The Honest Reality of Grading Video Games

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[@danielbedgood8248]

fact is that any item is only as valuable as someone is willing to pay for it,not what someone says its worth. grading is the biggest down fall of video game collecting

[@DashDonivan]

Well WATA is now being sued in federal court over the way they grade. I wouldn't touch anything with their name on it.

[@gamingcrusade3842]

Grading will always be a scam in my eyes

[@lostcausecollectibles]

Why?

[@gamingcrusade3842]

@@lostcausecollectibles They artificially inflate the value of games. Sometimes games we don't know if they are defective or not. A game is only truly worth what someone will pay for it. And one may sell for $500+ once but never again. I could get a protective plastic shell, put a grade on a game and say its a 9.7 A+ and say its worth $700 but who am I but some random guy on the internet

[@odigomez1787]

There’s grading in every collectible. Games are no different. You look at it as a game others look at it as a collectible and any collectible being pristine will fetch higher dollars.

[@gamingcrusade3842]

@@odigomez1787 The issue with games in my opinion is it can be an empty box or defective game which would lower the value

[@chocolatewheelchair]

You won’t be saying that in ten years

[@-Down-D-Stairs-]

Video game grading is a cancer that spread from grading trading cards. Grading is a perversion of the hobby of collecting.

[@TucBroder]

Agreed. I will never send anything in for grading. Not that my games are in amazing condition anyways, but I do have a few...

[@athag1]

Save your money Caleb. Grading games artificially inflates prices of used games in my experience. You end up losing money in the long run too. Also, if I could buy say 80 used CIB games or a couple of graded games for say 1k I would hands down choose the 80 used games. Think also of what you could trade for all those games. Best of all you get to play them too!

[@williamRRR]

I mean if you find a sealed SNES RPG like secret of mana or chrono trigger. go ahead and get it graded. A sealed Xbox or ps2 game yea just a waste of grading fees

[@ItsMrCatelli]

He doesn't care about artificially inflating prices he shills whatnot to his viewers.

[@familiasegval6187]

Funny how this ks exactly what Pat Contri was talking about. These games aren't really rare in sealed condition. More and more are gonna be available as they come out of wata graded, and the value will just decrease more. Graded games aren't an asset, the only people that benefitted from this craze were wata and heritage, and they created the craze. $100 for grading a game is insane

[@stevensliwa11]

That final fantasy tactics that you showed sold on ebay was mine lol

[@chocolatewheelchair]

The more games are banned or removed from online stores having physical sealed & original software is actually museum quality stuff in the long run

[@zmbigmr]

Wata will not remove stickers at this time. I believe that would be the deep clean service which they are not currently offering due to a surplus of games to get graded. Takes to long so they removed that service months ago.

[@topdogalpha]

It gets under my skin that he leaves price tags on lol theyre easy to get off just takes some time. His gamecube collection is an abomination

[@trevor245]

I think the main reason they no longer offer it is because they are really bad at it. There have been multiple cases where they try to remove the stickers and end up damaging the seal. And rather then refund the customer they just slap a grade on it and ship it back. It's not hard to remove stickers yourself even from seals it's worth doing yourself almost always.

[@ZackMuffinMan]

They removed stickers for me when I selected the light cleaning option and said to please remove if possible in the notes since June of last year. Latest order was in March and it also had stickers removed. But yeah I've heard people saying they are leaving stickers even if they choose the light cleaning."

[@anthonylombard4220]

Auction them on whatnot so u loose more money

[@kamb8s]

loose

[@andrewrogers3184]

Can someone explain the hype of sealed games to me? I buy games to play them so I dont understand buying them to put in a box on the shelf. Is it just a potential return on investment

[@cowzparker8465]

You should get a sealed Kinect adventures graded

[@metallicflare1]

I refuse to buy WATA graded games because I don’t support their unethical ways.

[@bas7467]

I agree. Yet this dude gives them money

[@Mr100Rupees]

He supports scammers for a while now that says a lot about this clown and his channel

[@RedBeerdN8]

Have you learned further toward VGA since the WATA debacle? Any noticable difference in communication or customer service?

[@DwDiablo3]

i would much rather buy used games over inflated sealed/graded any day of the week

[@iceburg0xh]

Wata has started getting things going faster because of the current class action lawsuit

[@kamb8s]

They were caught up to turnaround times before the reddit post was ever made.

[@irwinrommel2099]

Who would have thought that artificially inflating the market by making false sales would cause trust to fall in the market

[@stevensliwa11]

Awesome stuff, sealed goodness

[@desklaser]

The ONLY reason people try to grade games is to resell them for a vast artificially inflated value. Oh, you’re losing money and just sitting on a ton of unsold stock? Boo hoo too fucking bad. The only people buying those are investors who think they can resell them later on as well. Nobody that actually values video games are buying these.

