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  #31  
Old Sep 16, 2012, 01:37 AM
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Honestly, buying anime soundtracks is the same as buying VGM soundtracks. You go to most of the same places (eBay, Otaku.com, CDJapan, YahooJP Auction), look out for the same kinds of bootleggers and so on.
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  #32  
Old May 20, 2013, 12:18 PM
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Well I feel bad, I just bought a three bootleg copies of shadow of the colossus & ICO soundtracks from a eBay seller called HobbyLot. I knew the price was probably too good to be true but I decided to go with it. Guess I'll have to buy them again on CDJapan. Stupid. So that's another seller to watch out for. HobbyLot.
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  #33  
Old May 20, 2013, 01:09 PM
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You didn't follow the golden rule: Never buy something if the seller doesn't indicate the (correct) catalog number and publisher for the album.
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  #34  
Old May 20, 2013, 06:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LiquidAcid View Post
You didn't follow the golden rule: Never buy something if the seller doesn't indicate the (correct) catalog number and publisher for the album.
You're right, I was ignorant on how prevalent bootlegged items were. Guess I'll just search out authentic copies I suppose.
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  #35  
Old Oct 16, 2013, 10:09 AM
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I don't know if this is true anymore, but some bootleggers had comfortable ties with retailers (non-auction). In 1999, the store GameCave told me to always buy Ever Anime versions of soundtracks. And gamemusic.com used to sell Son May versions. I picked up a Son May Dracula Battle II from gamemusic.com in 2000 (didn't know it was a bootleg - not back then).

Edit: I also bought a CD from gamemusic.com titled "Dragon Quest: Digital Sound Explosion", which was a Son May version of the 1986 Dragon Quest Symphonic Suite.
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  #36  
Old Apr 17, 2014, 11:33 AM
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Advanced trick for buying from Amazon Japan marketplace. Has been very fruitful for me recently.

Usually, items that are marked "Amazon" can be purchased by overseas buyers. The drawback is the shipping is skyhigh (I believe it's EMS) and most used items are not marked "Amazon". Usually, the marketplace is full of sellers that do not sell overseas. Hence, the need for middleman to nab these items.

However, some marketplace sellers WILL sell overseas. To find out which ones, search for the album you want (I usually do it by catalogue number) and navigate to the used marketplace listing for the item. Unless the album is stupidly rare, there are usually 10 or more copies sitting in the marketplace. Add 4-5 of the same item (but from different sellers) into your cart and attempt to check out. You will receive an error message for each one that will not ship overseas, so you can remove these from the cart. The ones that don't give the error message, you can simply check out and buy the item with your registered account. REMEMBER TO TAKE OUT THE DUPLICATE ITEMS FROM YOUR CART IF MULTIPLE SELLERS ARE WILLING TO SHIP OVERSEAS! The shipping is usually also less (I live in the US and I pay around $8 an item).

What is cool is some of the more common items that would fetch even $15-$20 on the US/European market are regularly had for 1-200 yen (yes, one crummy yen!). Amazon Japan is a pretty good indicator of prices that items fetch.

Last edited by GoldfishX; Apr 17, 2014 at 11:39 AM.
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  #37  
Old May 29, 2014, 04:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pepak View Post
Actually, I never quite understood why bootlegs are such a problem. For people who like to listen to game music, that is - I see why collectors and copyright holders would be offended by bootlegs. (Note: I don't condone producing and selling bootlegs, but I do acknowledge that for the purpose of listening they are often as good as "the real thing", but more readily available and at far more affordable price.)

Btw., bootlegs are far more of a problem with asian (Japanese/Korean) game soundtracks than with european/american releases. Which is lucky for those of us who prefer euro/US music :-). Plus you don't need to learn japanese to actually have a chance of a good deal.
Korean music doesn't have much of a problem either. Most are official releases.
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  #38  
Old Dec 16, 2015, 08:36 PM
Timugin Timugin is offline
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this is a decent guide. Thanks for the info and comments.
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  #39  
Old May 12, 2021, 08:31 AM
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Originally Posted by pepak View Post
That may be valid for in-print titles, but how does it apply to soundtracks which went out of print ten or fifteen years ago?
I'm reading this topic maybe too late but I'm sensitive as pepak, My opinion on this is the following : if I don't find an original issue with its OBI, I simply prefere not to buy it at all since I don't like them naked. I'll wait until I get a true copy, and during this time I listen the .mp3 files, praying I'll find it quick.

