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Old 2008.07.10, 11:42 AM   #157
Glathannus
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See those black numbers on the back, with red print near them?
You bought two sample copies.

They're not counterfeits. In functionality and packaging they are 99% the same as a retail product, except they are branded not-for-sale somewhere on the outer packaging (underneath the shrinkwrap), and often on the inner ring of the disc too. Sample copies aren't meant to be collectible. Only the particularly old sample copies, like Muzai Moratorium, are considered valuable by collectors, and that's only if they're still sealed. Newer sample copies are worthless for anything other than being able to experience the music. They're still made in Japan, but the artist doesn't collect royalties on them, because the record label never charged anyone for the copy.

Semi-recent sample copies are almost all of what Headynana sells. You got tricked by the item location, while the seller location is Hong Kong.

Factory-sealed first-presses of sold-out Japanese albums, are almost always too good to be true on eBay, especially if they have a Buy It Now price of less than the original price. I do believe Headynana sells a small handful of nonsample copies (and probably not for any of the music you actually want). Headynana knows when what they're selling is a sample copy, even if they don't rub it in your face. You can usually tell from a combination of the price, and the lack of a sample branding. Headynana can charge as low of an amount as you paid (and for something factory-sealed), because those sample copies were basically free all the way up until you paid for them.

If you gave Headynana negative feedback, it used to be that they could retaliate and negative hit you back with "I gave you authentic Asian product!". Now they can't. If a seller has a problem with you, the only channel they can go through is to file an official report like "non-paying bidder". I'd totally hit them if I were you, but half of it is your fault for not doing the research. I'd be crawling all over eBay if it had legitimate deals like what you thought you were getting, but I've learned to mostly ignore the place and move on.
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