Wait.. Why did someone scrape off the serial number from my MVS cart?

I just read this on NeoLords FAQ. I didn't want to post this there as it would deflect the topic somewhat (who knows where this will go).

I have a Nightmare in The Dark that I bought online about a month ago, The serial numbers look like they were cut out with an X-Acto knife. I have a box with a label on it, it's taped down (we discussed that it was not the origninal box when I purchased it) and that number reads 000017 *however many zeroes there are*.

What does this mean? Why would someone do this? I just assumed it was stupidity on someones part until I read the FAQ.

The REAL reasons why.
The person did not like you.

The person was afraid of the numbers.

The numbers were bad luck to the person.

Person who did it is trying to bother you.

Dr neo geo had a fit and destroyed it.

Tornado.

Crack deal gone bad.

Someone with a razor/sharp object, and to much time.

Someone thought that the value would double if it had no serial number.

Guy who did it, is just a dickhead.

Originally posted by Lord Wolfgang Krauser:
<STRONG>The REAL reasons why.
The person did not like you.
</STRONG>

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.....why?....I'm a nice guy <IMG SRC="smilies/crying.gif" border="0">

Originally posted by Blaine:
<STRONG>.....why?....I'm a nice guy <IMG SRC="smilies/crying.gif" border="0"></STRONG>

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The worlds a bitch, have a coke.

Originally posted by Lord Wolfgang Krauser:
<STRONG>The worlds a bitch, have a coke.</STRONG>

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Vanilla Coke?

Originally posted by Blaine:
<STRONG>Vanilla Coke?</STRONG>

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Sure, if that will make you happy.
You wont remember what we were talking about though.

Originally posted by Lord Wolfgang Krauser:
<STRONG>Sure, if that will make you happy.
</STRONG>

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I think the only thing that would make me happy is to know why someone would cut off the serial numbers.

If I were to venture a guess it would be to increase the rarity of the MINT carts, by taking #17 out of the rotation that makes a maximum of 19 mint NitD carts with a number less than #20.

I guess that would matter to somebody *shrug*.

My understanding was that the serial number could be used by SNK to track down the original buyer. I believe that at one point in time, the MVS carts were not to be sold to home users. And to avoid being cut off by SNK these re-sellers would cut the serial number off. Thus, the cart would be untraceable. The fact that this was done to a new cart like NITD is really strange though. When NITD was released, SNK didn't have the resources to actually track down anybody re-selling MVS carts to the home market. Maybe the original buyer from SNK was just paranoid.

Wolf is right.