ATi Grading

Introduction

Accurate grading is absolutely essential to collectors because pricing is based on scarcity, availability and demand. ATi’s grading is spot on and to the highest standard which serves as a yardstick that collector´s, dealers, enthusiasts and industry alike can refer to. Items are examined and evaluated by our panel of experts in a controlled enviroment that insures each individual item under scrutiny is properly graded from a perfect 10 downwards.

Only the finest 100 % pure acrylic is used at ATi and every case that is produced is machine polished, buffed and shrink wrapped. Even the unusually shaped collectables can be cast in ultra high quality acrylic and graded. This is due to the advanced skill of our in-house production team.

All of our labels are tamper evident. When removed they leave part of the label behind on the surface to which it was affixed to.  They also cannot be removed without ruining the product. A product that has been tampered with will be easily spotted.

Not Eligable

We do not grade items that have been restored nor items that have been interferred with in any way shape or form, as this does not meet our grading standards.

Obvious signs of restoration which our team looks out for include permanent marker pen used to hide ageing and damaged cardbacks, applied glue or double tape to re-seal blister bubbles and lifting dye cut corner edges and layers, glued limbs or heads on figures, incorrect weapons and or accessories combinations with figures and accessories or weapons missing altogether.

Cardback/Box

The cardback/backer will be judged against hanger punch tab missing, creasing, bending, rolling, tearing, scuffing, scratching, lifting, missing card layers, print marks, writing, loss of gloss, soiling, rough areas, discolouring, fading, factory colour production, edge wear, nicks, punctures, ink, foreign markings, peg hole punches, cellotape, repairs, price sticker, sticker tear, sticker residue, abcent proof of purchase, water damage, bubbling, heat damage, warping and attached foreign objects.

Boxes are also judged for the above mentioned signs however, boxed toys, dolls, figures and playsets will be graded if one, the box is factory taped shut with no signs of extra tape on top with the original tape cut underneath and two, the box was never factory taped shut. It should also contain all of its items sealed in bags with instructions and its additional parts still on their plastic trees. Unused contents such as decals and sticker sheets must also be present as well as cardboard and plastic inserts and styrofoam. All imperfections will be described on a valid Certificate Of Authentication (COA) which accompanies each item ATi grades.

Figures/Vehicles/Ships/Accessories

The actual item will be considered mint unless there exists a defect that detracts from its overall eye appeal. Defects include paint wear (to sealed figures in baggies), discoloration, fading, white fungus, figure frosting, dismemberment and loose weapons and accessories inside. If the item comes with a collector coin, trading card or other insert, they will also be taken into consideration against overall condition.

Blister/Bubble/Window

The blister/perspex window will be judged against cardboard inserts loose inside, dents, scratches, fading, yellowing, melting, clouding, sticker residue, tearing, cuts, lifting, soiling, rub marks, crushing, gluing, taping, factory cuts, foreign items and other abnormalities.

Price Stickers

Price stickers are not considered major flaws, but only become a factor if curling, tearing, staining, picking, etc. of the sticker has occurred. The location of the sticker is also a factor, though most are placed in an area such as a corner that does not affect the overall appearance. The condition of the sticker therefore influences the card subgrade and therefore the overall grade of the item.

Loose Figures

We do not grade loose figures. This is due to a large amount of figures being damaged and degraded unnecessarily. Ill fitting display cases are often used and in somes instances, loose figures rattle around inside to become damaged and thus degraded. Action Toy International understands the natural situation of these “loose” and unpackaged collectables and therefore prefers to leave the debate of storage and display to be left to collectors to decide.

Yellowing

Since yellowing of the blister more often occurs with the vintage lines, ATi will designate a grade with a “Y” if signs of ellowing exist, for Example: “8.5 Y-NM+”.

Uncirculated

Uncirculated means that a collectable has never been handled after manufacturing nor circulated within the public market after its final completion at the factory. The Uncirculated stamp on the grading label assures the collector that the collectable went from its original packaging within a factory sealed case and on some rare occasions directly from the factory line in to its grading display case. ATi always ensures that all items remain untouched, and uncirculated items are graded on the same ATi scale as usual, but with an additional “U” sign designated with the grade.

Subgrades

The main objective of the subgrades is to further define the condition of a particular item. Once the grade has been established, the grader will then assign individual grades for the card, the blister and the figure. The overall grade is in no way an average of these three grades.

