Spotting Dragonball CD bootlegs

[SsjRavi]

I am new to buying dragonball cds and cannot yet tell the difference between boolegs and the genuine cds.
I found some cheap cds on the internet and have become suspicous of it despite the description claiming they are genuine copies mainly because i saw the "SM" logo in the top corner of the case, i came here for some advice.

This is the picture provided with the product for DragonBall Z Hit Song Collection 13 - Battle & Hope:
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... K60_12.jpg

And this is a scan i found for a different copy:
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... ortada.jpg

I also found this cd from the same seller:
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... w60_12.jpg

Any extra advice on spotting bootlegs would be much appreciated.

[Li'l Lemmy]

http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... K60_12.jpg

Yes, this is a bootleg. Any CD with the initials SM should be an instant red flag.

SM (as seen here by this distinctive logo) stands for SonMay Records, and anything DragonBall with their name on it is most definitely bootleg. Beware also of other companies like EverAnime (logo here) and Smile Face.

Another telltale sign is price. How "cheap" are we talking? If the given price is distinctly lower than what the discs regularly sell for at reputable dealers like CDJapan (or even just eBay), then there's always a good chance that it's a knock-off. Real discs will usually fetch a "real" price.

http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... ortada.jpg

If this is a representation of the actual product, then it's legitimate. (Notice the Columbia logo in the upper right-hand corner; usually a good sign of a real and genuine disc.) I would ask for a photo from the seller before buying, though. Anyone can just toss up an image from the internet and say that this is what they have, but a photo gives you some sense of proof.

http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz11 ... w60_12.jpg

It's the soundtrack to Super Butoden 3. Unfortunately, someone more knowledgeable will need to step in with a claim as to its legitimacy. It looks genuine enough...

As a general reference: Most of the Hit Song Collection CDs, as well as a lot of other DB music, can be purchased without any question of legitimacy at CDJapan. You'll suffer a bit over shipping, but in the end the product you receive is guaranteed to be 100% authentic and complete.

Can anyone else throw in some suggestions for retailers and/or how to spot bootlegs?


~Da Lemmy

[VegettoEX]

That "Super Butoden 3" disc is a bootleg -- same one I have had for a bazillion years . You can tell because the text is actually Chinese (I believe that's their "Dragon Pearl" naming scheme, rather than "Dragon Ball", right before the "Z").

[Li'l Lemmy]

Bah, I friggin' had a feeling. Darnit! What does the actual cover look like then, Mike? 'Cuz it's this lousy fake that shows up in your Music Database. >_<;

[SsjRavi]

Thank you very much Mike and Lemmy, i came to the right place to check.
I am a bit dissappointed that they were both bootlegs though since they look like the original sets. :/

[xzero]

Can I actually ask a question about the bootleg CDs? I know no one here condones them or anything like that and that they infringe on the copyrights of the original owners, but from a more pragmatic perspective, is there anything materially different about them in terms of quality? I ask because I've never actually seen a non-bootleg DBZ-related CD in person. Before knowing the difference, I bought a bunch of bootleg stuff from a local comic book shop and online via ebay, etc. I always assumed Ever Anime and Son May were licensing companies until I got the internet and figured it out. The ones I have include the 5-disc Daizenshuu, the Movie 8 soundtrack, the Path to Power soundtrack, and one or two more. So does anyone know if/how they differ from the original versions?

[TripleRach]

Can I actually ask a question about the bootleg CDs? I know no one here condones them or anything like that and that they infringe on the copyrights of the original owners, but from a more pragmatic perspective, is there anything materially different about them in terms of quality? I ask because I've never actually seen a non-bootleg DBZ-related CD in person. Before knowing the difference, I bought a bunch of bootleg stuff from a local comic book shop and online via ebay, etc. I always assumed Ever Anime and Son May were licensing companies until I got the internet and figured it out. The ones I have include the 5-disc Daizenshuu, the Movie 8 soundtrack, the Path to Power soundtrack, and one or two more. So does anyone know if/how they differ from the original versions?

I don't know if there's any differences as far as audio quality goes, since CD audio is a relatively simple format, and they tend to mirror the track listings on the original album exactly (unless it's one of those custom bootleg-only albums). But the packaging is often much shoddier, like crappier plastic for the jewel cases, or cheaper paper in the booklets, etc.

[cRookie_Monster]

Yeah this is the digital age. Bit for bit copying doesn't degrade quality. In the old days when people were dubbing 3rd, 4th, etc, generations of analog dubs..yeah quality would go to *#^*&.

Now if they recorded using analog means or pulled something from a compressed format...then there would be some degradation.