Wata Damages Pokémon Game They Graded 

Check out Ryan's video here: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nMg-dSnnG5Q.html. What do you think about how Wata treated Ryan's game? Does he deserve compensation of some sort? Thanks again to Manscaped for sponsoring! Get 20% off at Manscaped.com with code CUPODCAST

Hey thanks for covering my video! Really appreciate you guys getting my story out there! Also, Wata claimed that they didn’t cause the tear and it was just under the sticker.

This really tarnishes the otherwise impeccable record of Wata.

Ah, don’t worry. They’ll regrade it as is and will still give it a 9.8 A++.

Now this is the rarest Pokémon game in existence, the elusive "Wata fuck up". I could see some collector buying this just because they hate wata and want to show this off to people

Store stickers add to the item’s history. And, in this age of counterfeiting, store stickers add a measure of authentication. Don’t remove store stickers.

100% agree. The stickers add a history. A lot of us collect these old games because they're from our childhood. There's a great deal of nostalgia involved and having an original store sticker just adds to that part. Especially for stores that no longer exist like Toys R Us or EB Games or even a local store.

I worked at Target in the electronics department when Pokemon Red, Blue, and Yellow were released. Those stickers were no joke, and I had to put those on almost every game before I stocked and locked the games up. I say almost, because some games, like the Pokemon games, sold so fast that we didn't even have time to put the stickers on and stock them. We would only get like 1 box of 6 games at a time, or something along those lines. And hundreds of people called every day, looking for those games. Whenever we did get a box, the games were gone in minutes. We weren't allowed to hold them. I couldn't even hold one for myself if I was in the middle of my shift. And we always rang the games up at the electronics counter, so no need to worry about theft. IMO, it's a little unlucky that the sticker was on the game in the first place. Either it was produced months after the initial rush, or that particular store was very hardcore about putting stickers on the games. Target eventually started putting more of the stickers inside the games/boxes, because people didn't care about keeping a game sealed when they were stealing it. They would just rip the sealing off with the sticker still attached. No way was that sticker coming off without ripping the seal.

The worst part of all is them saying “don’t worry it doesn’t affect the value.” Of course they say that, they screwed up the game and are the authority on sealed game prices right now.

Sabatoge a collectible game, raise the value of them on the resale market

When Pat starts pointing down at the table you know its bad.

They swapped his games. Graded them high and kept them to re-sell.

An artist always signs their work.

I feel like it was switched. Knowing WATA we will find out in an insane 1mil plus sale that looked familiar to his.

In the comic book world "Restored" means something was added (color touch ups, pieces of paper added to extend ripped corners, new staples) , Cleaning wouldnt count as restoration in those regards bc its moreso something being taken away (dirt, etc)

By WATA's own descriptions, the damage they caused with the sticker removal alone probably should have limited the game to a "C+". (From their own web site, the description for C+ specifically includes the case of: "a large sized hole caused by a removed sticker or plastic hang tab".) Looking at the linked video, they instead gave the game a "B+". ("B" allows for small to medium holes, while "B+" only allows for very small holes at the corners or 1-2 larger holes.)

The sharpie looks like is says "Receiving". I wonder who boned that up.

Collecting 101: Never get any of your items "cleaned" ....EVER! You've instantly gone from "SEALED" to "Complete In Box" Might as open the already damaged seal and play it.

4:20 cgc the top grading company for comics offers a cleaning and pressing for comics witch doesn’t affect the comic in a negative way. A comic can be graded at a 5.0 and be sent back to cgc to be cleaned and pressed can be bumped up to 5.5 or 6.0. If a comic was enhanced with color touch or trimmed it would receive a grade but would also get the purple label witch will tell you that it was restored. You mostly see it with older comics.

I'm still stumped why they would write "receiving" on the cellophane

I grade some sportscards. Whoever runs this company needs to do as Pat says and just send him the fair market value of the game in top condition. That's complete BS. They're just pretending nothing happened?! What the hell? These grading companies are printing money, at this point. They've got plenty to cover their ignorant mistake.

Yeah Wata is reputation is further tarnished after this. I think Ryan has grounds to sue Wata over the decreased value over the game over the writing on the game if Wata doesn't give him fair market value for the game.

Sounds like a Wata employee graded it at home and child drew on it

Store stickers can help tell a story. I have a copy of Mega Man X 3 that I got from blockbuster and it came with the box. They sold it to me for $6.99 (this was in 2001) and I would never want that sticker removed.

