Pulled out Pepper's Ghost again and ...

[In Search Of The]

Just swap the case for another CD. Glad to hear it's a genuine one.

[MuldeR]

Just in case anybody is interested, here are some pics of the CD that I bought from "rare_music_corner" on Amazon recently:

[onions]

I've just received the peppers ghost CD that i bought for only 14 euros on Amazon.fr. The number on it is PEPPER'S GHOST F1 CD 0220-0466 LMW/CA #2, so I guess it s not fake. I think there are a few more left but they are new ( I bought a used one) and it s possible they dont ship to your country.

[Keith_SIO]

I found a brand new copy at my local record store for $15.99 I hadn't been there in 5 years and 5 years earlier they had it...I couldn't believe it was sitting there. The same shop had a copy of ISOT for $35 and  LE blueprints for $10. i got the blue prints but couldnt afford the isot at the time...kicked myself but at least I got pepper's now.

[dewclaw]

what's the name of the record store? I need that ISOT.

I found a brand new copy at my local record store for $15.99 I hadn't been there in 5 years and 5 years earlier they had it...I couldn't believe it was sitting there. The same shop had a copy of ISOT for $35 and  LE blueprints for $10. i got the blue prints but couldnt afford the isot at the time...kicked myself but at least I got pepper's now.

[davo]

Just in case anybody is interested, here are some pics of the CD that I bought from "rare_music_corner" on Amazon recently:

This copy is fake, the artwork is dull, the genuine copy doesn't have the ring on the label side near the center hole. Also the matrix area on the genuine copy is darker on the silver side.
Anyone who bought theirs from TDRS will see that theirs will be different to this if they look closely. I sent Travis emails about these Amazon fakes but unfortunately he thought I was wrong. Maybe now, he will believe me.
Genuine Pressing pics are below

[MuldeR]

Well, Travis already said that there were different variants, because it got pressed twice. So if this one differs from your copy, that does not yet prove it is a "fake".

Anyway, even if it was a "fake", why make a fuss? The album has been out of print for a very long time and there are, unfortunately, no plans for a re-release. Personally I would love to buy a 100% genuine copy of that album directly from TDRS. But as long as that isn't possible, I prefer to have a decent reproduction rather than nothing. Sure, this would mean the reseller is cheating the customers and that's not a good thing. I certainly would be annoyed, if I had payed like $100 for something that turns out to be a "fake". But the price was pretty much "okay" for me, so I don't worry much...

[deadite]

Anyway, even if it was a "fake", why make a fuss?

are you serious. a fake is a fake and aint worth shit.  geniune out of print copies are only going to go up in value.
if you want a decent reproduction just download it off itunes.

what i dont get is how does the counterfieter get the matrix and ifpi exact down to a tee yet screws up the printing?

[MuldeR]

Anyway, even if it was a "fake", why make a fuss?

are you serious. a fake is a fake and aint worth shit.  geniune out of print copies are only going to go up in value.
if you want a decent reproduction just download it off itunes.

First of all, we still don't know for sure it is a fake. There are people who say they have an original directly from TDRS and that the disc from Amazon "looks different". Okay. But at the same time we know that there are different pressings of that album, which might be the explanation. So I'm not 100% sure, only ~90%

Secondly, I don't care how much "worth" a CD is or might become, because I like the CD for the music and not for the money it is worth. Also I'm not going to sell any of my CD's. For me it is important to have a pressed ("silver") CD for my personal collection. An MP3 file doesn't make me happy

Also, listening to some MP3 files just isn't the same as putting a CD into my hi-fi system and taking the time to listen to the complete album. But that's just my personal opinion...

(BTW: For me iTunes isn't an option anyway. A company that sells so-called "high end" devices and then dictates their customers which programs they are allowed to install/use and which not, simply doesn't deserve to earn a single cent. But that's another story ^^)

[deadite]

i actually agree with what you say there mulder.  i am a collcetor and have been collecting since i was 11 and i am proud of my collection and would never sell any of it. but its still awesome to have out of print stuff thats worth heaps. i regret not buying Elephant mans alarm clock cd. I downloaded it (when you coould do that on this site) because i couldnt wait for it to arrive in the mail.