Furthermore, this helps define the conditions within a particular grade. By using this additional information, a collector can determine whether or not a item’s grade is borderline. Also the new criteria will direct collectors to the part of the item that has the most damage. For example, a carded figure that received an overall grade of 8.5 with a 9.0 Cardback, an 8.0 Blister, and a 9.0 Figure will show collectors that the bubble has the most flaws.

Plus Grades

 ATi also has a ‘plus + grade’ sign within our silver and gold levels. These additional grades are added to effectly pinpoint items grades which are borderline sensitive.

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ATI GRADING LEVELS

The ATi Gold level This consists of the grades 10.0, 9.5, and 9.0. The select few items that receive these grades are among the highest quality in existence. A very small percentage of collectables receive a full Gold grade. The flaws are very minor, very subtle, and are sometimes hard to identify with the naked eye. The collector who is extremely condition sensitive will be most satisfied with the condition of a Gold level product. We also assign pluses to grades to give recognition to items that deserve for example an 8.5+ and not an 8.5 nor a 9.0. 

The ATi Silver level This consists of the grades 8.5, 8.0, and 7.5. The figures that receive these grades are in excellent condition. An item graded 8.5 will often be referred to as ‘case fresh’ and should be very close to the ATi gold level. The term ‘case fresh’ is certainly justifiable as the average figure pulled from a sealed case will grade an 8.5 due to small flaws which occur when the figures are packaged or shipped in the case. The average product on a store shelf is usually an 8.0, which represents a nice speciman with minor flaws apparent upon close inspection. The final ATi Silver level grade, 7.5, represents an item with more minor flaws than the average Silver level piece. An item grading 7.5 does have significant wear but does not have major flaws which at first glance. For most high grade collectors, an 8.5 is satisfactory. For less discriminating collectors, an 8.0 is satisfactory. A 7.5 will be satisfactory to those who are not too concerned with light stresses, small blister imperfections and other flaws which go unnoticed at first glance. Therefore, the Silver level grades do represent a much larger range than the Gold level grades. Pluses can also be assigned to Silver Level grades like the Gold Level.

The ATi Bronze Level This consists of the grades 7.0 and below. The items that receive these grades typically have damage ranging from simply noticeable upon first glance to extremely significant. The card or box may have creases on the front and the blister or window may be crushed or cracked. The Bronze level covers a large range of conditions and the scope of the flaws range considerably. Condition for Bronze level items is determined by how many ‘major’ flaws are present and how severe each flaw is. Bronze level items may have major flaws such as a torn off proof of purchase (POP) or other large paper tears. Bronze level items might not be satisfactory to condition sensitive collectors.

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ATi GRADING TABLE TM

PERFECT	10	P
MINT	9.5	M
NEAR MINT/MINT	9.0	NM/M
NEAR MINT PLUS+	8.5	NM+
NEAR MINT	8.0	NM
EXCELLENT PLUS+	7.5	EX+
EXCELLENT	7.0	EX
VERY GOOD	6.0	VG
GOOD	5.0	G
FAIR	4.0	F
POOR	3.0	P
VERY POOR	2.0	VP
VERY POOR -	1.0	VP-

2YK

Our 2YK grading scale is designed to evaluate the condition of toys produced from the year 2000 up to the present day. The scale assesses minute imperfections which can be the difference between two identical products. The 2YK scale is based on a 10 point system with additional grade options only above 7.0. Most modern items pulled from the shop shelf tend to receive grades of 8.5 or higher. By adding additional high grade options for our expert graders to choose from, this scale has proven to be ideal in assessing the condition of modern day items.

The ATi 2YK Gold level

This consists of the grades 10.0, 9.75, 9.5, 9.25 and 9.0 for neo products post 2000. The select few figures that receive these grades are among the highest quality in existence. The flaws are very minor, very subtle, and are sometimes very hard to identify with the naked eye. The collector who is extremely condition sensitive will be satisfied with the condition of a Gold level figure.

The ATi 2YK Silver level

This consists of the grades 8.75, 8.5, 8.25, 8.0, 7.75 and 7.5. The figures that receive these grades are in excellent condition. A collector would be able to spot a few minor imperfections on an 8.5 and would see several moderate flaws on a 7.5.

The ATi 2YK Bronze level

This consists of the grades 7.0 and below. The figures that recieve these grades typically have damage ranging from simply noticeable upon first glance to extremely significant.

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