AFA Grading - Is it worth it?

So I'm a casual collector, who pretty much only buys things if they are really cool and I have the money for them. I only have a few figures in cases (my ROTS figures, mostly because I like the packaging, and because I've heard that loose, the figures don't stand well, and are fragile) and the rest are loose (Toys are made to be played with )

I just came into posession of a bunch of Red-Card POTF figures. They are all main characters, so that makes me happy. I want to keep these in the packages though, just because I think its wrong to take them out of the box that they've been in for years (unless the card or bubble was really messed up, but they're not).
I was obviously going to invest in some Star Cases, but I was wondering if getting a couple of them AFA graded might be worth it? I don't really plan on selling these in the near future, but It would just be kind of cool to have.

Oh, and it this makes it easier, this is what I have:

C-3PO
Boba Fett
Chewbacca
Darth Vader (with the long lightsaber)
Han Solo
Han Solo in Hoth Gear
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker in Dagobah Fatigues
Luke Skywalker in X-Wing Fighter Pilot Gear
R2D2
Stormtrooper

They aren't all in perfect condition, obviosuly some are better then others (To me it looks like the regular Luke is in the best condition, probably followed by the Stormie and Dagobah Luke)

I also have an Episode 1 Yoda with the error card that I was just thinking of putting in a case, but would this be a good one too?

So I was just wondering what you guy's opinion is on this matter. Thanks!

 

IMO, AFA grading is only worth it on items you KNOW to be worth a significant amount and you're PLANNING to sell. I have seen some comic books for sale where the grading definitely helped to raise the final selling price more than it would have without the grading. In the case of Star Wars, I think the investment of the grading would only be worth it with vintage figures.

 

AFA grades on POTF2 figures wouldn't be worth it, in my opinion. As it is, the figures typically sell for just a few dollars on the secondary market nowadays, and to go through all the expenditures of AFA grading on them wouldn't be worth it. It'd probably cost more to get the figure graded than you would get after you sold it, with or without the AFA grade.

 

I find it a total waste of money.

That is what the very idea of slabbing action figures and comics creates; a un-readableable comic book or unplayable toy that has a arbritrary value assigned to it. Sure, the idea of slabbed toys is to preserve them, but preserve them for what? So they can opened later? The moment that happens they lose their value, so the whole point of slabbing them becomes pointless. I mean, really, with some exceptions, the idea of AFA grading is to save an investment for later sale. Some things just are not worth the fee you pay for the grading, especially if a few are not in good shape to begin with. With your POTF2 figures, for example, they are so common that you can often not give them away. If you really want to just keep them for you and keep them carded - throw each one in a PVC/Acid free bad and toss them in a good comic box. Put them in your closet or whatever.

Plus, with some items, AFA will refuse to grade them (but I think they still do charge a small fee for refusing) to grade it.

Again, I find it a waste of money - no one is going to ever retire on a toy, but if it's your thing...spend away. Many do it and are happy.

 

I don't think it's worth it either. The POTF2 figures you have are so common that I can't even get rid of mine. AFA does charge a bit for their grading services, so unless the item is worth a lot, you are better off saving your money. Even the POTF2 errors/variations are not that big of a deal.

IMO, the only figures worthy of AFA are the vintage carded figures from the Kenner's OT years (e.g. 1978-85).

 

It is a complete waste of money. Nothing in my collection is AFA and that is the way it will always be.

 

i think AFA is a ridiculous scam. those red card figures were awful anyway. set one in each kitchen cabinets to keep away mice. hand them out to door-to-door salesmen to scare them away. give them to santa claus...he can put them in the naughty kid's stockings instead of coal.

 

I can understand grading services for trading cards, especially sports cards, since it does nothing to remove the ability to enjoy the card as the front and back are completely visible, and the grading only adds a higher level of protection, as well as locking in the condition of the card forever. But, when it comes to comics books and figures, you are removing almost all possibility of the real enjoyment of the item's original purpose.

 

AFA is in my opinion the largest ripoff in the collecting world. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to see that a figure is mint. As for the "well, it protects my collection" excuse, so do the Protech Star cases, and they start at $1 apiece vs. the $16 starting cost for AFA. The only figure i ever thought of getting graded was a FF weequay i won on ebay, and never got the chance because the idiot mailed it in an envelope from ENGLAND so it didnt arrive in 'gradable' shape ( id thought i'd been 'punked' or something. Im holding a destroyed weequay in one hand, and an el cheapo mailer envelope in the other, and thinking..."carded figure...envelope?...carded... figure... envelope?! ARRGGHH!) I'd love to be an AFA employee though, its such a d@mn easy job looking at figures all day...

onward

 

Yep afa is one big rip off to me I mean you see on ebay people grading rots figures even have seen a graded darth tater, they do not really go for much more money than what they are actually worth so it is not worth it. The only things I would grade would be anything with value like say for example a double telescopic vader on a 12 back worth about $7000 would definately have that graded for my piece of mind and even things like the revenge of the jedi proof cards worth getting them graded to stop them getting damaged.