WATA's Red Flow Hologram
Posted at Aug. 16, 2022, 4:19 p.m.
Grading
WATA
In July 2021, WATA implemented their new "Red Flow" hologram. And no, Red Flow is not a euphemism for anything so get your mind out of the gutter!
The NerdMelon crew have come across examples of WATA graded games with this new Red Flow hologram and we wanted to highlight some examples for the collecting community. First off, we reached out to WATA Support for comment and got this response:
"As part of our continued effort to help collectors differentiate between different graded games, we have developed new colors of our Flow holograms. The first to be introduced is the Red Flow hologram which indicates there is an aspect of the condition of the game that may change over time. This would be used for something like mold or a significant chemical restoration. In addition to the Red Flow, the defect of note will be listed on the label. Because the Red Flow indicates the condition of the game may change over time, Wata cannot guarantee the accuracy of the grade after it has been placed in the holder. It is important to acknowledge that prior to July (2021), we have used our traditional Blue Flow hologram even with an aspect of the condition of a game may change over time, but in all cases have clearly notated that aspect on the label if it was visible (for example, mold). This new Red Flow hologram is meant to help collectors differentiate more easily going forward."
In summary, the Red Flow hologram means mold or other contaminants exist in the graded game that may cause damage in the future and potentially lower the initial grade.
And finally, here are some examples of the new hologram:
