is getting a sealed game graded worth it?

[final fight cd]

i just bought a factory sealed double dragon II for only 4 dollars. i definitely plan on selling it and want to get as much of a profit out of it as i can. the VGA website says graded games go for much higher than there non-graded counterparts. i never bought or sold a VGA graded game so i am going to assume this is true. having it graded would only be around 25-30 dollars.

at the moment there is one completed auction for a sealed DDII and it sold for only 75 dollars. but there is a VGA graded DDII with a BIN at around 500 dollars. but who knows how long that has been relisted on ebay and if it will ever sell at that price.

have any of you guys ever bought or sold a VGA graded game? does it really make a difference that it is graded? i think i might just get it done b/c this whole VGA business intrigues me.

[CRTGAMER]

A reseal stamped as new? You are kidding right?
Seems like taking a cut while claiming to be the expert, geeze.

Nope I'm not buying it.

Anyways here is an article about Video Game Authority.
http://www.gamesniped.com/2008/04/09/fi ... -hit-ebay/

The site.
http://www.vggrader.com/

[enderfall]

I don't know about video games, but when I was a kid graded baseball cards certainly got a premium, but the caveat was that it needed to be pristine and get at least a 9 (out of 10), otherwise, it wouldn't have much more value than an ungraded card. You must be pretty sure that it'll receive a high grade in order to make it worthwhile.

[LBJeff]

have any of you guys ever bought or sold a VGA graded game? does it really make a difference that it is graded? i think i might just get it done b/c this whole VGA business intrigues me.

Let me know how it turns out because this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/Earthbound-Super-N ... 1c1256c9df

has been listed for a pretty good amount of time. Personally, saying something is worth X amount more based on someones' idea of it's condition and putting it in a piece of plexi-glass is crazy. Really, what authority do they have to put a condition rating on it? I could do the same thing. All that will happen is that anybody who does buy them will be getting ripped off. I'm all about having CIB games, but no way in hell I'm paying 3K for a copy of Earthbound.

Besides, why would someone want to buy a "game" to have it just sit there? Someone commented in the story listed above that you can get enjoyment out of sealed baseball cards and coins because they are meant to be looked at and you can do that in protective casing. Games are meant to be played. Yeah, I'm sure that someone who collects as a collector may see some value in a plastic tomb around your game, but it's highly unlikely that they will see any return on their investment because 99.999% of video game enthusiasts buy games to play them periodically.

[CRTGAMER]

VGA is just trying to make money and while jacking up value.

E-Bay, Gamestop, Craigs List, Goodwiill, Flea Markets, Amazon and a many other available sources set the average market value not some silly "Authority".

Still not buying.

[MrPopo]

VGA is just trying to make money and while jacking up value.

E-Bay, Gamestop, Craigs List, Goodwiill, Flea Markets, Amazon and a many other available sources set the average market value not some silly "Authority".

Still not buying.

VGA isn't setting prices, though. They simply state that this game is of quality X. In theory it's a purely objective number, compared to the normal Mint/Near Mint/Good system usually used. If the authority is trusted enough by the community then the act of having it graded lends weight; you know exactly what you're getting and the casing helps protect it. But VGA isn't saying that an 85 FF1 is worth N amount of money. That's up to the secondary market.

[t0yrobo]

Just assuming that graded games are similar to graded comics, then yes they can go for considerably more money. However, actually finding someone to pay that premium is very difficult.

[Flake]

Besides, why would someone want to buy a "game" to have it just sit there? ...Games are meant to be played.

Q.E.D.

[christoph]

*

[GSZX1337]

I remember hearing about this grading shit when I was into comics. It sounds like... well shit. I don't really see how having a comic or game in an indestructible plastic case with a grade on it will fetch more from eBay. The only time that I've seen them go for more then their ungraded counterparts was in a comic forum and at a Toy Show that had some comic vendors.