To me, estethicaly, the OBI is the most important part of an OST, and it goes with the way that japaneses add some fabrics/strip about everything to highlight. The OBI makes an OST more thick and beautiful, and having them side by side with their OBIs is great because it makes a beautiful line and a feeling of satisfaction since it's hard to collect them that way.

So, when I got a complete copy, I rip it and scan it, then archive it and listen the .flac files I've just ripped, like this I preserve the whole stuff against touchy practices which can damage it with time (it can happend that I rarely listen it in my CD player) So, people who give importance to these details don't like bootlegs since bootlegs are just poor alternatives (poor printing quality & mastering) and they don't reflect the true spirit of the japanese way to make releases.

So, bootlegs collectors better have to buy originals and OBI free owners better have to buy OBIs

Btw, the only point I can find on bootlegs is that they are at least all first issues

Last edited by erzane; May 12, 2021 at 08:43 AM.
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  #40  
Old May 12, 2021, 09:10 PM
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The thing with obis though is that they're made to be adverts or (originally) a way to know what was actually on the disc. They're meant to be thrown away, and most of the general population do throw them away. As a collector I think albums look better with them, but they're not some platonic ideal of Japanese craftsmanship and artistry.

Last edited by Aifread; May 12, 2021 at 09:12 PM.
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  #41  
Old May 12, 2021, 09:33 PM
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If obis are hard to find, wait until you want all your Japanese albums and books with registration/return card! I find it especially hard for books, since most of the time even if they're included, you don't know until you receive the item, because most sellers don't flip through all the pages looking for that piece of paper. obis are pretty much always on photos so it's not much of a problem, just need to wait patiently for a copy to show up.

There are a few guides where the obi and reg. card, I see it no more than once a year, pretty crazy considering the guide itself isn't rare.

but that's what makes something interesting for collectors: the fact that not everybody has it

Also, let's not talk about those old albums with glued-on-case obis. I thought previous owners did that until I realised it was done at the factory, since it appeared over and over on the same bunch of albums.
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  #42  
Old May 12, 2021, 10:05 PM
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Heh. I'll settle for a bootleg, if that's the only thing I can get my hands on at a decent price.
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  #43  
Old May 12, 2021, 11:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LuxKiller65 View Post
If obis are hard to find, wait until you want all your Japanese albums and books with registration/return card!
I find it especially hard to obtain information what was included with some of the older albums. Then again this is what makes the hunt interesting in the first place

Quote:
Originally Posted by LuxKiller65 View Post
but that's what makes something interesting for collectors: the fact that not everybody has it
I'll never understand the obsession about obis and not caring about reg. card or other extras which originally came with an album at the same time
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  #44  
Old May 12, 2021, 11:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suicider View Post
I'll never understand the obsession about obis and not caring about reg. card or other extras which originally came with an album at the same time
Surely it's not that mysterious? As someone who does care about and enjoy having obis (though is perhaps not obsessed), and doesn't care at all about registration cards, it's because there's nothing aesthetically interesting or presentational about reg cards. Obi design often complements, and sometimes completes, the outward appearance of the product cover, and might include some unique descriptive copy or minor artwork. It's an attractive, extra little visual embellishment to the overall package. Reg cards don't have any inherent visual value and don't factor into the product design, so it's easier to disregard them.
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  #45  
Old May 13, 2021, 04:42 AM
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How much I'm willing to hold out for an obi depends on how old or rare the album is. After the year 2000? Yeah, getting a copy with obi should be no problem. Before 1990? Good effing luck. In the grand scheme of things I care way more about having unique goodies like what came in King Records releases (bandana in GSM Capcom 5, fancy outer box for Gradius III, calendars and whatnot in the Falcom Special Boxes, etc.) than the obi, though having the obi too is definitely nice. Registration card doesn't even... register to me.

Not to mention all those Super Famicom Magazine promos where you're lucky if you even find them with inserts...

