AFA end loose u-grading

[mr_palitoy]

https://mailchi.mp/cgagrading.com/afavg ... es-2966821

Jason

[Frunkstar]

One small step for man, one huge leap forward for collectors of the future, about bloody time too, think this has to be my first time ever saying this, but well done AFA!

[r2isamale]

Great news!!!

[TK-7785]

This is excellent news! However, call me suspicious but will this actually stop the opening of sealed items? The wording is somewhat ambiguous in this regard.

If someone is chasing a 90 grade I assume they can still request a MOC is opened in the hopes of getting a 90? AFA would more than likely oblige. I'd like to hear confirmation that AFA will stop opening original sealed items regardless of what arbitrary letter and number combination they assign.

Chris

[Grant_C]

I hear people no longer hunt the white rhino.

It’s well to late for this.

[AllThings80s]

It should never have been on the menu with any of these companies to begin with. I wonder how many thousands of MOC's perished during this barbaric time? And yet people still give them their money

[TheJabbaWookie]

This is excellent news! However, call me suspicious but will this actually stop the opening of sealed items? The wording is somewhat ambiguous in this regard.

If someone is chasing a 90 grade I assume they can still request a MOC is opened in the hopes of getting a 90? AFA would more than likely oblige. I'd like to hear confirmation that AFA will stop opening original sealed items regardless of what arbitrary letter and number combination they assign.

Chris

Even if AFA don’t u grade people will still open them themselves and submit in the hope of obtaining a 90 Gold as the premium people are willing to pay for those is astonishing. Still I agree it’s a welcome statement long overdue.

[Palifan]

The U grade should have never happened in the first place but there's no point thinking about that now as what's done is done and I'm sure the people who never agreed with this probably boycotted AFA years ago. It's a positive announcement though for the future and will help AFA's rep in the longterm I'm sure (for some anyway).

As for people opening items to send in anyway, there's nothing that can be done about that and people won't really know. I'm sure that practise has been going on for years anyway as I wouldn't be surprised if there's more value in an AFA 90 up against an AFA U 90 (that thought is based on nothing though ). I still think it's a win for us all and will probably drive a few U collectors up the wall who are trying to complete a whole run.

Ian

[stu70]

Staggering that it's taken them this long to stop doing it, love the quote,

"We have finished compiling the results of the multiple surveys we've conducted over the past year "

They needed multiple surveys to work out that destroying MOC's was wrong!

[Frunkstar]

My first thoughts were also does this actually mean they are going to stop opening sealed items, if that is indeed the case it's a huge win for the hobby as a whole, if not then this is a hollow gesture, I am keeping my fingers crossed it is the former.

I am sure this announcement will delight the like of Mr Mullan & Mr Jacobs etc etc, about time they had the rug pulled from under their feet & with luck it may mean we start seeing more damaged cards / cut bubbles & so on at fairer prices for those who collect on a budget like myself.

Good buy the serial U grader - hurrah hurrah!

[Darth Bobby]

Does anyone have an estimate of how many items have been U graded over the years? The damage is already done? They probably only stopped doing it as it’s not fashionable.

[Survival kit Chris]

Means nothing , the damage is done .

[weasel]

Means nothing , the damage is done .

Yeap, you beat me to it.
I'm not actively buying any more but the sheer number of MOC's that have been destoryed over the last few years as people chase U grades, or send in "beaters" to get a U grade and double the price they can sell for, is staggering. I would say a tangible percentage of the MOC's around before U grading came along have now been destroyed. Those can never be replaced. Never.
I do accept some would have been opened by people or destroyed by mishaps/lost in the post etc. but AFA have been responsible for a huge increase in the destruction.
When I started collecting way back when, MOC's were fairly common on eBay. If you wanted to collect a set and weren't too fussy on condition you could probably have done it without too much effort. The numbers available now are a fraction of that.
Partly it's people moving away from eBay, but mainly it's because so many of those MOC's were destroyed so people could get a few extra quid. AFA are entirely to blame for facilitaing the greed.

And them no longer U grading won't stop people sending in MOC's. If AFA refuse to open them, people will just open them and send the figure in themselves. AFA have open the tin of worms. There's nothing can be done to repair the damage.

[batman]

As far as I can tell they don't refuse to open them , they just don't put the U on the label anymore :
" We have finished compiling the results of the multiple surveys we've conducted over the past year and as a result will no longer assign the 'U' or "Uncirculated" designation for loose vintage toys. This change will go into effect for submissions received after the end of the current month."
It would have been nice if they had realized it is destructive to the collectable to open it but it seems like they just realised It affects their appeal to customers in a negative way to be associated with the term U grading .

[mr_palitoy]

AFA have confirmed they won’t be opening stuff going forwards.

Jason