Forum - View topicWhere does the anime on half.ebay.com come from?
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daxomni
 Posts: 2650 Location: Somewhere else. |
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Half.ebay.com (formally half.com, a set-price division of ebay for music, movies, software, and books) has many non-ero anime titles and the prices are usually cheaper than most anime websites. I've bought and sold some anime on there in the past and it never looked like the usual bootleg crap that you find in ebay's traditional auction area. However, I was wondering if things have changed and/or if bootleggers had gotten better at their trade. Does anyone here still buy from half.ebay.com and if so, have you ever ended up with any bootlegs from there?
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PantsGoblin
 SubscriberEncyclopedia Editor  Posts: 2969 Location: L.A. |
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Amazon.com also sells a bunch of those too. My friend claims that they are not bootlegs, but I seem to think that they are. Just an example, this Love Hina complete collection claims to not be a bootleg. Yet all 25 episodes are packed on to 3 DVDs which makes it very hard for me to believe it is not a bootleg. Then again, the DVD's have both the dub and the subs which most bootlegs don't have. There are a whole bunch of other products just like this that claim to not be bootlegs. I'm pretty sure that they are bootlegs though, and that the people are just lying. Can somebody clear this up?
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joel_s95387
Posts: 1804 Location: California... The Village Hidden In The Porn |
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Are the three discs Dual Sided? If they are then technically it would be 6 DVDs with 25 episodes. I thought the original collection had like 8 discs. The picture IS the perfect collection package but it could've easily been found on the internet. Curious to see if this isn't a bootleg but it might also be someguy burning DVDs. Is that illegal on Ebay?
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Zalis116
Moderator
 Posts: 6921 Location: Kazune City |
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Check this site for all your questions about how to identify bootlegs. Honestly, I think ANN should censor ebay.com with "[This is a known bootlegging website]," but that's just my opinion. This question has been answered on various threads in the past, but a quick summary of likely bootleg indicators is:
 All-region DVD coding or Region 0 coding
Anything Chinese, usually subtitles (I bought a Love Hina soundtrack that I thought was legit until I realized that the "reply card" was entirely in Chinese, not Japanese--plus the serial markings on the case reveal a bootleg manufacturer)
Many bootlegs are copies of R1 discs, so these will have English dub tracks and correct subtitle tracks. An English dub doesn't guarantee legit status. Usually, these R1 copies will not have Chinese subs; bootlegs for shows like Bleach and Naruto that haven't been released on R1 tend to have Chinese subs and questionable "Engrish" subs, Japanese audio only.
Price too good to be true / Too many episodes, too few discs to be true. There are numerous legitimate thinpacks and boxed sets available, and Viz finally broke a barrier by re-releasing SaiKano 13 eps on 2 discs, but the general rule of thumb is:
12-14 episodes on 2 discs = bootleg. 22-27 episodes on 3 discs = bootleg. 8 or more episodes on 1 disc = bootleg (certain Pokemon discs excepted, but note that all 6 eps of FLCL on 1 disc=bootleg) Typical prices are $20-$25 for a 12-14 episode show, $30-$40 for a 24-26 episode show, and around $50 for shows like Utena or Evangelion + Movies. *Things are changing, and we're seeing more releases with 6-7 episodes on R1 discs--when in doubt, check the release information on the ANN encyclopedia or the listings at http://animeondvd.com -- they'll give the R1 listings with number of discs, so if some "import" has fewer, it's a bootleg. Real Japanese imports are more expensive than R1s, usually with fewer episodes per disc. manufacturers outside the normal licensees (ADV/Geneon/Bandai/Funimation/Manga Ent./Media Blasters/Central Park Media/Viz/RightStuf/Synch Point, some of these labels have sublabels, like CPM -> US Manga Corps.)
The Pirate FAQ has more information on specific bootleg manufacturers, which I don't want to reveal here. Overall, be cautious at Amazon Marketplace/Ebay/Half/any site where individuals can sell stuff--I'd recommend sticking to legit sites like mediacavern, deepdiscountdvd, or the sites recommended in release data. As for the seller in the link, he's being sneaky, posting an image of the legit "perfect collection," which is 9 discs including 25 episodes + the two movies + the OVAs. However, if he's claiming 25 eps on 3 discs, then he's selling a bootleg. I checked the amazon listing for that LH perfect collection, and only 1 out of 7 sellers was selling the real thing, for $98.92; the rest were all bootlegs for $2*.00. P.S. Any chance of getting a "How to Recognize a Bootleg" sticky? |
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daxomni
Posts: 2650 Location: Somewhere else. |
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one3rd
 Posts: 1820 Location: アメリカ |
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I'm inclined to believe that all of those except the $60-70 sets are definitely bootlegs. I probably wouldn't trust any of the ones shipping from multiple locations either. If you're looking for good places to buy DVDs online for relatively low prices, try Deep Discount DVD and Overstock.com's regular prices and The Right Stuf International's frequent sale prices.
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ShadrachAnki
 Posts: 180 Location: New England |
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Well, I would have to say that it's a bit more likely that anime found on half.ebay.com is actually legitimate, but I'd still be rather leery of the stuff being sold there. After all, if the price seems too good to be true then it probably is.
