RF Generation Message Board

I see these things on ebay all the time.  I have a couple games that could use new labels, like my copy of Mega Man 4 has absolutely no label to speak of. 

What do you guys think?  Would this decrease the value of a game like Little Samson?  Would anyone even notice?  Or do you just prefer authenticity over cleanliness?

Depends on the quality, I suppose. I think I'd probably be okay with it if there were no quality issues with the replacement.

had this conversation with Crabmaster a month or so back. Seems like most collectors are ok with it, as long as the repro label is differentiated somehow from the original. That being said, this reminds me a lot about a different collecting of mine. Vintage Transformers.

Several chinese companies in the past few years have started producing G1 transformer KO. These knockoffs are so close to the originals ie; packaging, molds, date stamps etc, that there are guides that exist to identify the differences. As a collector, the only problem I have with this, is dishonest people out there who will try and pass something off as "completely original" when its not.

A person can buy a repro label, be honest and make sure that the person you sell it to, is informed of the label. But who is to say that person will do the same?

i think it's a good way to save money, but from a collecting standpoint it's a pretty bad idea, especially if it looks very close to the original. it's like all these repro controllers for old nintendo consoles i've been seeing come onto the market, where they're identical in every aspect to the original, except no nintendo logo. to the casual gamer that's not an issue, but someone just getting into collecting might not realize the difference (especially if they're unfamiliar with the system, and if it was loose). could lead to a lot of people getting ripped off like mike said

I would prefer original to a reproduction label, even if damaged. If the person that creates the replacements makes the EXTREMELY different than the originals, I am good with that as well. I just wouldn't want one that could cause any issue whatsoever in regards of forgery.

I'm probably the only person who wouldn't mind replacement labels at all. If it looked so much like an original label that I couldn't tell the difference, I'd stick it on my cartridge right away. I won't be selling any of my games anytime soon so I think I wouldn't be hurting anyone.

Of course this comes with a caveat. The seller of the label would have to upfront in saying it's a repro.

I have been wondering the same thing lately, I have a Dracula X for the SNES with a ripped label, and Have been contemplating replacing it. I haven't yet for many for the reasons everyone is talking about

So hypothetically, if I said, "Here's a Dracula X label that looks authentic but is a reproduction" would you put it on the cartridge?

i feel like that would take away too much from the collectability of it. sure it looks great, but it's not "original" and therefore less desirable. if you're into the hobby more for the gamer side of it than the collector side, then sure it might not matter, because then originality doesn't matter so much as practicality and asthetics. i don't think many serious collectors would be ok with it though, and at the very least it would lower the value and make re-sale much more difficult. most people assume they'll never sell their collections, but there have been occasions where i've seen people post to say things like "really didn't want to do this but i need to sell off part (or all) of my collection to pay off [bills/buying a house/renovations/health costs/etc]".

Good point about needing to sell certain collection pieces. It does happen.

So if you wouldn't put a reproduction label on a cartridge, do you collect the game itself (basically the data inside), the cartridge, or both? I strongly feel that I collect the physical item with the intent to eventually play the game. So looks are important.

I agree with techwizard, in the collectability aspect as well as the value.  You see all the time on antiques roadshow where someone has refinished a piece of furniture and the appraiser tells them the piece is now not worth as much, or buyers are less likely to choose it since the original piece has now been altered. This is the main reason I have no bought a reproduction label, and the way it would make me feel, like I was lying to myself or something.

I will say I applied a reproduction label to a Mega Man X1 cart I had, after doing it I did not feel right. The label for the cart was non existent and that is why I replaced it but now that I did that I look at it differently. The replacement label is obviously a replacement though, as it is not even glossy. Although I still don't really feel right about doing it.  This is just my personal feelings on how I felt on the matter. If you feel okay with doing it, go ahead and do it.  Although I agree that you should tell the person you sell the game to it is a reproduction label.  You can't really manage what they will eventually do with it, just hope that since you showed honesty they may feel a need to be honest when they decide to sell said game with reproduction label.
  

