jan112850
09-23-2004, 11:08 AM
Since my posting a week or so ago and our discussion about factory sealed snes games vs resealed games, I have continued to discuss and research this topic in depth. Dan, Bronty 2 here, has been especially helpful. To my knowedge, no one has attempted to establish any guidelines or look at "variations" from the norm which are still factory. This is my attempt to do so. There certainly may be far more to learn and this may be just the beginning but to dismiss any game without an H seal as resealed is silly.
Anyway I would purpose these guidelines
Snes sealing
1. Made in mexico/ Hseal new factory sealed
2. Assembled in Mexico/ re issue by majesco and not same quality, a reissue or 2nd print, may or may not have H seal
3. Made in Japan (which may be on the side and not the back) is 1st print
4. Some Jap games have a variant in back box vertical line, where sealing machine can “miss” and the vertical seam coming off the long edge seam runs down the short side of the box instead of the center of the back. There should be no line/seam on the other side, the opposite short end.
5. If a game has been opened and resealed, there should be evidence of this in the form of a White line or cracking in the back of the flap on the side it was opened from.
6. An ACCEPTABLE VARIANT OF FACTORY SEALED should include the occasional game where it is made in Japan, meets all of other criteria but has a seam running edge to edge.
I have now got 3 games with long box seams which run edge to edge. They are all made in Japan. The last game is the most interesting. On one side, the seam stops short of the edge like it does usually with the puckering before the edge. On the opposite long box edge there is a seam which runs from edge to edge, does not stop short of the edge and has the puckering but its at the box corner on both sides. EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE GAME IS PERFECT. No white or cracking on box flaps, perfect vertical seam runing between both long edge seams etc.
It only makes sense that when you consider that a factory may have many sealing machines and there are many factories that machines are going to end up producing variations that some collectors will call "fake, resealed, whatever" when they are absolutely factory sealed. These machines probably are not callibrated and one loose screw or part is going to produce a deviation from the norm.
Yes there are obvious fakes and we know that. But some of the factory sealing guidelines need to be continually updated.
Any comments welcome
S
Anyway I would purpose these guidelines
Snes sealing
1. Made in mexico/ Hseal new factory sealed
2. Assembled in Mexico/ re issue by majesco and not same quality, a reissue or 2nd print, may or may not have H seal
3. Made in Japan (which may be on the side and not the back) is 1st print
4. Some Jap games have a variant in back box vertical line, where sealing machine can “miss” and the vertical seam coming off the long edge seam runs down the short side of the box instead of the center of the back. There should be no line/seam on the other side, the opposite short end.
5. If a game has been opened and resealed, there should be evidence of this in the form of a White line or cracking in the back of the flap on the side it was opened from.
6. An ACCEPTABLE VARIANT OF FACTORY SEALED should include the occasional game where it is made in Japan, meets all of other criteria but has a seam running edge to edge.
I have now got 3 games with long box seams which run edge to edge. They are all made in Japan. The last game is the most interesting. On one side, the seam stops short of the edge like it does usually with the puckering before the edge. On the opposite long box edge there is a seam which runs from edge to edge, does not stop short of the edge and has the puckering but its at the box corner on both sides. EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE GAME IS PERFECT. No white or cracking on box flaps, perfect vertical seam runing between both long edge seams etc.
It only makes sense that when you consider that a factory may have many sealing machines and there are many factories that machines are going to end up producing variations that some collectors will call "fake, resealed, whatever" when they are absolutely factory sealed. These machines probably are not callibrated and one loose screw or part is going to produce a deviation from the norm.
Yes there are obvious fakes and we know that. But some of the factory sealing guidelines need to be continually updated.
Any comments welcome
S