DNWTB (Do not want to buy) fake Sapphire

[esteban]

I have traversed the crawl space... shuffling my way past the canned foods and first aid supplies, beyond the vintage taxidermy and just around the corner from the many boxes filled with covert surveillance photography of estaban, taken with my telephoto lens over the years. On completion of this truly epic voyage I was rewarded with sadly only TWO spare copies of the fabled 'Bootleg Ginga Fukei' (see attachment).

Like I said before, I'm happy to pass them on. Blue Beemer originally sent me a few extra's to pass on to some old friends from back in the day but as it turned out only one of them was interested. If you're unfamiliar with these, there's no case or manual or anything, just the misprinted glass mastered (silver) discs as can be seen in the attachment (yeah that's my massive middle digit, and yes of course you are most welcome).

The issue now is who to pass them on too. I'll give it a day or two for anyone else to register their interest below while I settle on a suitable strategy for selection. Currently I'm thinking maybe I'll go to a local cafe and start slapping stickers with individual user names onto the foreheads of random customers. The two 'participants' of this exercise that protest the violation of their personal space most prefusely will be awarded with a stern response of "Bootleg Ginga Fukei" shouted directly into their face. The forum member who's username graces their forehead during this exchange will in turn be awarded one of the two discs. If in the meantime anyone else wishes to contribute alternative ideas for a selection process then please do chime in and let me know, I'm certainly open to suggestions. However, those that involve shouting at strangers are likely to be considered somewhat more favourably.

Many thanks and warm regards.

I bet there are folks who skip over this thread...if they even knew how generous you were being...is a raffle a nice way to determine the lucky winner?

[Sarumaru]

I have traversed the crawl space... shuffling my way past the canned foods and first aid supplies, beyond the vintage taxidermy and just around the corner from the many boxes filled with covert surveillance photography of estaban, taken with my telephoto lens over the years. On completion of this truly epic voyage I was rewarded with sadly only TWO spare copies of the fabled 'Bootleg Ginga Fukei' (see attachment).

Like I said before, I'm happy to pass them on. Blue Beemer originally sent me a few extra's to pass on to some old friends from back in the day but as it turned out only one of them was interested. If you're unfamiliar with these, there's no case or manual or anything, just the misprinted glass mastered (silver) discs as can be seen in the attachment (yeah that's my massive middle digit, and yes of course you are most welcome).

The issue now is who to pass them on too. I'll give it a day or two for anyone else to register their interest below while I settle on a suitable strategy for selection. Currently I'm thinking maybe I'll go to a local cafe and start slapping stickers with individual user names onto the foreheads of random customers. The two 'participants' of this exercise that protest the violation of their personal space most prefusely will be awarded with a stern response of "Bootleg Ginga Fukei" shouted directly into their face. The forum member who's username graces their forehead during this exchange will in turn be awarded one of the two discs. If in the meantime anyone else wishes to contribute alternative ideas for a selection process then please do chime in and let me know, I'm certainly open to suggestions. However, those that involve shouting at strangers are likely to be considered somewhat more favourably.

Many thanks and warm regards.

I bet there are folks who skip over this thread...if they even knew how generous you were being...is a raffle a nice way to determine the lucky winner?

[o.pwuaioc]

I laughed and boogers came out of the my nose and I saw one of the boogers and then the booger looked at me.

[jtucci31]

HAH, great idea LMS. Can't wait to see the results, hope my customer is unruly and goes nuts

[johnnykonami]

I'm not sure when and how I'm going to play this game, I haven't even gotten to the Arcade Card step yet!  I should watch some videos of it at least.

[LostFlunky]

If you see this guy, put my name on him please.  I will win.

[Dicer]

I'll put this in the shoddiest slapcrap case if I am graced with one, just to keep it all interesting...

