How often do you open cartridges to see if they are real when buying online?

[Rooster | 124]

I don't open every game.  Who is going to fake a copy of Super Soccer 97 or some crap like that.  But if it's a more desirable game I will definitely check the board.  I've actually never found a reproduction in any game I've bought so far.  I guess I've been lucky, but I do check for most games that go for more than about $25.

[austin532 | 467]

46 minutes ago, Rooster said:

I don't open every game.  Who is going to fake a copy of Super Soccer 97 or some crap like that.  But if it's a more desirable game I will definitely check the board.  I've actually never found a reproduction in any game I've bought so far.  I guess I've been lucky, but I do check for most games that go for more than about $25.

The same people who would fake a SMB/Duck Hunt or Top Gun because they have nothing better to do.

[Rooster | 124]

3 hours ago, austin532 said:

The same people who would fake a SMB/Duck Hunt or Top Gun because they have nothing better to do.

I can't spend all of my time worrying that some crazy soldering psychopath is going to counterfeit a $3 game.  If I find out I have a counterfeit common I'll just go buy another copy.

[RegularGuyGamer | 2,012]

I open every cartridge that I sell online. 

[DoctorEncore | 3,691]

8 hours ago, Rooster said:

I can't spend all of my time worrying that some crazy soldering psychopath is going to counterfeit a $3 game.  If I find out I have a counterfeit common I'll just go buy another copy.

This is also how I feel.

[Tulpa | 3,492]

8 hours ago, Rooster said:

I can't spend all of my time worrying that some crazy soldering psychopath is going to counterfeit a $3 game.  If I find out I have a counterfeit common I'll just go buy another copy.

Opening a game takes about thirty seconds for five screws. I'm not sure how that takes a lot of time. 

But then I also want to get in there and clean them since they're all two decades plus at this point.

Edited December 15, 2019 by Tulpa

[ALTQQ | 87]

I haven't opened up a tape in like 10 years. Your odds of getting a fake are pretty slim anyways

[Rooster | 124]

6 hours ago, Tulpa said:

Opening a game takes about thirty seconds for five screws. I'm not sure how that takes a lot of time. 

But then I also want to get in there and clean them since they're all two decades plus at this point.

Yeah I've got a box of like 45 new SFC games that I need to log into my collection spreadsheet.  If I opened all of them to check the boards it would take quite some time.

[Tulpa | 3,492]

14 minutes ago, Rooster said:

Yeah I've got a box of like 45 new SFC games that I need to log into my collection spreadsheet.  If I opened all of them to check the boards it would take quite some time.

Huh. I guess we have different ideas on that. 

[zeppelin03 | 314]

I don't buy many carts anymore but when I do they are always opened.  Way too many bootlegs floating around not to.  It takes 30 seconds and it makes cleaning the contacts that much easier.

[Tanooki | 4,932]

5 hours ago, Rooster said:

Yeah I've got a box of like 45 new SFC games that I need to log into my collection spreadsheet.  If I opened all of them to check the boards it would take quite some time.

I fall on your side of that thinking.  I know you can open up a cart in like a minute or less, but opening (and closing too) isn't the problem, it's the mess inside.  Once the effort is there you're basically compelled to give it the once over so it's ready to go and known to work which takes time.  If you figure 5min a game, more in the case of one that's being pissy or is funky, and you're into it for hours depending on that stack you have.  The last few lots with a system/controllers I got could easily eat up a good chunk of an afternoon or evening making it sanitary and right.

[NESfiend | 1,515]

On 12/14/2019 at 8:21 PM, Rooster said:

I don't open every game.  Who is going to fake a copy of Super Soccer 97 or some crap like that.  But if it's a more desirable game I will definitely check the board.  I've actually never found a reproduction in any game I've bought so far.  I guess I've been lucky, but I do check for most games that go for more than about $25.

 

My line may be a little higher than 25, but not by that much. Probably 35 or 40. It only takes a minute or two and I enjoy matching it up to bootgod and knowing I verified it. If, for god knows what reason, someone decides to fake a game worth ten or twelve bucks, you got me. It would be a crazy rarity and a cheap and easy thing to fix. 

[Rooster | 124]

2 minutes ago, NESfiend said:

 

My line may be a little higher than 25, but not by that much. Probably 35 or 40. It only takes a minute or two and I enjoy matching it up to bootgod and knowing I verified it. If, for god knows what reason, someone decides to fake a game worth ten or twelve bucks, you got me. It would be a crazy rarity and a cheap and easy thing to fix. 

Those were my thoughts.  Worst case scenario if I get a counterfeit copy of ken griffey jr MLB then I'll shell out the $4 to get a new one.

[Nintendo Historian | 43]

Anything over $100 I open it up ,even from known reputable dealers /collectors ...Trust ,but verify_Ronald Reagan ...