I would never pay or try to get rid of a sticker- let the buyer do it him/herself. Stickers were common back in the day, I would rather have it on, shows it not a fake/re-sealed crap)

I'd just open it at that point, games are meant to be played anyway. Not decoration.

Wata must have noticed that in their secret database that there were too many high graded pokemon red carts and it was starting to lower the value of their own personal collections.

Regardless if he knew it was a metallic sticker, that's Wata's responsibility to understand the item and how to appropriately deal with it, not just go picking away at stickers hoping for the best.

Video game collectors that care about the long term value of physical games should learn older forms of collection. For example with coins, cleaned coins are worth a fraction of what non-cleaned coins are worth because the patina and wear are a part of the history of the piece. Odds are that 20 years from now original stickers are going to add value to your collectible because they are a part of the history of the physical game. Wada aren't going to tell you that today because they are in the business of selling grades. They are not in the business of long term preservation of physical items. Look at coins, books, paintings, etc. Learn from the collectible markets that have been around over a century.

Goo gone works great for DVD style cases - anything with plastic, but be careful with cardboard boxes as it can stain it, but most of the time it dries pretty clear and unnoticeable Also watch out as the goo gone can ride its way around the plastic, so remove the cover art and wait til its try to replace it in the case.

It could not get any worse. What next? Rated games with weights inside and no game?

I'd be more willing to buy the nardnicker 4.0 if Pat would shave his head with one first to prove that it's indeed safe and powerful enough for even the toughest of jobs .

It'd be like hearing about someone removing a Blockbuster sticker from a Sculptor's Cut. NO, you fool, that's essentially the certificate of authenticity for a Sculptor's Cut.

Video starts at 2:06 🔥🤟🏼👍🏼

if you've ever taken one of those security tags off the back of a loose cart there is no way in hell you would attempt removing one from something as vulnerable as shrink wrap..

Reminds me of the story about that guy who sent his Xbox 360 (signed by the Bungee team with hand drawn art on the outer shell) into Microsoft for a warranty repair and they friggin wiped it clean, removed all the signatures and drawings as part of the "Cleaning Process" before sending it back to him.

9:29 And let's not forget. Once seal copies go for a lot of $$$, it's tempting to reseal a game! It already happened many times and it will happen more an more. Keeping the store sticker is one more clue the seal is authentic so I think not removing them is best (of course, it's not an absolute proof and of course, you can fake those too).

The game says "Receiving" on the front, and it is probably a dry erase marker. I think WATA just forgot to wipe it off. They probably write on the games scheduled for cleaning, so they can know if they have been cleaned already or not.

That's just sad, plain and simple

2 minute ad opening? Man, Pat is hurting

Og store stickers are fine and actually kinda cool. I’ll leave those on games and toys boxes. The only ones I try to take off rental stickers from carts or sharpie names if it doesn’t damage the label or anything.

One of my favorite pieces in my collection is a CIB genesis copy of Aero the acrobat with a kay-bee price tag on it

Stickers add the authenticity in my eyes

If wata is doing a cleaning service. Shouldn't they have a way to know if it's a magnetic sticker BEFORE they attempt to remove it? Like maybe using another magnetic to see if it sticks. Or doing some research on what kind of stickers stores may have used for video games during that time.

I never trusted Wata, but I never expected them to do something like this.

that security tag cant be taken off without leaving any damage

Never remove a store sticker, even on "newer" games. 90%+ of stores that have sold games don't exist anymore. It's not just a sticker, it's a snapshot into the past. Really, some stickers should enhance value if they fit certain timelines. For example, when Venture closed their stores they didn't send back preordered stock before liquidation. So new release games were sold the same week they locked the doors. Imagine the rarity of a sealed game they sold for only a few days.

What is keeping someone with the knowledge from just reshrinkwrapping these games?

Original store stickers to me are one of the best parts about old collectibles because it truly dates an item whilst bringing some of the story along. :)

The real issue is I’m sure they sold his original game with the target sticker and replaced it with a sealed version of the game and they just made a tear on it and sent it back to him his original is by being sold amongst themselves The tear represents where the sticker used to be and that way they could wash their hands on the issue.

I've worked in retail and the adhesive on those security stickers is no fucking joke. They are not designed to be removed, *ever.* It isn't the same as price/promo stickers. No-one that has ever worked with these would try to remove them if they were properly applied.

