If you intend to BUY Amiga games on Ebay (or other platforms) read this!

[cebulba]

Due to recent events I think it's of importance to give buyers a hint on buying Amiga games or to start collections.

1) Be aware of fakes:
Which happend to very sought after Apple games years ago - now seems to affect the AMIGA community as well.

a) Some sellers are going to re-shrink games - just to highten the price on it (Knowing that a sealed game will be of more desire to a collector - as an "opened used one).
Take a close look at the shrinking. A re-shrinked game can mostly clearly identified.

b) Some seller even replicate games:
There are a few games right now out there - which are not original in full extent. An ebay seller recently sold a game with a reprinted cover artwork - without stating it (we all know why).
It fetched a highly impressive price - which it can go for if original - but this time it was truly a faked item.
Take a close look on what you are bidding or paying for. Ask for detailed high res pictures.

c) If condition and contents are of importance to you:
Compare the item with the information given on the internet. amigamemo.com is a great ressource to look up for contents. For collectible games - as such from INFOCOM - there are
several pages out there which give detailed information on packing variations and contents.
Some sellers mix up different edition - turning in getting an original game - with a different "inner box" or a "budget published" disk.

2) Don't pay silly prices:
Value is often considered to personal interpretation. I mean - if I'm looking for a game for years and got the opportunity to get it - I personally pay as much as I could - but others wouldn't do of course.
However there are a few sellers trying to get a large profit on common games.
From my point of view - and I bought a lot of games - there are only up to 10 games for Amiga which ususally go for 100 Euros and more.
And not - while they are rare - but on a high demand. You can get a Moonstone or Giana Sisters 4-10 times a year on Ebay.
"Normal" or common games usually sell between 5 - 50 Euros.
In any case 200 bucks for a Turrican is TOO MUCH.
However these guys find every month 1 or 2 buyers paying that price.
Just take a look around - if money is not of importance to you buy it at any price - but you will usually get every game cheaper at all. Even on Ebay or use the several shops still available on the
internet to buy old games.

3) Beware of private offers:
Due to recent events on another board - a member sold privately (due to PMs) items twice as often - get paid - and never send the items.
Indeed he never had these.
Don't be foolish.
Get personal contact before paying 100s of Euros on items.
Ask for pictures!