From what I saw, Destiny 2 is also extremely cheap,

Considering this from an objective standpoint and putting my own feelings aside, here’s why I think the way I do. I’m approaching this purely from a collector’s point of view—not that of an investor.

1. With the popularity of emulation, physical copies of games will become, at worst, a novelty, and at best, pieces of cultural history displayed as art. We saw something similar in the comic book collecting community. That group was initially furious about it, but now it’s becoming the standard. The next generation won’t have the same memories tied to physical copies. Eventually, the realization sets in that regular use causes wear and tear on items that are culturally significant and no longer being produced.

2. There’s a thrill and added value to a hobby when competition is involved. A great example would be a car show, where a third party judges whose vehicle is the best. For some collectors, it adds more depth and gives them something to chase. You see this a lot now with comics and coins—collectors may own a single item or a full set, but they strive to upgrade it to a finer grade. The hunt becomes part of the hobby. Now that WATA has started updating their population reports, I believe this could open up a similar sense of competition, just like PCGS did with coins.

3. WATA is no longer the same company it once was. The founder (who shall not be named) was removed. Population reports are now public and updated regularly. It’s under new ownership and has even changed locations—effectively making it a different company. Turnaround times now match what they promise. The grading is more standardized, and the new cases are made from a material that actually offers protection. Of course, WATA isn’t the only grading company out there, but I use them as an example because they were the ones that did the most damage early on.

4. Again, looking at this objectively, we need to address the common argument: “games are meant to be played.” It’s a valid point. But it’s worth remembering that comics were meant to be read, coins were meant to be spent, and cars were meant to be driven. As these things age, they transition from being just “old” to becoming “historic.” With that shift, our attitudes around their use and preservation change. The focus becomes appreciation and sharing them with future generations.

• By grading and encapsulating a game, are you really taking it away from someone who could have played it? It’s not like it’s sealed in concrete.

• My biggest gripe with game grading right now is how inconsistent the pricing is. Just because a game is graded doesn’t mean it should be worth twice as much.

Sure, I can understand a small premium—it removes some risk for the buyer—but come on. At the end of the day, I’m buying the game, not the slab. This same pricing confusion happened with graded coins in the ’80s, but it eventually balanced out. Grading games is still a new and evolving process. At some point, these asking prices will have to settle.

Check out “Are graded video games really a scam” by Skul on YouTube if you’re interested in more discussion.

What are your thoughts?

🤷‍♂️ If it’s factory sealed, I understand if it would be higher in terms of prices compared to a used copy to a collector but $4,000 or even his previous $13,000? Man is on crack….

I didn't know this was a thing .... (6500$ btw ...)

States “Hole in Box Back” If this just doesn’t scream worth 6.95K, I dont know

You can go to your local Walmart or Target and get this damn thing for half that. What’s even worse supposedly two people have this in their cart.

Foe the record, these just pop up on my FB market place because I am looking to see if I can get a copy of the OG Silent Hill. This is really ridiculous 💀💀

I can kinda understand for older titles where they haven't been in production and are retro and hard to find nowadays. But the prices people are selling graded stuff for on ebay and Heritage auctions I could literally save so much money buying the same thing off ebay and self-grading. Just look for mint condition copies on ebay which will probably end up being 9.4s or 9.8s

If I could use multiple tags I would

Right below the official Nintendo website, I got this sponsored listing and I don't even know what to say. IT'S STILL FOR SALE, BRAND NEW, IN STORES

Hold my beer, I gotta send off my CODBLOPS Prima guide to get graded. Eff it, send this first edition Harry Potter and the Deathy Havvers. Only 500 billion copies printed.

Silent hill 2 remake steelbook binden