Looking for replacement GBA SP shells that are high-quality

[koifish | 555]

So, apologies if I'm in the wrong forum. I can't tell if any of the existing boards really exist with a focus on repairing game stuff, but if somewhere else is better then I'll request mods to move my thread to the better place.

Now then, my problem is that my GBA SP case totally broke. It's split in 3 places, and I don't know that I can recover it. I bought a replacement shell on eBay, but I can already tell that the plastic just feels low quality compared to the original. It's too smooth and shiny, and it feels very lightweight too. I'm not too convinced about it holding up. Given this is an ags-101, I'm not willing to give up, but I'm also not having great luck finding a good-feeling replacement that feels like the real deal and doesn't feel flimsy. Can anybody recommend a source that does good repro cases for GBA SP? Alternatively, is there something I can do to the case I already have so as to improve its texture? Thanks all.

 

[Tanooki | 4,933]

I know that handheldlegend.com uses some high quality shells.  I follow them a bit and get into conversations at times.  Earlier this year, had the luck over a period of a couple weeks where 3 101's fell into my lap over 2 sales and all the shells were bad.  One was a color they didn't cover, but the other two they did, and I had asked about their quality knowing about the cheapo more flimsy, brittle, lame stuff out there.  Supposedly they have a better supplier who only keeps the better quality supplies in stock to sell that match up in better standing to the original material.  I'm sure no one makes one entirely perfect to it, but close enough would be nice.  I know that the pearl blue (they call it sky blue) is a 1:1 to the shell I dumped that was beat up, and a red one I got that matches the 001 flame red style was a visibly clean copy as well.  The other I got was off someone on ebay, no one else had the pearl pink and that one looked like the same source/quality on the inside when I had them all out on the table.

[Renmauzo | 1,200]

Retrosix makes properly molded shells with Japanese ABS. I've been getting their shells for the original GBA and the feel and fit are on point. Best of luck!

[Tanooki | 4,933]

Retrosix I'd back up off his comment.  They got in bed with Handheld Legend this year too due to the high quality workmanship of their products which do include replacement shells.  For all I know the SP 101 shell I got may have been one of their designs, if not what I got would have been same/near that quality given HHLs standards they claim.