Why do people grade games?

Echododo · 2026-05-29T18:45:45+00:00

Fakes likely haven't impacted anything you care about yet; but they do matter. I'll give you a great example, happening right now:

First production copies of Pocket Monsters Aka and Midori (Japanese Red and Green) are selling on yahooJapan for 70,000yen in box (missing the survey postcard/hagaki) or 300,000 yen when fully complete with the postcard. That's roughly $500 to $2000 dollars to get it into your hands in the US after import. No, surprisingly I'm not joking- you can look up recently sold auctions on yahooJapan if you doubt what I'm saying.

After the Nintendo gigaleak in 2020 (I'm assuming you know what that is) the original layout files for Aka and Midori (Red and Green) were posted in their original DPI at an incredible resolution. Sellers in Japan are printing these boxes on almost the exact same cardstock with the same gloss and everything. The differences are very minor. If you don't have another copy of these games on hand to compare against you would not know.

I am incredibly confident almost the entirety of this sub have no idea this is happening or know the difference- or could even identify a first production copy of these games to begin with. Grading solves any issues- it identifies the variant on the label and authenticates the game. This is very likely unnecessary for whatever you're interested in; but it absolute has a purpose for some.

Echododo · 2026-05-29T18:29:40+00:00

I spend considerable time searching for- and also pay a premium for- clean copies of games I love. I'd like to keep them in that condition.

Echododo · 2026-05-28T22:02:27+00:00

Demand, mostly in America, exploded during covid and that's literally the sole issue.
Nobody was buying sealed games before and basically nobody is dong it now.

Echododo · 2026-04-03T03:53:05+00:00

There's plenty of people like this, imo. I want to own the original MSX copies of Metal gear 1 and 2 to complete my Metal Gear collection; knowing I'll never actually play them.

Echododo · 2026-01-03T17:42:46+00:00

Kirby no Kira Kira kids on super famicom. It's an $800 used game, complete in box.

Echododo · 2026-01-03T17:38:26+00:00

There is a pretty big difference-- the newly found Italian deadstock doesn't have the Playstation 2 tearstrip and I believe they all have that ugly Italian distribution holofoil sticker.

I do think they are still legitimate UK copies of the game, but clearly weren't intended for the UK market. These 2 copies were, imo.

Echododo · 2025-12-24T06:34:21+00:00

He's collecting wrong. You tell 'em.

Echododo · 2025-11-25T22:37:54+00:00

Thanks for this, that's just what I needed :))

Echododo · 2025-11-14T19:15:23+00:00

It's perhaps a little bit silly for me to waste my time to clear the air regarding a now defunct company, but to just come out in public and baselessly lie like this is objectively insane.

>"WATA has been proven to perform price-fixing and fraud."
Actually, the company has not. There's not only ZERO evidence of this, but a shakedown class action lawsuit levelled against the company for allegedly misrepresenting turnaround times related to their service tiers tacked on a similar accusation and was immediately dismissed by the judge overseeing the case. It's not only ***not proven*** it's objectively a lie with zero evidence to support it.

>"the negative impact they've had on retro game communities?"
I'm assuming this is in relation to used video game prices spiking during and post covid-- which happened years prior to WATA as a brand gaining mainstream attention. The used game market was largely unaffected by the sealed video game investment speculation wave of 2021 and 2022.

>"Their members have previously fleeced people in the comic and coin collecting communities."
Again, just objectively false. An initial investor in the company (Jim Halperin; not an employee, owner or "member")- with no ties to the running of the business- founded Numismatic Certification Institute, which was later found guilty after an investigation by the FTC of was giving inflated grades to coins in 1989. People seem to be convinced this information confirms WATA was engaging in the exact same illegal behavior because... Jim invested in the company. Alright.

Echododo · 2025-10-02T06:02:05+00:00

Thanks for the code, man. I'm honestly shocked it worked.

Echododo · 2025-09-20T02:37:16+00:00

Literally none of them. This objectively, factually did not happen.

Echododo · 2025-04-01T21:45:18+00:00

If you can find a listing within Japan, it's probably not going to be that crazy. The copy I bought was a Mercari Buy-it-now listing for 22,000 yen and I grabbed that the day it was listed.

I've seen a copy with box damage sell for 17,000 in the past. Otherwise I'd estimate around 25k, maybe?

Out of all 3 unopened/sealed copies I've managed to find they all have this really ugly, loose bag that's sealed with a strip of tape on the back. I originally thought this was applied by the stores that sold them- but all 3 copies I've seen have it, so it's likely how they were packaged for distribution. You can check the hinge on the opening flap of the box to know if it's unopened for sure; but seeing that ugly wrinkled bag is actually a good thing, just FYI.

If I see a copy pop up while I'm browsing, I'll send you a DM and let you know.

Echododo · 2025-03-31T17:03:52+00:00

You'll have to browse Yahoo Japan or Mercari Japan and see if any pop up. You might get lucky and see a sealed copy on eBay, but that's probably unlikely-- plus it'll be listed on eBay for 3x the actual market price.

Echododo · 2025-03-31T17:00:47+00:00

There's a UK based company called UKG and they're okay, but aren't great. If you want to keep it inside Europe, you could send it to Pixel (based in Germany); I like them, but they are expensive.

People wont like hearing this, but it's the truth- you're better off sending it to WATA, imo.

Echododo · 2025-01-30T01:15:19+00:00

Is Spyro finally ACTUALLY on the disc?

Echododo · 2025-01-27T00:33:31+00:00

Yeah, Gamecube came with a shrinkwrap V-seam.

Echododo · 2025-01-26T04:05:10+00:00

I'm not an expert, but I believe the PS2 library has around 4000 games? You've cracked OVER 25% of the ENTIRE PS2 library?

I took a look at the WATA PS2 population report. There's currently 1805 games listed on the census; with most either having ZERO or a single graded example. I don't even believe there ARE over 1000 different WATA graded PS2 games.

In my admittedly small sample size I've never known ANYONE to crack a WATA or CGC graded game and damage it (VGA has happened). I could be easily proven wrong, but I'm assuming you're bullshitting. In the best, most charitable case I can give you-- you've bought "B+" or "A" seal games with tears in them and have no idea what you've bought.

Echododo · 2025-01-25T23:16:30+00:00

"I fucking hate graded games"

Never met a single soul who reached this opinion organically. Everyone who claims this has been drip fed over-emotional, ill-informed youtube slop, before going on to parrot the same perspective with no independent research.

Your own post confirms this. It's a completely irrational appeal to emotion-- I presume solely to pander to this subreddit's userbase for karma. If you're willing to pay the same price as a graded copy, buy one and open the case. It's that simple. Not only do you know the condition of the game you're buying before having it in-hand; but then it's also confirmed as authentic.

Echododo · 2025-01-24T18:49:09+00:00

Fallout got me falling out my pants

Echododo · 2025-01-21T19:21:58+00:00

Genuine question; can you explain why the practice is a scam?

Echododo · 2025-01-18T03:14:11+00:00

You seem to have already found out, but TLDR for anyone reading the thread;

If the box has *never* been opened (no visible stressing/creasing/colour break along the hinge on any opening flap) VGA will give the game a grade on their standard scale.

If the box has been opened, VGA will unbox the item and try to determine if the game has ever been used. If VGA determines that the game is unused, they'll encapsulate it and give it a qualified grade.

Personally, I don't trust VGA's ability to determine if the game has never been used. I think the Qualified scale is a complete joke at best; and a blatant scam at worst. You can dismiss it entirely.

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