Intro - HackMD

# Intro Buying tapes/DVDs of recorded television broadcasts online from sites like eBay is becoming harder and harder as time goes by. These days there is an ever growing list of people reselling content they find on sites like MySpleen, Internet Archive, VHSTapes.org, Nostalgic, etc. This makes it almost unbearable for those of us still looking for original content that has not been shared with the community. The only way we are going to beat these bastards is by working together as a team and restoring a higher sense of community amongst tape collectors. I've started to see some truly clever tactics these days. Sellers like ramblingtrader are cutting episodes out of different recordings available on MySpleen and then splicing them together with the commercial breaks to make their listings appear like original content unless you REALLY look through all the available tapes with similar content (i.e. if you see a tape for sale containing Toon Disney shows, you must look at all available Toon Disney recordings and ensure the tape for sale isn't spliced together with a mix of content from all the already available recordings). It's clear that this is becoming out of hand and it's too much for a single person to manage on their own. I believe that by working together and shedding light on these resellers we can really disincentive the act of reselling tapes, or at the very least make it easier for MS users to tell them apart from the people actually selling tapes on eBay. # Thread Rules When posting the name of someone you know to sell dubs/copies of content from MS or any other online community, be sure you are posting their actual username and not just a link to their eBay account or an item listing. Links are not very reliable on the internet and many die soon after being shared on forums pages like this. By posting the name here instead of a link you ensure that people in the future have reliable access to this information. When posting the name of someone you know to sell dubs/copies be sure to double check the list to ensure we aren't double posting. Do your best to quote or copy the list of known resellers/scammers when posting a known reseller/scammer so we have a consistent list constantly growing and being worked on as a community. This thread is not intended to stir up animosity or encourage hostility towards others. Our goal is not to shame, threaten, intimidate, slander, etc. We simply discuss resellers/scammers and perhaps what tapes we are aiming to buy online; that's it. # Tips Before buying tapes/dvds of TV recordings, be sure to do your due diligence in assessing the content to ensure you don't buy content that is already available online. You should message every seller asking questions such as but not limited to: - Are you the original recorder of this content? If yes, when was the tape recorded? If no, where did it come from? - Are there commercials/bumps? - Are there any issues with the tape/is it tested? - Is the tape a copy of another tape or is it the original tape used to record the content? - Has this content been uploaded online to your knowledge? The more information you can obtain, the better you can assess the value of the tape. Don't be afraid to ask for additional pictures! You should ask these types of questions for EVERY tape you buy. Some sellers have a hodge-podge collection of tapes that can consist of tapes they recorded, tapes they found at local stores/garage sales, tapes they got in trades, etc. It's best to ask these questions than to assume every tape from a seller will be from the same sources and of the same quality. I have made this mistake and ended up buying tapes with no commercials/bumps (which I tend to avoid) because I assumed all tapes a seller had for sale would contain them after receiving one tape with commercials/bumps. If you're unsure of a seller or a tape, ask!! Everyone here (for the most part) is here for the same reason, discovering new recordings that none of us have seen so far and ensuring people can enjoy them for years to come. The best way to cover the most ground is as a team. If you aren't sure if a tape/seller is safe, ask here first. Plus, letting each other know which tapes we are bidding on will help us avoid out-bidding one another. Look for accounts that don't only sell tapes and be sure you look at sellers history to see if they are selling dubs/copies. Look for bulk listings or listings that are poorly named/don't mention the content/network. Sometimes people find a lot of tapes in their attic or at estate sales, etc. and they don't have the time/patience to go through all the tapes and create detailed listings for each of them. By going through the picture you can sometimes find GEMS by reading the labels and messaging the seller to get more information. Avoid accounts that are brand new or lack feedback/ratings. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is too good to be true. **So long as you ask this question: "Is the tape a copy of another tape or is it the original tape used to record the content?" If they answer that the tape is original but you find out that isn't the case when you receive the tape, you should ask for a refund regardless of what the sellers policy on returns is. If they refuse then escalate with eBay in accordance with "Item not as described". You as the buyer will 99.999% of the time get eBay to rule in your favor.