[reno5]

I have a copy with Sparky's label. Looks great ! Got mine from a raffle and i thins this is how you should give yours

[SignOfZeta]

I have two or three of these (loose BWM copies). The thing is, as much as this makes me sound like a total prick, I think I'll keep ahold of them for a while longer. I'm %90 certain that anyone who I give them too will just flip them. Almost none of the new members we get here are "lifers". They usually didn't know the PCE existed two years ago and then dump their collections quickly. Even if the guy I give mine too gives it away for free when he dumps his collection, the next guy to own it is likely to flip it. If not him, the next guy. Someone will do it.

So if you're still here in eight years I'll send you one. Hopefully you won't need it by then. Hopefully someone will make a flash card that runs CDROM2 isos right off a memory card and all those Capital One cards dry up and the game market totally crashes.

[esteban]

I have two or three of these (loose BWM copies). The thing is, as much as this makes me sound like a total prick, I think I'll keep ahold of them for a while longer. I'm %90 certain that anyone who I give them too will just flip them. Almost none of the new members we get here are "lifers". They usually didn't know the PCE existed two years ago and then dump their collections quickly. Even if the guy I give mine too gives it away for free when he dumps his collection, the next guy to own it is likely to flip it. If not him, the next guy. Someone will do it.

So if you're still here in eight years I'll send you one. Hopefully you won't need it by then. Hopefully someone will make a flash card that runs CDROM2 isos right off a memory card and all those Capital One cards dry up and the game market totally crashes.

I agree with you.

I know it sounds horrible, but we have seen so many folks treat PCE/TG-16 as a fad.

We have also seen folks who are selfish bastards and just want to make $$$$.

I actually am less offended by some goofball who is temporarily obsessed with PCE (the newly faithful, who then lose their faith) than the calculated machinations of a flipper.

[johnnykonami]

Sucks to be stuck in the middle of all the flippers.  I am just wanting to re-build my childhood collection and get a few other games to boot, prices anywhere but here are atrocious.  And I'm talking about some common ass games, too.  But as you know, if you check over at fleabay, people are trying to pawn of some of the shittiest games on the system as rare collectables.  Sapphire isn't on my hit list per say, I remember it going for hundreds of dollars even back in the old turbo mailing list & newsgroup trading days.  Always wanted to try it though, and I think the magic of emulation might assist me with that long before I acquire a copy with all the necessary hardware.

Kicking myself for not having a job during that period where nobody (the general public) gave a shit about collecting old games and they were going for cheap and even free in some cases.  I had a friend who worked at funcoland and personally made out like a bandit on all the systems the store wouldn't buy as a policy - he picked up under the table.

[LostFlunky]

I have two or three of these (loose BWM copies). The thing is, as much as this makes me sound like a total prick, I think I'll keep ahold of them for a while longer. I'm %90 certain that anyone who I give them too will just flip them. Almost none of the new members we get here are "lifers". They usually didn't know the PCE existed two years ago and then dump their collections quickly. Even if the guy I give mine too gives it away for free when he dumps his collection, the next guy to own it is likely to flip it. If not him, the next guy. Someone will do it.

So if you're still here in eight years I'll send you one. Hopefully you won't need it by then. Hopefully someone will make a flash card that runs CDROM2 isos right off a memory card and all those Capital One cards dry up and the game market totally crashes.

I agree with you.

I know it sounds horrible, but we have seen so many folks treat PCE/TG-16 as a fad.

We have also seen folks who are selfish bastards and just want to make $$$$.

I actually am less offended by some goofball who is temporarily obsessed with PCE (the newly faithful, who then lose their faith) than the calculated machinations of a flipper.

Whatever.  Goofball Newbie or Flipper. Thanks...

[Opethian]

you'll thank me later on all the heartache and money you would have wasted trying to attain your dreams

[CrackTiger]

I have two or three of these (loose BWM copies). The thing is, as much as this makes me sound like a total prick, I think I'll keep ahold of them for a while longer. I'm %90 certain that anyone who I give them too will just flip them. Almost none of the new members we get here are "lifers". They usually didn't know the PCE existed two years ago and then dump their collections quickly. Even if the guy I give mine too gives it away for free when he dumps his collection, the next guy to own it is likely to flip it. If not him, the next guy. Someone will do it.

