Just spoke on the phone with the seller.
He purchased the book along with a large box of miniatures from another mini collector roughly 10 years ago while attending a mini / war games convention.

At this time I seriously doubt he knew what this really was.
Yes, he knew it was a rare book, but he had no idea about the possibility of the cover being a fake.

He immediately agreed to issue a full refund, but has also agreed to allow me a few days to try to find a scope to look at the cover closer and I will report what I find if I am able to do so.

He plans to re-list the book with much more detailed information in the listing....
It is still a second edition book with a homemade cover (instead of the original cover) and would probably get a decent price... obviously not what I paid, but still...

NOTE: Except for a small dark smudge near the middle edge right side front cover; The cover of the booklet in question is not dirty, it is simply much darker in color than the 1st edition cover...
However, the artwork on the front cover is actually lighter, than on the 1st edition booklet I have.
In fact when I compared the sketch on the front of the 2nd edition and the possible fake, the two seemed almost equal in density and depth of detail, while the 1st edition front cover sketch is more detailed and darker toned than both the possible fake and my 2nd edition copy...

Scan of front cover of possible fake


Scan of rear cover of possible fake


Front Covers - In order left to right
Confirmed 1st Ed - Possible Fake - confirmed 2nd Ed


Rear Covers - In order left to right
Confirmed 2nd Ed - Possible Fake - Confirmed 1st Ed


Possible fake - 2nd Ed inside front cover


1st Ed - possible Fake inside front cover

At this point I am going to start calling this book the Hybrid, until further notice....

The spine creases on the cover (near the spine) are reflected perfectly with those that are present on the inside pages, both front and rear.
The fold over bend at the spine made when the cover was stapled to the inside pages also seems to align with (match) the inside book (if that is what you were asking).

I do not believe the cover has ever been cut in any way; or the inside booklet either.
I also believe (based on the spine creases in part) that the Hybrid cover has been on this book for at least the ten years the seller indicates was the time frame he purchased this booklet.
In other words, I believe the sellers description of the Hybrid history (as he knows it) in total.....

The white pages of the Hybrid do extend a small bit to the open side; and looking at my copy of the second edition booklet it looks much the same to me.
Along the bottom the white pages stick out very slightly below the Hybrid cover.... only a fraction
And the white pages are lower than the top of the Hybrid cover the same fraction.
In other words the Hybrid cover is the same size top to bottom as the inside white pages.
Seems to me that the Hybrid cover was simply not aligned perfectly with the inside booklet when stapled.

Another thing I noted (though again not an expert on staples by any means) that all (four) of the staples seem to have the same amount of wear... and a tiny bit (a tiny dot really) of rust on one of the staples holding the cover is conveyed onto the inside center page.
They are also bent the same way inside at the center page.
They are the same size length wise and the same width.

Seller did mention other items (miniatures war games rules - Redcoat for one) he had purchased, but he has researched them (price wise) and is not selling those.
He indicated that the highest priced item is currently being sold on e-Bay for around $50 USD.
He mentioned that the price he paid for this Hybrid book was $5 USD, so no; the person he purchased the items from 10 years ago did not mention that this Hybrid book was rare/valuable....
Seller learned this summer that the Hybrid had collector value and decided to list the Hybrid on e-Bay, however, the seller was genuinely surprised when the Hybrid Booklet went well beyond his expected price... (he was expecting about $40-$50 USD).
He did know what this book was however (obviously) but not that it would sell for so much.
I was the person who asked for additional pictures of this actual booklet...
Allow me restate: I believe the sellers description of the Hybrid story in total.....

Seller also mentioned that he sold a copy of Pharaoh (Day Star West) a couple of years ago on e-Bay... and that the buyer was in Australia.
Hmmm..... does that sound like someone we know?  
I cannot recall if the seller mentioned where/how he obtained Pharaoh.

A few detailed scans of the Hybrid Booklet Cover.

