wraith2021
26-11-11, 08:27 PM
This is a not a toy review, but for some of us this review is just as relevant.
There has been some debate over which company to use for grading, and for a lot of reasons AFA comes out on top. Not because they offer a better service, not because they are fairer when grading figures and not even because the final product looks better, the only reason AFA comes out on top is due to recognition. We will get back to this later in this review.
My New Toy
I recently acquired an original G1 Decepticon Headmaster, still sealed on its inner card with instructions still sealed, but the outer box had tape cut at one side.
12301231
So I decided I needed to get it cased to protect it, but I also liked the idea of having it graded. I compared the quality of the item to other graded figures on the net, and also one other that I own and came to the conclusion that this should score an 80%. This is a really nice box, and has no flap crease, so I decided to get it graded.
Seeking advice from many forums I got a picture of what peoples opinion was, and most people advised to go the AFA rout. Now, I would have taken this rout, but I am in the UK, and had just paid out £90 to customs to actually get this figure into the country, and was reluctant to pay this again on its round trip to be graded. So I took a look at the alternative.
UK Graders
Visiting their website, was a task in its self, their website does not work in Safari or Google Chrome and as I am on a mac I use Safari, so I could not see any pictures or search their catalogue of graded toys. I was forced to open Firefox and visit the site, which worked, but was still met with a bland, almost dead website. Pricing for Transformers were not listed and their submission form would not work due to it not allowing me to proceed without a figure in the cost field.
I decided to email them and got a reply from Steve, the head honcho at UKG. He stayed in constant contact during the whole operation, and the turnaround was just under 2 weeks. He even told me the score and sent me a picture of the finished product before posting it back to me. This kind of service is vital when in the business of handling some really expensive, rare and sentimental items. He understands that first time customers will need their hand holding during this process, because I had essentially sent him my Transformer and given him money, and he could have easily kept them.
PO BOX
One of my concerns was the fact that they do not list an actual address. Instead they use a PO Box address, which sent alarm bells ringing from the beginning. This comes from years of being told to never send things to PO Box addresses because they could be scams. After a little research I found out that the post office has changed its policy on PO Box addresses and they are now registered to a specific person which requires valid ID and home address, which they will disclose to anyone upon request.
I bit the bullet and sent in my figure via Special Delivery, insured for up to £500 and guaranteed to arrive the next day. Personally this should be the standard way of sending and receiving your graded figure back unless you are outside the UK.
Payment In Advance
I was advised to pay in advance of the service, and the only way the cost could be calculated is when UKG receive the item. This is due to them having to measure the box dimensions and price up the casing prior to grading. Once they had my figure measured, they sent me a PayPal request for the grading and casing service. There are two case option available, UV cases can be used on request and cost a little more than normal cases. I used the standard casing.
Once I had paid for the item, they then ordered the case to be made up and waited for it to arrive. This took about a week according to Steve, who I was in constant contact with the whole time. The grading happened a few days later, and by the middle of the second week it was fully graded and cased, ready to be sent back to me via Special Delivery.
The Finished Product
I found out the grading and received a picture of the finished product before it was sent back. This service really helps and lets you see what you have spent your money on. Seeing the picture looked great, but doesn't do it justice, when it arrived through the post this morning it was packaged in a new strong box and was padded well with bubble wrap. Opening it revealed this shiny cased, graded smudge free Transformer. It looks Amazing.
1232
I have heard rumours that the quality of the cases are not as good as those of AFA, or that the service is dodgy. These are false accusations, and given the horror stories what can be found about AFA I see no reason to believe them. I own two cased and graded Transformers now, and they are both UKG. Comparing to AFA services they go above and beyond the call of duty to make the experience a pleasant one. The more Transformers that are graded by UKG and the more people talk about their service will make this company one to compete with AFA for top spot.
I have no illusions that this operation is big, its probably run from his bedroom, but taking a look at his previous work, and the fact that he has graded and cased a load of Star-Wars, M.A.S.K and A-Team figures, and even has a few Transformers graded, including one I bought prior to sending this figure off, meant that I could trust that he would take care of my toy and grade fairly.
UKG Vs AFA
Most people will advise to go with AFA because they are more well known and thus more likely to be trusted. I disagree, I have seen an increase in Transformer grading through UKG, and at the rate they are going they should be a great alternative. Figure sell for just as much through UKG as they would via AFA and grading between the two is uncanny, they would score the same in nearly all cases.
UKG turnaround is quicker than AFA, the service is friendly and accommodating, and the cost is a lot less.
The Future Of UKG
They are currently working on a new website with a new design which is said to have some nice features and be more compatible with other browsers. I think they are here to stay, as they have been running for several years now, and have graded over 3000 Star-Wars figures alone. I for one hope they become more people's choice, and I am pleased with the results and the whole process.
