Also in addition to looking for the ink printed numbers on the clear CDR hub you can check a disc using the program called “CDR Identifier”. It will tell you if it is a CDR and what brand they are. For anyone who buys pro made CDR’s I highly recommend you make a backup using high quality media like Taiyo Yuden or even better Mitsui Gold CDR’s. While these are more expensive the media is very stable and there is less chances you will end up with a corrupted disc which will not play……….

I have bought less than a handful of titles via ebay and only from legitimate ebay dealers — the feedback/ratings are
there for anyone to read before they buy and unknown quantity, ending up with a
“pirated bootleg” or the dreaded CDr copy.

In the past I have had some luck asking legitimate bootleg dealers for older titles that were out-of-print, for example scoring an original Bowie – Va Va Va Voom gold disc on the original label. After months of waiting, however.

Often the only way to pick up European produced titles for me is to go through Asian dealers who have connections to the various wholesalers, and I buy these when they are new releases. Never wait thinking a bootleg will be available six months from now; not these days.

I don’t buy nearly anywhere as much as I used to with bittorrent lossless concerts available, but when something really astounding comes along like Stolen Moments, or a Rolling Stones golden era
concert upgrade, I consider it a must to have a pressed silver CD to put with my collection.

I look forward to the future installments in this series, a necessary archive for future reference.

I paid him in Montevideo, Uruguay, but his shipments were always postmarked Buenos Aires, Argentina. He always had dozens of titles available. Many of his non-rarity titles were South American shows that I’ve rarely seen bootlegged anywhere else, like “Old Chots Live In Argentina” the Page & Plant concert that was telecast live from Buenos Aires, for example. Always high-quality stuff. One day I got an E-mail from his partner saying my connection had left town, but he’d be able to fill my order, and I eventually got the discs, but he never answered another E-mail, and his E-Bay Account closed.

So I’m of mixed opinion about this. If some enterprising bootlegger out there wants to duplicate classic rare releases at an affordable price, more power to ‘em. I’ll put together a wish-list of classic Tarantura, Yellow Dog and Vigotone titles that I wish I’d bought when I saw ‘em on the old mail lists I used to get.

However, if someone were charging me $50 apiece (or more) for them as originals because of their “rarity” I would feel robbed. Thanks for providing photos of the fakes– I’ve never purchased any Sirene product, so I wouldn’t be able to guess.