sportymariosonicmixx

@NintendoWife: In that case, if the sealed game was the top rating or the second top rating, it would still be a good value because it costs $100-$120 to get it graded, the game is worth $60, and the store copies tend to have lots of people touching it that weaken its value.

However, unless you are thinking of putting the game into storage for 20 years to wait for its value to increase, then buying the game in the store obviously is a better value.

@Sketcz: Why don't they have a button or key to open the sealed plastic?

If there is no way to ever open it, how can you do anything with it?

Also, why do you think batteries inside consoles are likely to corrode?

The only problem I ever had with a Nintendo console was the Gamecube's laser that stopped reading the discs about 5 years in. I was very suspicious Nintendo did that on purpose to make me buy the Wii, but since it is the only Nintendo issue I have had over the years, I will excuse it as a coincidence.

@Darknyht: The only downloadable stuff I buy is Wii U / 3DS Virtual Console and that was only because it was already clear that was the only way to buy those games with the Switch's nonsense rent forever model.

I NEVER buy digital!!!

I am so hardcore about not buying digital that I refused to redeem the free $60 Wii retail game Nintendo offered to every Wii owner back in the day.

I do wish Nintendo put more effort into rereleasing every Virtual Console game and just sold them for the price they sold at the time.

We might already own these games, but why shouldn't an 8 year old kid's parents pay full retail price for the game now? It is still new to them.

@Darknyht: From what I have read from articles like this one, the stores eventually end up with too much inventory, so they discount the old generation stuff down to $1, but eventually the stockroom becomes full too, so they just let the staff take any last gen stuff for free.

My guess is, pre grading, these all turned into people in your neighborhood who could get you a game if you wanted it.

Now, sellers probably take Best Buy jobs when new tech comes in, waiting for that inventory to be offered to them, so you never have those neighborhood people anymore to get you old games.

@N64-ROX: The whole thing about the battery exploding is such an exaggeration.

I have Wii Remotes with batteries inside that I only use when I go to my cousins to play video games a few times per year.

However, they did not have anyone over during the shutdown, so when I went to go to their house again after 3 years of inactivity, the Wii Remotes had no damage and the batteries did not leak at all.

The batteries were totally dead though, so I had to replace them.

Also, keep in mind, during the 3 years, these Wii Remotes were in a room where the windows are always kept shut and the internal temperature was as warm as 95 degrees Fahrenheit and, yet, the batteries did not explode.

People just like to get worked up over nothing to create articles like this one for clicks.

@KingMike: You would only buy the $200 graded sealed game if you were looking to keep it for a long period of time to sell 10-20 years later.

(That strategy would have imploded with the recently ported Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Switch though.)

But, it costs like $100 just to grade the games, so the Best Buy version would be about $160 after tax.

Also, store copies are not MINT condition like that graded copy was. A lot of people likely pick up the Best Buy copy, hold it, consider if they want it, ask their parents if they can have it, and put it back and all that stuff locks it out of being a MINT copy.

@Sn0w: Are you saying it is impossible to open these plastic cases once they are sealed?

If so, I totally understand everyone's outrage, but that was not in the article.

I thought they just wanted to put it into a plastic case to protect it from damage?

@LinktotheFuture: For the baseball cards, you should just buy the whole set.

You can buy a whole year's worth of cards with one of every single player for $100.

That might be more like $150-$200 now, as I have not checked recently.

But that is a way better strategy than accumulating tons of repeat cards by going the pack route.

Most people who get games graded already have that game from their personal collection, but grade a 2nd copy to use to make a profit.

@Sketcz: WATA and Heritage Auctions still needs people willing to buy the games at the super inflated prices or their setup would still fail though.

I would actually argue it is good that WATA sets up a place for you to sell your graded games.

Otherwise, you got a graded game and nowhere to sell it. How does that help you?

I will say that, from what I understand, WATA puts these games in a laboratory-style environment, so they have to charge some kind of fee just to pay for the facility costs.

I do think their turnaround times of 12+ months are ridiculous though.

They should hire enough testers so the game can be returned in 1 month tops.

@NintendoWife: My guess is it might only be still available in certain parts of the country and is out of stock in their region.