MISB and AFA: good or bad?

[Optimus Prime Sucks]

OK, I'll go buy one of the legions of Alt. Silverstreak and get him AFA graded. And he'll probably get a high grade. Does that make it any more right? I don't know. You tell me.

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But why does it have to be "right"? If a guy buys a legion of Silverstreak/Tracks/whatever, then it's his right. I don't understand why you think "morals" has a place in this issue.

[My Alt. Mode Sucks]

*Points to eBay* Look at Megatron. He goes for ridiculous prices. You CANNOT find a complete and fair condition G1 Megs for under 60 bucks because of all the MISB/AFA crap on there. Is what those sellers are doing right? Charging exorbitant fees for a toy that most people still aren't impressed with to this day?

[Tekyuinajar]

OK, I'll go buy one of the legions of Alt. Silverstreak and get him AFA graded. And he'll probably get a high grade. Does that make it any more right? I don't know. You tell me.

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How would that be wrong? :tfhuh So you've got a graded 'streak... good for you. :wtf I really hope you have a point. :roll It's not illegal to get something graded even if it's recent. That's just prudent thinking if you want to store something and keep it in its original condition for later. I mean, hell, you'll pay a hell of a lot less on the front end for the grading once it becomes difficult to find.

[Eucep]

I see it two ways. One side you have the people who have money to burn, so let them. The other side is that with such AFA stuff  that it's likely that quite a good ammount of G1 material might still exist in 50 years.

[**VPrime**]

Alts will not be worth all that much 10 or even 20 years from now (at least not to the price of how vintage G1s are now) for one reason, because everyone and their mom is keeping them MISB.  How many kids out there had the mindset to keep their vintage G1 Optimus Prime MISB?  Not too many which is why a MISB G1 OP is so rare and thus expensive.

 

As for AFA, their is no problem with it in my eyes.  Like others have said, it doesn't hurt anyone.  Sure a guy can charge $3000 for an AFA Megatron, but NO ONE is forced to buy it.  If there is no one willing to buy it at that price, then its not going to be sold at that price, period.  Why are certain paintings worth millions?  Or a baseball hit by Barry Bonds worth hundreds of thousands?  One reason, because someone is willing to pay that much for it.  In a free market, the price is dictated by the buyers, not the sellers.  Think about that.

 

AFA is good for the high end collectors who want certification that what their buying is exactly what is offered.  How do you know that something is really sealed or in the condition that is described?  Hard to tell, unless its AFA'ed.  People are willing to pay that much more for peace of mind.

 

An AFA graded item does not affect the cost of loose figures.  Just because a G1 Megatron AFA graded goes for thousands, doesn't mean a loose one will go high.  A good condition loose one is high because its relatively rare, not because an AFA one cost thousands.

[Tekyuinajar]

*Points to eBay* Look at Megatron. He goes for ridiculous prices. You CANNOT find a complete and fair condition G1 Megs for under 60 bucks because of all the MISB/AFA crap on there. Is what those sellers are doing right? Charging exorbitant fees for a toy that most people still aren't impressed with to this day?

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So what? That's your problem for not buying one sooner. That's life. Get a reissue like the rest of us who don't feel like spending that much. Leave it for those who will.

 

The point of a collector's market is not to make things cheap to acquire. What people decide to sell their property for is their business, ditto for the grading. You're not going to buy these products anyway, so what does it matter to you?

[Tekyuinajar]

Somehow a bunch of geeks calling themselves an authority doesn't seem that impressive to me. Just a thought of how these guys must looks makes me loose intrest in breakfast in total. Not to mention the fact that they decide how much a frikking toy is worth is even less appetzing.

 

However, I do not think they're a serious threat to collecting. After all, the whole AFA thing is just an opion which you can disregard whenever you feel like it.

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It's not like there's anyone challenging their authority. All they really do is an observation of the product where they state it's condition and quote an amount in consideration of market price, as would a jeweler with jewels. How does this affect your breakfast? :wtf

 

They're not a threat to anything, they're just opening up a niche market for those who want higher end merchandise that remains in its graded condition.

[FREEFALLL666]

i would buy a MISB figure but it would rapidy turn to PWQ (played with quality) in approximatly 2.5seconds!

 

Why?

 

I like to be the 24 yr old who still has the imagination and the desire to play wit the duudes. i dont belive that as you age you should systematicaly wipe out the innocence that was in you as a child - the wonder of a giant robot, imagining the ground shaking beneath your feet as that monster of engineering walks by, imagining their past their desires their dreams, all the while seenig a reflection of yourself in a hunk of highly modified OIL and ORE as well as AWE!

 

i think that MISB is a double edged sword Y:-

 

1) MISB enables the collector to obtain an undamaged untouched figure and be the first to let that factory air out! not only that but it preserves the card, the materials used in constructruction and the figure itself for future generations to see!

 

2) MISB is a tragedy - like spending years building, sealing and painting a boat never to sail, or a cake never to be ate - i think that MISB is an offense to the creator/artist who spent time in making a toy, ensuring it is of the highest possible quality TO BE PLAYED WITH Bob Saget! Only for that work to be for nothing but $4.50hr money may be a primary motivation but i believe that the creators at least what ive got from interviews of HASBRO designers within the FUNDAY TIMES )the kids section in the TIMES NEWSPAPER) their main motivation is to provide a simple joy to those who have their hard work in their hands!

[Optimus Prime Sucks]

*Points to eBay* Look at Megatron. He goes for ridiculous prices. You CANNOT find a complete and fair condition G1 Megs for under 60 bucks because of all the MISB/AFA crap on there. Is what those sellers are doing right? Charging exorbitant fees for a toy that most people still aren't impressed with to this day?

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A lot of forum members beat me to the punch in answering this question. Charging exhorbant fees is not wrong. It's a choice and it's a freedom of the seller to do so - it is not whether or not it's "right or wrong," but a right. At the same time it's your right not to buy it at that price.

 

But if you are being forced to buy a toy at an exhorbant price and your life depends on it, that's another story....

[Tripredacus]

I look at it has just another way for people with too much money to waste their money. Give me a mint condition loose figure any day. What's the point of a toy if you can't play with it?

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Some of us collectors don't have time to play with our toys...