Bought a Dark Crystal CD at MuppetFest, can't tell if it's official or not. HELP!

mupcollector1

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In 2001, for those who remembered being there, before the fest that was in this big theater... there was this table where someone was selling Muppet collectibles and of course everything was being bought. lol I bought myself a Jim Henson picture print (not sure if it's official, it's a pretty rare one from 1979 / 1980 and it's rarely seen so it might be official). And I bought this CD of The Dark Crystal Complete Film Score, 34 Tracks, and the run times is 77:02. This was in 2001 before there was an official release on CD if I can recall seeing it on Amazon. And I bought it for $50. Well I was very young back then and couldn't tell but as I've been cleaning my apartment and whatnot, I found it again but the logo is NOT the offical logo and the CD looks laser printed. So I must ask....Is this an illegal bootleg that I accently bought for $50? If so I'm in shock because I bought it at the OFFICAL Muppet Fest, and how can something so illegal be sold right in front of official business personnel of The Jim Henson Company? Well instead of ranting about it, I too make 100% sure and if it is illegal, I have no other choice but to dispose of it for the good of The Jim Henson Company. Again, I didn't know it was bootleg, I was like 13 or 14 and didn't know a thing about bootlegs. But like I said, I'm not 100% sure if it is one or if it was licensed as a one print collectible only at MuppetFest so I just got to ask. Thanks....
 

muppetperson

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If I paid $50 for it, and it was bootleg, I wouldnt go throwing it away!! that is not going to help The Jim Henson Company. Just enjoy it.
 

mupcollector1

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If I paid $50 for it, and it was bootleg, I wouldnt go throwing it away!! that is not going to help The Jim Henson Company. Just enjoy it.
Well it's the guilt that gets me, like I mentioned...I'm not sure if it was licensed and produced by a fan for permission because there was just one copy and I got it, and if it was a bootleg, then how did that possibly get past The Jim Henson Company. I'm not sure who the guy was, if he was a fan who contacted The Jim Henson Company and said that he wanted to sell a bunch of Muppet / Henson collectibles at the fest or what. It's just amazing how something like that could happen. Still, I have no idea. If it was illegal, it wouldn't have possibly got past JHC in terms of selling it right next to them, still it doesn't look 100% official.
 

muppetperson

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Well it's the guilt that gets me, like I mentioned...I'm not sure if it was licensed and produced by a fan for permission because there was just one copy and I got it, and if it was a bootleg, then how did that possibly get past The Jim Henson Company. I'm not sure who the guy was, if he was a fan who contacted The Jim Henson Company and said that he wanted to sell a bunch of Muppet / Henson collectibles at the fest or what. It's just amazing how something like that could happen. Still, I have no idea. If it was illegal, it wouldn't have possibly got past JHC in terms of selling it right next to them, still it doesn't look 100% official.
Sometimes, if only small amounts are made, manufactuers can make things that are photocopied. I have a Fat Ronald Mcdonald figure and the box looks home made.Have you tried contacting Karen Falk at Henson?
 

mupcollector1

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Have you tried contacting Karen Falk at Henson?
Well technically no one can contact The Jim Henson Company unless if it's in terms of business so it seems they are way to busy to talk to fans or take fan questions now a days according to the current Henson.com

But she's usually from the archive and legacy archive right?

The cover has a picture of Jen about to put this Crystal into The Dark Crystal and the logo looks like it was typed using photoshop or something, and it isn't even the Dark Crystal font (which floats around the internet if you look up fonts). But there was no original logo or copyright information and the same odd font appears on the disc but seems like it was laser printed.

Like I mentioned, it seems very odd to find a bootleg. And I think the weirdest place I ever seen a Muppet bootleg was at a small comic book convention and inside there was a small DVD box "The Muppet Show: The Complete Series" and my mother almost bought me it and I told her, don't get it, it's illegal. But the CD I bought at Muppet Fest, the official Muppet festival made by The Jim Henson Company at the time. I didn't see anything else there that seemed copied. I also got a Jim Henson picture like I mentioned, very rare print which I never seen in any book before. Though I think I seen it on Muppet wiki this year and that was the only time I seen the image else where, It's Kermit on Jim Henson's shoulder from 1979 or 1980 and behind Jim is a drawing or painting of him in the background.
 

Phillip

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I'm aware of several "professional" bootleg Dark Crystal soundtracks that were available around the time of MuppetFest. One had just the Dark Crystal score on it and the other the scores for both Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Based on what you said it sounds like you had the first bootleg CD. A photo could help us identify it further. I believe these were internationally produced, hence part of the reason for the rarity and cost.

Andy Wolf was the one who set up the booth. He had a website beginning in the mid-90's or so and he sold Muppet collectibles. He brought much of what he had to MuppetFest in 2001.
 

mupcollector1

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I'm aware of several "professional" bootleg Dark Crystal soundtracks that were available around the time of MuppetFest. One had just the Dark Crystal score on it and the other the scores for both Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. Based on what you said it sounds like you had the first bootleg CD. A photo could help us identify it further. I believe these were internationally produced, hence part of the reason for the rarity and cost.

Andy Wolf was the one who set up the booth. He had a website beginning in the mid-90's or so and he sold Muppet collectibles. He brought much of what he had to MuppetFest in 2001.
Hi Phil, awesome to see you on the forum. Great site, we all love it. Thank You :smile:

Anyway yeah I remember the booth well. I sort of hate to upload a picture that's copyrighted material, but it was a very simple picture of Jen on The Dark Crystal getting ready to stab the shard into the missing piece and it's a back background and this strange neon light style font that's a tanish gold color that says "The Dark Crystal" and on the back I think I listed it already, it had the composer's name, and the run time on it. And the disc was laser printing I believe, simular font but not as neon style, more scratchy looking within the font style and it was a clear cover with black test.

It's cool that it was international, but I kind of feel bad owning it because it might be considered copyright infrigment in terms of owning something unoffical like that. Any suggestions what I should do?
 

muppetperson

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Hi Phil, awesome to see you on the forum. Great site, we all love it. Thank You :smile:

Anyway yeah I remember the booth well. I sort of hate to upload a picture that's copyrighted material, but it was a very simple picture of Jen on The Dark Crystal getting ready to stab the shard into the missing piece and it's a back background and this strange neon light style font that's a tanish gold color that says "The Dark Crystal" and on the back I think I listed it already, it had the composer's name, and the run time on it. And the disc was laser printing I believe, simular font but not as neon style, more scratchy looking within the font style and it was a clear cover with black test.

It's cool that it was international, but I kind of feel bad owning it because it might be considered copyright infrigment in terms of owning something unoffical like that. Any suggestions what I should do?
Would you consider selling it to me?
 
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