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[Outdoor Miner]

I've never bothered looking to score Anime on eBay, but i'm bored and was shocked by some of the stuff for sale. So i have a quick question:

How legit are the insane packages i see available on eBay in the anime section? I'm talking about entire Last Exile series in sweet packaging for under $30 US? One Piece 1-87+movies for $50? These seem to good to be true and am wondering if these are bootlegs, or actual native releases?

 

[Semjaza Azazel]

If it's too good to be true, it's a bootleg.

Telling signs:

1.) Has Japanese language and only English and Chinese subtitles. Localized DVDs almost never seem to have Chinese subtitles. Obviously not the ultimate sign, but it's one of the things I do watch out for.

2.) It's region free.

Most of them on eBay for really low prices are not legit.

 

[FnordChan]

I've never bothered looking to score Anime on eBay, but i'm bored and was shocked by some of the stuff for sale. So i have a quick question:

How legit are the insane packages i see available on eBay in the anime section? I'm talking about entire Last Exile series in sweet packaging for under $30 US? One Piece 1-87+movies for $50? These seem to good to be true and am wondering if these are bootlegs, or actual native releases?

They're bootlegs. On top of that, the bootlegs tend to be mediocre at best, especially where subtitles are concerned. While anime is comparitively pricey for television on DVD, if you want to own it you're infinitely better off with a legit release. If you just want to watch the stuff, then something like Netflix may be in order.

FnordChan

 

[Outdoor Miner]

*sighs*

Ok that's good to know. Thanks guys.

 

[belgurdo]

Every time I've bought anime (hentai) on Ebay, they've been bootlegs burned to CD-R, save a legit Betterman DVD I got once. Can't complain though, since they only cost about $6-$10 after shipping.

 

[bjork]

Easiest way to know for sure is to check out pictures of the domestic packaging. Bootlegs also have different covers, and while some of them might be spiffy, they're still not official.

The only ones that are legit and actually deals are ADV box sets. Like for example, Steel Angel Kurumi has seven or eight single discs, each of which would run you like $20something. However, the boxset has everything, and iirc the retail is $54 or $64. Not bad for an entire series and movies that is also legit US release.

Only other way to get a good deal on ebay is to luck out and find an auction nobody else has found out about.