So if you're still here in eight years I'll send you one. Hopefully you won't need it by then. Hopefully someone will make a flash card that runs CDROM2 isos right off a memory card and all those Capital One cards dry up and the game market totally crashes.

Especially if some is asking to pay over $100 for a bootleg and insists on a spine. How likely are they to never flip a cheap disc if they eventually have an opportunity to sell it for $100+?

[PCEngineHell]

I think Keith intended to send me a copy, but it never happened. I suspect he forgot, no big deal, not worried about it either way. If a raffle does happens count me in, as I do still need a copy of the game.

[SignOfZeta]

I have two or three of these (loose BWM copies). The thing is, as much as this makes me sound like a total prick, I think I'll keep ahold of them for a while longer. I'm %90 certain that anyone who I give them too will just flip them. Almost none of the new members we get here are "lifers". They usually didn't know the PCE existed two years ago and then dump their collections quickly. Even if the guy I give mine too gives it away for free when he dumps his collection, the next guy to own it is likely to flip it. If not him, the next guy. Someone will do it.

So if you're still here in eight years I'll send you one. Hopefully you won't need it by then. Hopefully someone will make a flash card that runs CDROM2 isos right off a memory card and all those Capital One cards dry up and the game market totally crashes.

Especially if some is asking to pay over $100 for a bootleg and insists on a spine. How likely are they to never flip a cheap disc if they eventually have an opportunity to sell it for $100+?

I don't see any relationship between wanting your stuff to be complete and being a capitalist stooge. I like my stuff complete and I'm pretty sure I've literally never sold a game at a profit.

I just figure...if a guy has the same Turbo he's had for 20 years, and he's played it this whole time, he'll probably never ever get rid of it. Those are the only people I'd want to send one of these to. Everyone else is suspect. I know they want the thing bad now and aren't thinking about selling it, but people are fickle, and we've been on this forum long enough to see dozens of jerks go from noob to power seller in two months, from zero games to all the games and back to zero again. It's revolting.

I can't give something freely to someone and then tell them what to do with it. It's bullshit to do that, so I'll just give mine out when I meet people that I know are genuine humans instead of robot money changers.

I gave one away about three years ago, btw. I think I have two left. PM me if you want one and you aren't a shithead. If I don't repsond, no offense, but I don't trust you.

[wildfruit]

I'll take one if I win. I should be getting arcade card soon. If I like I I'll keep it...if I don't I'll give it away here again. DEAL

[savageone]

Shouldn't everyone be playing MGS5? Go get this game.

[o.pwuaioc]

Shouldn't everyone be playing MGS5? Go get this game.

Fuck no.

[Gredler]

Shouldn't everyone be playing MGS5? Go get this game.

Fuck no.

Going to have to agree with O.P on this one. If I were playing a PS4/Xbone game, it would not be MGS5. Regardless of that fact, I haven't finished the GoTW so how can disOBEY?!

[seieienbu]

I've been wanting a copy of Sapphire for a while.  I figured I might be able to get a loose bootleg copy for reasonably cheap so I made a thread about it at the start of the year.  I figured that, for trying to buy a bootleg, I'd likely get flamed or a lengthy discussion about ramification of bootleggers etc would happen like it did here.  However, I ended up getting no responses at all.

Anyway, if an opportunity to get a pressed copy of Sapphire presents itself, such as a raffle or whatever, I'd consider myself fortunate to be included.

[o.pwuaioc]

LMS, if it's acceptable to get on this list to give it to a friend, I'd like to be considered for it, too. They're good, trustworthy people who would, of course, know the stipulations about getting rid of it properly (i.e. coming back here to this community).

Thanks!

[shipwreck]

I keep hearing the name tobais. Someone please school me on this....

[NecroPhile]

I keep hearing the name tobais. Someone please school me on this....

No.  Use search and quit spam posting.