[Nintendo Historian | 43]

On 12/15/2019 at 11:29 AM, ALTQQ said:

I haven't opened up a tape in like 10 years. Your odds of getting a fake are pretty slim anyways

I disagree with this statement ,especially with all the fakes of rare carts out there ..

[Nintegageo | 582]

With MVS games I do, or at least look through the air slits on the cartridge to see the PCB/chips. With expensive games I may, but I tend to buy via reliable sellers.

[Tanooki | 4,932]

3 hours ago, Nintegageo said:

With MVS games I do, or at least look through the air slits on the cartridge to see the PCB/chips. With expensive games I may, but I tend to buy via reliable sellers.

100% the same here.  I quickly caught on after getting my cabinet 3 years back that there were a lot of checkered things to be wary of.  It's not so much the fakes, they're easier to catch, but it's the repair jobs, the halfassed back office arcade shop repair jobs, and other chip swaps (factory or not) to fix things.  It really muddies it, even down to where some may harvest another games set of PCBs (or just 1) and pop good chips onto it to make the best case out of 2 jacked up games.

For the carts I've got, three of them are in rental SNK-R white cages and one of those the label was so so far gone I made a pretty 1:1 repop one I printed myself at least at first glance, you'd realize the aging isn't real if you got real close as I cut it nicely around the edges and laid it down with a solid glue sticking.   My Top Hunter has a bs label entirely.

 

If someone ever wants to strongly verify their MVS cart there is the equal to bootgod(for nes) out there called MVS Scans as they have all boards, legit variant boards, and then many known fakes/hack boards all photographed to run comparisons.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Tanooki

[guitarzombie | 924]

On 12/14/2019 at 10:08 PM, austin532 said:

The same people who would fake a SMB/Duck Hunt or Top Gun because they have nothing better to do.

Wheres the proof on this?

I don't get how people are so anal that they're so afraid of bootlegs and fake copies.  Its so easy to spot one.  I knew a genius of a guy that threw out every game that had an epoxy blob like the Chinese fakes.  Yeah thats all well and good but since its a much more efficient way of building the PCBs instead of burning chips, almost ALL the high volume pack in games were epoxy.  So he was throwing out SMB/DHs and who knows what else.  And no matter how much info I gave him, he doubled down. 

He eventually went out of business.  

[guitarzombie | 924]

7 hours ago, NES CONNOISSEUR said:

I disagree with this statement ,especially with all the fakes of rare carts out there ..

Again, where's the proof?  The only people who get fooled are usually fools not knowing what they're buying, or people who are hedging their bet because the deal was too good to be true.  Like a Samson inside a lot of 30 games with hardly any pics.   

Always use your brain and if you're unsure ask questions.  If its still shady, dont move forward.  How hard is that?

[austin532 | 467]

1 hour ago, guitarzombie said:

Wheres the proof on this?

I don't get how people are so anal that they're so afraid of bootlegs and fake copies.  Its so easy to spot one.  I knew a genius of a guy that threw out every game that had an epoxy blob like the Chinese fakes.  Yeah thats all well and good but since its a much more efficient way of building the PCBs instead of burning chips, almost ALL the high volume pack in games were epoxy.  So he was throwing out SMB/DHs and who knows what else.  And no matter how much info I gave him, he doubled down. 

He eventually went out of business.  

There is no proof. I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if someone has made a fake SMB/DH just because people are least likely to check it. I am aware that some people believe the epoxy blob versions are fake but to throw everyone away? Why?

[guitarzombie | 924]

1 minute ago, austin532 said:

There is no proof. I'm just saying I wouldn't be surprised if someone has made a fake SMB/DH just because people are least likely to check it. I am aware that some people believe the epoxy blob versions are fake but to throw everyone away? Why?

He was an idiot, thats why.  Theres no money it in because theres a billion SMB/DH and they're cheap to begin with.  To make fake ones would cost so much time and effort for no gain.  Which is why you see them for expensive games.  The chinese GBA bootleg games are usually for pokemon/first party titles, and even those dont make any sense because some of those mario games are really cheap to begin with.  The cost for them to manufacture a ton of pcbs is much smaller though.  

If you wanted to, you could absolutely make an exact Stadium Events replica.  The only things really unique about it are the label and chips.  If you can get a factory to make chips for you and have them stamp the correct codes on it, you'll never know.  But to start that up is so expensive it might not even be worth it.  Those factories print in bulk, not one offs.  Thats why china pumps them out because they're designing the pcs and printing them out themselves, instead of outsourcing to a company.  And when they do it, its in poor quality, making them easy to spot.  The harder to spot ones are usually one offs that someone made.

[Sydpinkfloyd | 12]

I open every game both to clean it and to make sure it’s legit. This is regardless if I’m keeping it for my collection or reselling it, as I’d hate to pass on a repro to someone else without them knowing it.