Just added two more –

#5: Japanese Mosaic Demo
V10035948

#6: US Platform Display
VN10029608[2]

thunderstruck wrote:
Finishing this will take me some time though.

All great things take time! I’m just excited about the concept of having another great game to play! >:]

Benjamin Stevens wrote:
So if a game originally came in shrink wrap and the shrink wrap is removed, VGA won’t grade it? Is that correct? If so, I am curious to know if VGA will grade the “sealed” Virtual Boy games from Mexico, which had the slit put in the shrink wrap for the insertion of Spanish instructions. If so, does that slit automatically guarantee a lower rating?

VGA will still grade it, but it depends on the extent of the slit to determine which rate they need to grade. If it is a small slit on the rear and would not otherwise allow the box to be opened, then standard grading could be done. However, if the slit was made and the box was opened, then they would have to do “qualified” grading, which requires them to reopen the box and scrutinize the contents within (and costs much more). As L___E___T stated they can also grade prototype games in this same manner. As a matter of fact I saw a VGA qualified graded copy of Nintendo World Championships a few months back go for $9k USD, but that game usually brings $6-10K regardless of grading. You may need to call them to get more details. I have called several times, and they will answer every question you have, or call you back with someone that will know the answer.

L___E___T wrote:
To me VGA grading is all just about resale value. Get a game, grade it up, list it at a stupid price. At least that’s what happens for the most part, which is what it is.

Just so you know though, they’re no authority – it’s one guy that takes a look at the games and sticks a number on and sends back. Nothing ever gets 100, which is silly as well. 100 should represent the max quality of a new game. I could get a new game and send it straight in, it’d never get 100 (people made this test).

I agree with your assessment that most use it as a way to flip their collections at very inflated prices, and I agree that it should not make a monetary difference – a mint game is a mint game. I also agree that 100 would be the max quality of a new game. However, to achieve a 100 they would require absolute perfection – not even the most minor scuffs encountered during shipping are allowed. I believe a 100 also requires the games to be uncirculated – meaning that you would have to ship it to them in a factory sealed box or palette for grading, which is next to impossible to do for VB games unless it’s something very common like VLeague Baseball.

L___E___T wrote:
If it was just about preservation, people would just order the cases right?

For me it is all about preservation…and presentation, I guess. I already have all these games in open box form, but I have seen the corners and edges deteriorate over the years from use and moving/packing/etc. In my opinion VGA has some of the nicest acrylic cases, although they are very expensive. That’s actually why I decided to grade them rather than just buy the cases…The difference was only a few more dollars. I did, however, have to buy individual cases for SD Gundam, VLab, and Space Invaders.

The way I see it, it doesn’t matter what you collect. As the adage goes, “Condition is Everything.” People collect coins, action figures, baseball cards, and rare books all of which have a grading system to differentiate between the various conditions. Those grades are based on a set criteria to set them apart from each other, and the same is true with VGA. I’ve received a few grading reports that clearly point out even the slightest flaws that differentiate a 90 game from a 90+, 95, etc.

The grade allows anyone to tell what type of flaws may be present and the extent of those flaws. So, it is easy to differentiate between games graded by VGA. So, there may be three different sealed copies of something like Jack Bros on Ebay, but without a grade it is very difficult to differentiate between them all. Someone like myself will only want the copy with the fewest flaws, so that’s where I see the benefit…but once again, I don’t agree that it should necessarily cause the price of those to skyrocket like some have been claiming. Reminds me of the ungraded copy of Jack Bros that brought $1,000USD because the seller claimed is was “Worthy of VGA grading.”

mawa wrote:
i agree with you let about vga i normally also dont like it beacouse its all about the profit.
but i just want my copy protected and graded i dont goining to sell it.
i will buy a second virtual lab to play with.
my problem is that i found it to scared to send my brand new virtual lab to usa iff it get lost i will never found a athor one ( dont know iff there exist more brand new ones )

Yeah, I feel your pain about VLab as I had shipping concerns when I recently purchased my used copy on yahoo.jp, haha. However, I still believe it’s worth the risk, especially if you insure it for the fair market value when you ship it. VGA can also do an archival UV upgrade, which I wouldn’t normally recommend, but VLab is so rare, I would probably add that to make sure it was done right the first time!

I understand the concerns that some of you have regarding VGA or grading in general, but I’m still a strong believer that it’s a great way to preserve a collection and set it apart.

Just my two cents. I still like hearing the debate though 🙂

bigmak wrote:
Wow, got 2 of the big ones out of the way eh ? 🙂 well welcome to the addiction hotline.

Way to go foil_lone_wolf! That is an awesome start to your collection. Go big or go home, right? It was a good idea to get those titles first because they don’t come up very often, and when they do, it’s usually several months before another one becomes available. Plus, who else has enough time to stalk ebay every day to look for this stuff, other than bigmak of course? 😉

Very nice, indeed!

