eBay Clamps down on DVD Copyrights: Where To Get Old Fights?

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 27 Oct 2006, 12:47

Got a PM from Rocky50Project earlier today asking me where are good places to buy old fight videos, and I just replied "eBay." Then I saw on this thread on the British Scene forum, describing (among other things) how eBay has recently cracked down on copyright-related matters, which puts the kibosh on most of the old-fight video/DVD trading there.

This explains why the Marvin Hagler career set I was all set to buy for a ridiculous $20-something suddenly got pulled a couple weeks back.

So, this thread is about where to go now to get old fight vids. At least for the short run, here's my suggestion: use the eBay search feature to find recent auctions of fight DVDs you'r interested in, and contact the seller directly to see about arranging a direct purchase with payment via Paypal (that's probably what I'll do for the Hagler DVDs).

Any other suggestions? Note that I'm talking strictly about hardcopy (VHS or DVD), not video downloads.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 Oct 2006, 13:24

Pm me if you're looking for any particular fights/fighters... I'm putting a list together and will hopefully have a webpage selling fights and boxing related magazines and books in the future....

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 27 Oct 2006, 13:37

Thanks, silkov - I suggest folks also post the websites/e-mails of sellers they've done business with and whose products they can vouch for on this thread. If the seller has a particular specialty/era/fighter-list, please indicate.

Looks like eBay has outright banned many of the sellers I've bought from in the past, so my idea about using the search feature may not be viable. One more reason to post seller info directly here.

JC · Post by JC » 27 Oct 2006, 13:43

I have used this guy before. The DVD's don't come in presentation cases or with labels but he was promp and efficient. I can't really vouche for the quality as the fight I brought was Joe Gans vs Battling Nelson so it was low quality with no sound but that's obviously not the seller's fault.

http://www.sweetfights.com/

I'm glad you started this thread ERic, maybe it should be a sticky?

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 Oct 2006, 14:14

J-C wrote:I have used this guy before. The DVD's don't come in presentation cases or with labels but he was promp and efficient. I can't really vouche for the quality as the fight I brought was Joe Gans vs Battling Nelson so it was low quality with no sound but that's obviously not the seller's fault.

http://www.sweetfights.com/

I'm glad you started this thread ERic, maybe it should be a sticky?

To be honest he looks to have some good fights but he's pretty expensive...

JC · Post by JC » 27 Oct 2006, 14:19

Yeah quite expensive, if I'd been looking for a more reent fight I might have gone elsewhere. But the Gans fight was quite hard to get hold of.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 Oct 2006, 14:57

J-C wrote:Yeah quite expensive, if I'd been looking for a more reent fight I might have gone elsewhere. But the Gans fight was quite hard to get hold of.

Is that the 70 minute version that you have?... I'd be interested in perhaps swapping a fight with you for that, drop me a pm if you like...

JC · Post by JC » 27 Oct 2006, 16:33

Yeah it's the 70 minute version. I'd be happy to swap as long as you don't mind waiting for a while. I'm at University and have left most of my DVDs at my parents house not 100% sure where the Gans DVD is so may take a while to dig out.

I'll pm you when I've got it

Also I forgot to mention this site I've never used it but the prices look better than some of the others

http://www.1boxing.com/

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 27 Oct 2006, 21:00

J-C wrote:Yeah it's the 70 minute version. I'd be happy to swap as long as you don't mind waiting for a while. I'm at University and have left most of my DVDs at my parents house not 100% sure where the Gans DVD is so may take a while to dig out.

I'll pm you when I've got it

Also I forgot to mention this site I've never used it but the prices look better than some of the others

http://www.1boxing.com/

Ok mate, email me when you get hold of it, thanks...

Ezzard · Post by **Ezzard** » 01 Nov 2006, 13:17

I found this site

http://fights.worldboxingvideoarchive.com/

but have no idea how to use it as I am not so good with computers... if anyone here can work it out it might be a goldmine.

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 01 Nov 2006, 15:06

Ezzard wrote:I found this site

http://fights.worldboxingvideoarchive.com/

I do believe that is the site run by former BoxRec regular Dutch Windmill.

JC · Post by JC » 01 Nov 2006, 15:23

Eric the Viking wrote:
Ezzard wrote:I found this site

http://fights.worldboxingvideoarchive.com/
I do believe that is the site run by former BoxRec regular Dutch Windmill.

It is, it's a real shame he doesn't post here anymore his posts used to regularly crack me up.

Eric the Viking · Post by **Eric the Viking** » 01 Nov 2006, 16:17

I heard back from the eBay seller I mentioned above, he confirms that he was basically forced off eBay, and (along with numerous other merchants) has moved shop.

el tigre del sur · Post by **el tigre del sur** » 02 Nov 2006, 07:27

Decagon wrote:I just download fights. If you use Bit Torrent, you can get a lot, but even with just Megaupload, Yousendit and Rapidshare, there's plenty out there.

Yes but how's the quality? If it's not the original .VOB file then it's most likely been compressed which means a decline in picture quality.
The problem is that some profiteers out there download these and then put them on to DVD and then sell them on to unsuspecting fights fans who might be expecting original broadcast quality.

silkov · Post by **silkov** » 02 Nov 2006, 08:01

The choice is not really that good though, you wont run into many classic fights from the 60s and 70s or even 80s... still a better bet to buy off a classic fights seller such as myself!...

8)