POLL: Bootlegs / Reproductions: What is allowed

[mjmjr25]

Well, as hobie pointed out, Onyx made it more personal in this thread when he made his post and ninja then posted specific items from Onyx. I'm not trying to beat anyone up and have no desire to attack anyone personally. Obviously Onyx did feel attacked, so for my part, i'm sorry. That said, my preference is those items, regardless of seller, are not in our marketplace.

[dsheinem]

so, to move on...

do the results mean that we need to have another poll?

e.g.:

We have decided that repros and bootlegs must be labeled/marked to be sold. Where must they be labeled?

A) in the thread/description (e.g. "MUSHA repro - $100" instead of "MUSHA - $100")
B) on the game itself (e.g. on the label, on the physical cart, etc.)
C) both in the thread and on the game itself

And, if the results to a poll like this end up being "A" does that mean that our current rules would already cover this (thus, no change is needed)?

Also, regardless of what we decide, I thought I'd work up a draft of a quick addendum to toss in to the guidelines (perhaps as a new #5, bumping the CAG link to the bottom?) to help people. Feel free to use it as/if you see fit:

Users of this section of the site should know that bootleg/reproduction boxes, manuals, cartridges, discs, etc. of commercially available games have become increasingly common. Thus, you should be especially certain about any deal involving more expensive or rare games (e.g. Earthbound, MUSHA, etc.). Search the web for guides like this general one about spotting fake carts, this one specifically about spotting SNES bootlegs, or even our own guide to fake sealed games.

[mjmjr25]

^that makes sense to me, yeah. I'll get something set up soonish unless you want to post it as you already have it laid out.

To note, I think the idea is it only needs to say repro when it could otherwise be confused.

To clarify again, Rendering Ranger in an SFC shell, should have "reproduction" on the label. Rendering Ranger in a US shell would not need anything.

[Hobie-wan]

Discussing options on any further poll should be discussed in the mod section to be sure that all options are clear and not open to interpretation before posting.

[dsheinem]

Discussing options on any further poll should be discussed in the mod section to be sure that all options are clear and not open to interpretation before posting.

I was just offering a suggestion since I was the one who indicated my confusion with Mike's initial wording. Figured it was best to do so publicly, but apologies if I stepped on toes.

[Hobie-wan]

Nono, I meant having all of the mods agree on wording of poll options before posting it. Obviously there was some confusion of the exact meaning of some of these as it was posted in haste.

[foxhound1022]

Yeah, I understand he is just reselling chinese boots.

My comment was simply just a poor attempt at humor. When I started collecting, I never expected to have to worry about buying reproduction games. Now they seem to be everywhere.

Is any of this worry about a $5 or $10 game? Or even a $25 game? So if there was no issue of a accidental repro and you were spending a large amount like more than $50 you wouldn't check to make sure you were getting the product you desire? If I was spending an even larger amount I would ask to see the board for other reasons than fear of a bootleg; damage, switched board, battery missing or messed up.

Well, my opinion is that it is just a damn shame that we even have to go to this extent; asking for pics of PCB's and whatnot.

What I was trying to say is that even a few years ago, this type of exchange wouldn't have even been prevalent outside of NG circles.

Now, you have to be cautious when purchasing NES, SNES, and Genesis carts?

Just ridiculous. This all stems from greedy bastards looking to capitalize on a booming market.

I know there are a lot if people who will be up front about whether or not they're selling a boot/repro, but there are also lots who are looking simply to rip off people who simply don't know any better; worse yet, there are some who spend a great deal of time trying to fool even the more discerning folks. Just sad.

[mjmjr25]

Nono, I meant having all of the mods agree on wording of poll options before posting it. Obviously there was some confusion of the exact meaning of some of these as it was posted in haste.

If you want to get it rolling in the mod lounge i'm good w/it. When I started the last thread in the mod lounge it seemed to stall out with no posts for a week (from the 7th to the 14th).

The issue is so complex with repros, boots, multi-carts, sac or no sac, new label or repro of old label, shell region, hack, homebrew, translation, what game reasonably needs a translation, original pcb or new pcb, etc - I don't know that we'll ever get full agreement on the wording being dead-on for a traditional poll as characters are limited - no matter what is posted, someone is going to have a caveat that isn't clearly covered. After all was said and done - was there anyone who would have switched their vote? Possibly from 2 to 1, but that still brings us back exactly where we are now with the idea of a 2nd poll.

[Aramonde]

Well, my opinion is that it is just a damn shame that we even have to go to this extent; asking for pics of PCB's and whatnot.

What I was trying to say is that even a few years ago, this type of exchange wouldn't have even been prevalent outside of NG circles.

Now, you have to be cautious when purchasing NES, SNES, and Genesis carts?

Just ridiculous. This all stems from greedy bastards looking to capitalize on a booming market.

I know there are a lot if people who will be up front about whether or not they're selling a boot/repro, but there are also lots who are looking simply to rip off people who simply don't know any better; worse yet, there are some who spend a great deal of time trying to fool even the more discerning folks. Just sad.

This happens in all hobbies not just game collecting.

[Hobie-wan]

If you want to get it rolling in the mod lounge i'm good w/it.

I'll think about it tomorrow.