Diamond Comic Distributors Buys Collectible Grading Authority & AFA

Diamond Comic Distributors have announced an acquisition of Collectible Grading Authority (CGA), which is the parent company for Action Figure Authory (AFA).  For those of us that collect figures, most will know AFA from their graded and cased Action Figures fetching top dollar for being mint.  How this will intertwine with Diamond, or possibly Diamond Select Toys and Gentle Giant, is unknown right now.   Read on to check the full press release!

Diamond Comic Distributors (DCD), the world’s largest distributor of English-language comics, graphic novels, and pop culture merchandise, today announced the acquisition of Collectible Grading Authority (CGA), operator of the well-known and established grading brands, Action Figure Authority (AFA) and Video Game Authority (VGA) as well Die-Cast Authority (DCA) and Collectible Doll Authority (CDA).

CGA will join Diamond as part of Geppi Family Enterprises (GFE), a network of pop culture companies owned by Steve Geppi. GFE includes Diamond Comic Distributors, Diamond UK, Diamond Book Distributors, Alliance Game Distributors, Diamond Select Toys, Gemstone Publishing, E. Gerber, and Hake’s Auctions among others.

Adding to Geppi’s already powerful portfolio of pop culture brands, the acquisition of CGA advances GFE’s position in the industry as the nexus of pop culture and supports its mission to be the leading source for pop culture products and services worldwide.

“I’m focused on expanding our product and service offerings to cement our position as the center of all things pop culture,” said Steve Geppi, President, Chairman and CEO of Geppi Family Enterprises. “We’ve all been reading about the explosive growth in collectible grading, so getting into that business was a logical next step for us. As the undisputed leader in action figure and video game grading, CGA is the perfect addition to our portfolio. I am thrilled to have CGA join Geppi Family Enterprises.”

CGA brings a best-in-class collectible grading and preservation business along with an extensive customer base. For more than 20 years, CGA has served more than 10,000 collectors, investors, dealers, auction firms and toy makers, grading close to 500,000 items. CGA’s high-quality acrylic cases offer tamper-proof protection that also serves as an attractive display for a wide range of items.

Founded in Atlanta in 2000, CGA began by offering action figure grading and quickly evolved into the leading grading service of action figures. Expanding into video game grading in 2008, CGA maintains their position as the trusted authority on grading of action figures and video games.

“Our focus has always been on providing accurate grading services accompanied by the highest quality acrylic cases in the industry,” said Chad Thompson, CEO of Collectible Grading Authority. “We’re not only excited to partner with Steve Geppi and the Geppi Family Enterprises portfolio of brands—we’re also eager to accelerate our growth and take CGA to the next level as a result of our new partnership. This is just the beginning of exciting new times as we look forward to continuing to serve our collecting communities for many years to come.”

CGA will maintain their Atlanta-based operations.