1233 1234
There has been some debate over which company to use for grading, and for a lot of reasons AFA comes out on top. Not because they offer a better service, not because they are fairer when grading figures and not even because the final product looks better, the only reason AFA comes out on top is due to recognition. We will get back to this later in this review.
My New Toy
I recently acquired an original G1 Decepticon Headmaster, still sealed on its inner card with instructions still sealed, but the outer box had tape cut at one side.
12301231
So I decided I needed to get it cased to protect it, but I also liked the idea of having it graded. I compared the quality of the item to other graded figures on the net, and also one other that I own and came to the conclusion that this should score an 80%. This is a really nice box, and has no flap crease, so I decided to get it graded.
Seeking advice from many forums I got a picture of what peoples opinion was, and most people advised to go the AFA rout. Now, I would have taken this rout, but I am in the UK, and had just paid out £90 to customs to actually get this figure into the country, and was reluctant to pay this again on its round trip to be graded. So I took a look at the alternative.
UK Graders
Visiting their website, was a task in its self, their website does not work in Safari or Google Chrome and as I am on a mac I use Safari, so I could not see any pictures or search their catalogue of graded toys. I was forced to open Firefox and visit the site, which worked, but was still met with a bland, almost dead website. Pricing for Transformers were not listed and their submission form would not work due to it not allowing me to proceed without a figure in the cost field.
I decided to email them and got a reply from Steve, the head honcho at UKG. He stayed in constant contact during the whole operation, and the turnaround was just under 2 weeks. He even told me the score and sent me a picture of the finished product before posting it back to me. This kind of service is vital when in the business of handling some really expensive, rare and sentimental items. He understands that first time customers will need their hand holding during this process, because I had essentially sent him my Transformer and given him money, and he could have easily kept them.
PO BOX
One of my concerns was the fact that they do not list an actual address. Instead they use a PO Box address, which sent alarm bells ringing from the beginning. This comes from years of being told to never send things to PO Box addresses because they could be scams. After a little research I found out that the post office has changed its policy on PO Box addresses and they are now registered to a specific person which requires valid ID and home address, which they will disclose to anyone upon request.
I bit the bullet and sent in my figure via Special Delivery, insured for up to £500 and guaranteed to arrive the next day. Personally this should be the standard way of sending and receiving your graded figure back unless you are outside the UK.
Payment In Advance
I was advised to pay in advance of the service, and the only way the cost could be calculated is when UKG receive the item. This is due to them having to measure the box dimensions and price up the casing prior to grading. Once they had my figure measured, they sent me a PayPal request for the grading and casing service. There are two case option available, UV cases can be used on request and cost a little more than normal cases. I used the standard casing.
Once I had paid for the item, they then ordered the case to be made up and waited for it to arrive. This took about a week according to Steve, who I was in constant contact with the whole time. The grading happened a few days later, and by the middle of the second week it was fully graded and cased, ready to be sent back to me via Special Delivery.
The Finished Product
I found out the grading and received a picture of the finished product before it was sent back. This service really helps and lets you see what you have spent your money on. Seeing the picture looked great, but doesn't do it justice, when it arrived through the post this morning it was packaged in a new strong box and was padded well with bubble wrap. Opening it revealed this shiny cased, graded smudge free Transformer. It looks Amazing.
1232
I have heard rumours that the quality of the cases are not as good as those of AFA, or that the service is dodgy. These are false accusations, and given the horror stories what can be found about AFA I see no reason to believe them. I own two cased and graded Transformers now, and they are both UKG. Comparing to AFA services they go above and beyond the call of duty to make the experience a pleasant one. The more Transformers that are graded by UKG and the more people talk about their service will make this company one to compete with AFA for top spot.
I have no illusions that this operation is big, its probably run from his bedroom, but taking a look at his previous work, and the fact that he has graded and cased a load of Star-Wars, M.A.S.K and A-Team figures, and even has a few Transformers graded, including one I bought prior to sending this figure off, meant that I could trust that he would take care of my toy and grade fairly.
UKG Vs AFA
Most people will advise to go with AFA because they are more well known and thus more likely to be trusted. I disagree, I have seen an increase in Transformer grading through UKG, and at the rate they are going they should be a great alternative. Figure sell for just as much through UKG as they would via AFA and grading between the two is uncanny, they would score the same in nearly all cases.
UKG turnaround is quicker than AFA, the service is friendly and accommodating, and the cost is a lot less.
The Future Of UKG
They are currently working on a new website with a new design which is said to have some nice features and be more compatible with other browsers. I think they are here to stay, as they have been running for several years now, and have graded over 3000 Star-Wars figures alone. I for one hope they become more people's choice, and I am pleased with the results and the whole process.
1233 1234