There has been a bit of a long running argument on here in the Steelbook collector community, what the image scans for Steelbooks should look like - some want to use the 'plain steel' image (as that is what a collector would display on the shelf), others want to follow the 'usual rule' and interpret a J-card or the paper that wraps around the case as a partial slip cover and should be included in the scan.

I've not seen *too* much falling out over rear covers being allowed to use the J-card or paper slip but I certainly have more than a few where one type is in the Db and any changes to the front scan are voted down by members of the opposing faction (resulting in no change as the Rules are not 100% clear and screeners go with the No votes)

We now have the opportunity to please both sides using the Variants capabilities but does (for example) a J-card with the Ratings on but other than that matching the Steel image underneath measure up to "Two or more releases of the same title with largely different cover images" or is that covered by the fact that the back cover *is* largely different? (Personally I think so)

I think it would be nice to say Yes we can use Variant Rules and keep both sides happy but it would be even better if that was explicit in the Rules for voting purposes.

Thoughts?... Preferrably avoiding 'Steelbook/Case Type' Collecting is stupid so who cares?

Well, here Ken spoke out against using variants if the only difference is the presence or lack of a slip cover. If a full slip cover doesn't qualify, I'm assuming that a "J-card" doesn't qualify either...

Quoting surfeur51:

Quote:
I voted for "No threy are not variants; use pplain steel for front, use J-card/paper wrap for rear to show information".

With two spelling mistakes, it is clearly the proposal which is the more in the spirit of the rules... 

How can you know they are spelling mistakes? How can you know his intention with that?   

Quoting CubbyUps:

Quote:
In my opinion the scans should duplicate how the package looked sitting on store shelves sans stickers.

So, if the J-card wraps around to the front then it should be included.

^ this

Aren't variants intended to deal with different releases? Such as a re-release without slip cover? That doesn't seem to be the case here. IMHO what we need is just a clear instruction one way or the other, nothing more.

Ken said something about having another way with dealing with releases that had a slip cover initially and later without it.  Hopefully this will fall into that, having the option to choose covers?

FWIW I'm in the camp of including the J-card (NOT A SLIPCOVER!!!) in the pics, but if the rule was to do it without it, that would be fine.  I can see points for either or, just wish there was a clear rule in that regard.