I'm not really sure, but from my experience, greatest label versions don't really retail for much less then the black label ones, or rather, the black label ones don't really retail for much more then the greatest hits ones.
Honestly, it seems like you're much more likely to come across a black label one anyways, weren't those actually higher print runs then the 'greatest hits' versions?
In any case, if I had the option to get both, and I had to pay a bit more for a black label, I would definitely get the black label, as I can get somewhat ocd about things, and I'm sure one day this will randomly trigger me.

theoretically the greatest hits should be rarer. But you see them more often then black labels due to the higher demand I figure. Most people seem to want black label over greatest hits

The thing about black labels vs greatest hits, at least how it seems from my view, is black label is usually just the inital run. If a game sells a million copies it spawns a GH label. So theoretically there are at least a million black labels out there. Over time, the black labels stop being produced and at the point that GH label gets introduced, a lot of people already have the game, yet new copies keep getting printed, but with the GH label, therefore its a lot easier to come across GH labeled games for this reason (in general). For example FInal fantasy Anthology on PS1. It got an initial run, sold a million, and was sought after. I remember it being pretty expensive actually, before they made the GH label. Then at some point, maybe 2 or 3 years later, they made a GH version and that's all they made from that point on. Now you're paying more for a used black label version of that, despite being able to obtain a brand new sealed GH copy for under $20. I'm not saying this is the case for all GH games but I do think it's a good example of why GH seems to be more available/lower priced.

good points. I guess if the black label sells a million, that doesn't mean it didn't sell another million+ as greatest hits. As far as I know there aren't records of BL vs GH sales so all we can really do is speculate.

The PS1 Final Fantasy compilation sets are a bad example. IIRC Square-Enix was printing GH copies up until 2007. I can't think of any other game that has a GH print run as long as those games.

Mega Hits for Genesis look pretty cool together as a subset and PS3 red cases look decent as well. Now PS2 on the other hand...

that explains why you always see mountains of sealed ones. 2007? That's seven years after the ps2 came out isn't it? I guess since it was backwards compatible people still bought them

You can still buy Final Fantasy Chronicles and Chrono Cross for the PS1 on the Square-Enix website.  They are technically sold out at the moment, but they are listed as if they will be available again. 
 

Neat. I'll keep my eye on that. Do you know what they were charging?

50% off sale right now.

There is a discussion about it on NA here:
http://nintendoage.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=5&thr...

And the Square-Enix site here:
https://store.na.square-enix.com/

Make sure you click on "all platforms" to find the PS1 stuff.  By the way, I think it's all Greatest Hits..........so keep that in mind........

greatest hits doesn't bother me I'm considering starting a for trade thread where I'll send my black labels in exchange for the same game greatest hits. So when I update my collection pics post people can go apeshit over my lack of black labels

Blasphemer!  Somebody alert the collecting pope.  Call the NIntendo popo! 

 

Are you a member of the black label society?

That's the reaction I was looking for

My god, so many quotes! Keep in mind that if you do buy a New GH game from Square that the bottom of the discs are now the standard color and are not black anymore.

really? That's weird. Is that the only example of something like that? I wanna get one now just to see

I don't really care one way or another. I will say that the "Nintendo Selects" with the red border look really ugly, and I never really cared for the older style with the giant oversized ribbon. PlayStation's never really bothered me, though.

I was thinking the same thing.

Here's the example pictures I said I would post.  Black label is always on top.  GH is always on bottom.  Funny thing is how inconsistent they were with changes to the inlays on 2 disc cases.















 

Yeah personally not a fan of the Greatest Hits / Players Choice versions. Personal preference, though.

I go pretty far out of my way to avoid them, just because they stick out on my shelf. No me gusta.

I feel that they are an eyesore in a collection and I personally will actively avoid getting them. Unless, as stated above, you're going for all versions and line them all up together.

One of the biggest negatives for me isn't just the ugly cases for PS1 games.

The disks are totally generic and ugly looking!! I love how colorful and awesome some of the original black label disks are.

Not worth giving all that up IMO. Just ugly and generic in every way.

P.S. Your game is on it's way today Just have to have someone drop it off for me.

To extend it further, I think it also can be a matter of OCD. I actually got rid of a GH copy I had of Paper Mario the Thousand Year Door and only recently reacquired it as black label. I ordered it from Amazon towards the later end of the Gamecubes life and all pictures showed a black label version and when it showed up I was disheartened to see that yellow blemish on the spine.

yeah OCD seems to be a large part of the issue. Having ten perfect black labels and then one yellow one sticking out like a sore thumb turns a lot of people off. I actually had them separate so it's a bunch of originals and then a bunch of players choice. But then my alphabetical order is off. Damn OCD

yeah I found driver 2 greatest hits for ten bucks.. black label for eight. Schwing!