Does anyone know whether counterfeit hint books are something that are actually in circulation? I recently purchased a Phantasy Star 2 hint book from eBay, and noticed a few things that caused a bit of suspicion. The hint book is in almost perfect condition, which by itself is somewhat unusual for 30 year old printed materials. Compared to other images I had seen online, the colors seem just a bit off. The yellow backgrounds are more muted and the included screenshots don't look quite as sharp. The paper is also extremely thin, with a mass market paperback feel to it, and the text can be seen through the other side of the page.
For comparison purposes, I pulled out my old Sword of Vermillion hint book, which was the same style of book with same proportions, printed around the same time. The same things I noticed when comparing to photos online were true when I compared to Sword of Vermillion. Some of the colors in the Sword of the Vermillion book are noticeably brighter, and also the game screenshots are much crisper. I can't really determine whether the paper is the same stock, but it is similar enough that I give that a pass.
Overall, if the Phantasy Star 2 book is counterfeit, it is a very good counterfeit. The cover looks identical, binding is perfect, and pages are centered. I question whether someone would go through the trouble of painstakingly reprinting a book like this one, with such a limited potential customer base. On the other hand, I know the Chinese/Russian counterfeiters are getting really good at making accurate reproductions, and they might not have to sell very many at all to recoup their costs.
I included a photo of one of the pages from my Phantasy Star 2 book, and an image of Sword of Vermillion for comparison. The one thing that comes across in those photos is the difference in screenshot quality.
Am I just being paranoid? Maybe the differences can be explained by this simply being a different print run? Or is it completely feasible that someone is reprinting and selling some of the pricier guides and manuals?