I don't think you followed his post. Making your own using real boards was discussed to explain part of the reason why a boot of this game is expensive. And I, like he, very much doubt that boots like this one are still being made in China in 2016 when there is no real money to be made on it anymore (but there was, closer to the games release)
I guess, but... This boot is selling for stupid prices now, and it's nowhere near the bootleg quality or price of doing it with real boards and decent chips.
It's selling now cause, teh rarez and this guy crafting a BS story about being given this game by a SNK employee and being an uber 1337 proto.
Let's step back and remember that not everyone who is into classic gaming and Neo come here and are educated. SS5S boots aren't worth $500+. It's not scarcity and wanting to buy boots cause nothing else is available. That's nonsense. You can still readily get bootlegs of these games from shops like Excellentcom if you contact them... I promise they can find or make them.
The reason so few boots are even showing up in online shops are collectors and gamers only want originals and will pay out the nose for them. If this $500 boot craze was real, they'd be flowing like water around here.
Nope, this asshole lied, created some story about being someone in the know with something that's rare and one of a kind, and idiots ate it up.