How to determe if your Videogame case is authentic without buying Sealed? - Help!

[Apocalypse612]

I am somewhat new to this website and I am not sure if this goes in this section, but here goes.

We all know sellers on eBay love to sell "mint" or "like new" video games to the consumer without knowledge that the game has been altered in some way. Specifically what I'm referring to here are the video game CASES.

For this example I will use a NE PlayStation game, Breath of Fire III. If you have a keen eye, you will notice that the center holder for the disc sometimes has a different emblem depending on the video game company or video game.

Aside from that, you usually notice two number sets on the case (this one has three). I have included these in my supposedly "like new" version of Breath of Fire III as I bought it from eBay.

I have included some pictures as a reference ONLY - The picture quality is very bad but I am just using them for reference locations.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49234216@N08/4505021829/

This first picture here is a number at the bottom left portion of the case where the CD is held. The number reads TM04SC.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/49234216@N08/4505021801/

This one is located on the opposite side of the case (bottom right) and the number reads DS-J5. I also found this same number on the first half of the case where the instruction book is held after opening, in the bottom right portion.

I have also noticed that some of my games in my collection don't have any of these numbers at all. Does this mean that my game case has been swapped?

My question is this: What do these numbers mean and How can I determine them? I doubt I will get a response to this, as most "Collectors" are unaware that their eBay or seller counterparts swapped their original cases out without their knowledge.

I like to do my research before investing. Sorry for any trouble.

[TonyTheTiger]

I have a sneaking suspicion none of that matters. Once in a while you'll see a "CD Audio" logo on the inside of a jewel case and other times you won't. I wouldn't be surprised if lots of releases had random variations like that even within the same print run. It's probably impossible to tell.

[Apocalypse612]

You're probably right, guess it's just my collector OCD getting the best of me. Didn't even expect to get one response since there is a lack of information on this subject if you ask me. Thanks Tony ^^d

[Bojay1997]

I have a sneaking suspicion none of that matters. Once in a while you'll see a "CD Audio" logo on the inside of a jewel case and other times you won't. I wouldn't be surprised if lots of releases had random variations like that even within the same print run. It's probably impossible to tell.

Agreed. Replication facilities will do whatever it takes to complete an order and if that means they change the jewel case interior because they ran short, that's what they will do. I know for a fact that this happened with the Philips CDi having opened several factory sealed copies of the same titles a while back.

[PingvinBlueJeans]

You're probably right, guess it's just my collector OCD getting the best of me.

Yep, it certainly is.

[PapaStu]

The cases don't 'matter' per-se. As said, the manufacturing of these was done by numerous companies and as everything was assembled they were just put together. I've never worried (or even looked) at the numbers on the trays and I own a ton of PS games and run the guide here. No collector should feel shafted that their tray isn't an R-73 or whatever.

The only time it matters in regards to the PlayStation is when you've got a double jewel case game that only has a single disc. One of the inserts has no disc spindle and thats replaced by a PS logo.

[mobiusclimber]

I doubt I will get a response to this, as most "Collectors" are unaware that their eBay or seller counterparts swapped their original cases out without their knowledge.

I like to do my research before investing. Sorry for any trouble.

Actually I'm sure most of us are aware that sellers will swap out cases if they're broken. We just tend to not care. If I get a game w/ a broken case, I'll swap it out myself. I'd rather have it look nice than be "OEM." I even buy empty cases from the local thrift store for just this purpose. Now certain ones are impossible to do that w/, but if it IS possible and I need to, I do it. The fact that human hands other than my own have touched the game disc bothers me more than whether the case is original or not. If it REALLY bothered me, tho, I'd just buy new and open em up. *waits for sealed game collectors' heads to explode*

[DOAsaturn]

Actually I'm sure most of us are aware that sellers will swap out cases if they're broken. We just tend to not care. If I get a game w/ a broken case, I'll swap it out myself. I'd rather have it look nice than be "OEM." I even buy empty cases from the local thrift store for just this purpose. Now certain ones are impossible to do that w/, but if it IS possible and I need to, I do it. The fact that human hands other than my own have touched the game disc bothers me more than whether the case is original or not. If it REALLY bothered me, tho, I'd just buy new and open em up. *waits for sealed game collectors' heads to explode*

I'm pretty much in agreement with this. I've had this dilemma lately. I've thought of ordering bulk DVD cases in that same navy blue hue used for the PS2. Though a lot of the original cases have those memory card slots in them. Most PS2 games from the first half of the decade of its existence had that memory card slot, so a truly complete game from that era may need its original case, depending on your form of OCD ;-)

But yeah, for dreamcast and PS1, I've been replacing the bad ones I get to make them look shiny new in my collection.