The minute you send anything to a grading service, it's out of your hands and in the hands of someone that doesn't give a fuck about your property. Why don't people get this?

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush; don't send your stuff away!

Goo Gone definitely works well to get stickers off of both hard and soft cover books.

I think stickers show a personal memory of where you bought a game !!!

"This doesn't affect the grade." So confident in their capacity to create truth. And four extra months and shows up with new handwriting? Seems like covering up general incompetence. GL to the owner.

I would be furious if this happened to one of my games, then again I would never send any games from my collection to get graded. IT is a farce.

Imagine running a game "restoration" service and being dumb enough to try to remove a magnetic sticker...

Good thing it wasn't the plant em version

I really hope Pat and Ian keep this podcast going for another 30 years they'd literally become the Statler and Waldorf of the gaming world!

If it was me, I would think the Target sticker, fully intact, would actually add value/ nostalgia to this game. I think it's cool to have original stickers, receipts, etc. with a game. Just my $0.02. I agree with Pat on that.

I actually love it that some of my CIB games with broken seals still have Babbages and Kay-Bee Toys stickers. Personally, I find it more valuable as a collector.

It says “Receiving”, obviously something to do with their intake process. Why it’s on the game, who knows.

Also, I always use Rainex to remove permanent marker from game cartridges, but I'm not sure if it could work with a cellophane seal.

Not quite sure why when Pat and Ian start talking about shaving balls makes me uncomfortable. 😐 🙃

They might as well just drew a giant middle finger on it.

I'm not one to go for conspiracy theories, but, with the questionable relationship between WATA and Heritage Auctions, I wonder if there's a possibility that Ryan's copy was in way better shape than someone trying to pump up the value of both HA and WATA, and they switched the two. That might explain the writing on that game. Because, for my mind, there is absolutely no reason that WATA should be writing on the actual game at all. That would be like someone from a grading company writing on the cover of Amazing Fantasy 15. If you're a legit grading company, you just don't do that.

I used lighter fluid to remove the sticker from the cardboard outer box for my Japanese copy of Vampire Savior for Saturn a few years ago. Worked without any issue!

The word in marker on the game is Receiving, like you said they put a paper on top wrote receiving and it bled thru

maybe they lost his game and had to substitute a similar looking one they already had.

One thing though, if he remove the plastic its basically a perfect mint condition pokemon red in a protective box, but if he is looking to make "good money" I can understand how that hurt him now.

It looks like "Recieving" was written on it. Like somewhere in the transit someone wrote on the box.

this has been a concern of mine seeing as they are untrustworthy in my eyes, i would also fear my game being lost in the suffle somehow or even stolen by a light fingered indiividual. there is nothing good attatched with wata, steer clear of em.

It not being the same game would explain a ton. Either way WATA should know better. That can’t be the first time they tried to remove a security sticker. “Hey let’s practice on this $30k game” ….. I’m telling y’all before and after stickers don’t line up….they took his og and replaced it with this shit. Def says “receiving” on front. Maybe an old store return or something….or a prior experiment went wrong 🤷‍♂️

Looks like it says "Receiving" in marker. Probably an accident, but then they couldn't get it off

Thats because now there is one less gem mint whatever whatever in circulation.

Apart from other WATA's stuff, I just don't understand their reasoning on this: they make a mistake and even top on it with an unexplicable scribble on their graded box but still they choose to not refund it? Their whole job is upon their reputation as graders: if they refund the item they can say that it was a singular mistake and get over it. Saving money on a refund is idiotic because now their reputation as graders is tarnished and they will probably not recover from it for months, even years.

Mentioning "the travel" of a game, I was at Goodwill and found Zorro complete and in great condition but I put it back to grab the Blockbuster rental version. It had the sticker and Blockbuster official dvd case. Monetary collection vs nostalgia is a big difference and I'll keep nostalgia in place of certain things

I sent in a Silent Hill for PS1 to get graded. The "cleaning" costs about $8 for very basic stuff, he must have paid alot for the sticker removal and other cleaning. I'd take it to small claims court if he doesn't get fair market value compensation

I cut the fuck out of my shaft with the lawnmower 3.0 and I have flash backs

Back when I was a kid, I already have a collector mentallity so I don't open most of my toys. I collect action figures, mainly Marvel Legends. I also don't remove the price tag so I would be reminded of just how much it is when I bought it and how much they appreciated in value. Even though I won't likely sell them.