Last edited by Aifread; May 13, 2021 at 04:52 AM.
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  #46  
Old May 13, 2021, 09:22 AM
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Originally Posted by Psychonotes View Post
Surely it's that mysterious?
Yes it is. You can't call your copy "complete" without the reg. card as it was part of the original package. Simple as that. But each to his own.

And reg. cards can have useful information about campaigns, print run or other merchandise related to a certain product. So I find them interesting nonetheless.
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  #47  
Old May 13, 2021, 10:29 AM
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>Aifread : Weekly Jumps Comics are a good example in this case. Japaneses throw WJCs away, but mostly western collectors (probably japanese too) collects Jumps even if as basis these books are only produced as an ephemeral item.

>LuxKiller65 : that's funny you talk about this because these days I'm prospecting to find OBIs for my japanese books. A few years ago I bought a Terasawas book called Gundragon. It was a time I wasen't concerned with OBIs, so I didn't know that book was released with it. One day I came across with a complete copy and since that day I'm hunting the OBIs for all the books I bought naked at that period. I did the same with an art book of Kurumada (Sora) and I had to pay 170$ to get the OBI.

Anyway, you also evoke glued-on-case OBIs : same for me I discovered that particularity on this one :
https://vgmdb.net/album/36132

Also, some OBIs does have a corner-cut. For example, this one :
https://vgmdb.net/album/37495

Last edited by erzane; May 13, 2021 at 10:31 AM.
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  #48  
Old May 13, 2021, 11:25 AM
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Then you have the taped-on-case obis which are even worse than the glued on ones since you are now forever stuck with a piece of tape on both sides on the obi. I guess second-hand shops do these kind of things to make the obi stay on when it's displayed. I thankfully only have a few taped ones, but a whole bunch of the more common glued variety (and of course a bunch of the corner-cut ones too because why not).
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  #49  
Old May 13, 2021, 12:07 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suicider View Post
Yes it is. You can't call your copy "complete" without the reg. card as it was part of the original package. Simple as that. But each to his own.
Sure, but you're missing my point, which was that not everyone cares whether their copy is complete to a molecular material degree. By the same complete package preservation logic, the plastic wrap enclosing an album, and any stickers on the wrap, are also part of the original package, and losing that makes your copy incomplete as well. You have to draw the line somewhere, and for most people, that's going to be from a completeness of package design perspective, which reg cards (and plastic wrap) don't factor into.
Like I said, obis have some inherent presentation value, as do other package bonuses like slipcases or themed swag. If you happen to find registration cards interesting and fun to collect, go for it. I'm just saying it shouldn't be surprising that for some people, the cards don't add anything to the product except a penny's worth of extra shipping weight.
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  #50  
Old May 13, 2021, 12:46 PM
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Well, then check your collection for reg. cards and send them over to me for a penny's worth of shipping and I'll give them a good home
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  #51  
Old May 13, 2021, 03:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seanne View Post
Then you have the taped-on-case obis which are even worse than the glued on ones since you are now forever stuck with a piece of tape on both sides on the obi. I guess second-hand shops do these kind of things to make the obi stay on when it's displayed. I thankfully only have a few taped ones, but a whole bunch of the more common glued variety (and of course a bunch of the corner-cut ones too because why not).
That strip is industrialy sticked on that release. Usually, these strips are only covering a 10 mm part of the border of the case, that's why they are sticked, since there is no more surface which can be used to pinch them under the flipping mecanisme.

I guess if 2nd hand shops wants to make the OBI stay on when displayed they better would add a plastic wrap, it's more convenient than spending time to glue it (if you observe it closely, the tape is perfectly glued, it's not a hand job).

There are also OBIs which have the same size but aren't sticked, those have an extra strip separated by small cutted-lines which pinches under the flipping mecanisme, like this one :
https://vgmdb.net/album/37495

Quote:
Originally Posted by suicider View Post
Well, then check your collection for reg. cards and send them over to me for a penny's worth of shipping and I'll give them a good home
Yeah, pls also send some to me

Last edited by erzane; May 14, 2021 at 12:47 AM.
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  #52  
Old May 13, 2021, 04:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by erzane View Post
That strip is industrialy sticked on that release. Usually, these strips are only covering a 10 mm part of the border of the case, that's why they are sticked, since there is no more surface which can be used to pinch them under the flipping mecanisme.