[LMS]

Had a busy couple of weeks hence the lack of follow up. SignOfZeta and esteban make some very valid points though. It would be pretty lame to pass these off to someone for free, only to find out they used the opportunity for financial gain at a later date.

I'm not sure what to do now. I know you guys are into raffles but I'm not really down with that idea to be honest, it feels a bit too random. I've been a member here for almost a decade and keep an eye on the forums pretty regularly but as many of you know, I'm really not one to post often at all. If I have something to share (like the Richard Gibbs pdf I created) or a relevant comment to contribute then I'll chime in but otherwise I'm not really one to get that involved in discussions. So as a result, aside from a couple of exceptions I don't have any real links with anyone here in particular.

In fact, I think I'm going to auction off a copy and give any resulting funds to a UK based charity called sense who provide support for deafblind people which is a hardcore shitty situation. This way some folk who will never have a decent opportunity to obey can get a bit of justice too...

https://www.sense.org.uk/

What do all you guys expressing an interest think about that idea, would you be up for getting involved or was it more about grabbing a freebie?

[esteban]

LMS, use Sapphire proceeds for a good cause...

In addition, though, I speak for everyone across the Atlantic when I say that you should still hold a raffle—for a jacket potato.

We're hungry over here.

[Otaking]

If I have something to share (like the Richard Gibbs pdf I created) or a relevant comment to contribute then I'll chime in but otherwise I'm not really one to get that involved in discussions.

And what a contribution, that Richard Gibbs fanzine scan PDF was awesome!!! best thing I've seen on this forum since I've been on here.

In fact, I think I'm going to auction off a copy and give any resulting funds to a UK based charity called sense who provide support for deafblind people which is a hardcore shitty situation. This way some folk who will never have a decent opportunity to obey can get a bit of justice too...

https://www.sense.org.uk/

Great idea and a really worthy cause.

[LostFlunky]

Bit of a catch-22 isn't it?  If someone offers cash for it, they somehow don't deserve to have it.. The alternative is that they are just looking for a freebie...

The people hanging onto these discs in most cases did not pay much, if anything, for them and just happened to be in the right place at the right time... Simply having one has become some sort of measuring stick of worthiness around here... implying that it has some greater intrinsic value... FUCK THAT.    This disc is barely a notch above a CD-r, and only because it will play on any system with an ACD, and CD-r's will not (necessarily).

In three years of expressing my interest in obtaining one of these worthless boots, I have had exactly one offer - straight up trade for my original Dracula X.

[esteban]

Bit of a catch-22 isn't it?  If someone offers cash for it, they somehow don't deserve to have it.. The alternative is that they are just looking for a freebie...

The people hanging onto these discs in most cases did not pay much, if anything, for them and just happened to be in the right place at the right time... Simply having one has become some sort of measuring stick of worthiness around here... implying that it has some greater intrinsic value... FUCK THAT.    This disc is barely a notch above a CD-r, and only because it will play on any system with an ACD, and CD-r's will not (necessarily).

In three years of expressing my interest in obtaining one of these worthless boots, I have had exactly one offer - straight up trade for my original Dracula X.

Paradise.
Lost.
Monkey.

[LMS]

Bit of a catch-22 isn't it?  If someone offers cash for it, they somehow don't deserve to have it.. The alternative is that they are just looking for a freebie...

The people hanging onto these discs in most cases did not pay much, if anything, for them and just happened to be in the right place at the right time... Simply having one has become some sort of measuring stick of worthiness around here... implying that it has some greater intrinsic value... FUCK THAT.    This disc is barely a notch above a CD-r, and only because it will play on any system with an ACD, and CD-r's will not (necessarily).

In three years of expressing my interest in obtaining one of these worthless boots, I have had exactly one offer - straight up trade for my original Dracula X. 

If this is a direct response to me then I'm not sure I really follow you... You're right that I paid nothing for these discs and it was indeed very much a case of being in the 'right place at the right time. And I agree that aside from their novelty in being a weird misprinted item, they have little more intrinsic value than a CDR. Hence my initial desire to get them into the hands of people who might place more personal value on them. The concern is, as pointed by other forum members, there's no real way to verify that's what will happen if they're handed out at random. The scenario that would really suck is if someone opportunistic where to take one for free and then immediately list it on ebay or sell it privately. I'd love to think that wouldn't happen but there's no real way to tell.