[@bernerphne7953]

More people should make there own cases to display/protect these games. And give your whole hearted honest grade to it. They will still sell as long as you and the person who buys it agree on your grading. either way games will sell

[@Stephenp252]

The problem with trying to flip graded games is that you’re selling to a very niche buyer base, basically just collectors who have the money to buy graded out right.

[@djthesaintau]

Love that capcom vs snk pro !!! One of my childhood favourites

[@trevor245]

I still find it ridiculous that you can get a 9.6 on a game that has a tear in the seal. I get how their scale works but doesn't mean it isn't stupid.

[@mattdubovik3082]

Oh I don't think you quite do, Trevor. You see, 9.6 is the box score. They grade the box and seal separately. You can have a perfect box with a shitty seal and vice versa. If you can't wrap your head around such a simple concept then maybe you're the one stupid lmao. But hey, gAmEs ArE mEaNt tO bE PlAyEd right??

[@kamb8s]

You clearly do not understand how their scale works if you're wondering why a game with a tear got a 9.6.

[@trevor245]

@@kamb8s I do I know that the b grade is for the tear but it's still stupid IMO that the main grade is not heavily influenced by something which is arguably the worst defect you can have in sealed collecting. It should be the other way around or better yet just all go into the same grade. It's like giving a creased Pokémon card a 10 because everything else is good but then putting creased under the grade. I know they do that with some cards that have common centering issues but a tear is not a factory issue it's damage and that should be reflected in the main grade not just a sub grade.

[@kamb8s]

@@trevor245 i think you have a critical misunderstanding here. There is no "main" grade. There is a box grade and a seal grade. If you have a perfect condition box and a tear on the seal, there is no reason to expect the box grade to be effected.

[@kamb8s]

@@trevor245 And since you're using the pokemon card example, it's more like having a card get subgrades from CGC or BGS. If the card is mint, but has a dent, there's no reason to expect the card to not get a 10 centering or a 10 edges or corners. They are completely different grades.

[@ConditionUpgrade]

At a time when people were getting anything graded…it’s more nuanced than that. Think about popularity vs seal grade vs box grade vs demand BUT always be able to look forward to what can potentially be valuable and/or collectible. Ex. Onimusha isn’t a grade game to grade for resale. It could be collectible to people but buying it off eBay vs doing the grading yourself is what people should be thinking about.

[@albinorav3noutdoors445]

What app do you use to tell you profit you’ll make on Amazon?

[@videogamecollector4255]

Feeling that I would not grade games for investment or future value. I would like to add a graded game to my collection as a fun conversation piece.

[@RetroSammie]

same, i have a few graded pokemon cards. no for investment but just cause i want one

[@Mr100Rupees]

What were you thinking sending your stuff in Wata ? Do you support scammers ?

[@ItsMrCatelli]

Yeah he's sponsored by whatnot

[@nublafiednubbie]

Back In The Day Getting a Box an Manual Was Already Gold..A Sealed Game Was Just Extra icing, I Don't Need 2 Pay Some 1 Money 2 Slap a Number on My Game's 😁

[@brianrice1613]

honestly, grading can be a great investment. However, if you're just proud of your mint conditon ps3 game and want to have its mintness validation and in a awesome case, and can afford it, than grade it!

[@tylerpeck9754]

You may already do it. But it’d be interesting to create a chart for the graded games if you used a chart :.how much you bought it for, where at, was it part of bundle, then how much it sold for.

[@michaelgloria8655]

Hello I have a question for you Sir. Should I get my Super Nintendo Zombie eat my neighbor that is 100% complete graded and NES Moon Ranger also with box and manual or keep both raw? Thanks for your time.

[@collins7575]

Don’t grade cib unless it’s something extremely rare

[@trevor245]

@@collins7575 Even if it's rare CIB grading is really stupid unless it's like unopened.

[@masofdas]

I'm in the UK, and got a few sealed games like Breath of the Wild on Wii U, Jet Set Radio on Dreamcast amongst others and always think about getting them graded, mainly just to have a graded game though.

[@lookitskazzy]

I honestly have no clue why people send anything after 5th gen in for grading. It's pointless, too much supply. Speaking of supply, it seems like you (Caleb) may not be aware that Wata publishes population reports? Might want to review those before sending in games. Simple math is, the more graded copies there are, the less it is worth. IMO it isn't worth the risk of not getting a high grade to send in games with a large population. The price delta between the highest grade and average sale probably won't justify it.

