Everyone looks outside.
We also look inside.

1. Increases the market value of the certified videogame 2. Protects the physical investment from future damage (scratches, humidity, light) 3. Gives certainty to buyers and facilitates resale 4. Attributes a historical and collectible value, also useful for insurance, museums or exhibitions 5. Offers an official and impartial guarantee on the authenticity of the title In a market increasingly attentive to collecting and protection of physical objects, grading has become a global standard for those who want to transform a simple videogame into a certified asset.

TGMGrading evaluations are performed objectively through a technical grid based on hundreds of measurable parameters: material quality, conservation state, seal integrity, presence of original elements, graphic alignment and much more. But not only: each evaluation is historically contextualized, meaning we take into account the production standard of the publication era and the average conservation conditions typical of that period. This approach allows us to offer the most accurate, impartial and consistent evaluation possible.

The grading process is entrusted to a multidisciplinary team of experts, led by: 1. Federico Salerno - Lawyer and professional collector, reference point in Italy in the world of retrogaming, with years of legal and technical experience in the protection and enhancement of collectible goods; 2. Carlo Santangostino - Pioneer of digital development, historian of computer science and videogames, developer with decades of experience in the e-commerce, multimedia and digital applications sector. Authoritative Italian "digital archaeologist", Carlo brings a scientific and philological approach to the historical evaluation of titles. These are joined by other specialists: notaries, laboratory technicians, entrepreneurs in the videogame sector and figures with certified experience in buying and selling high-value collectibles.

When we receive a videogame to grade, the physical security of your object is our absolute priority. Our operational headquarters is equipped with: 1. Armored and armed doors for all accesses 2. Internal anti-break-in grates, protecting the premises 3. Fog generators activated in case of intrusion to make visibility impossible 4. Latest generation alarms, connected with law enforcement 5. Constant controls, carried out by Fidelitas Each package is tracked and controlled in every phase of the process, and stored in protected environments before, during and after the grading phase. Your title is never left alone.

A sealed but uncertified videogame can be worth even 10 times less than the same title while with a grading process it acquires much more value not only economic but also preservation. Grading is the bridge between nostalgia and the real value of a collectible object.

X-rays are potentially harmful to electronic components or storage media if they are powered on (i.e., if electricity is flowing through them), if the voltage used is higher than about 100 kV, or if the exposure time is prolonged. If these conditions are respected there is no danger, so much so that X-rays are one of the standard tools for non-destructive quality control of electronic boards found in many objects, from household appliances to computers. During certification checks we keep the X-ray intensity very low and each check involves a maximum of a few minutes of exposure.

X-rays are high-energy photons, generated by the collision of electrons traveling at very high speeds against a target. The X-ray photons that we can produce with the machinery we use for certifications do not have the power necessary to alter the physical characteristics of an object (such as the color of plastic or paper), nor can they induce the nuclear reactions necessary to have radioactive materials.

The images obtained with X-rays to certify video games usually have a resolution between 20 and 50 microns (i.e. 2-5 hundredths of a millimeter). This allows visualization of all parameters necessary for video game certification. To be visible to X-rays, a material must have a density such as to decrease the energy of photons passing through it, a difference that is captured by a panel through a grayscale image (a principle similar to that of a digital camera). Some materials, such as metals, are very dense and therefore very visible (e.g. electronic components, instruction booklet staples); others are less dense but still easily visible (e.g., the case plastic); others are low density and so thin as to be visible with difficulty or be completely transparent, such as the paper of booklets.

The machinery has the potential to use up to 500 Watts of power and 300kV voltage, which allow penetration of metal thicknesses in the order of centimeters. However, for video games we use maximum voltage of 70-80 kV and a very low current intensity (60-70 microAmperes), for a power not exceeding 8 Watts. Video games are made mostly of low-density materials (e.g., plastic) and therefore this contained power guarantees both obtaining the images and the integrity of the object.