I have never seen this Cobra Commander AFA Graded! Have you?

[The Amazing Mutato]

Hey guys. I have been searching high and low for a AFA loose straight arm Cobra Commander for a while. I saw a few AFA graded without a file card. Then I saw this one with a file card.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1982-Mail-Away-Cobra-Commander-w-Filecard-AFA-U80_W0QQitemZ230172410726QQihZ013QQcategoryZ2467QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

When I was looking a couple months back, a regular straight arm with no file card sold for $399.99 on ebay.

If I bid on this one, how high do you think I will have to go to win it????

[Storm.Shadow]

You'll need the item number: 230172410726

[Soulgem]

Sounds like an expensive item. But at the same time, it was "only" graded 80.

[jmc2915]

i don't understand if it is loose how can it be uncirculated. i mean it has been played with

[Soulgem]

Cause it was a mail-in, maybe? Those came loose, right?

Or maybe it's from the factory or from some direct sale of some sort...

[The Amazing Mutato]

I contacted the guy who is selling it. He says that it was a mail away figure mint in baggie, so the figure was never touched by human hands.

[C.I.A.D.]

i don't understand if it is loose how can it be uncirculated. i mean it has been played with

Not necessarily. The figure was a mail away item, so it came in a little bag (as most mail aways). The unfortunate part is that the figure was removed from it's original packaging.

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I do not buy in to the whole AFA deal. With all due respect to AFA as a company, how can one call themselves "the Authority" when there is nothing/no one else to rate yourself against?

Side Rant: A friend of mine sent a MINTASTIC figure to AFA for grading. The figure, MOSC, received a grading of 75. Angered by this nonsense, my friend contacted AFA and was told "it is what it is". He then sent the SAME PIECE back to AFA under his girlfriend's name & address...and the SAME PIECE came back with an AFA grade of 90. Go figure.

Ok, back on track. I don't know why the seller in question is referring to this piece as uncirculated.

As for how much it will go for....or how much to bid, that's completely up to the buyer in question. I know I personally wouldn't pay more than $50 for it.

[Soulgem]

Side Rant: A friend of mine sent a MINTASTIC figure to AFA for grading. The figure, MOSC, received a grading of 75. Angered by this nonsense, my friend contacted AFA and was told "it is what it is". He then sent the SAME PIECE back to AFA under his girlfriend's name & address...and the SAME PIECE came back with an AFA grade of 90. Go figure.
Ouch. I agree with you on the AFA thing. I'm after non-graded carded figures, cause honestly, I don't think anyone I know has a clue about what these figures are worth anyway. They display just as nice without the "85,80,90" crap.

Actually.. I don't think anyone in my country even cares.

On topic: If it's a mail away, it's absolutely _circulated_. If the seller claims it's an uncirculated figure, it should come straight from the factory without entering the market.

[The Amazing Mutato]

IT IS UNCIRCULATED!!!!

THE BIG "U" in front of the grade, means AFA deemed it UNCIRCULATED!

It's probably one of those Mail Away Cobra Commanders that came straight from the factory. The person who got it graded, must have kept it nice and fresh in the factory sealed baggie. That is the only way it could have gotten a UNCIRCULATED grade. Plus with that filecard, I think it will go for a pretty penny!

[Capnjeffro]

Side Rant: A friend of mine sent a MINTASTIC figure to AFA for grading. The figure, MOSC, received a grading of 75. Angered by this nonsense, my friend contacted AFA and was told "it is what it is". He then sent the SAME PIECE back to AFA under his girlfriend's name & address...and the SAME PIECE came back with an AFA grade of 90. Go figure.


And that right there is one of the reasons I think CGC and AFA are flawed. Not to mention just tagging on a 'Its rated 9.whatever' will jump an item by an astronomical level in price. I too wonder what they grade against or how they became the 'experts' in what they do.

[The Superfly]

they're the experts because they are in bed with the Wizard/ToyFare crew, and they artificially inflate the market with an imaginary grading system that has no backing or credentials whatsoever, save for that handy little price tracking guide in the back of ToyFare. Such a scam, and so many people are falling for it.

[Soulgem]

It's probably one of those Mail Away Cobra Commanders that came straight from the factory. The person who got it graded, must have kept it nice and fresh in the factory sealed baggie. That is the only way it could have gotten a UNCIRCULATED grade. Plus with that filecard, I think it will go for a pretty penny!
If seller has recieved it and then gotten it graded, it's circulated. No matter how uncirculated AFA claims it is. If it has entered the market (in other words: gone out to a paying customer), it's just as circulated as a normal carded figure.
However, I can think of numerous reasons AFA has graded it "uncirulated". You will probably like the one with "graded straight from factory" the best.

So go ahead and buy it, it certanly looks like a figure in awesome condition.
Me, I would not trust AFA a single second. I'd probably get a carded Takara CC instead. I love their card art, and it's the same figure for 1/5 the price.

[swafus]

I have also had issues with AFA in the past. The only MOC figure I sent to them was an 87 outback and they gave it a 70 and it was "dead....mint.....perfect"! It couldn't have been any more flawless then if I had frozen it in time. I think it is a load of crap and I'd like to see a lineup of their panel of "experts"! Probably resembles a rogues gallery of the "do not rent list" at the local adult video store!!..........Not that I would know what said list would look like .....or anything :-()

[swafus]

I;ve been buying alot of ungraded figures that are in really great shape lately and you get them at a much more affordable price.
Especially if your buying off the card. I could bag-seal a figure and probably get an uncirculated tag from AFA?
Matter of fact, where did I put that sealer at....??