[@osielflores3226]

Can someone tell me how can i found this guy on facebook please

[@rockyrocksrockz]

Come to Los Angeles!!

[@JohnDavisMurderer]

It's a shame to see you buying into the whole graded game scam. :(

[@lewisgrant7622]

I absolutely hate graded games. They’re supposed to be played not concealed Behind a plastic case.

[@Mr100Rupees]

He is a part of it he supports scammers I dunno why people keep supporting this channel

[@wantsome-zs5sq]

There's entire warehouses full of unsold old stock ps1 games.

[@fallenhero51451]

Caleb you still got that miku graded, send me the link.

[@sainishwanth1477]

Trying to share the link but youtube keeps removing it. Check the video's description, there's a link to his ebay store. If you're talking about the miku copy for ps vita then it's still available for $222

[@donovanbradford8231]

Cool video and insight at this point yes I have noticed there really isn't a rhyme or reason for what gets a good grade but also what titles people would want to pickup as a graded. Hopefully you get some if those guys sold for good money.

[@addonexus2656]

The issue with grading is that not a lot of people can actually afford graded games, so they have to be quite desirable for people to care. Lots of collectors may only have one or two graded games in their entire collection and be perfectly okay with that because their goal was just to have a high grade copy of their favorite game of all time. I don't believe grading is a scam. I see no reason to believe that's the case, and most of the people who argue that would say that "games and cards are meant to be played, comics meant to be read!" But it's just not true once things hit a certain value mark, and these people have no sense of preservation or respect for history and future generations. If you're the kind of person who would crack a brand new copy of a game valued at $600 and drop its value down to $35, you're the one ruining the hobby by making things completely unaffordable and unfathomably rare. On the other hand, there are very few games or cards out there actually worth paying for grading services as opposed to using the general consumer market of goods to protect them with stuff like screw-cases or toploaders, or in the game of games, stuff like a shadowbox. For comics the market is more intense and the demand for graded stuff is higher, simultaneously the value in comics exceeds that of the other two hobbies by a complete long-shot. I would argue that cards deserve to be graded, but for a different reason than comics most of the time. Some of the most rarest, most expensive graded games are in the 10k range. Cards come in behind that with MTG and Pokemon cards worth hundreds of thousands. Comic books have so many issues running around in the 10k mark, that the maximum value of comics goes into the multi millions, so preserving them is quite a bit more crucial than other hobbies. However, graded cards and comics are also a more versatile market. Nearly every collector of either can afford to grab cheap things they like to display in high grade. There are tons of 9.8 slabs that looks beautiful on a wall for comics that are only worth $60-$90, which is vastly more affordable than any graded game, where the average low end graded game is either non-existant because it's not profitable or around $200. Cards are even more versatile in affordability, which is why I say they deserve to be graded for a different reason. There are ways for people to sell graded cards at profit for like $20, making the buy in a really low commitment for collectors. Sometimes grading a lot of cheap items with high desirability for display purposes is the way to go every time for profit over those big items that will sit for long periods waiting for someone who can actually afford them to want it. Graded and sealed products ultimately target a whole different hobby than used stuff in general. There are even people who 'collect' these because of their investment potential without any real attachment to the product at all, which you just don't see happening as much in the used market. Grading is here to stay though, it's been profitable for over two decades. Calling it a scam is just silly.

[@docicusalignjon]

Videogames are meant to be collected AND played

[@andijrai4066]

hy can you help me i wanna buy ps4 pro and one time i got scam so

[@DwDiablo3]

who buys graded games, i buy games to play

[@deancolbird2240]

As A Lifelong Gamer and Reseller Never Like the Idea of Grading I Can't Get My Head Around The Idea Putting Games in a Tomb Forever lol :-))

[@ogre706]

Grading a game only increases its value if we, gamers/collectors, value the graded game more than a non-graded copy. Here's my valuation of graded games: I roll my eyes at them and move on to the next listing.

[@irritatingtruth9121]

Great investment potential!? 🤣 That’s sentimental for ya. And this is coming from someone that thinks graded stuff looks good on a shelf.

[@gwillakerz]

didnt help that you did it during the boom and payed premium

[@davismavis2834]

So the letter grading judges the plastic seal. What is the number grade for?

[@collins7575]

The box artwork

[@kamb8s]

The box itself.

