Please use this guide for tutorial purposes only. If your question is not answered here please post in this thread or PM Rarebucky, MoeDown or MinusWorlds. Thank you Bucky, MoeDown and Bronty for your help. Suggestions are welcome.
What is VGA? VGA is a Third Party Company that authenticates and grades Video Games.
What does VGA stand for? VGA stands for Video Game Authority and is a subsidiary of Collectible Grading Authority (CGA)
What is the website for VGA?
The VGA website can be found here
http://www.vggrader.com/default.aspx
How do I contact VGA?
The VGA contact page is here
http://www.cgagradin...er/contact.aspx
What will VGA grade?
VGA will grade the following (they will grade all regions - PAL, NTSC, etc)
- Factory Sealed games
- Factory Sealed consoles
- Factory Sealed accessories
- Games and units (consoles or accessories) that are brand new and were originally factory sealed but have had the seal opened or removed, contain all original contents and have NOT been used (this will get a
Qualified grade)
- Games and units that did not have a Factory seal for that region (i.e in Australian SNES and 64 games were not sealed or NES/SNES NTSC consoles that were not sealed) – they will get graded under the regular scale
- Sealed Cases of games (i.e a case of 6 zelda games on this) or games in factory blister packs (i.e. Costco N64 bundles) these get what is known as an
Uncirculated grade
- Any game related items – strategy guides, even cereal boxes!
What do the grades mean?
The VGA grades consist of Gold, Silver and Bronze. Individual grades can be found here
http://www.vggrader....ing_scales.aspx
How do I submit an item to VGA?
A - You have 2 choices when submitting. You can either print out the submission form and send that in the with games
http://www.vggrader....sion_forms.aspx or
B - Make an account with VGA and fill out an online submission form (the following link will require you to log in, and once logged it will direct you to the online submission form)
https://www.cgagradi...ubmissions.aspx
How much does it cost?
First, you'll want to go to this link and look at the prices that it costs to grade. Depending on the size of the game, the value (Your valuation of the game, not VGA’s, VGA does not value games but uses values for pricing and insurance purposes for return shipping) and how quick a service you want will depend on the price. The pricing can be found here
http://www.vggrader....gedpricing.aspx
How should I pack the games?
When packing you dont want to overpack (i.e too much bubble wrap etc). It is recommended to follow VGA's guidelines when packing. Personally I would recommend shipping games in
acrylic cases (as they offer the best protection). Packing instructions can be found here
http://www.vggrader...._packaging.aspx
Another helpful hint is wrapping the item in a soft Toilet Paper (YES TP) to makes sure the item does not get scratched during the shipping process.
Where can I buy acrylic cases?
Acrylic cases can be bought from the CGA store. The CGA stores video game cases can be found here
http://www.cgagradin...x?CategoryId=35
What shipping service should I use when I submit the games?
That is up to you. Personally we would recommend you use the best that money can buy (i.e. FedEx, EMS, UPS etc) and would recommend that you FULLY insure your games. Delivery Confirmation is also recommended.
How can I pay?
Payment can be made either via PayPal or Credit Card. You can either put your info on the form or contact them over the phone or e-mail to arrange payment.
When will I be charged?
Your card will be charged the grading fees once they receive the games, determine return shipping amount and insurance amount. If paying PayPal you'll need to wait for them to invoice you.
How much is return shipping?
VGA only shows prices for return shipping to the USA. Shipping rates for the rest of the world will be emailed once grading is done and games are ready to go. They are discounted by 30% off the standard FEDX rate. VGA also ships via UPS. Remember to choose with carrier you prefer during the submission process. Please NOTE if the value of your items exceeds $500 a signature will be required upon delivery Here is the link for VGA shipping
http://www.vggrader....n_shipping.aspx
When do I pay return shipping?
Return shipping will be charged to your card once games have been graded and are ready to be shipped. If you have paid PayPal they will invoice you.