Apparently this question has been asked before: http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&threadid=59235

The general consensus on Nintendo Age was that if you can replace the entire cartridge that's ideal, otherwise you just have to live with a gnarly label. However, I can't understand why people feel so strongly about the authenticity of a sticker. You don't play the sticker, it's just a visual identifier.

Regarding your comment about refinished furniture, I won't entirely agree with you but I see what you mean. It really depends on the quality of the craftsmanship.

the thing is usually for most collector's it's more about it being original than being perfect. a lot of refurbishings are done to "improve" something to make it more appealing to look at, but then it loses the history behind it...in the case of furniture, it could turn it from something that was hand crafted in 18th century france to something frankenstein-like that is half factory made in modern china.

edit: i see label replacement in the same way as i see replacing a cardboard box with a plastic clamshell "display/collector" case (like this: http://www.retrogamecases.com/wp-content/uploads/n64_both_front.jpg ). it probably looks better on a shelf (cleaner, crisp look), will protect the game much better. but it's not original, and for me that makes it much less desirable, because i want to have it all as if i just walked into a late-90s retail store and picked it off the shelf.

Why do people collect boxes and manuals? You can't play those either. If you follow that line of reasoning to its conclusion, you can't "play" the cartridge either, so you might as well emulate.

I think the reason that people feel so strongly is that they are trying to authentically recreate a time and feeling they had in the past. Even if the replacement is perfect, they will still know it isn't authentic, and it will cheapen the experience. Collecting is tied strongly to nostalgia, and the feelings that go along with that are what make it important.

I think the controversy here is difference between restoring and refinishing an item. Restoring would involving bringing something back to its original condition; whereas refinishing means touching up something that may or may not be in bad shape, it just looks bad to the person. It depends on the piece so restoring can benefit value or ruin it. Refinishing more often than not take away from value.

Guitars, furniture, signs, and cars all benefit from restoration. But once again, the craftsmanship has to be excellent.

Let's say a vintage car was refinished to a colour it didn't original come in (ie. an electric blue Model T Ford). It may looks super cool, but isn't as valuable and sought after as a black one.

Yes, I had a serious thought and did some research into this topic.

@Duke, I really like visually appealing things so the look matters to me. I try to keep my bass guitars in spotless condition too.

Here's something to throw a kink into the works...

I have a Contra cartridge where the label was literally ripped off. I picked it up for $5, so it didn't bother me at all as I planned on giving it away as a gift some time here on the site, whether it be a future Secret Santa, contest, or whatever. All that's left on the cartridge are small remnants of a label (T&C Surf Designs, if you'll believe that) that someone tried to tape over what was left of the Contra label.

Would you:
Use a label maker to put a small sticker on it denoting it's Contra?
Replace the missing label with an accurate replacement label?
Replace the entire front of the cartridge from a Contra donor cart (could be expensive)?
Replace the missing label with a fan-art label?
Leave it as-is?

i think if it was really cheap and the label was almost non-existant, i might make an exception and replace the label, but that's only for the worst of the worst

In this case, I would consider it a "player" copy and leave it as is. In this condition though, I think anything other than an accurate replacement label would be considerable, even the option to just Sharpie the name onto it (it's the wrong shell anyway).

It's the right shell... someone just ripped off the label to T&C and TAPED it on for whatever bizarre reason. The remnants of the original Contra label were underneath, though barely recognizable.

By "player" copy do you mean it's suitable for a gamer or meant to be played only while not holding a place in one's collection?

Before I totally sign off on this topic because my thoughts have been voiced I think it's fine if people want to leave the cartridge in the condition they bought it, and it's OK if they want to make more aesthetically pleasing too. It's the person's choice. Now if this game were to be sold at some point the seller should be explicit in saying something has been restored/refinished.