One of our Diamond CheckMate artists, dimosbarbos, had an interesting experience yesterday. A nostalgic customer found this great image of a Lasonic TRC-975 boombox through Google, and was thrilled at the idea of reliving his youth with this classic music maker. And all for just $79! Unfortunately, what the customer wanted was a real boombox and not a 3D model, even if it is Checkmate certified.
It might seem surprising to you that such a “clean” rendering could be mistaken for the real thing. It’s true that this model doesn’t show the scratches and wear that are so common in the amateur photos on Ebay and CraigsList. This rendering bears more resemblance to a product shot displayed at a manufacturer’s website, where photographs are often touched up to make the product look super-clean.
For example, check out this image of a similar (and more recent) Lasonic boombox. Comparing the two images, you can see why the customer thought the TurboSquid boombox was real. And still in great condition, too!
Actually, customers thinking our 3D models are real is a common occurrence, particularly around the holiday season. When shopping for holiday gifts, a $15 iPod is just too good to pass up. Apparently, the same goes for a $79 boombox that brings back joyful memories.