AFA and HasbroToyShop

[Brian]

Just a side note, but I was looking through HTS and noticed they now have two AFA Graded McQuarrie Obi/Yoda sets "coming soon" on there, for the prices of $79.99 and $129.99.  Personally, I've never been into the graded stuff, but I hope this isn't where HTS is headed.

[CHEWIE]

Yeuck.  I can't stand the grading crap. 

Open your figures people...

[ruiner]

Makes sense - there was a survey a while back where Hasbro asked collectors what they thought of the AFA...

[Jeff]

Just poking around there (a search under AFA), it looks like they AFA'd (is that what we're calling it now?) a pile of their 2007 San Diego Exclusives - R2-KT, Concept Obi-Wan/Yoda, Destro (gold and silver head), Legends She-Hulk and Legends Stan Lee.

It seems to just be the SDCC stuff for now... but it does make you wonder how far they will take it.  I can't blame them though, getting $75 for a $7 figure is a good deal for them if there are suckers out there to buy them.   

[jedi_master_sal]

... if there are suckers out there to buy them.   

Ah come on, you mean you wouldn't pay $800 for an AFA graded vintage Yakface who only had seconds of screen time? Where's your priorities man? lol

I will never consider AFA. I'm an opener. Of those few things I do keep carded, I take care of them well. I don't need someone else to tell me if it's in top notch condition or not. I'm not planning on selling this stuff. When that time comes, I'll be dead, so it isn't going to matter a hoot if my stuff was graded or not.

[Nathan]

What. The. ****.

Very strange, not to mention disappointing, to see the very manufacturer getting in on what is supposed to be a secondary-market racket.

[Phrubruh]

Watch them take all of that "out of stock" stuff and turn it into AFA graded figures. How could it be less than AFA/100 Mint when it comes directly from the manufacter?

[Jeff]

How could it be less than AFA/100 Mint when it comes directly from the manufacter?

Because the 9-year old Asian kid packing the boxes at the factory dinged the corners when they packed the case?

[Brian]

I will never consider AFA. I'm an opener. Of those few things I do keep carded, I take care of them well. I don't need someone else to tell me if it's in top notch condition or not. I'm not planning on selling this stuff. When that time comes, I'll be dead, so it isn't going to matter a hoot if my stuff was graded or not.

I've never understood the appeal of getting figures graded either, but more power to those who enjoy that sort of thing.  To each their own.  I'm kind of in the same boat here.  I'm an opener, and the few things I do keep carded are good enough for me.  I don't care if AFA says they're spiffy or not, and I don't need a grade slapped on it.

[Darth_Ice]

Hey I don't open my figures, but I do not get them graded! Please do not lumb us "carded" people with the nuts that think they have to get their figures graded.! Carded collectors are just as good as those who dont! 

[jedi_master_sal]

Hey I don't open my figures, but I do not get them graded! Please do not lumb us "carded" people with the nuts that think they have to get their figures graded.! Carded collectors are just as good as those who dont! 

I don't think anyone was saying anything like that.

We're just bashing Hasbro for doing this with AFA. It doesn't matter to me if someone is a carded collector or not. In fact it actually works to my advantage sometimes. Where you might pass on a fig due to the card condition, I'll buy it.

That's the great thing about collecting and SW i particular, there is no right or wrong way. (Though getting all one's stuff graded is a slant towards to negative side, IMHO.)

Just the idea that the manufacturer is getting in on this is ridiculous to many of us.

[Gorkoracing]

Saw they have the convention rodimus on their site for 120 for a U9.5 as coming soon also

[Rob]

How could it be less than AFA/100 Mint when it comes directly from the manufacter?

Because the 9-year old Asian kid packing the boxes at the factory dinged the corners when they packed the case?

Well I hope they docked him for that damage out of the $0.10 per day he makes.

[DoctorPadawan]

Saw they have the convention rodimus on their site for 120 for a U9.5 as coming soon also

So, Hasbro "sold out" of all of the Alternators Rodimuses when they were first put up on the website and they haven't been back since, but they somehow managed to get one of these supposedly nonexistent toys graded and are selling it at 6 times the original price?  This doesn't seem odd to me at all.   

And, to quote Nathan earlier in this thread for truth:

[/quote]

What. The. ****.

Very strange, not to mention disappointing, to see the very manufacturer getting in on what is supposed to be a secondary-market racket.

[iFett]

The "only" way I can see grading as a plus is if you intend on selling this stuff in 100 years when some of it might actually be worth something.  Why on earth would you want to pay $100+ for a $10-$15 figure that you can still find on the secondary market around those prices is beyond me.  DP beat me to my post - ALT Roddimus was originally $24.99 IIRC before they "sold out"

Just look and see what AFA SW, Joes, and Transformer stuff from the 80's sells for.  Ridiculous I say, but I don't believe that many people back then intended on keeping stuff carded/boxed in hopes of being rich one day.  I also find it kind of silly that people on Ebay will pay a few pennies for ungraded "rare" sports cards, but they'll pay many pennies if it's graded.  I have a ton of minty mint baseball cards from the 80's, but apparently they're all worthless unless I decide to get them graded.  Pfft.

I know that Hasbro - just like any other company is out there to make a buck, but this just seems like really seedy work here.