Nogrod wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:

ExTSR wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:I'd be reeeeeeeal careful about 'original shrink' vs aftermarket shrink. They're all very prolly original shrink, but the seller doesn't warrant that explicitly. :/

It is posts like these from guys like this that make me happy I am on this forum. It is nice have somewhere to browse and agree completely about minor fraud like aftermarket shrink knowing no one will think you are beyond help for your latent anger about it.

I do have a question though, is it even possible to recreate the shrink-wrap from that era in a manner that could fool most of you? I haven't bought much in shrink because I harbor suspicions all to often.

Zach

Anything is possible given enough financial incentive. In this case, I doubt it however. The money just isn't there on a big enough scale to engender serious fraud IMHO. And you've got nothing to worry about on eBay at least; if it's fake, just send it right back. That qualifies for eBay protection "not as described". The safest way is to see the "seam" on the back of the module; that pretty much guarantees authenticity. The problem starts later in the product line when they stopped sealing things with that seam.

Zen

P.S. I've had close to 1000 shrinked mods and stuff run through my hands. I could count rewraps on one hand.

I am not quite sure which makes me more amused/happy...The fact that you probably pulled that (very likely) correct number off the top of your head, or that I 100% agree about the level of hell shrink-wrap fraudsters belong in without invoking irony

My guess is between low-rent rule plagiarizers and the unsavory people who recast ral partha minis and sell them on the sly....

I think that in many ways the march of technology helps (as always) by ensuring the newer, faster and shinier shrink wrap (or printing, layout etc) makes the attempt to counterfeit things in our interest area impossible by sheer obsolesce. I imagine many old zines were reproduced on machines that haven't had repair parts for sale since the Kennedy administration. I doubt this line of thought is new to any of you here, but I bet we are safer than some bigger collecting hobbies...like masterpiece art for example

Interesting stuff.

Zach

Blackmoor wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:
My local store has hundreds of old mods, many are re-shrunk as a matter of routine.  They do not do this to mislead people into thinking it is new product, they simply want to keep the item protected until it sells. The differences in original shrink items and re-shrunk items look very obvious usually!

One of mine does this as well with boxed sets and board games. Though I suspect them of wanting to hide the missing counters behind a shield of shrink...your store probably has better ethics than mine though : )

Zach

Peter Green wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:'the game player' in Barton creek mall?

Was just there, lamenting how there's nothing worthwhile in malls anymore. All I can do is watch Logan's Run, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, & pine in sorrow for the glory days of consumerism. Now I have one more store to add to the list of what's no longer at Barton Creek. I think 1988 is the first I ever visited, & didn't see it. I do however remember The Game Player of Sharpstown Mall in Houston, circa 1980. My copy of the 1981 Mattel D&D game still has a price sticker from one of the chain's locations. It was found in a vintage shop here in Austin, so perhaps it came from the Barton Creek store.

(02c) SW'd copy had a high starting bid, visible faults (although the warping and shrink tear isn't as bad as some), wasn't being sold by a known individual (I think, albeit they are located in Lake Geneva), had $536 in postage and (illegally charged for imports into the UK) additional fees for non-US buyers, and was possibly not best-timed to sell three days before Christmas.
Hoping y'all have a good 2014.

dwarf wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:surely uncommon in shrink, but $399,99...


** expired/removed eBay auction **

There was one up a week ago or so for $499.99, so I listed mine at $399.99, and it looks like he's just copying my price. This is why I have a Make Offer button....spoiler alert! I'll take less than $399 for mine lol.

Zen

Peter Green wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:If that's in Yen not a bad deal.

Peter Green

Peter Green wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:
** expired/removed eBay auction **


Sorry about above post my mistake, copied wrong link.  So....  Am I now missing something. Is theis really overpriced or do I just need some sleep

Peter Green

It is one of some crazy prices from Nobleknight.
The prices mentioned in the Acaeum entry for these character sheets correspond to what I observed. If I recall correctly, I bought one nice set for about $100 two years ago on Ebay. Personally, I would not pay more than $100 for an incomplete set and $200 for a complete one, even if it is uncommon.
It appears occasionally on Ebay. With a bit of patience, you should find one for much less than the price charged by Nobleknight.

Conclusion : you do not need some sleep, not yet.

Peter Green wrote in Old Candidates: Silliest Auction Prices of the Year:
** expired/removed eBay auction **


Ok I have to admit I over paid for one of these early on in my collecting. But it was a really nice copy. A quick eBay survey finds a lot of these books for elevated prices. This one just seems very silly.

I wonder what folks think is the item that is over priced the most chronically. Oh course if it's then bought guess it's not overpriced.

Peter Green

I think it's definitely a candidate. Mostly because it's one of the only items non-gamers "know" is valuable, but they don't have any frame of reference to place that knowledge inside of.  A local bookstore near my house (independently owned) had one inside the glass of the front counter for years priced at $250 despite the fact every time I went inside I told the owner to check Ebay for prices and he'd find it was way overpriced in comparison to similar copies (it wasn't in great shape).  No, he "knew" this one was valuable because of "banned artwork".  I think that's the same type of scenario for almost all the copies you see on Ebay that are terribly over priced.

Mike B.