Help me verify the authenticity of a sealed FF3 for SNES

[TahoeMax]

Hey folks! Longtime gamer here, but never really got around to joining up here before now. Anyway, to make a long story short, i've come into possession of a "factory sealed" copy of Final Fantasy 3 for SNES. However, the seller was also selling a copy of FF7 for PSX at the same time, and the buyer of that game (a very reputable trader) immediately determined that the game was a bootleg after he received it. Therefore, I need some folks who really know what they're talking about to help me with this. I contacted a Half.com seller with a sealed copy, and he was nice enough to send me some pictures of his own copy. Mine and his look essentially identical, including the vertical seam on the back and all printed information on the box. However, i haven't seen any sealed SNES game for many years before this, so i'm not sure what else to look for. Any help figuring out whether or not i've got the real deal would be much appreciated. I can also post pics up later tonight, but i've got a lab shortly that i can't miss.

So basically, what else should i look for in particular? Does anyone here have a sealed copy of this or another Squaresoft game that i could compare with? Thanks much!

~Max

[suckerpunch5]

You want to look at the corners of the game box, where the flaps fold out. If you see any "cracks" in the paint it's probably a reseal. Also, resealers will try and touch the cracks up with a marker. So look for any funny discoloration.

Some pictures would probably be helpfull, and there are other guys here who know a lot more than me. Hopefully they'll weigh in. Unfortunately, if the guy cheated once, he probably cheated you too. There has been at least one resealer who just bought a machine that could make a vertical seal.

[c0ldb33r]

Post some pics

[TahoeMax]

http://i13.tinypic.com/4hvc778.jpg
http://i13.tinypic.com/2ajw9cz.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/29qd1c9.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/2e2l1n4.jpg
http://i13.tinypic.com/34fe6i1.jpg
http://i14.tinypic.com/2l97f4l.jpg

[TahoeMax]

See, i may not have been cheated yet, even if this turns out to be a fake (although after comparing this with the pics from the other copy i tracked down, i'm about 90% sure this is legit). The seller shipped me the game first...i just have to send out his money in the next day or two to finish up the deal. Anyway, the above pics are of the front, back, bottom, top, right, and left sides of the box, respectively. Any thoughts will, of course, be appreciated.

Cheers!
~Max

[Bronty-2]

So look for any funny discoloration.
.

Good advice. You would also have been well advised to buy some cheap games first to dip your toe in the pool and get comfortable with sealed games at least a little before jumping off the deep end, but I guess its too late.

Check also for breather holes, wear on the plastic being consistent with wear on the box, especially at corners.

Snes games are really tough to verify from pictures I find. You need to have it in hand to know for sure. The seam/hangtab on your copy look good. However, the plastic looks unusually "loose" on the front which might cause some concern. Pm me the name of the seller, maybe I've dealt with them before.

[Bronty-2]

I have to say it also strikes me as highly unusual/unlikely that someone would send you a legit ff3 on spec before payment. I would expect full payment before letting it out of my sight and I think most if not all sellers would on a $500 item like this.

If he's sending you a reseal, he has nothing to lose if you decide to return it without payment.

[8-bitNesMan]

I have to say it also strikes me as highly unusual/unlikely that someone would send you a legit ff3 on spec before payment. I would expect full payment before letting it out of my sight and I think most if not all sellers would on a $500 item like this.

If he's sending you a reseal, he has nothing to lose if you decide to return it without payment.

Even if it is a reseal, I don't think he (the seller) would want a CIB FF3 going through the perils of shipping without having made anything from the deal. But it is a dilemma: Why would a seller who allegedly ripped another buyer off make such a grand leap of faith on a different deal? I'm no expert on the nuances of sealed games, but that plastic does look kind of loose in the pics. Tahoe, would you mind telling us what his asking price is? My theory is if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. Definitely caveat emptor in this case.

[TisLord]

I would never buy a seal game with that loose of plastic...I'd return it asap although I am also curious...is this a too good to be true price?? Any less then 400 and I can guarantee its a fake or just an ignoratn seller, which I doubt.

[theshizzle3000]

I would never buy a seal game with that loose of plastic...I'd return it asap although I am also curious...is this a too good to be true price?? Any less then 400 and I can guarantee its a fake or just an ignoratn seller, which I doubt.