[@ca18drifta1]

I sent in my Resident Evil 2 sealed for dreamcast last year and I paid for the 45 day turn around long story short it took about 7 months to get back from wata but it got A+ seal with a 9.6 grade

[@mammothcollector844]

Really don’t see the point in grading games tbh. Seems like an easy way to lose your money for little chance at profit. I feel like most logical buyers/collectors would rather pay for an ungraded game then an overpriced graded one.

[@williamRRR]

Yep most 6th gen ps2 or newer games are worth the grading fees unless it’s GameCube first party or fornite.

[@davismavis2834]

I don't get why there's 2 grades. 1 for the game and 1 for the seal? But if it's sealed how do you judge the game, other than by how good the seal is. Someone explain.

[@osrsnoob9416]

Minty box with not mint seal, and vice versa

[@fernandosepulveda7297]

I don't get it.

[@kamb8s]

A game could be cracked and broken even if the seal was minty and in tact.

[@supyo1]

Nice grades yo!

[@poormansporsche744]

Can someone explain how a game could be a 9.6 A+ vs a 9.6 B? I understand the A and B is for the seal itself on the package but if a game has a “straight up rip” on the side then how does it get a 9.6?

[@ZackMuffinMan]

Hi

[@ICharlyl]

I kinda don't like you're supporting Wata after all the allegations against them.

[@Mr100Rupees]

Yeah people calling him out in the comments and he just chooses to ignore them

[@blubblubee]

Grading games is such a basic hustle yet people fall for it… anyone can go on eBay, buy a raw game, and pay a fee to have it graded.

[@DubsBrown]

This reminds me of Toy Story 2 when Jessie remembers how she used to be played with and loved but now is just a forgotten collectors item. We grading these games locking them in airtight prisons, making them orphaned from families that would play them.

[@trevor245]

I never got this argument. It's not like there aren't enough opened copies around. What's the point in opening sealed copies if you can just buy them opened for way less?

[@kamb8s]

Well, good thing those were cartoons made for children and not real life.

[@nanohatake8666]

Cover the sides next time too, we can still see it lmao

[@trueheart1372]

If your going to make these videos pls edit with buy and sell values

[@legoboy-ox2kx]

I don't care about grading either way

[@videogamepolak0]

too bad wata is underwater in lawsuits with more to come

[@doughboymatson8426]

Are you stating a fact 100% fact or are you going after third party here say when it comes to the lawsuit

[@Johnnydubois]

I think onimisha 2 and the Armored Core Series are poor sellers now because they were poor sellers then. I've seen FFX sell for around 900 recently (PS2) I would have paid 1000 lol nostalgia sells mo

[@GetTheGreg]

Blasphemy. Graded games only go 📈

[@collins7575]

😂😂

[@nightmarex1]

Probably should have watch the wata exposed video from karl jobst, i wouldn't trust any of those prices that sold from auction.

[@williamf2823]

Yikes.. WATA

[@noobtuber10]

Getting games graded post covid is rarely worth it

[@FrappMocha]

I'm in the minority here but I don't see the appeal of brand new games nailed in a coffin.

[@manarulCozy2005]

Save

[@damiengunit9788]

I like 👍

[@MrKyo200]

you gave away the rating before you said them lol. on the sides of them

[@xboxnangable]

Oh graded games.....oh WATA, nevermind 🤣

[@jdemonbitcheslsdigi1423]

40k subs eat ur glasses

[@foxygracie9990]

Sup dood

[@josholsen1993]

Hi caleb what is your email ebay shop called?

[@jordanhilton1815]

I love when you lose money

[@Elvarg]

Thanks to you and retro Rick I have started reselling again

[@fedupwthu]

PSA > Wata. After wata cheated everyone.

[@doughboymatson8426]

I appreciate your channel I learned a lot about video games and what to look for I enjoy your channel it's very educational thanks for the free education it means the world to me to get educated when it comes to video games so I know what I'm looking for I have a question for you have you ever heard or seen a Nintendo Wii mini and whenever you get time can you please give me a shout out on one of your channel name is Joseph James Jefferson doughboy Matson if you could please give me a shout out that would make my day

[@davismavis2834]

No shout out until you learn to end a sentence properly

[@doughboymatson8426]

Here's my reply is this the person who actually owns this channel or is this someone else that's just making a public reply to what I asked the question was because if it's someone from the public saying no shoutouts they should mind their own business and let the person who actually owns this channel make comments not be mean and disrespectful it ain't up to you and what side and what's not said on this person's channel

[@bas7467]

Wata? Really? How sad

[@Mr100Rupees]

Yeah this guy is sad

[@trapmontana9440]

I like the grading culture it’s a investment

[@hodeyfu7617]

Grading is killing the hobby. Thanks for contributing to the downfall of collecting.