Cartridge with B/W cover?

[orion70]

Hi there, here's a curious cartridge I've seen in Ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/165501531267
It's MIB, in its intact plastic, but apparently the front cover is in black and white! Looks like it's not a picture artifact. How could it be? Well, it was just out of curiosity

[srowe]

I would guess this this VIC-1911 "The Sky is Falling"

http://sleepingelephant.com/denial/wiki ... Is_Falling, perhaps there was a shortage of inserts and this was just photocopied? This cartridge doesn't seem to be common in Europe.

[orion70]

It isn't common indeed, but sounds strange it was sold with a b/w photocopy - it's shrink-wrapped!

[highinfidelity]

Don't know if it has anything to do with games or other carts in general, but I clearly remember that my Super Expander came with a user's manual that was obviously made by stapled xerox copies.

[orion70]

I knew Italy was a secondary market for microcomputers after all, but didn't expect we were given photocopies buying an original package!

[highinfidelity]

...and here they are. I thought I remembered that also the Programmer's Aid user's manual came under the form of stapled xerox copies, but I refrained mentioning it before checking. But indeed xerox copies it is.

Since anyone is free to think basically anything when it comes to xerox copies and copied stuff in general, you have my word as an Officer that what you see in picture are truly the real, genuine stuff that came along with the cartridges in their original sealed boxes. Now nearly 40 years old, including original pizza & focaccia oily pathches on some pages, plus the occasional coca cola ring.

I have to admit that, while it's the first time that I see a game coming with a xeroxed manual, back then I thought it was customary for Commodore to send out xeroxed literature alongside with their "pro line" carts aimed at us "professional programmers". Among us professionals, there's no need for bells and whistles. Super Expanders and Programmer's Aid are stuff for tough men.

Aren't they?

[orion70]

Yep they are indeed
Alas, we Southern Europeans were children of a lesser god...