Yeah I agree the plastic looks very loose but it could be a worn copy because I have some sealed NES games that are original, but the plastic has just stretched out a little. However in the case of this FF3 copy it is highly unlikely that it is the real thing if you payed any legitimate amount of money I would probably try to get it back.

[TahoeMax]

Well, a little background on the deal. This guy is a new trader on GameTZ.com, and I have over 500 completed trades on the site and was a moderator for awhile. New traders are generally expected to ship first to established traders, so that's that.

His asking price was $200...i got it for $150...so a fantastic deal compared to most going rates on Ebay. Believe me, I'm the first person to warn a buyer about deals that are too good to be true, but if the seller wants to ship first, more power to them.

The loose plastic on the front has a little to do with me. The game had a KMart price tag for $59.99 on the upper right, and a magnetic security tag on the lower left, both of which i VERY carefully removed. The KMart tag came off easily, while it took me about 30 minutes to get the magnetic tag off. It pulled on the plastic a tad, which might be why the plastic is a little looser there. There are two sets of 4 evenly-spaced breather holes running vertically on the front of the wrap...one set is just to the right of the "III" and the other between the F and the A of "Fantasy"

Finally, as far as the other deal is concerned, he's apparently being very forthcoming with taking the game back. Now, one might expect him to be apologetic after being caught, but the buyer (another guy with several hundred deals under his belt) seems to believe that it was an honest mistake, and the seller alleges that he picked the game up in January and is trying to get in touch with the original seller to figure things out.

[TahoeMax]

oh, and there is no discoloration or cracking whatsoever on the sides where the tabs would fold out. Also, since one upon a time I wwas getting new SNES games on a regular basis, i know that whatever side is originally opened tends to get a slight crease somewhere in the middle of the tab. There's no sign of that, either.

[dylan0228]

For all you know, you have a copy of Shaq Fu in there! I agree with these guys, the front looks way too loose. If he`s scammed before, he`ll do it again. If that`s the case he should be reported to the authorities!

[Bronty-2]

the seller was also selling a copy of FF7 for PSX at the same time, and the buyer of that game (a very reputable trader) immediately determined that the game was a bootleg after he received it. ~Max

I didn't read this part carefully at first. So we have:

- a seller with a reseal charging you way below market for a ff3 with loose wrap and you don't feel you have the experience to tell?

Just return it. You're asking for trouble in the above scenario. Most likely he's just got you hooked by virture of the low price.

[Bronty-2]

For all you know, you have a copy of Shaq Fu in there!

Exactly. Shaq fu or f-zero.

[Bronty-2]

Last thing I'm going to say on this thread. At this point, I would RUN, not walk, from this deal. You're pretty much begging to be scammed. Don't let your greediness in wanting to get a wicked deal cheat you out of $150.

[TahoeMax]

I'm not that naive. The FF7 was apparently a horrendous, blatantly bad bootleg with an awful aftermarket shrinkwrap and obviously-photocopied inserts. I somehow doubt that someone could be THAT bad at reproducing a Playstation game, which is typically one of the easier formats to fake, and at the same time this GOOD at doing SNES games, which are awfully hard to fake.

Now, if the seller was out to scam people, you'd think they'd either both be bad fakes or both be good fakes.

[dylan0228]

I would`ve been excited about it too, but as soon as I saw the picture of the front I would`ve walked away. The fact of the matter is he already created a reputation for it. If the FFVII was so bad, how is it that he didn`t catch it? I just don`t trust people that have burned people before. I`m just trying to help, if you think it`s legit, Great!! I hope it is for your sake, I myself would`ve steered clear. Hopefully you can get a more professional answer.

[TahoeMax]

are there even people who ARE professional about his kind of thing? i'd love to find a gaming museum or something like that that could authenticate things like this :p

[Parpunk]

hmm im not an expert on sealed games, but i kinda thought it looked good to me? not all factory sealed games are gonna be as pristine as others. some got pushed around a lot and throw in boxed and handled by people so i dunno know. i say it looks like it is?

[dylan0228]

Yeah, it`s possible. The seller has a shady past though. That alone would detour me.

[dylan0228]

This is exactly the reason I stay away from sealed games. It`s just too risky & it seems like the amount of sealed games is escalating faster & faster. Somethings not right with that.

