U Grade FAQ

[TC-14]

As a fan returning to collecting for the first time since the 80s, and who had no idea at first about the AFA or indeed U grading, this guide has proved incredibly informative and invaluable.

I'll echo the majority of responses: why would you do it? I suspect all future collectors will look back on this period as a savage and sad time where greed got the better of sense.

I for one will not be going down the grading route, U or otherwise. Has this practice abated somewhat in the last couple of years?

[itfciain]

If you talk to Robbie - who was one of the big U-graders of the past 3-4 years then he will tell you that there is not as much love for them anymore - however a recent sales thread on RS for practically a full set of them did generate a lot of sales so who knows

[Wild Whiphid]

Being a "newbie" in vintage collecting, I've never heard of this kind of practice before. But it seems like a waste.
Carded figures are only getting rarer as years go by (lost, opened, U (de)graded or whatever), they aren't producing these anymore...

I am a loose collector myself, for both modern and vintage figures. I like to display figures and hold them in my hands, and collecting loose figures allows me to get more out of a budget. But I'd rather trade a carded figure for loose ones than rip it off and potentially destroying an item that another collector would love to add to his/her collection.

[TC-14]

If you talk to Robbie - who was one of the big U-graders of the past 3-4 years then he will tell you that there is not as much love for them anymore - however a recent sales thread on RS for practically a full set of them did generate a lot of sales so who knows

Thanks for that, Iain. Despite that recent RS sales thread, it sounds like the trend for this unnecessary practice is going the right way, thankfully.

And Wild Whiphid, I like your U (de)graded quip- quite right

[rob71]

Seems to me that every figure ripped from a less than perfect card is another piece of history lost, which is a real shame (especially as so many of us would love to have them)... there are plenty ways for people to make money and this has got no place in the hobby

[Wild Whiphid]

And who decided that a plastic box from AFA is worth anything anyway?

[db94]

Reading through the wealth of information I obviously got pretty angry and the short-sightedness of the individuals destroying moc's but it's also given me a new love for beaters. I'm not planning buying many carded figures and would probably have held out for mint examples but after being made aware off the pointless destruction I feel super protective over the dog eared examples that greedy people use as an excuse to U grade. My wife says it's a bit like loving the battered old VW beetle (Herbie style) because it's got lots of history and previous owners.

[Grant_C]

I concure with this page.

[theslider]

I concur with this page.

Don't we all?!

[tiefighterboy]

I concur with this page.

Don't we all?!

Well I would say 98% of us.

[Jedi_june]

I'd rather trade a carded figure for loose ones than rip it off and potentially destroying an item that another collector would love to add to his/her collection.

I can agree with this 1000000%

[Garydo]

ive recently started collecting again after about 10 years and all this is new news to me and its really sad, I would much rather have a beater MOC than a figure in a plastic box with a grade but that's just me.
Ive seen these on ebay an they fetch some crazy money, why?

From now on when I see a beater im buyin em up

[lee gray]

Now I am not too fussed either way about U grades myself and am good friends with a guy who likes them but I just see somewhere a U graded yak face with gaffi stick. I would have presumed even if card was a bad beater it would be more valuable carded.

[Michael Sith]

It's about the history, and the card being original, mocs ...specifically beaters, and reseals, cut or sliced cards should be kept that way, not only to keep them "whole", but they offer up a chance for people like myself to build a collection on a budget, without having to pay silly money

[slim]

i almost cant believe my eyes when i see people paying sky high prices for this u graded nonsense on ebay , how many perfectly good displayable cards are being destroyed for this madness ! surely these over inflated prices wont continue as the bubble has got to burst i think ??

slim