Reading your commentary, and looking at those last close-up pictures, it sure does appear to be a genuine hybrid, which does make it unique.  With a little more investigating, this could probably be confirmed with a fairly high confidence level.

Here's a theory which would also fit with other people's commentary:

A batch of 1st edition covers was produced.  These covers used a slightly darker paper, or perhaps there was an anomaly with the paper and one slipped through that was too dark.  It was set aside, along with some other covers that might have had other defects or anomalies.

A 2nd edition run is started up and one is produced stapled, but without a cover, due to some fault or error in the assembly process.  Person assembling the books grabs a cover from the pile and slaps it onto the 2nd edition, re-stapling it in the process.

And, presto!  You have a hybrid!

It might be worth keeping, if a mutually agreeable reduction in the price could be reached.

faro wrote in Shady Dealers:If you read back, it's not the first printing of the 2nd edition per ToT.

I was only floating a theory to explain the combination.  Insert whatever printing or edition you desire into the equation.

faro wrote in Shady Dealers:Why? We already knew the internals appeared to be a genuine 2nd edition before the end of auction.

Why?  Not sure what you mean.  Are you suggesting that was a fair price to pay for just 2nd edition internals with a mismatched cover?  Maybe it is to someone that collects oddities.

Gnat the Beggar wrote in Shady Dealers:
Plus the fact remains (as Faro pointed out) that the booklet inside is a 2nd printing of the 2nd edition booklet, not a 2nd edition 1st print booklet.
I would assume a 1st print 2nd edition booklet using an anomaly cover from the 1st edition run would be unlikely enough...
(as you stated, possibly unique)
but....
Would it not be even more Unlikely that a single anomaly cover from a 1st edition booklet would have survived through three complete printings.
The entire 1st edition print run; the entire 2nd edition 1st print run; all the way to the end of the 2nd print of the 2nd edition?
If they (as an example) ran out of 2nd edition ; 2nd print covers, would they not tack on a 2nd edition ; 1st print cover instead of that single anomaly cover from the 1st edition run.
Some almost forgotten relic that had been sitting around gathering dust on some half forgotten shelf since the 1st edition run?

There are just too many catastrophic issues against this item being a hybrid 1st - anomaly cover / 2nd-2nd booklet.
I am leaning heavily to the side that this book is a genuine coverless 2nd edition ; 2nd print.
With a cover that was copied from a 1st edition booklets cover; using modern technology and single color heavy stock textured paper....

1) I didn't pick up in the discussion what points at it being a "genuine" coverless 2nd edition? Could the cover have been simply torn off at some point, most likely accidentally?

2) I would suggest it was possible that a series of 2nd edition covers were printed but someone forgot to put 2nd edition on it, however as Faro pointed out it is a 2nd printing of the 2nd edition, so it would seem odd that it happened during the second printing. Also as Foul mentioned, the community has never spotted another 2nd edition book without the 2nd edition logo on it.

3) The only reason I suggest #2 is that the artwork on the cover truly has the same shadowing, black and white color gradient, etc., almost to perfection as the true 2nd edition cover in the above pictures. If someone had taken a scan of the first edition and printed it on modern paper for the cover used in your hybrid purchase, I would think it would look more like the first edition, unless they did some heavy photo-shopping to properly lighten it. Of course the guy who sold it to you got it what 10? years ago. I think they only had Corel Draw then , no I jest.

4) Is it possible someone used a 2nd print cover scan and took out the 2nd edition logo and printed it on modern paper? That would obviously assume some intent behind doing it, although it could have just been for "cool" factor.

5) Almost all printing errors I have read (I am no expert) about in the early days were accidents and the mishaps were usually fixed, or recalled. If the mishap was small enough, like the MM pages at the back of a DMG book they just let them go and didn't care much. The 4 staples raises a flag as I don't think the printing house would have done that, just my guess though. The 4 staples, in my opinion, says someone lost the cover and made a new one at some point. If they used the first print cover than the printing process at Kinkos provided the lightening or someone photo-shopped it.

