Like you pointed out Matt, I honestly see value in preferring AFA graded items when you're a carded collector that needs a guarantee on quality, especially on vintage. The extra cost that it brings to the figure is probably justified to some collectors just to know exactly what they're getting, when you’re talking mid to high triple digit pricetags.
Dave's eBay hunt points out very well how few modern figures are actually in need of an AFA grade. There are probably less than a handful of figures that will cost anyone a large enough cash outlay to justify the “insurance/assurance” of it. It’s rather pointless to pay $51.00 for a C9+ Ric Olie, when you can pretty much guarantee tracking down an equal quality one for less than 10 bucks. To the seller’s credit, since we know the cost associated with AFA’ing a figure, that’s probably a fair price once you factor in shipping to GA, AFA fees, and return shipment to the seller. Why you'd bother, who knows.
It’s interesting to start to see some pattern to the economics of this. I wouldn’t pay $400 for a carded Sacul (hell, Weequay either) but I do understand why super-anal carded collectors might. It’s just not us.
BTW, someone bought that Ric Olie. That, I don’t understand.