021 11:21:47 GMT -5 Kasper.ca said:

Dec 13, 2021 11:13:38 GMT -5 Scott! said:

This is a totally off topic question, but in this day and age how does one acquire a sealed case of LJN's? I can't imagine there being many sealed cases left in the year 2021.

This was about 7 years ago.

Was from an online auction from a company that did estate sales and crap they found in storage.

I think there were 3 boxes total. One box of assorted managers, 2 boxes of black Duggans. I only got 1 box total.

Another user on here got a box, but I won't mention him here because I don't know if he discloses that info.

That’s fair enough, it’s mad thinking that there could potentially still be sealed cases in collectors collections. LJN’s/Hasbro’s, who knows.