Shoulda just left the sticker on. Gives it character and history.

How do we know the game he got back is the one he sent?

If I had a sealed game I would of kept then sticker on it,

When you get to the stage of collecting where there's companies grading the items, there's essentially two camps: preserving originality or restoring to a desired aesthetic. Think if of it in terms of collector cars. You can either have a very original low-mileage car that has a few imperfections but tells the story of its ownership, or a car that is restored to be as good (or better) than new, but it's no longer original. There's no "right answer" it depends on the condition of the object you start with and the personal choice of the owner. If a company performs grading I don't think they should offer a cleaning or restoration service. It feels like a conflicting ideology towards preservation and originality. Where does the cleaning stop and the grading begin? Also pretty much any video game collector would understand how difficult retail stickers can be to remove. WATA above all else should have known it would be nearly impossible to remove that sticker without damage to the plastic wrap, and declined to attempt removing it themselves. The retail sticker adds to the originality of the game and WATA should be more interested in preserving it than removing it. ...But then I guess l they wouldn't be able to charge a "cleaning fee."

I can't help but wonder if the copy he got back was actually his copy... Who's to say another target one happened to come through around the same time... Then with all the sketchy shit going on lately... I also can't help but wonder if there were nefarious intentions behind this... Man I'm so glad I'm not into that side of collecting... I have 5 boxed Vetrex games, not sealed & I don't display them.. I use them! I handle them carefully sure, but they are just boxes!

I just seen heritage games on Instagram 100 something likes zero comments an they got like a thousand pictures of graded games I don’t believe anything they say.

bruh that room, all i can think of is that time red letter media was making fun of star wars channels

Ronsanol (Zippo lighter fluid) works AMAZING at removing stickers

At a glance it almost looks like it says damaged scribbled on it

It says "Receiving". So I wonder if some random guy wrote that on it upon arrival to their warehouse?

i like store stickers it give it more authenticity especially if the company has gone under for example toys'r'us.

Hmm.. I sent Wrestlemania with Hulk on the cover NES Sealledddd and it was at least a 9.0. It came back to me a 6.5 because of a dent in the corner I KNOW wasnt their.

Wouldn’t a little bit of acetone on a cotton tip remove that sharpie?

Also you remove a label and have a label shaped clean/unfaded spot there!

Founder of Wata Deniz Khan did say he cares more about rarity than condition, so why would they take care of their customers who entrust Wata to handle their sealed games with the same love and attention...leading by example really.

He should sue them, if only to have an official account of what's really happening in there. A judge could pull all the info we just can't legally have, right now. But Im pretty sure he'd win easily, so they might just choose to settle instead of exposing themselves to all this poops

If I was to ever buy seal... i dont... but if I did a store sticker would tell me it was legit.

Looks like it says "receiving"☕ When it comes to antiques, I thought cleaning degraded in a way Sometimes it makes it worth more, but only if it's not in near perfect condition... If it's "perfect" / undamaged, but just needs a little dusting... the dust, dirt, and grime can make it worth more... once cleaned it's considered restored, and value goes down, but only for collecting I believe Other industries might be interested in it, and if it's still rare, but cleaned, that could be worth more to studios of all types, schools, etc. Cars, Instruments, tools; they could easily be used as props and/or education... I could see the same thing for games, but we all know that we can't read a sealed comic, but we assume it's still readable while it's still inside the seal, but who knows... maybe open it and the pages are blank or you need mirror to read it... We ask if a game is still playable, but it needs to be cleaned / restored to do so, does it lower the value or give it more? If it plays after cleaning, than maybe it could, but if it still doesn't play after cleaning, the original condition before cleaning should be worth more...I would think.. Ones that aren't cleaned and left in their state would go up in value because there would be less of them Blockbuster labels fursure could raise the value, and would one that was rented out be more or less rare/valuable... Never was a Blockbuster fan because the local mom and pop video stores were cooler, but I could see value in something that used to be rented out from them since they were so Iconic... and something that survived all that is probably pretty rare☕ 🎶🎼👽🎼🎶

I have an NOA Staff sealed copy of Pokemon Sapphire that I'd ideally like to get graded, but the number of things that could go wrong (including stuff like this) just absolutely mortifies me and is one of the big reasons I still haven't done it.