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08-03-2015, 04:51 AM | #1 |
EMPEROR, DARTH NAJA
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: CONNECTICUT
Posts: 2,177
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I am going to send this out to AFA...
In 2012, I sent AFA a very rare 1986 Serpentor "yellow neck" figure that was mint in a sealed bubble on red cardboard. I filled out paper work to have the figure graded with it's sealed bubble capacity. While waiting several weeks, anticipating great expectations and excitement, I finally received my package from AFA. When opening up the package to retrieve my graded 1986 Serpentor "yellow neck" mint on bubble, I was suddenly in shock and in disbelief! AFA had opened up and removed Serpentor from the factory mint in sealed bubble and graded the figure as a loose item. I remember clearly as if it happened today. The overwhelming feeling of disappoint and sadness crushed me! How could something like this happen?!?! This figure had much collecting value (the only 1986 Serpentor yellow neck MISB that i have ever seen in 15 years) and most importantly, sentimental value (I made this purchased with my wife on our honeymoon. We were both excited and left us a great memory). Additionally, Serpentor is the focus/ main stream of my collection and this 1986 Serpentor "yellow neck"was truly my "HOLY GRAIL" I would like to be quite honest with you, since this incident, collecting for me has not been the same, frankly it sucks! This hobby that I once loved has been destroyed by what AFA did! When looking at my collection or showing guest my figures on display, I am constantly reminded of what happened due to the absence of my HOLY GRAIL! I insured this item through AFA for $100 dollars with thoughts of the post office possibly damaging it or the package getting lost during shipping. I never imagined that I would be making the insurance claim because an AFA employee would open up and remove a MISB 1986 Serpentor and grade it loose! After receiving my graded Serpentor, I wrote AFA a letter explaining what happened and expressed my loss . AFA gave me two options, return the figure and get my $100 dollars insurance claim, or they will look for another Serpentor yellow neck MISB and buy it for me. I knew there was no way they would ever find another yellow neck MISB but thought it was worth a try. As expected, months passed and they never found another one. Disappointingly, my only option left was to collect my insurance claim. There is no excuse how a company that considers itself a professional business or claims to have expertise knowledge in action figures would open up a 1986 sealed figure and grade it as a loose item. As of today, I truly resent Afa for what happened. Just the presence of seeing AFA's products leaves me frustrated and saddened in this hobby. Since this incident, I have sold off a majority of my collection and repurchased new items trying to fill this void and regroup. I find that I am constantly haunted by this tragedy and hope that someday, I can come across an item or an experience that will over shadow this horrible incident with AFA.
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"THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE COBRA TO RISE UP AND REVEAL HIMSELF" SERPENTOR ARMY PICS!!! http://www.hisstank.com/forum/member...tor-army-1350/ Last edited by NAJA EMPIRE; 11-14-2015 at 10:30 AM.. |
08-03-2015, 07:22 AM | #2 |
Crimson Guard
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: New York
Posts: 4,069
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I remember this and fully sympathize. I think of it often and can't believe what these so-called "experts" did to you. I am sorry they destroyed your holy grail.
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08-03-2015, 07:48 AM | #3 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: PA
Posts: 10,816
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That sucks. I'm a distrustful person by nature and would never send something to someone else who I didn't personally know hoping to get it back, let alone something rare.
I don't agree with the obsession with grading or the notion that we need experts to do it. I believe condition of items is much more subjective than to let one entity be the authority on it. Some types of flaws may bother one person more than they bother another. It also seems pointless to grade an item which is so rare it's almost one-of-a-kind. The grading couldn't cause any price differentiation if sold because it's already impossible to get even in a lower grade. Overall, though, it doesn't seem logical to let one paint variant of an item affect your entire collecting. The item could've been lost or damaged any number of ways. I don't see how the fate of one item influences a feeling on an entire collection. |
08-03-2015, 07:58 AM | #4 |
Range Viper
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: Joeverse
Posts: 10,474
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I have never been a fan of the AfA process and dont bother buying them. As long as a card has no folds or creases I am fine with a little shelf wear.
I just couldnt trust something so rare to the post office and the afa. What if they kept yours and sent you a loose one? |
08-03-2015, 08:03 AM | #5 |
Hog Driver
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Georgia
Posts: 12,236
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Quote:
I have never been a fan of the AfA process and dont bother buying them. As long as a card has no folds or creases I am fine with a little shelf wear.
I just couldnt trust something so rare to the post office and the afa. What if they kept yours and sent you a loose one? |
08-03-2015, 10:18 AM | #6 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Euless, Texas
Posts: 8,842
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AFA is a scam, their "experts" are self proclaimed. And yet, people send already valuable figures to people who make a plexiglass box and slap a sticker on it. You can make your own box and sticker for a third of the price and it will still hold it's value.
I am sorry for your loss, as some figures such as that one are not easy, if not impossible to replace.
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08-03-2015, 11:03 AM | #7 |
Bald Master
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Wolverine Lake, MI
Posts: 15,130
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...and now as I understand it, AFA is dealing with backlash from grading lots of faked SW vintage figures. Looks like they had it coming! Hopefully they go under...
Sorry for your loss. That is unfathomable from a toy collecting viewpoint.
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08-03-2015, 11:05 AM | #8 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Az
Posts: 151
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sad story indeed
I'm surprised you didn't file a lawsuit for more than the silly 100 dollars. Countless collectors would have been willing to testify on the rarity of such an item and the intrinsic value of having an item MISB. Your pain and suffering is quite obvious, and the 15 years that went down the toilet has to be worth something. |
08-03-2015, 02:03 PM | #9 |
Cobra Viper
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Missouri
Posts: 498
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Did they ever explain why they opened a MOC figure?
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08-03-2015, 02:15 PM | #10 |
Hisstank.Com General
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Euless, Texas
Posts: 8,842
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Honestly, they probably didn't know what it was. As it wasn't in a normal figure card back, but instead a vehicle driver bubble, they probably just assumed it was just a normal Serpentor that just needed to be graded and didnt see any significance in it being in the bubble with no art or file card.
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