Hi everyone, just a few question about the crystal ball album. I know it was majorly released in stores, but how about the ones released through his love4oneanother website, the so called petri dish ones. Are those worth more today? I got a copy from amazon.com a while ago, im just wondering if the 70 bucks i paid for it was worth it.

There is no specific price set in stone for these things.

I have seen the 5 disc version in the clear round case sell for up to £100. This version seems to be more expensive than the standard jewel case version, but it just depends.

If you feel that the $70 you paid for it was worth it then that is all that really matters.

I recently got a jewel case version on eBay for a great price and it had me wondering...didn't Best Buy have a version that was non-jewel case, but a little different than the petri version? Somebody has to remember this as well. I can vividly picture a display for the set, and I know it wasn't the jewel case version. Maybe not quite petri, but it looked like some variation of a sphere.

[Edited 9/2/11 16:20pm]

xMikeBx said:

I recently got a jewel case version on eBay for a great price and it had me wondering...didn't Best Buy have a version that was non-jewel case, but a little different than the petri version? Somebody has to remember this as well. I can vividly picture a display for the set, and I know it wasn't the jewel case version. Maybe not quite petri, but it looked like some variation of a sphere.

[Edited 9/2/11 16:20pm]

I think that's the version I have. It doesn't have Kamasutra but it's in a custom spherical case. I bought it on eBay last year for about $40. Hope it's not a fake.

I don't think that's a terrible prince, but what TDG said is right. All that matters is that you feel it was worth it.

They used to regularly have the different versions at the Berkeley and SF Amoeba's for really reasonable prices, but I haven't looked at them in so long that I couldn't tell you what they're pricing them at now.

MikeB, I'm sure somebody will point you to a website that explains all the different release configurations. I would, but I don't know what it is.

electricberet said:

xMikeBx said:

I recently got a jewel case version on eBay for a great price and it had me wondering...didn't Best Buy have a version that was non-jewel case, but a little different than the petri version? Somebody has to remember this as well. I can vividly picture a display for the set, and I know it wasn't the jewel case version. Maybe not quite petri, but it looked like some variation of a sphere.

[Edited 9/2/11 16:20pm]

I think that's the version I have. It doesn't have Kamasutra but it's in a custom spherical case. I bought it on eBay last year for about $40. Hope it's not a fake.

i didnt know there where different best buy versions....mine also does not have Kamasutra and it has a barcode on the back of it. For all I know it could b the same version as u mentioned

PurpleHippi said:

electricberet said:

I think that's the version I have. It doesn't have Kamasutra but it's in a custom spherical case. I bought it on eBay last year for about $40. Hope it's not a fake.

i didnt know there where different best buy versions....mine also does not have Kamasutra and it has a barcode on the back of it. For all I know it could b the same version as u mentioned

Hmm... mine doesn't have a barcode, so maybe it is the petri dish version? Or it could be a counterfeit, I guess. I was not lucky enough to be a member of whatever club got this album as a prize, so I had to buy it used.

PurpleHippi said:

electricberet said:

I think that's the version I have. It doesn't have Kamasutra but it's in a custom spherical case. I bought it on eBay last year for about $40. Hope it's not a fake.

i didnt know there where different best buy versions....mine also does not have Kamasutra and it has a barcode on the back of it. For all I know it could b the same version as u mentioned

I'm not sure that there were different Best Buy versions...I could totally be misremembering. I was just curious if anyone else remembered them carrying something slightly different than the petri versions.

electricberet said:

PurpleHippi said:

i didnt know there where different best buy versions....mine also does not have Kamasutra and it has a barcode on the back of it. For all I know it could b the same version as u mentioned

Hmm... mine doesn't have a barcode, so maybe it is the petri dish version? Or it could be a counterfeit, I guess. I was not lucky enough to be a member of whatever club got this album as a prize, so I had to buy it used.

I was never a member either, hell i was only 9 when the album was released at the time. I dont think mine was counterfit thought everthing looks official. Could it b that the barcode sticker was removed on your copy?

I'm not saying that it's not true, but I have never heard of there being different versions other than the 5 disc 1-800 New Funk and the 4 disc jewel case retail version.

Hope someone can confirm this either way.

Some more info http://www.princevault.co...ystal_Ball

TheDigitalGardener said:

I'm not saying that it's not true, but I have never heard of there being different versions other than the 5 disc 1-800 New Funk and the 4 disc jewel case retail version.

Hope someone can confirm this either way.

Some more info http://www.princevault.co...ystal_Ball

This is what mine looks like:

^ Pic not displaying.

electricberet said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

I'm not saying that it's not true, but I have never heard of there being different versions other than the 5 disc 1-800 New Funk and the 4 disc jewel case retail version.

Hope someone can confirm this either way.

Some more info http://www.princevault.co...ystal_Ball

This is what mine looks like:

same with me

TheDigitalGardener said:

^ Pic not displaying.

http://www.discogs.com/vi...ase=447590

electricberet said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

^ Pic not displaying.

http://www.discogs.com/vi...ase=447590

Mmm, i'm not 100% about this different versions thing, but i'm not qualified to say for sure.

From what I can tell, the official versions of this album look like shoddy bootlegs, so maybe the fact that mine looks like a shoddy bootleg means it's real.

electricberet said:

From what I can tell, the official versions of this album look like shoddy bootlegs, so maybe the fact that mine looks like a shoddy bootleg means it's real.

im gonna conclude the same thing

electricberet said:

From what I can tell, the official versions of this album look like shoddy bootlegs, so maybe the fact that mine looks like a shoddy bootleg means it's real.

