AFA, just for resale or for your collection

[uterglue]

When you get the loose figures graded, are the positioned in the case in a position as to they won't move? Are the weapons placed in a case within a case? What about a filecard, can you have that placed too, but not graded?

The figure moves, the weapons are taped down or loose in the top compartment. I don't think they do filecards without grading. But a misb figure with filecard can be done for a lot of money though.

[uterglue]

Hey guys, I've been lurking for a while and had a question. I'm really tempted to buy some AFA graded figures (used to collect CGC graded comics, so there's an obvious connection there) but I'm leaning toward it not being a good investment due to the o-ring potentially snapping somewhere down the line.

I'm just starting to get into the hobby and don't really intend to buy to sell, but if I wanted to get my money back somewhere down the line, do you think the value would hold depending on the length of time. For example, if I pay $200-$300 for a 1982-1986 AFA graded figure and within 10-20 years, the o-ring snaps, would I stil be able to get my money back assuming there is still a market for Joes? What do you guys think?

I'd say you'd lose money due to inflatiuon as well as a snapping rubber. I for one would rather buy one intact and I think most people would agree.

[Blowtorch01]

I'm very familiar with the baseball and sportscard world...and judging from whats happened there, I'm a little leery of getting into the AFA market.

Some graded cards have dropped by 80-90-95%. High grade Griffey rookies, Jordans, almost anything from the 80's and 90's.

The problem was, alot of high grade cards weren't that rare to begin with. There's a big different between artificial scarcity (say there's 100,000 of them made and only a 1,000 have been graded. And 10 of those are gem mint. As the population goes up, values went down) and real scarcity.

I think the trick is figuring out if you're buying based on real rarity or something artifical and short term.

There's a saying in the card world...buy the card not the holder. I might do that in the Joe world, buying what looks best, and not necessarily the grade. Right now, I just don't know if the real high grade stuff is worth it.

[zark1976]

blowtorch, to continue your metaphor, I think that the vintage Joes could be compared to 1960's era cards and the 1990-94 would compare to the Griffeys and Jordans and the modern stuff would be like modern baseball cards, no point to grading them.

[Blowtorch01]

Zark,

I would agree. What year do you think would be the cut off?

After about 88, 89, 90?