I don't feel comfortable selling (or even trading) them because as everyone is aware they were originally distributed for free, which is what lead to the idea that maybe a charity could benefit from an auction of one instead. I'm not expecting it to raise any significant amount but it seems like a nice neutral way to solve the issue. If someone offers more than anyone else in the auction and then chooses to flip it for profit, then at least a charity got to benefit to some extent in the process. If said sneaky winner outbid everyone else, then went to the trouble of listing and successfully selling it for more elsewhere, then maybe that's not the biggest injustice in the world anyway.

Your point about the catch 22 nature of the situation makes no sense to me at all though. If you want to offer cash for it (and it's more than anyone else in the auction) then you clearly deserve it and will receive it. If you're not prepared to spend any cash to get it then that's totally fine too, but in that case you are by definition 'just looking for a freebie'. There's nothing wrong with being interested in something for free and I never meant to suggest that when I asked but if nobody here is interested in paying for it, then it's hardly worth me attempting an auction as there will be no bidders.

Apologies if I misread the tone of your post but the catch 22 question seemed like it was addressed at me directly as a response to my previous post.

[LostFlunky]

Bit of a catch-22 isn't it?  If someone offers cash for it, they somehow don't deserve to have it.. The alternative is that they are just looking for a freebie...

The people hanging onto these discs in most cases did not pay much, if anything, for them and just happened to be in the right place at the right time... Simply having one has become some sort of measuring stick of worthiness around here... implying that it has some greater intrinsic value... FUCK THAT.    This disc is barely a notch above a CD-r, and only because it will play on any system with an ACD, and CD-r's will not (necessarily).

In three years of expressing my interest in obtaining one of these worthless boots, I have had exactly one offer - straight up trade for my original Dracula X. 

If this is a direct response to me then I'm not sure I really follow you... You're right that I paid nothing for these discs and it was indeed very much a case of being in the 'right place at the right time. And I agree that aside from their novelty in being a weird misprinted item, they have little more intrinsic value than a CDR. Hence my initial desire to get them into the hands of people who might place more personal value on them. The concern is, as pointed by other forum members, there's no real way to verify that's what will happen if they're handed out at random. The scenario that would really suck is if someone opportunistic where to take one for free and then immediately list it on ebay or sell it privately. I'd love to think that wouldn't happen but there's no real way to tell.

I don't feel comfortable selling (or even trading) them because as everyone is aware they were originally distributed for free, which is what lead to the idea that maybe a charity could benefit from an auction of one instead. I'm not expecting it to raise any significant amount but it seems like a nice neutral way to solve the issue. If someone offers more than anyone else in the auction and then chooses to flip it for profit, then at least a charity got to benefit to some extent in the process. If said sneaky winner outbid everyone else, then went to the trouble of listing and successfully selling it for more elsewhere, then maybe that's not the biggest injustice in the world anyway.

Your point about the catch 22 nature of the situation makes no sense to me at all though. If you want to offer cash for it (and it's more than anyone else in the auction) then you clearly deserve it and will receive it. If you're not prepared to spend any cash to get it then that's totally fine too, but in that case you are by definition 'just looking for a freebie'. There's nothing wrong with being interested in something for free and I never meant to suggest that when I asked but if nobody here is interested in paying for it, then it's hardly worth me attempting an auction as there will be no bidders.

Apologies if I misread the tone of your post but the catch 22 question seemed like it was addressed at me directly as a response to my previous post.

Wasn't directed at you, as much as the situation in general.

In my opinion, you and anyone else are welcome to do with these discs as you wish.

The catch-22 is caused by the reseller paranoia around here (which is mostly justified!) which causes people to believe that someone who has to ask for the disc doesn't deserve to have it.