What Rob said...
I've always felt like AFA is for people not confident enough to figure **** out on their own. I hate them and feel they're a pimple on the ass of the hobby, frankly. They provided a service that did nothing more than jack up the prices of carded products for really no reason besides, "Some guy, somewhere, who nobody really honestly gives a **** about says this product is ______ quality".
I can determine that on my own. If I can't, that's on me, but why be in the hobby if you can't absorb the knowledge yourself and need that AFA logo?
I hope this is the demise of them as a company in this hobby because, clearly, their opinions are horse hockey, and they don't know a thing more than anyone else, and if anything they know significantly less than most people who actually pay attention, learn, and enjoy vintage collecting. They're purely detrimental.
If you went to a guy to get your brakes fixed, and he said, "Well they should be good, but if they fail that's really not my fault just so you know", would you get your brakes done there? These guys are scam artists IMO. They have been from day one.