I have one. Jazz. Eventually I plan to have more. Love to have them on display!

Interesting. I dont think I have either. Yet some people just want to bash on AFA Items/Collecting habits. Weird.

 

I can understand why people AFA, but it's just not for me. Whether it be Transformers or Star Wars. I feel the reason to get AFA is to make the items more valuable. I never really thought about why I kept things misb anyway. But, I know it isn't about the value. I don't look at my toys and say: "hey, what will this be worth in a few years so I can sell it?" I guess that is why I don't really see a reason to AFA.

This is not a bash, this is just why I don't feel the need to.

 

If I was bothered about the long term value I wouldn't keep painting over the screws and pins on so many of my toys or colouring Hasbro's unpainted wheelhubs.

I did resist any temptation to much about with vardia Starscream though even I have limits to what I will muck about with - though I was painting the screws on WFC Darkside Megatron this morning and extending the paint on his cannon.

And I suppose some people would think it's weird to swap parts over between Spacecase and Terradive too. But I like to enjoy my toys and I only leave them in the boxes if they are varients or they are something i'm not likely to play with much.

I'm actually considering leaving RID Prime Optimus Prime in his box as I did the same with Firetruck Prime as I already had SFC (and I'm sure I will be buying the Japanese Prime toys eventually) so perhaps i'm not averse to the idea of MISB but AFA is still very odd to me.

 

AFA only maters to collectors who collect AFA items, just like some people collect autographed items only. I personally do not think there is anything wrong with it because if you don't collect AFA items then why sould it bother you?

 

AFA is a great thing if you have the money. For the most part, it's just too damn expensive! I have a lot of respect for those who collect AFA figures. Me, I only got 4 AFA figures:
AFA 85 UMagnus for 670,
AFA 80 Blaster for 810 (One side tape, darn it, should've read that fine print carefully, LOL).
AFA 80 Jazz for 475
AFA 85 Reissue 2004 Predaking for 475 (including shipping).

With AFA figures, if sellers don't set the fixed price and let it runs its course, a lot of people will purchase them. At the same time, I understand their reason.

 

Why not just commission a painting? Or have really high quality photos taken? You'd get the same amount/lack of use out of it, and you'd still have your figure to, you know... PLAY with. But hey, if you really love your expensive paperweights, keep on truckin'.

 

Back in 1997, I came across an old toy shop and they had a case of 1984 Optimus Prime. I think there were like 8 pcs. Anyways, I bought one for $100- which is all I can afford at the time. Yeah its a dead stock dead mint gem!!

Fast forward to 2006, I had the AFAed 90 with the intention of preserving its condition and a crown jewel of my TF G1 original collection. A year later, I was offered $8,500- for it which was a hard number to pass up, so I sold it!

AFA is good if you plan to keep it as museum relic item. But yeah, the prices can command a lot depending on the rarity and grade. I still see some on eBay that have not sold for years!!

 

I understand the service AFA provides to the fandom, although personally I will probably never partake in it. If I were an MISB collector, things might be different. I always open my transformers, no matter the price or rarity. Part of the pleasure of owning Transformers, for me at least, is actually transforming them. To each their own. My only complaint is that a few years down the road it's conceivable that buying an mib/misb G1 transformer without paying that additional AFA premium may be more difficult. I'd rather spend $200 on an mib Jetfire than $800 for the same toy in an AFA box.

 

never have never will...

 

Afa collectors dont care why so and so doesnt collect afa pieces, it doesnt matter in the least. So please stop acting you all are making some kinda statement by rolling in with your stories why you dont. We get it all ready, move on and go bitch about why FE prime toys didnt make it your toysrus or whatever tfans are fighting about this week. Get over yourselves.

 

I know this may be a stupid question, but does AFA open sealed boxed figures to inspect the contents and make sure they have no defects? Or is the grade more a reflection of the packaging?

 

They shouldn't, that would defeat the purpose of marking it as a SEALED item. They can tell of a sealed package and they grade the box condition assuming the figure within is a uncirculated item.

Dude, there is no need to get hostile. We are allowed to post what we think, whether you agree with it or not. Just because people state why they DON'T AFA doesn't mean you should come up in here and complain, than pretty much mark everyone who doesn't agree as someone who bitches about the FE Prime toys stuff. Get over YOURself.

 

Again, how many times do we have to hear what you think? Every time an afa thread pops up, we have people go out of their way to tell us why the dont collect the stuff. Every damn time. Go start a social group, so you haters can just bicker about it all day instead of waiting for the next afa thread to chime in with the "I hate afa, I cant see why people seal their stuff up in plastic cases, its not for me, blah, blah, etc" bullshit.

 

I never said I hated AFA, I said I just don't have a reason for it. I have friends who AFA their carded vintage Star Wars figures, it is a personal preference, that is fine, I never said that they were idiots for it. They do it, and I say more power to them.

The same situation could go for you. You have a problem with people stating their opinion that opposes what the topic was about, and you have to come in and add your 2 cents about "why do you post in this thread about it, blah, blah, blah, etc", when you got people out there that just respond: "If you don't like what's going on in the thread, don't post in it."

So, stop calling people HATERS when they just state they don't prefer it. There is a difference between hating and not prefering.

 

Haters gonna hate. I find that the haters usually have super light wallets and often get their new items at flea markets.

 

HAHA POOR PEOPLE RITE!?

 

 

I fear these types of discussions will only lead to a new rule banning threads on AFA. The exact same thing happens every time one comes up.

 

Yes you have, especially when we talk about 3rd party High Quality KOs. People hate AFA because it drives the prices up and screws everybody else. AFA guys hate KOs and reissues because it drives the prices down and make their investiment worth nothing.

 

I'm a little surprised at the controversy AFA collecting generates. People should collect in whatever way makes them happy. I can understand the concept behind AFA, as I've always felt MISB G1 pieces were real works of art, and should be preserved for display and enjoyment. AFA provides a standard by which to grade TF toys, it seems more reliable than the pre-AFA days when a buyer would have to rely on the seller's own subjective evaluation of a piece. Some folks like to collect TF as high end art pieces, others like to open and display. I don't see that either method particularly harms the hobby. To each their own.

 

they grade the toy too, i wondered that as well, because if they open it,.it's not misb. and should be worth less