I dunno, but it seems more plausible than leftover, originally set aside for some reason, 1st print covers.  Of course with all the fantastic printing information and knowledge from the community here, someone will be able to fake it in the future, if they found the right card stock. Let's hope not.

Gnat the Beggar wrote in Shady Dealers:single color heavy stock textured paper....

I collect all manner of digest-sized booklets/small-press ephemera from the approximate era of OD&D, & have been examining the paper texture. I can't find anything (through the '80s) with the horizontal pattern, it's almost always faux-leather-parchment patterns. In more recent years I've tried to find suitable OD&D-ish paper for my own projects, but usually settle for what's available.

For instance, on one project I ended up using a brown cardboard with little flecks of colored thread in it, a pattern that looks very unlike '70s vintage. Gnat, I seem to recall you trying to find paper like that of old JG maps, & not finding it today. So the pattern makes it somewhat suspect. (Ligmancer, how about the paper-texture pattern on yours?)

However it doesn't make sense to add more staples if one is only making a replacement cover. Much easier to just bend the original staples back. If on the other hand, one were going to do it to an entire print run, it would make sense. Amateur publishing is always presenting us with unexpected problems.

Sorry

Chiming in late and don't have time to read the whole new thread, but I also have a copy with 4 staples exactly as described by Gnat if I remember correctly (I have about 6 prints so I'll need to pull them and look again) but I do seem to remember having one with 4 staples in it and the pairs are only through certain portions of the booklet.

John - I think Mike & Robert are coming over on Saturday, bring it with you if you want to come and we can compare copies (well, let me pull it first to be sure I have it still... I have sold some things this last year)

...

Ok, pulled my Chainmails... (I don't have time for this, but you sucked me in)

I have 5 copies of 2nd Edition and 1 copy of 1st Edition (no clue the print versions of each since I haven't taken the time to double check that)..

But as Ligmancer mentioned, he has a 2nd Edition with 4 staples, I also have a 2nd Edition with 4 staples. The booklet interior has 2 staples to put the entire booklet together LESS the cover. Then the Cover is stapled through to the middle from the "back" of the booklet ie: just past the crease in the cover towards the back are the staples that hold the cover on.

Also to note, the cover for this copy is about 1/4 of an inch longer on the top than the inside booklet. It's the only copy that has a larger cover than the booklet by this measurement.


As to colors of the covers, I'll post a pic showing I have just about 6 different shades of yellow/gold between them all

Matthias wrote in Shady Dealers:eBay warning: I recently purchased 2 'shrink wrapped' items from eBay user bggguy (B10 and GAZ3). Both were described as "Still in the shrink". When the items arrived, it was obvious they were missing parts. While the modules were in decent shape, B10 was missing the counter sheet and GAZ3 was missing the map. The shrink wrap was inconsistent with other modules from this era and they were/are obvious rewarps. I contacted the seller (who was cordial and apologetic) about B10 and he refunded around 40% of the original purchase price which was acceptable to me given the condition of the module. I contacted him about GAZ3 and never heard anything. He claimed these books were bought years ago and have sat unopened. It is entirely possible that he purchased rewraps without even knowing. I did buy some shrink wrapped Planescape stuff from him and it was fine/obviously new.

Just a word of warning on those early Basic/D&D modules.

Sorry to hear about your bad experience.
If you have a link to the auctions you won, I would be interested to have a look at the pictures.
It would be interesting to have a look at the back face. Many listings only have a picture for the front cover, however the back face is very informative about an original shrink or not for TSR modules produced between 1979 and 1988-1989.
The tiny ventilation holes can also give clues.
Systematically I ask for a picture of the back face for sealed items, so as to assess the shrink "authenticity" and the condition in which it is.  
When a seller does not answer to my question, I do not bid.