How do you know the VGA graders havent a clue what they're doing....?

o1s1n

Check out this auction. Just saw it over on Gamesniped.

Look at the uncovered windowed eeproms - weep due to their stupidity.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140740735543

Some really good questions and answer. Apparantly losing the software due to UV light erasing it and reflashing the ROMs is an okay solution for a $27,000 game!

Q: How can you guarantee the functionality of the cart after exposing the EPROMs erasure windows to flash photography? Apr-20-12
A: Hi. I understand your concerns, but it doesn't work that way. A flash will not erase the programming, but even if the programming dissappears in time, it can easily be re-installed. NWC cart info was dumped long ago, and is available to the general public. Thanks for the interest.

jhegarty

This has to be a joke.

Myrddin

Who are VGA?
Who gave them the right to be the authority on grading games?
If VGA disappeared tomorrow, would the value remain the same?
Would it not become "Here's a game that some company used to grade, give me lots of money for it!"?
Why pay more for an item that's been graded by a self appointed group?
What is the extra high cost actually buying you?

VGA? Utter nonsense if you ask me. A game is a game, if it's rare it's rare. Being sealed into a clear box should not ever increase the value of something, same goes for self appointed grading groups.

Andrew76

EnterNow wrote: »

Who are VGA?
Who gave them the right to be the authority on grading games?
If VGA disappeared tomorrow, would the value remain the same?
Would it not become "Here's a game that some company used to grade, give me lots of money for it!"?
Why pay more for an item that's been graded by a self appointed group?
What is the extra high cost actually buying you?

VGA? Utter nonsense if you ask me. A game is a game, if it's rare it's rare. Being sealed into a clear box should not ever increase the value of something, same goes for self appointed grading groups.

Ooh maybe the value would sky rocket even more because the VGA process could be classified as "RARE!!11ONEone". :pac:

Another issue I don't get about the whole VGA scam, and that's what it is, once you get a game VGA'ed then does it effectively have to remain inside that VGA case to hold it's value (if you were moronic enough to buy one)? What a load of BS the whole thing is anyway.

Steve X2

If they offered some sort of preservation service for your rare or just precious to you games then great.
But its just a stupid clear box that looks bloody cheap as hell.

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OwaynOTT

ya the box looks crap and i can't imagine them looking all nice and pretty stacked on a shelf either.

Steve X2

I'd like to welcome you all to the "Steve SI Grading Service" also known as SSGS.
Please PM me to have your games certified by the SSGS. Our rates are competitive and your games will be protected in our patented advanced storage units.

We spell our name using funky fonts as seen in the below picture so we are at least 10 percent cooler than VGA(the g looks like a q, how cool is that!).


Click on the images for a much larger view of our advanced storage units.






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Myrddin

LOL, very good :pac::pac::pac:

Comedy aside, that's exactly what VGA is to me.

OwaynOTT

Say what you want about VGA but dont I want to hear any knocking of CDA.

Steve X2

OwaynOTT wrote: »

Say what you want about VGA but dont I want to hear any knocking of CDA.

The California Dental Association??



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ondafly

what the hell is VGA???? I go by RRP and what I can afford !

Myrddin

ondafly wrote: »

what the hell is VGA???? I go by RRP and what I can afford !

An 'authority' that rates games on their condition, seals them in a case & scores them.

Steve X2

EnterNow wrote: »

An 'authority' that rates games on their condition, seals them in a case & scores them.

Yeah, It's more or less the same thing the SSGS does here in Ireland.


/Previous joke may now be valid new business mode enabled.

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ghostchant

Just read the game sniped article there, and I totally agree with what they were saying. What bothers me isn't the VGA thing or the possible EPROM issue, it's simply that the way it's displayed makes it look like ass.

CiDeRmAn

I think the whole business is a clever marketing strategy by using the average stupidity of an American to make money.
Not too many VGA encased carts appearing on other ebay sites I notice.
But, looking at the long term, it'll be the best preserved carts and disks that will be worth the most in 50 years time.
In only 30 years or so how many immaculate copies of BugBytes edition of Manic Miner are there?
How much is one worth?
What about Beach Head or Rush'n Attack?
All of our collections are potentially going to be worth an awful lot, as poorly maintained consoles and badly stored games are destroyed or ruined.
So, maybe there is a core of honesty to the VGA principle, perhaps?
But that only extends to providing the means to preserve games against decay, not ramping up the price of common titles simply because there is a plastic box around them.

Myrddin

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

So, maybe there is a core of honesty to the VGA principle, perhaps?
But that only extends to providing the means to preserve games against decay, not ramping up the price of common titles simply because there is a plastic box around them.

I'd be quite fairly sure it's money that motivates them, rather then preservation.

Steve X2

EnterNow wrote: »

I'd be quite fairly sure it's money that motivates them, rather then preservation.

Yeah, I wish I'd thought of the idea first as well EnterNow

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Atavan-Halen

Just throw the game in a sandwich bag. Same thing essentially. It's all a money making racket the whole VGA thing. I'd like to buy a VGA graded game and smash open the box and, dare I say it, actually play the game! :eek:

KeRbDoG

Steve SI wrote: »

I'd like to welcome you all to the "Steve SI Grading Service" also known as SSGS.
Please PM me to have your games certified by the SSGS. Our rates are competitive and your games will be protected in our patented advanced storage units.

We spell our name using funky fonts as seen in the below picture so we are at least 10 percent cooler than VGA(the g looks like a q, how cool is that!).


Click on the images for a much larger view of our advanced storage units.






.

Wait, are those backup tape cases?! :cool: €1 each I say!

Steve X2

KeRbDoG wrote: »

Wait, are those backup tape cases?! :cool: €1 each I say!

Yeah, DLT tape cases.

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KeRbDoG

Steve SI wrote: »

Yeah, DLT tape cases.

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I hope your storing those rare cartridges in Iron Mountain