** Do **NOT** buy on impulse. Be wary. You will most definitively have another chance to buy something like this. And if you don't, some other guy will buy it, knowing or unknowing that it's fake. They're probably on the same site you're on. Is it an auction instead of a buy it now? This means that the seller is likely attempting to make a fortune off of this tape, thinking that they'll make hundreds off of this "UBER RARE!!!" recording. It also means you'll probably lose to someone who has too much money on their hands. People who pay $100+ for a single VHS tape usually don't hoard them without some kind of digitization at some point. Typically, you only want to buy from sellers who provide Buy it Now. It usually isn't a good idea to buy from listings that don't have pictures of the labels or have anything marked on the box. You'll get 10 copies of soap opera episodes that aired 5 years ago and you'll regret every fiber of your being. If boxes are shown, ensure that they match the era of the content recorded on them. They could have just as easily been switched out, but it's also an extremely easy sign of telling that this content has been re-recorded or faked. If images of the labels are provided, look closely at them. Proper labels are typically worn down after decades and/or have faded ink on them. A brand new, cleanly written label is a huge turn off. The vice versa is also applicable; if a scammer is willing enough, they can "fake" that too, but it's still blatantly obvious even from a thumbnail. Check the above pointers beforehand. Does the seller provide images of the footage on the tape? Look closely at the image. Legitimate VHS footage displayed on a CRT or any television will NOT have jagged edges or display digital artifacting. The image quality should look crisp and properly deinterlaced even on the worst tape player. The footage on the screen should not look like it comes from a YouTube video. If you find even the slightest thing that looks off about it upon close inspection, do NOT buy. If you end up buying a tape that is a dub of content from Spleen, Archive etc. OR you see someone selling a dub tape of content from the community. [b]REPORT THEM[/b] & leave negative feedback. eBay will step in if these people get enough negative feedback and reports on their listings. # The Lists One **IMPORTANT** thing I would like to point out before getting to the list of known resellers/scammers. Some tape collectors do make dubs of tapes that come from their own private collection and they do sell these dubs online where people buy them and upload them to sites like MySpleen and Internet Archive. DO NOT assume that just because someone is selling a tape that you've already seen uploaded online somewhere, that they are a scammer. MANY times these people are the true sources of these tapes and as such we owe them our respect. People are entitled to make dubs of tapes they owned first and this thread is NOT a place to shame those who do so; our goal is merely to identify scammers and resellers and work as a collective to buy up as much content as we can that is not already digitized online for many generations to enjoy. **Scammers** are people who **STEAL** content from online sources or from other traders to then resell themselves. **Resellers** are people who may sell dubs (from their own collection) but may also sell content that is not already found online in some way. If you think someone listed deserves to be on one list rather than the other, please be sure to provide some proof/testimonial so that we are not just blindly discrediting people and avoiding them. Let's keep this thread civil, honest, and lets make an effort to keep the dialogue open and judgement free! ## Scammers * cad_99 - sells dubs of content he steals from private tape trading communities and archive content, maintains many alts so watch out for sellers from his area (Fort Worth, TX) * jocad-5560 - an alt of cad_99 * midr9809 - an alt of cad_99 * yarare_92 - an alt of cad_99 * carlos_02 - sells dubs of content from private tape trading communities * 6076juliem - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content * mmmmmothra - has taken tapes from people during trades and sells dubs of content readily available online * ramblingtrader - well known reseller, splices private tape trading communities uploads together and redubs to VHS to pass off as first gen tapes * undeadcollectibles - sells the same dubs constantly, many are on archive or private tape trading communities * jgre33317 - private tape trading communities user reselling content from private tape trading communities * 80slove - sells stolen content from myspleen/retroccn * Relichousetapes - is 100% a MySpleen user reselling content from the site on ebay * nyxyx6 - sells awful quality dubs that are taken from existing online sources like spleen and archive * fxfx381 - sells dubs of content from private tape trading communities ------------------- ## Resellers * jiretr-0 - sells dubs of content on private tape trading communities * retrovhs - either the new name for jiretr-0 or an alt * simpsonsfan1990 - sells dubs from his collection that may or may not be online already * B.dalbor - sells dubs but sometimes they are content not on private tape trading communities * dj2perzyk - sells dubs/copies but sometimes they are content not on private tape trading communities * qualityprofessionals - sells dubs of content found on archive, sometimes has content not found on private tape trading communities * janicesm_13 - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content, sometimes has dubs that aren't on private tape trading communities * vhshell - sells dubs of content online but sometimes its content not on private tape trading communities. Splices episodes from various tapes into "custom tapes" * dumbfluff - sells dubs but sometimes they are of content not on private tape trading communities * jsg-9615 - sells dubs of tapes that circulate in the trader community but some of them aren't on private tape trading communities * thatjeremiiguy - sells dub tapes of private tape trading communities content, some tapes are not available on private tape trading communities though * pkfineartandcollectibles - reselling content from private tape trading communities and archive * Keog_66 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * djrun2013 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * spliz722 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * gatesofshrines - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content * rmesser85 - sells dubs of content found on myspleen. immediately will sell a new copy the next day after a sale. won't answer questions or show pics of tape. * robcatalano - can't say for certain that all of his tapes are dubs as he sells a lot, but he will sell the same video over on Mercari (name there is Operation Rewind) but dubbed onto a physically different VHS tape. * wesofthedead - sells dubs of tapes that are already on MS. Some of his tapes may be of content not found online. Check before you buy! * trp724 - sells dubs of content found on archive. will sell a tape and immediately relist the same tape, recycled images and all. Remember, **when you want to add someone to this list please quote or copy the entire list from the most recent post in the thread into your new post** so we can have a comprehensive list growing through out the entire thread. This should help us be more organized which in turn will save us all a lot of wasted time (and money). So for example if you wanted to add a scammer/reseller make your post in this thread like the following ``` ------------------- Scammers ------------------- * cad_99 - sells dubs of content he steals from private tape trading communities and archive content, maintains many alts so watch out for sellers from his area (Fort Worth, TX) * jocad-5560 - an alt of cad_99 * midr9809 - an alt of cad_99 * yarare_92 - an alt of cad_99 * carlos_02 - sells dubs of content from private tape trading communities * 6076juliem - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content * mmmmmothra - has taken tapes from people during trades and sells dubs of content readily available online * ramblingtrader - well known reseller, splices private tape trading communities uploads together and redubs to VHS to pass off as first gen tapes * undeadcollectibles - sells the same dubs constantly, many are on archive or private tape trading communities * jgre33317 - private tape trading communities user reselling content from private tape trading communities * 80slove - sells stolen content from myspleen/retroccn * Relichousetapes - is 100% a MySpleen user reselling content from the site on ebay * nyxyx6 - sells awful quality dubs that are taken from existing online sources like spleen and archive * fxfx381 - sells dubs of content from private tape trading communities ------------------- Resellers ------------------- * jiretr-0 - sells dubs of content on private tape trading communities * retrovhs - either the new name for jiretr-0 or an alt * simpsonsfan1990 - sells dubs from his collection that may or may not be online already * B.dalbor - sells dubs but sometimes they are content not on private tape trading communities * dj2perzyk - sells dubs/copies but sometimes they are content not on private tape trading communities * qualityprofessionals - sells dubs of content found on archive, sometimes has content not found on private tape trading communities * janicesm_13 - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content, sometimes has dubs that aren't on private tape trading communities * vhshell - sells dubs of content online but sometimes its content not on private tape trading communities. Splices episodes from various tapes into "custom tapes" * dumbfluff - sells dubs but sometimes they are of content not on private tape trading communities * jsg-9615 - sells dubs of tapes that circulate in the trader community but some of them aren't on private tape trading communities * thatjeremiiguy - sells dub tapes of private tape trading communities content, some tapes are not available on private tape trading communities though * pkfineartandcollectibles - reselling content from private tape trading communities and archive * Keog_66 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * djrun2013 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * spliz722 - reselling content from private tape trading communities * gatesofshrines - sells dubs of private tape trading communities content * rmesser85 - sells dubs of content found on myspleen. immediately will sell a new copy the next day after a sale. won't answer questions or show pics of tape. * robcatalano - can't say for certain that all of his tapes are dubs as he sells a lot, but he will sell the same video over on Mercari (name there is Operation Rewind) but dubbed onto a physically different VHS tape. * wesofthedead - sells dubs of tapes that are already on MS. Some of his tapes may be of content not found online. Check before you buy! * trp724 - sells dubs of content found on archive. will sell a tape and immediately relist the same tape, recycled images and all. ***Add Additional Name @ Bottom*** ``` **Be sure you are copying the list from the LAST post before yours.** I hope that this helps some people. I have been around here for awhile but only started digitizing tapes over the last year and a half or so. I never imagined the crap you would have to deal with when buying tapes online and wish someone had provided some tips for navigating the space.