Perforation Gauge
A perforation gauge is a measuring device used by stamp collectors to determine the exact spacing of a stamp’s perforations, expressed as the number of perforation holes per two centimetres. The gauge measurement is one of the primary tools for distinguishing different printings, varieties, and reissues of the same stamp design — a difference of […]
Hardbox
A hardbox is the cardboard outer packaging used by Nintendo for early NES retail releases (1985–1986), distinguished from the later softer cardboard used on most NES titles. Hardbox versions are scarce because they were produced only briefly during the system’s launch in the United States. Sealed NES hardboxes of launch titles are among the most […]
VGA
VGA (Video Game Authority) is one of the two major third-party grading services for sealed video games, alongside WATA. VGA introduced sealed-game encapsulation earlier than WATA and uses a 0–100 grading scale. VGA-graded games remain widely respected and trade actively in established collector channels. See also: Tropical DialVAMVariant CoverWATAWATA GradeAll Terms A–Z →
H-Seam
The H-seam is the H-shaped pattern of factory shrinkwrap seams visible on the back of most sealed NES, SNES, Genesis, and N64 boxes. A horizontal seam crossed by a vertical seam forms the letter H. Authentic factory H-seams are tight, geometrically consistent, and difficult to reproduce with consumer shrink equipment, making them a primary authentication […]
WATA
WATA Games is a third-party grading and encapsulation service for sealed video games. WATA assigns a numeric grade for box condition (typically 9.0–9.8 for collector grades) and a separate letter grade for the seal (A++ for pristine factory shrinkwrap down to B- for damaged or repaired seals). WATA holders dominate the high end of the […]
Hangtag
A hangtag is the small folded paper or cardboard tag, often punched for hanging on a peg, attached to a sealed video game or toy via the original shrinkwrap. The hangtag is part of the factory packaging and is one of the authentication points used by graders. A missing or damaged hangtag reduces a sealed […]
AFA Grading
AFA (Action Figure Authority) is the dominant third-party grading service for sealed and loose toys. AFA encapsulates carded action figures in hard acrylic and assigns numeric grades on an 85, 90, 95, 100 scale at the high end, with sub-grades for cardback, bubble, and figure. AFA 85 is the practical entry tier for serious vintage […]
Parallel
A parallel is a card from a modern sports card set that uses the same image and design as the base card but features a different colour border, a foil treatment, a serial number, or another distinguishing variation. Parallels can range from common (high print runs) to one-of-one cards. Parallels drive much of the speculative […]
Population Report
A population report is a publicly available database from a third-party grading service (PSA, CGC, BGS, NGC) showing how many examples of a specific card or coin have been graded at each grade level. Collectors and dealers use population reports to gauge true rarity, identify grade-jump opportunities, and project price spreads between grades. See also: […]
Pre-War Card
Pre-war card refers to a sports or trading card produced before the Second World War, generally meaning issues from the 1880s through the 1941 Play Ball baseball set. Iconic pre-war sets include T206 (1909-1911), 1933 Goudey, and 1934-36 Diamond Stars. Pre-war cards used heavier card stock, smaller dimensions in many cases, and were often distributed […]