SNES Packaging - Real vs. Reproduction

tubeway

Hey guys. I just picked up what was sold as a "brand new" Super Nintendo from a seller on Craigslist. A cursory glance showed it to contain all of the original packing materials, literature, bags, and accessories inside of the box. Upon further inspection with a magnifying glass and some white cotton gloves, I wasn't able to find any notable wear on the surface of the console, controller, RF adapter, or power supply unit. I carefully unscrewed the console's casing and examined the cartridge port for signs of its hymen being perforated, and I'm fairly sure it hadn't been used except maybe by the testers at the factory. 



I further examined the white foam insert under blacklight, looking for any obvious stains, fingerprints or wear and tear beyond what may have been done by the seller checking that everything was inside the box as expected.



However, I noticed something that was incredibly distressing, and of course I came here for expert opinion to help sort out this important matter. How can you tell if a seller is using the original or reproduction twist ties on the controllers, power supply, and RF adapter? How many times should the twist tie be twisted around the bundles of cables, in which direction, and what color should the twist ties be?



Were there different colors of twist ties, and if so, are some variants considered more desirable than others?



Additionally, after looking at the plastic bags containing the cables, I notice some had what appeared to be circular holes punches through them so air didn't become trapped. However, how can I be sure these are original and weren't just made by the seller to make these bags look like original, authentic bags?



Thank you for your assistance!

DefaultGen

You type this as if this isn't the definitely real future of the hobby. Some guy is going to be on Antiques Roadshow or the ol' fashioned video gaming exposition in 40 years going over a Jetsons Cogswell's Caper with a loupe considering if it's fine or very fine.

Allegro

Unfortunately, you can't figure out if the twist ties are the real deal or repros without taking one, stripping the plastic, and burning the metal in a spectrometer to make sure the metal composition is proper. As time passed, twist ties began to use cheaper and cheaper metals to save .003 cents per twist tie. Doesn't sound like much, but when you sell 1 million consoles, it adds up!

mattbep

Nintendo has never once used twist ties.



Since your question has been answered, I'll lock this up.