Well, I have both the 5 and 4 disc versions, for a novelty type case, the 5 disc version is as well made as it could have been I suppose. The jewel case version is the one I prefer, a) because it includes the booklet, and b) because there is less risk of scratching the discs like the round case version.

I would not say that it looks shoddy as such.

I hope your copy is a real one, I have never heard of fake copies of this set.

TheDigitalGardener said:

electricberet said:

From what I can tell, the official versions of this album look like shoddy bootlegs, so maybe the fact that mine looks like a shoddy bootleg means it's real.

Well, I have both the 5 and 4 disc versions, for a novelty type case, the 5 disc version is as well made as it could have been I suppose. The jewel case version is the one I prefer, a) because it includes the booklet, and b) because there is less risk of scratching the discs like the round case version.

I would not say that it looks shoddy as such.

I hope your copy is a real one, I have never heard of fake copies of this set.

I'm talking more about the writing on the CDs. By that point Prince's major label releases had elaborate artwork on the front of the discs. The Crystal Ball discs are about as minimalist as you can get, which I think was the point, since they actually say "bootleg" on them.

electricberet said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

Well, I have both the 5 and 4 disc versions, for a novelty type case, the 5 disc version is as well made as it could have been I suppose. The jewel case version is the one I prefer, a) because it includes the booklet, and b) because there is less risk of scratching the discs like the round case version.

I would not say that it looks shoddy as such.

I hope your copy is a real one, I have never heard of fake copies of this set.

I'm talking more about the writing on the CDs. By that point Prince's major label releases had elaborate artwork on the front of the discs. The Crystal Ball discs are about as minimalist as you can get, which I think was the point, since they actually say "bootleg" on them.

I understand you now, yes, I think the intention was to make it look like a bootleg, but also, this was a totally indipendent release as well. It was his first album to be released without any major label backing (Emancipation before it had EMI). Maybe all the money went on the silly round case and they had no money left for elaborate disc art.

electricberet said:

TheDigitalGardener said:

I'm not saying that it's not true, but I have never heard of there being different versions other than the 5 disc 1-800 New Funk and the 4 disc jewel case retail version.

Hope someone can confirm this either way.

Some more info http://www.princevault.co...ystal_Ball

This is what mine looks like:

Mine 2, but it was missing Kamasutra in it, apparently though I was not missing much.

From what I remember, there were three versions: The 5-disc "petri dish" version with no booklet from 1-800-NEW-FUNK; a 4-disc "petri dish" version with booklet at various retail; and a 4-disc jewel case with booklet at various retail.

^Those are the 3 versions I have.

I'd NEVER heard of a 3 disc version before. That doesn't smell good...

TheDigitalGardener said:

I'm not saying that it's not true, but I have never heard of there being different versions other than the 5 disc 1-800 New Funk and the 4 disc jewel case retail version.

Hope someone can confirm this either way.

Some more info http://www.princevault.co...ystal_Ball

redacted as I was wrong...

[Edited 9/3/11 14:28pm]

I got mine in klagenfurt, Austria(1998), in a record store called Libro, something like HMV. What you got looks really good, mine is the 4 disc version, I must admit i love it and I wish Prince would do more of this, why cant he just make a hardore site, i would gladly pay for that...he loves talking about educating, so do it, educate US...

The archives from alt.music.prince show that it was sold in stores in the U.S. in 1998 both in the petri dish container and in the jewel box container. See here, for example:

http://groups.google.com/...1f61b84ef9

Interesting that this has already become old Prince history. My, how time flies...

vitriol said:

^Those are the 3 versions I have.

I'd NEVER heard of a 3 disc version before. That doesn't smell good...

Quite true. All 3 released versions contained 'The Truth' as a bonus disc.

There was no 3 disc 'Crystal Ball only' version released (unless you count the NPGMC download)

1. - 1-800-NEW-FUNK mail order version: Round clear plastic case, no booklet,

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth, Disc 5: Kamasutra

2. - Retail version 1: Jewel Case, including booklet

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth

3. - Retail version 2: Round clear case, including booklet

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth

BorisFishpaw said:

vitriol said:

^Those are the 3 versions I have.

I'd NEVER heard of a 3 disc version before. That doesn't smell good...

Quite true. All 3 released versions contained 'The Truth' as a bonus disc.

There was no 3 disc 'Crystal Ball only' version released (unless you count the NPGMC download)

1. - 1-800-NEW-FUNK mail order version: Round clear plastic case, no booklet,

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth, Disc 5: Kamasutra

2. - Retail version 1: Jewel Case, including booklet

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth

3. - Retail version 2: Round clear case, including booklet

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth

Thank you for the info.

BorisFishpaw said:

Quite true. All 3 released versions contained 'The Truth' as a bonus disc.

There was no 3 disc 'Crystal Ball only' version released (unless you count the NPGMC download)

1. - 1-800-NEW-FUNK mail order version: Round clear plastic case, no booklet,

Discs 1-3: Crystal Ball, Disc 4: The Truth, Disc 5: Kamasutra

That's the one I got back in the day. Took forever to arrive and then within days, a friend got the jewel case version with booklet from a local record shop for about half the price I paid for mine.

But at least I got an xxxxxxl 'Jam of the year' tshirt as a freebie. lol