In looking at the three examples you provided.... First off, everything on half.ebay.com has the fine print caveat of "actual items for sale may vary from the above information and image." Since all the site does is provide a central location to find listings for deals on various items, this caveat isn't too unusual. It's a bit different from ebay, where each item has its own listing with images and such. Steel Angel Kurumi may or may not be an official release. The prices aren't unbelievably low, and the list price given is for the 7-disk thinpak set, as is the cover art used on the main information page. However, none of the listed sellers actually confirm that they are selling the R1 thinpak release, and they don't give any information on how many DVDs are in their sets. Chobits is doubtfully legitimate. All the "new" products listed say they are 2 or 3 DVD sets, while the thinpak is a 7-disk deal. Even without that information, the price is in the too good to be true category. The pricing on the "like new" items is more along the lines of what I would expect, but none of those listings give disk count or region information. Hand Maid May looks to be a mixed bag. Some of the releases may very well be legitimate, but there is at least one that isn't. In all honesty, it would currently be cheaper to get this from somewhere like TRSI, and you'd have the benefit of knowing you're getting a legit release. If you want to use eBay or Half to get anime at a cheaper price, I would highly recommend contact the sellers of the products you're interested in before you purchase. Find out things like disk count and region encoding, then check those things against known listings. Decide if you want to trust the seller or not. As for myself, I'd much rather watch for sales at the sites I know to be legit. ~Shadrach Anki |
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hagakure|returns
Posts: 407 |
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No, they never release a dual-side complete collection for love hina or most other anime for that matter. Also note, that his rating, someone already mention he was selling bootlegs. The 3 disc is a total give away, when you consider most bootleg have disc for 22-27 episode with a price tag around the 20-30 Cover art doesn't equal legit, but most people are easily fool by them. Even the art itself used for the dvd and box are stolen from artbooks or other sources. |
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DVDaholic
Posts: 62 Location: USA |
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Unless you know enough about how to spot bootlegs it's best to stay away from eBay.com and Half.com. Most of the foreign DVD's listed as well as anime titles are usually pirated goods.
Just remember that all Asian countries DO produce legit stuff as well. For anime titles though, they tend not to release them with with English subtitles. |
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Starwind Amada
Posts: 981 Location: Easton, PA, USA |
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Except for the FMA movie.  But since FUNi is bound to release it soon and give it the same high-quality treatment they gave the TV series, I doubt anyone besides the dub-bashing elitist snobs will bother importing it.
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daxomni
Posts: 2650 Location: Somewhere else. |
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Thanks for your post; it's pretty close to what I was hoping for. However, since nobody here seems to actually buy from half.ebay.com it looks like I might have to be the one to re-test the waters after all. I've actually bought and sold dozens of movies on half.ebay.com (just not very recently). All of my experiences have been good and, unlike with ebay auctions, I've never received anything that I thought might be a bootleg from a half.ebay.com purchase. Then again, I've never bought any boxed-sets there, only singles. Also, I'd have to agree about the Chobits "New" offers looking completely bogus. As with ebay auctions, the sellers often give you at least one clue about their bootlegged sales by mentioning a disc count that doesn't jive with the retail release. Regarding the prices being too low, well, half.ebay.com has often been among the best values I've found anywhere. Even when I thought I was getting a deal too good to be true it's always paid off in the end, so far. Also, I've sold dozens of items on half.ebay.com and like most people I never put any disc count or similar information in my description, so it doesn't necessarily mean that anybody who doesn't list a disc count is selling bootlegs. However, I'll heed you suggestion to contact the sellers first just to make sure. Neither TRSI or AnimeNation has the Steel Angle Kurumi Complete Collection anymore, from what I can tell, and they're both missing at least one volume of the first series if bought separately. Hand Maid May's boxed set is still cheaper on half.ebay.com than TRSI's current "weekly" discount, and it will get to me faster than from TRSI (since it's on backorder there) and will cost less to ship (unless I buy $50 worth of stuff from TRSI). Anyway, thanks to everyone that replied. I'll be sure to post my experience if and when I buy from half.ebay.com again. |
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Zalis116
Moderator
Posts: 6921 Location: Kazune City |
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The Steel Angel Kurumi 7-disc set is legit; I bought it last fall from Best Buy for around $40, so the price doesn't seem wrong to me. You can even see the writing, "Wow!" and "This Series is a Must-Have" from animeondvd and animeage, as well as the ADV logo on the bottom right corner. As for Chobits and Hand Maid May, the ones advertising 3 disc and 2 disc editions, respectively, are bootlegs. Coincidentally, it looks like the cheaper set selling for 20-30 are bootlegs, and the more expensive set selling for 60-70 are legit. Amazon still has the SAK collection for $54, though with a 3-5 week delay. I guess it was limited run/out of print. I didn't see it last night, but apparently half.com has a little cover-your-a$$ disclaimer that says, "Actual items for sale may vary from the above information and image." This allows them to avoid problems when bootleggers sell their wares under the page for the legit collection, which is too often the case on these sites. I recognized some of the seller names as Amazon sellers who sell legit items, so it's not all bad, but like the others say, ebay/half/amazon marketplace are best avoided if you're unsure. You'd have to trust the seller at their word; they're probably not going to say, "Oh yeah, this Fushigi Yuugi Suzaku box is the three-disc bootleg from FX." |
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DoubleWide
 Posts: 80 |
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I've had good luck with both Half.com and eBay, but I'm always cautious. If I buy what I think is a suspicous DVD set, like Yu Yu Hakusho: Spirit Detective on 3 discs, I return it for a refund. I'm on a fixed income so I need to watch my pennies. I don;t alays succede, but I try.
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madlib
Posts: 50 Location: the eeeeeeeeequatah |
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if it sounds too good to be true it probably is. i would sugggest the sites cited above, as well as using a price comparison shopping site to get the best deal... |
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