[Bronty-2]

I'm not that naive. The FF7 was apparently a horrendous, blatantly bad bootleg with an awful aftermarket shrinkwrap and obviously-photocopied inserts. I somehow doubt that someone could be THAT bad at reproducing a Playstation game, which is typically one of the easier formats to fake, and at the same time this GOOD at doing SNES games, which are awfully hard to fake.

Now, if the seller was out to scam people, you'd think they'd either both be bad fakes or both be good fakes.

I guess it turned out to not be the last thing I'd say on the thread LOL

What you're discounting is that he might have been ripped off himself (once by a good scammer, once by a bad) and is trying to pass the buck to get his own money back.

What else can I say? Any legit seller would expect payment first. Couple that with the fact he was already trying to pass off a psx reseal and you have a seller you shouldn't be wanting to do business with. That's before you even look at the game.

You're simply not going to find anyone who can look at those pics and definitively tell you its legit.

[TahoeMax]

As far as legit sellers wanting money first, i've been shipped MANY MANY high-value items first (including new consoles, computers, etc), simply because I have a very established reputation and the seller does not. If they want me to pay first and they don't have good feedback, I just won't do it. Then it's up to them to decide whether they want to find another buyer or take a chance with me. Usually they're willing to take that chance after reviewing my ratings, and it almost always turns out well. So that particular part of the deal doesn't really concern me.

Anyway, I appreciate the advice, fellas. Keep it coming :)

[Bronty-2]

As far as legit sellers wanting money first, i've been shipped MANY MANY high-value items first (including new consoles, computers, etc), simply because I have a very established reputation and the seller does not.

And did these guys ask 1/3 of market value like this guy?

[TahoeMax]

I've gotten some very VERY good deals over the years.

Saturn console w/3 controllers
Shining Force 3
Dragon Force
Shining Wisdom
Shining the Holy Ark
Virtual Hydlide

All complete in great shape for the princely sum of $25 + shipping. That was earlier this year.


Yes, prices like this are unusual, but not unheard-of when you trade as much as I do.

[kentuckyfried]

It's true, the shrink looks a bit loose, though the seals appear to be in the right place and aligned correctly from what I can see.

Take a magnifying glass and look all over for any scuffs or scrapes on the cardboard inside the seal that would betray a reseal.

The prudent thing would be to return it though :)

[extrarice]

I am by no means an expert, but the picture of the top flap has me concerned:
on the left, under the "Final" in Final Fantasy, the shrinkwrap looks bubbly or wavy, not smooth. I don't think either of the two tags you removed would have caused that. Perhaps someone else more experienced in shrink-wrap can set me straight?

[TahoeMax]

both the tags were on the front. The security tag was right under Mog, and the price tag was in the upper right corner.

As for the "bubbly" wrap, it's indeed bubbly there, and in the other corners of the wrap as well (both sides of the top and bottom). I sorta recall that on my original SNES games (back when they were available in stores), but i'm not sure. I think it might just be a result of the sealing process, since those are the areas where it gets all cinched up. I'll email the guy i talked to yesterday about the game and see if his wrap is bubbly or smooth. Thanks for pointing that out.

[Juganawt]

95% sure that's legit. It's got all the hallmarks... the dark grey snes logo on the side, and everything on the box in the right place, with the correct fonts, and (judging from the pic) the right coloring. The bubbling is normal... a lot of sealed games on all formats can have that at times. The giveaway would be the texture of the shrinkwrap. Authentic Snes shrinkwrap is a little tacky and sticks to fingers, where counterfeit shrinky stuff is normally a bit smoother.

It's hard to tell from pics... especially for US games. Here in the UK, Nintendo systems had special smooth shrinkwrap with a nintendo peel-away strip all around the middle of the box., similar to how PS2 games are wrapped.

[tornadostormxl]

This is one of the reasons why i have tryed to stop buying sealed snes games. Just return it

[Blitzwing256]

I dunno how helpfull this will be:

http://www.green-ranger.com/nes/ff3/

I bought the game on release (79.99) and opened it myself but when i opened my games I just carefully slit one side of he plastic and left it like that, hopefully you can get some use out of the pictures.

[slip81]

just keep it, pay the $150, and then put it on ebay with the title "OMG OOP ULTRA RARE SEALED FF3 SNES"