I guess if 2nd hand shops wants to make the OBI stay on when displayed they better would add a plastic wrap, it's more convenient than spending time to glue it (if you observe it closely, the tape is perfectly glued, it's not a hand job).
That's interesting. It makes me wonder why they would do this taping in the first place - to make it sit in place for the shrink wrapping? It doesn't look like every obi from a certain release is taped though? My obi for this album is taped but the obi we have a picture of doesn't seem to have any tape. The tape on mine covers the text on the very right end of the obi, where it says ゲーム..., etc.
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  #53  
Old May 13, 2021, 05:59 PM
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Maybe the mechanical process of sitting the obi in its final position and sealing the product wasn't perfect in some factories, so they glued or sticked obis as a quick and inexpensive fix. I can imagine the obi could have ended up a bit too high or too low. Just a guess.

Have only seen this with very old albums from the late 80s and early 90s.

Also, I understand the term obi works for music albums and games, but doesn't it mean belt? Sounds like it's more accurate for describing paper belts around books, while spinecard would be more accurate for albums and games...? In the game collecting scene, they're never called obis.
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  #54  
Old May 13, 2021, 11:48 PM
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Originally Posted by seanne View Post
That's interesting. It makes me wonder why they would do this taping in the first place - to make it sit in place for the shrink wrapping? It doesn't look like every obi from a certain release is taped though? My obi for this album is taped but the obi we have a picture of doesn't seem to have any tape. The tape on mine covers the text on the very right end of the obi, where it says ゲーム..., etc.
Maybe Ebay or Discogs sellers like KUPIKU could answer. Btw, another particularity of these ''Picture Label'' CDs is that there is no back insert:

Last edited by erzane; May 14, 2021 at 01:46 AM.
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  #55  
Old May 14, 2021, 12:41 AM
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I don't mind the taped-on obis. I like how they stay in place as you open and shut it like the spine of a book. I had always assumed this was done at a factory cause of how professionally done they look and the fact that you only see it with albums from certain publishers and time periods.
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  #56  
Old Jun 10, 2021, 11:42 PM
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Hi!
Well i'm kinda late to the discussion, but regarding the soundtracks, i always try to get them all complete.
And as erzane, i rip my discs to flac for preservation purposes too. And of course, i still have a BD/DVD burner! (damn new Pc cases with no 3.5 bays!!).
I must say that nowadays is getting expensive to collect Game soundtracks, at least for me :/.
As for the Obis, they make the item complete, like the registration cards/notes/Booklets, but i dont care if the item isn't unopened/sealed, wich probably will make it 2x expensive, but, if its a really good ost, then maybe i will try to get it brand new.
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  #57  
Old Aug 8, 2021, 09:59 AM
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I'll never understand the obsession about obis
This is what I mean when talking about obsession: Normaly this album (H27E-20007) runs for about 10,000 Yen without obi. There are several sold copies on Yahoo, even for less.

Today an auction for another copy including the obi ended for 53,800 Yen. So in the end the douche who won the auction paid about $400 for a small piece of paper... that's what I call dedication

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp...on/x1000256506
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  #58  
Old Aug 8, 2021, 10:38 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by suicider View Post
This is what I mean when talking about obsession: Normaly this album (H27E-20007) runs for about 10,000 Yen without obi. There are several sold copies on Yahoo, even for less.

Today an auction for another copy including the obi ended for 53,800 Yen. So in the end the douche who won the auction paid about $400 for a small piece of paper... that's what I call dedication

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp...on/x1000256506
There's also the reg. card, that should be worth about 10-20k yen too Anyway complete copies of the old KOEI album don't seem to show up too often so I'm not surprised someone rich (probably) overpayed to pick it up. Obi looks in pretty good shape too.
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  #59  
Old Aug 8, 2021, 11:59 AM
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Quote:
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There's also the reg. card, that should be worth about 10-20k yen too
Nah, one sold for 8,980 Yen with the reg. card, so probably just a penny's worth of shipping
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  #60  
Old Aug 8, 2021, 05:27 PM
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The title on the front of the obi is off-white/yellowish, but on the side it's very white, sooo the side is most likely sunfaded...? eeek
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