It is definitely interesting to see the obscure things you’ve been able to acquire. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit jealous…

For now, I’ll just live my virtual boy dream vicariously through your collection. 😉

Just got my order in today! Nice shirt selection upon which to base this limited production run. It’s also great to have a somewhat modern design that doesn’t require high top Reebok pumps and acid washed blue jeans to match.

Very nice!

Very nice! I want to play! :]

Lester Knight wrote:
i am unfamiliar with the GP demo. what is different about it?

It has the orange sticker on the front. Other than that, I don’t think there is any other difference.

Just ordered one! Can’t wait to embarrass the Mrs. in public. She hates my VB stuff…haha!

I hate to sound cliché, but it sure sucks when one person ruins it for everyone. What a knucklehead! I feel sorry for the poor, unfortunate soul who got suckered by 83Skillz, but more so, I feel deeply saddened for this community as a whole and anyone with the hopes of acquiring a true gem of a game in Bound High or any other repros. What Richard has done for this community is nothing short of amazing. I know I speak for everyone when I say how truly grateful we are for all his contributions to our 3D world.

I can’t think of a greater insult than to sell something that was solely intended to spread joy, and was likely acquired for next to nothing in return. Actually, I can….Inflating the price of such a gift by asking an insane $195 starting bid is even worse! And to top it off, there are enough uneducated people out there that don’t know any better than to bid on it…grrr!!!

I’m seeing RED, but it’s from pure frustration! What a sham…

Benjamin Stevens wrote:

Wow, Dor-Si! Number 956! Very nice. I’m a bit jealous. 😉

Well, two other members on here have me beat with lower serials so don’t be too jealous, haha! I actually never paid any attention to my serial numbers until this week. I was pretty surprised to see 956 printed along the bottom. It’s also in the best condition of all the ones I have, go figure. 🙂

VN10000956[9] US demo
VN10019475[3]
VN10045757[5]
VN10540408[6]

I picked up a trio of these medallion fixes and am very pleased. I personally like the chunkiness, color, and aftermarket “Neartendo” logo. The gray and red of the medallion compliments the gray and red buttons on the VB controller – especially when on my Japanese demo stand.

Sure the factory medallions may appear “sleeker” and will work for a while, but the quality is lacking and they are small and insufficient (please no “that’s what she said” references). 😛

The replacement medallions, on the other hand, are slightly larger, high quality, solid, and I hear they also add 10 horsepower! >:-D

Officially saying HI! The box looks great, and I am definitely interested x 2! 😀

Benjamin Stevens wrote:
I was actually watching that Jack Bros. auction until the very end and was ready to throw $751.00 at it during the final 3 seconds, which I thought was already too high enough.

I sure am glad I haven’t had the misfortune of having you bid against me yet… haha! 😉

Seeing this auction caused me to learn that my “sealed” copy of Jack Bros. was a sham, and that it had simply been resealed probably by some store.

Sorry to hear that! I would be P-O’d big time! I saw a reseal of Waterworld a while back go for a pretty high price…I feel sorry for the unfortunate soul who got that one as well. Too bad that sellers either 1) don’t know what a reseal is, or 2) intentionally misrepresent their items to get premium bids…

Love it! Excellent work!

[Dor-Si]

This auction is already closed, but I thought the price was veeeery noteworthy… Over $1k USD for sealed Jack Bros.?!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/230830246137?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

Also, here is another nice (open) copy of Jack Bros:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120959854278?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

…and take a gander at this very nice copy of Space Invaders:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/130741161162?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

last, but not least – an affordable copy of Insmouse…a little tatty around the corners though:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Nintendo-Virtual-Boy-Insmouse-No-Yakata-Game-Boxed-JP-Import-/130741158419?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e70c7c213

• This reply was modified 12 years, 4 months ago by Dor-Si.

Great story! I used the oven method to fix mine, but I’m sure the feeling was the same. There is a certain amount of satisfaction knowing you just performed open-heart surgery on your VB to bring it back to life! Nice work, my friend!

mawa wrote:
And did you win it ? The virtual lab on yahoo.

I did! Unfortunately, not for the low price I was hoping. Someone bid it up pretty high at the end, so when all is said and done (auction fees, currency conversion fees, etc), I’m in it for a quite a hefty sum….but at least I won’t have to look for it ever again! 😀

I bought one off Ebay a while back with what looks to be the same issue. I got it to tinker with for a good price. I ended up having to perform the dreaded “oven trick,” but it has worked fine ever since. Check YouTube for videos on the fix…just be very careful. I actually found it more useful to preheat the oven and turn it completely off before setting the LEDs in there…otherwise, the oven may turn back on creating a hot “wind” or current that will fry it in a heart beat. (R.I.P. VB #2). :'(

Also, there is a UK Ebay seller with high quality screwdriver-like security bits that reach all the way down with no problem. Once you buy that one, youll never need another. It’s high grade and magnetized too.