[davo]

Well, Travis already said that there were different variants, because it got pressed twice. So if this one differs from your copy, that does not yet prove it is a "fake".

Anyway, even if it was a "fake", why make a fuss?

Don't shoot the messenger.
As a collector it's important to me to have the real thing and I am just letting others here know so they are informed before paying good money for a fake.
I am glad you enjoy your copy, but unfortunately neither Buckethead or Travis made a cent from your CD even though it is their work.
On top of that the CD has funded organised criminals who probably commit crimes much worse than pirating.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+CD+MAFIA%3B+Music+pirates+flood+UK+with+pounds+5+discs.-a060957783

[davo]

what i dont get is how does the counterfieter get the matrix and ifpi exact down to a tee yet screws up the printing?
[/quote]
Because a photocopy is never going to have the quality of the original. Still it's good enough to fool most people as you can see from the feedback and mass sales of these sellers.

[MuldeR]

As a collector it's important to me to have the real thing and I am just letting others here know so they are informed before paying good money for a fake.

You are right.

I am glad you enjoy your copy, but unfortunately neither Buckethead or Travis made a cent from your CD even though it is their work.

That's why I'd always buy at TDRS or Buckethead Pikes first - if possible. But if they don't re-release CD's that go out of print, they won't make a cent from these CD's either

Unfortunately Travis already explained that re-releasing old CD's is too expensive for them. It won't pay off. So we have a dilemma here...

On top of that the CD has funded organised criminals who probably commit crimes much worse than pirating.
http://www.thefreelibrary.com/THE+CD+MAFIA%3B+Music+pirates+flood+UK+with+pounds+5+discs.-a060957783

While I don't want to doubt that such things happen, it's a bit farfetched here, I think.

(It's hard to believe the "CD Mafia" would choose exactly this almost-unknown CD, when there are thousands of "main stream" CD's that probably would have a MUCH bigger market)

[davo]

There's more profit for OOP titles. If there is a market for people like yourself to pay $30 odd dollars for a CD which costs them less than a dollar to make then it's easy money.
I complained about a CD being pirated by one of these Ebay sellers and he shut down most of my auctions from his numerous accounts reporting to Ebay that I was selling fakes. I didnot sell on that account for a year fearing it would be suspended.
These people are ruthless.
It's kind of good for collectors like myself when things get counterfeited because it makes it cheaper for me to buy the genuine article. Some sellers have no idea an item is counterfeited so if they see one selling at a low price sometimes they will sell it for that or cheaper :-)
On the other hand, it can be pretty disappointing to receive a fake item. That's why I try to do my research.

[davo]

There's more profit for OOP titles. If there is a market for people like yourself to pay $30 odd dollars for a CD which costs them less than a dollar to make then it's easy money.
I complained about a CD being pirated by one of these Ebay sellers and he shut down most of my auctions from his numerous accounts reporting to Ebay that I was selling fakes. I didnot sell on that account for a year fearing it would be suspended.
These people are ruthless.
It's kind of good for collectors like myself when things get counterfeited because it makes it cheaper for me to buy the genuine article. Some sellers have no idea an item is counterfeited so if they see one selling at a low price sometimes they will sell it for that or cheaper :-)
On the other hand, it can be pretty disappointing to receive a fake item. That's why I try to do my research.

One of the problems with some martrix codes from smaller companies is that the codes are easy to replicate whereas the more professional matrixes say like on a Japanese CD are usually more difficult to get right. Dull artwork is always something that makes me suspicious. If you want to avoid fakes, try to stay away from UK sellers selling big amounts of new CD's at very cheap prices. Also your majority of Eastern European (ex Soviet countries) sellers who sell new are selling fakes.