Niku I never backtracked the seller, looked like aliexpress though so it shouldn't be hard I wouldn't think. I was just referring to the N64 stuff, but the SNES definitely not if they're just cheap molds that included the security screw being copied as part of the plastic so that it's a snap case. If the guy has solid reviews and lots of people are happy I don't see why it wouldn't be a good decision if you can save a bundle and have a legit cart there versus just some ROM dump loading flash kit.

Zthun po-tay-toe -- po-tah-toe The tactics involved in putting it there is a scam and that to me is wrong. And being technical scalping depending on the venue can be illegal (not in this case though.)

Aussie - We never agree I know that and I'd rather the triads have the money. They're both greasy tactics, just a different type. I'd rather support someone making a cheap quality copycat when it comes to games. I don't much care who or what made it, and that goes into anything. I don't care if some little chinese kid is sewing my shoes together for 10cents an hour or if it's some local doing it for $10/hr as that's getting into whiny political agendas which I ignore. I'd rather if the price was low enough, and the thing was sold accurately as a copy, pay to the modern game maker (even if it's as you speculate the chinese mafia) than someone with a legit game trying to hose me out of hundreds. I'd rather give the money to someone making a product than a scalper trying to squeeze an inflated cost out of a good they have as they're producing nothing. Mind you if the game in question was still actively for sale, I'd rather buy the original every time to support the company (so if someone were making PS4 boots of Uncharted Trilogy I'd be pissed, but we're talking dead games here.) I basically put legit first when from the maker, second I'd pay a person making a duplicate without permission (or for a flash kit if I wanted one again), and lastly because I view them as bottom feeders I'd deal with the scalper who I view as less than a bootlegger as they're producing nothing.

The bootlegger is basically just selling a ROM on a set of chips in a nice wrapper package. The other guy is trying to sell me the same ROM on legit old parts and stickers, and since I don't value games beyond what they were worth really 5 years ago before this problem started I'm not going to pay up and whatever the seller of that is to me I really don't care. I see it as paying a bit to have a tangible copy instead of having to use a meaningless free copy on my computer and I'm fine with that.

kai -- I understand what you're saying, but I see getting a pure copy of a cart as no worse, other than the fact you just get one game, not the ability to run whatever. In the end they're both front-ends to run illegal ROMs so neither is any better or worse than the other. I don't buy enough to justify a flash kit anymore and I know with the time I have I'd not get the value out of it. You're right though talking to collectors will get you nowhere as they're control freak addicts.