Frequently asked questions
General Grading Questions
What is over-grading?
Over grading is when a figure is given a higher grade than it deserves. Either purposely or accidentally, overlooking certain flaws in a figure to misrepresent its true condition. E.g. a seller assigns a mint grade to a figure when in actuality it is in excellent condition. Over-grading occurs because sellers are uneducated to grade definitions. Flaws are also missed or purposely overlooked to take advantage of the unsuspecting collector.
What are the benefits of buying a graded item?
You gain the confidence that what you are buying has been properly graded by a professional. You can have the peace of mind that a graded figure is tamper free and know what you are getting. With ATi there are no surprises!
What are the benefits of selling a graded item?
Graded figures will normally sell for much higher prices than un-graded figures. You will be able to sell graded figures faster and easier through the mail and internet.
Do people really tamper with or counterfeit these proucts?
A professional counterfeiter can easily remove, repaint and reseal a figure without you even knowing. A lot of the expensive figures today also have factory paint variations, so with the advancement of computer technology, they can even produce reproduction pieces and similar counterfeit items. To the average collector it is impossible to identify these fakes.
What We Grade Questions
Do you grade prototypes?
ATi does grade most prototypes and first shots, but they must go through our GAS (grading and authentication) tiers.
Do you grade figures that are not on your list?
We grade almost all action figures. Most standard-size figures fall under our Modern and Vintage Categories depending on whether they were produced before or after 1990. Other non-standard-size figures fall under our Custom Categories.
Do you grade other toys?
Currently we grade virtually all packaged toys and select loose action figures. We also grade diecast vehicles and dolls.
Do you grade loose figures?
We grade only loose figures that are in factory sealed baggies, we can grade them in or out of the baggie. If we remove a figure from a heat-sealed baggie to grade and case then it will be given the “Uncirculated” title. However, if we remove a figure from a tape-sealed baggie to grade and case then it will NOT be given the “Uncirculated” designation. For figures graded in the baggie, the baggie condition is taken into account for the grade.
We do not grade normal loose figures. This is due to an unseen amount of figures being damaged and degraded unnecessarily due to bad display and handling practices. Action Toy International understands the natural situation of these “loose” and unpackaged collectables and therefore prefers to leave the debate of storage to be left for the collectors to decide.
Do you grade figures in mail away boxes?
Yes, we do. We remove the figures from the mailer boxes and if the box is still factory sealed the figure would receive an “Uncirculated” designation. For the figure to have “Mail Away” on the grade label, it would be graded and cased with the mailer box.
Do you grade packaged toys that are not sealed?
ATi will grade certain items which never came factory sealed, provided the items are in new and unused condition. ATi can also grade boxed items that are no longer factory sealed (i.e. the tape has been broken or come loose) as long as the boxed item has an interior sealed bubble and all the contents (paperwork) are stilled sealed in their bags.
Do you grade 12″ and 15″ Figures?
ATi will only grade 12″ and 15″ dolls that are packaged. The category you should submit under depends on when it was produced and what toy line it is from.
ATi Case Questions
Is the ATi Case UV-Resistant?
Standard ATi cases are slightly UV-resistant. They will also protect your items by sealing them in hard acrylic to keep them in the same condition as when they were graded. They will not be touched by human hands and the hard acrylic prevents it from sustaining any additional creases, bubble dings, or other damage. In addition, 99% UV-Resistant acrylic cases are available for extra light protection. You can pay a fee to upgrade your case to the 99% UV Resistant acrylic or you can submit your items under the archival tier, which includes UV-resistant acrylic.
Why is the ATi case sealed everywhere except the back?
The acrylic case is sealed on all sides except for a slight opening at the back of the case at the bottom. We do not seal this edge to allow for air circulation inside the case. If we did not allow for this air circulation, the case would be subject to a “Terrarium” effect. In other words, depending on the temperature, the inside of the case could start to sweat. The unsealed edge alleviates this possibility. The acrylic cases are still considered sealed and the contents cannot be tampered with without being broken open.
Grading Scale Questions
How does an autograph affect the grade?
Regardless of authenticity, an autograph is considered a flaw and the grade will be limited to 70. For those who collect ATi figures and feel that the grade of 70 will somehow devalue the figure, we can case the figure without including the grade; the same rates will apply. Case Only service is available for signed figures only.
How do the subgrades effect an item’s overall grade?
The overall grade is not really an average of the subgrades. In actuality, the subgrades point to where the greatest flaws are, i.e. what has gone into determining the overall grade. Sub-grades are used to better illustrate the overall grade an item receives. They are not averaged to determine the main grade. They are meant to further inform the buyer about the weakest and strongest points of the overall grade. (For example, an ATi 8.0 item can have sub-grades of C8.0, B8.5, F8.5 showing the card as the weakest point which caused the overall grade to be an 8.0. An ATi 85 can have the exact same sub-grades, but in this particular case, the card flaws which justify the 8.0 card grade do not justify an overall grade of 8.0. They do however show a buyer that the card is lower than average for an 8.5 and is the weakest of the 3 aspects of the item.)
Do price stickers lower the grade of an item?
Price stickers are generally not considered as major flaws. They only become a factor if curling, tearing, staining, picking, etc. of the sticker has occurred. The location of the sticker is also a factor, although most are placed in an area such as a corner that does not detract from the overall appearance of the card. Basically, the condition of the sticker on the card affects the card´s subgrade and from there into the overall grade of the item.
Other related questions
What is the difference between counterfeit items, custom items and recarded items?
The difference between counterfeit items, custom items and recarded items is that
counterfeit items are made to look exactly like the original factory made items and are
advertised as originals, when in reality they are anything but original, until an unsuspecting buyer discovers what they have actually purchased.
Customized figures, items and Custom carded figures however are by and large fan made by enthusiasts which are very distinguishable from vintage factory carded figures and are therfore rarely mistaken for originals.
Replicas or Recards as they are often referred to as, are again fan made by enthusiasts which are produced to a very high standard, but are advertised and should be advertised as replicas or recards and not as vintage factory carded figures or vintage resealed carded figures/items, thus avoiding the fake/counterfeit cry from the buying collector/investor.
Will ATi be adding anymore languages to the site?
We look at all possibilities for the expansion of our site and are currently on going in developing the site to be viewed in other languages.
