I am... LIMITED OBI?

HiruNoKaze · #1 21st May 2006, 08:25 PM

I'm looking to buy I am..., and I found this on eBay. It looks mostly fine after checking it with www.eneabba.net, but do you guys know if I am... Japan version is supposed to have an obi? That seems to be the only possible difference. Thanks!

http://cgi.ebay.com/AYUMI-HAMASAKI-I...QQcmdZViewItem

Eigakan · #2 21st May 2006, 09:54 PM

By it's price I would say it's the overseas version

***nmskalmn*** · #3 21st May 2006, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HiruNoKaze

but do you guys know if I am... Japan version is supposed to have an obi?

The Japan version has an obi.

Norrel · #4 21st May 2006, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eigakan

By it's price I would say it's the overseas version

You can't say that, I've seen real Ayu CDs on eBay that are really cheap >_>

Now, about the OBI, ALL CDs have OBI's no matter what version they are, Japanese or Overseas.

Although, there is no way to tell if it's Japanese or Overseas. The only way to find out if it's overseas is by looking at the spine of the OBI. If it has plain white background with text, it's OS.

Delirium-Zer0 · #5 21st May 2006, 11:00 PM

We wouldn't be able to tell without seeing the back or the spine, or at least knowing the stock number. The front looks like the real thing.

Norrel: The obi spine on the real JP version has a white background as well. The stock number would be the best way to tell for sure.

Judging from the front, the release it COULD be is the Alion International bootleg, which is close to the non-limited japanese release in how the back looks. But without the stock number or an image of the back that includes the record label logo, it's too hard to tell. Ask the seller for a photo of the back, or at the very least for a stock number. We can tell you based on that. ^_^

Here's a pic of the "I am..." album with the limited edition (and from what I can see, more common) obi... http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g42201029

Here's the album with the non-limited, regular size obi (unfortunately I can't find a photo better than this)... http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e55604615
That normal-size obi is what the Alion International version has always had, but without the logo for either Alion or Avex, you can't tell which is which.

HiruNoKaze · #6 22nd May 2006, 12:03 AM

Thanks so much everyone! I'm waiting for the seller's reply... But honestly, I wonder if most eBay sellers give a damn because a lot of them sell tons of cheap stuff. I dunno where they would find the time to reply to EVERYONE's nitpicking. Maybe the rating system is really effective.

ohsixthirty · #7 22nd May 2006, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delirium-Zer0

We can tell you based on that. ^_^

Here's a pic of the "I am..." album with the limited edition (and from what I can see, more common) obi... http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g42201029

wait...is the big obi limited? i have this obi and i bought mine on yesasia years after the release.

Syphex · #8 22nd May 2006, 07:49 PM

Excuse my ignorance, but what's OBI?

ohsixthirty · #9 22nd May 2006, 08:45 PM

^OBI is that cardboard slip that goes around the oustide of the spine of the cd case.

Delirium-Zer0 · #10 23rd May 2006, 04:12 AM

touchedstar: yeah, it's limited... but the limited one is less rare than the regular one. Give it a few more years though, that'll change. (It's like the limited picture disc version of Free & Easy.)

Edit: I can tell you for sure that every CD that seller sells is also released by Alion International, and his "MY STORY" cds are definitely not the real thing, and the Valenti cd is defintiely the Alion release. So I wouldn't get this, it doesn't look like the real thing based on his other auctions.

Norrel · #11 23rd May 2006, 09:03 PM

Plus the guy has 17 negative feedbacks.

Which is bad x.x

HiruNoKaze · #12 24th May 2006, 12:34 AM

Huum, 17 complaints is that bad? Can anyone give me a feel for how many complaints signify a bad seller? I mean, percentage-wise it looks pretty good, but I usually try to avoid buying online, much less at ebay, so I have no point of reference.

evolution7931 · #13 24th May 2006, 01:13 AM

JUST SO YOU KNOW, I ONCE BOUGHT AN AUTHENTIC-LOOKING "MY STORY" FROM THAT VERY SELLER AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A HIGH QUALITY BOOTLEG BY MIYA RECORDS OR SOMETHING..SORRY ABOUT THE CAPS AND BOLDNESS BUT YOU SHOULD >>NOT<< BUY IT!

Eigakan · #14 24th May 2006, 01:52 AM

Instead use www.cdjapan.co.jp or www.play-asia.com they sell original stuff.

**Ryoko** · #15 24th May 2006, 10:37 PM

I must agree - even yesasia.com or cdjapan.co.jp are much better. Ebay should be a last resort, and unless you're trying to get the first press obi, then you'd be better off buying from those two places.

Norrel · #16 24th May 2006, 10:52 PM

When I bought OS version of I Am on YesAsia, I got the limited OBI o.o

Delirium-Zer0 · #17 25th May 2006, 01:12 AM

The OS versions often have the limited edition features for a longer time than the JP version. Not sure why exactly. But my OS ayu-mi-x II JPN & US+EU had the sparkly cases and i bought them WAY after their release date.

LacusClyne · #18 26th May 2006, 01:57 AM

why don't you try asking the seller which version is it? maybe he or she will tell the truth?

since it looks like it could be either of both versions....

HiruNoKaze · #19 26th May 2006, 07:00 AM

Bah, they didn't even reply. Probably total bootleg indeed. I bought my copies of low-priced dome tour and AT03-04 from yesasia, but "I am..." seems so expensive at all the online stores... I'm so lucky, I managed to get a lot of my Ayu used from a Japanese bookstore that buys used CDs and DVDs. I'm really happy that it's all in very good condition with maybe one or two minor wrinkles on the booklets:
First 3 albums, Rainbow, A Best, A Ballads, A single (this onewith obi!) -> $7.00 each
Memorial Address CD+DVD $15
Original CDL00-01 $25
(all Japan version of course

even A Song for XX album has the original oversize jewel case!)

So that's why I'm anxious to get "I am..." Hopefully it'll crop up in the bookstore soon. The day I got "Rainbow," I imagined it being there and lo and behold there it was! Umm, I was looking at ebay because eneabba had it listed in its prices comparison section. I thought I could get it for a lower price, but I guess not.

By the way, YesAsia is selling (M)U CD+DVD for $30, and the free shipping is still for items over $25. Do you guys think it'll ever decrease in price? There's no way to indulge the need for Ayu for any cheaper, is there? None of the sites online seem to discount older items. I'm thinking I'll never be able to get it for this price again, and I don't want to get (M)U used because I want that photobook pristine.

Delirium-Zer0 · #20 26th May 2006, 02:19 PM

Do you mean Kamikaze Anime in LA? They didn't have anything that recent last time I was there! (which was about 2 years ago now x_x)... I wish i was still near there if they're selling things used like A BALLADS. I'm sure it'll show up if RAINBOW & A BALLADS were there, since they're newer.

And I'd keep an eye out on ebay for the real thing. It does show up occasionally. Just keep checking to see if it's real or not... feel free to ask us again.