Will I get customs fees? (International Shipping Only)
You should not get customs fees as they are your own items and VGA's insurance is separate to the postage (therefore customs value is the cost of the grading fees)
Can I get the grades ASAP?
If you ask, VGA will send the grades once the games have been sent back to you over e-mail.
Is there a FAQ page?
The VGA FAQ page can be found here
http://www.vggrader.com/faq.aspx
How do I fill out the submission form? Please follow these instructions for submitting an item for authentication/grading:
http://www.vggrader.com/submission_instructions.aspx
Some common submission related FAQ’s
Which style view should I choose?
The typical view choice is the "Clear View Label Style", this is what you see on the games here.
Can I use my Submission number to check the status of my items?
No. You may only check the status of your submission by using the VGA invoice number and/or your First and Last name.
(Please NOTE the online invoice tracker has not been working for some period of time, you can however email customer service at [email protected] for a status update.)
What if the options I select on the submission form change while I am updating my information?
Once you make a change, be sure to select Save Changes before moving on.
What if I select the wrong tier?
Someone will contact you regarding the necessary changes only if you have under charged yourself more than $20. If you have overcharged yourself, then you will only be charged the correct amount.
What if my item is considered a reseal or non-authentic?
VGA will return your item either sealed in an acrylic case, sliding bottom acrylic case, or loose, based on what you choose on the submission form (default is sealed acrylic, but we recommend the sliding acrylic bottom) and send back to you with a report as to why it was returned (Grading fees apply either way).
Misc. Submission Notes
Make sure to sign the submission form and include your Credit Card information, if applicable. The $3 cleaning fee is also recommended as once the game is sealed in its casing it would have to be sent back to VGA to be opened and cleaned. If you have any requests not listed on the Submission Form please use the “Special Instructions” section on the last page. Some examples of commonly requested instructions are Overnight Return Delivery request, Saturday Delivery request, Removal of Stickers (addt’l cost and is not covered by the $3 cleaning option). Sticker removal is at the discretion of the VGA grader. Basically if it’s out of the normal VGA process ask here.
Some common VGA related questions:
Does VGA offer Volume discounts?
They do offer volume discounts if you submit 10 or more items and even a larger discount if you submit 25, 50 or more. Check out VGA
Pricing Tiers page for exact prices. Also, they offer dealer rates to dealers who will submit at least 100 items per month. If you are a dealer who can submit this many items consistently each month, contact VGA at
[email protected].
CGA Memberships qualify you for discounted pricing and other service upgrades at any of CGAs divisions, including
AFA (Action Figure Authority),
CDA (Collectible Doll Authority),
DCA (Die-Cast Authority), and
VGA (Video Game Authority).
CGA Memberships are currently available in three membership levels, all of which will have access to new on-line account management features, on-line submission access, and basic population report data.
CGA Silver Level Membership - $99 / year, discounted member pricing. Click
here to buy a Silver Level Membership!
CGA Gold Level Membership - $199 / year, discounted member pricing, average 25% faster turnaround times**, automatic 10% discount at the CGA Store for all acrylic cases and other supplies. Click
here to buy a Gold Level Membership!
CGA Platinum Level Membership**** - $299 / year, discounted member pricing, average 50% faster turnaround times**, automatic 15% discount at the CGA Store for all acrylic cases and other supplies. Click
here to buy a Platinum Level Membership!
If you have any questions you can email VGA Customer Service directly
[email protected]
Other VGA related topics.
When I receive my VGA graded item where can I show it off?
You can post your graded items here at Nintendoage:
http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&thr...
or here at Sealed Game Heaven, the official discussion forum for VGA:
http://www.sealedgameheaven.com/index.php?/topic/853-vga-sho...
Also, If you have a question as to what the consensus OPINION on an item is in regards to authenticity or the grade it could receive from VGA before submitting please post detailed pictures of the item in this threads, including pics of the seal, wrap, each corner etc. and we will give you our OPINION of what it will receive and authenticity based on past experience.
