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Take a look at the ringcode on the back (ask the seller for a photo if necessary), the main part of the ID (the BPSS number on American PS3 discs) should match if it's already dumped. Sometimes the trailing digit differs (e.g. 1/2/3) along with the SID codes but this isn't part of the main ID.

Same applies for PAL region PlayStation games (and even non-PlayStation media made by Sony DADC like movies, UMDs, audio CDs, PC games/software etc.) - it's the large number with an A prefix (the -0101 or -A511 or -A911 doesn't matter, neither does the 17/28 etc. after it)

Speaking of barcodes...

If a PAL version game is not for retail release and contains "not for sale" or similar text in place of a barcode, a 7-digit number in the form of a product ID may still exist on the spine under the serial number, or on the disc itself (especially with demo/promo discs). This corresponds with the last seven digits of the barcode itself, even if the barcode itself wasn't printed. Not all games have these IDs however, and I have only seen these numbers used on PAL version games, not NTSC.

A barcode number may also exist (without the barcode itself) on the back of the manual, and in the case of PS1 games, on the front cover, however these sometimes remain unchanged from the retail releases thus may not match the 7-digit ID on the spine. In these cases, it is usually safe to add both barcodes.

To make the first half of the barcode, the first six digits need to be taken from the retail release, or the manual if one exists. An exception occurs with games using UPC barcodes rather than EAN/GTIN, such as the standard Sony 7 11719 xxxxx x barcode. With these games, only use the first five digits e.g. 71171 as the UPC format hides a leading zero from the barcode (when a UPC is scanned, the leading zero always shows up e.g. 0711719xxxxxx).

The back of the instruction manual will also contain a barcode number (without the barcode itself), however in most cases this number will be for the original retail version as the manuals are usually unchanged. The manual can help with finding the correct leading digits, or simply looking up a retail version of the game since 99% of the time they will have been issued by the same manufacturer thus contain the same half of the barcode.

Note: Don't always assume that the leading digit of the 7-digit number can only correspond to one manufacturer, they can overlap.

Examples:
Time Crisis (PS1, NOT TO BE SOLD SEPARATELY, 9608004) = 711719608004 = 7 11719 60800 4 (in this case, the front cover and manual also the barcode number in full, which matches the 9608004 on the spine)

Final Fantasy X (PS2, Australia, NOT TO BE SOLD SEPARATELY, 9365723) = 711719365723 = 7 11719 36572 3 (manual is for the retail release and doesn't match)

WWF SmackDown! Just Bring It (PS2, demo, 9036481) = 4005209036481 = 4 005209 036481 (note that THQ releases also use a 9 in the same place as Sony/first-party releases, but using a Sony 71171 here in place of THQ's 400520 would generate a completely wrong number, so make sure you know the right manufacturer!)

Spartan: Total Warrior (PS2, Australia, demo, 4766437) = 5060004766437 = 5 060004 766437

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell (PS2, demo, 0410152) = 307210410152 = 3 307210 410152

The latest game I have found a non-matching 7-digit number is on an Australian Steelbook release of WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, which already had a retail barcode on the back, 4005209071178, but also had a different number on the spine (4005209068369) which was made of plastic. The 7-digit number did not match the Australian retail release either (which was 4005209071802).

IR light should show up with all digital imaging devices. Even a crappy old PS2 EyeToy can be used with a TV remote pointed towards the CD, I have done so before!

If you mean the PSX discs, it's just a regular old non-LED flashlight (white LEDs can't get through the disc layer, same with CFLs, due to the bluish light they put out).

All they need is a flashlight to be able to read them. Yes, getting photos or scans of them is slightly more difficult but in most cases just double checking the ringcodes is good enough, most people can be trusted that what they have typed will be identical to what's on the disc.

Oh look, a cheap and nasty 640x480 webcam from the 2000s. I can see Sony DADC, IFPI L555, A0100314437-0101   15 and an A1 toolstamp without having to make a huge setup using a massive scanner and a grow lamp. The only thing that didn't come out in the screen capture was the IFPI 944S stamped on the disc. Game is Brunswick Circuit Pro Bowling 2 (PAL). I cannot dump it because it requires a Plextor, which is impossible to get in Australia and ridiculously expensive to import (over A$100 including shipping), even for ancient drives from the 1990s. There is only one pressing of this disc which will only ever be #314437 in the DADC part number list. The toolstamps and moulded SID codes change between batches (depending on the machine which manufactured the disc) but the master will always be the same.

The new ones are on the first page, the ones from 2014 aren't unless they've been bumped.

Another thing about Brasso, the one in the "toothpaste" tube is very abrasive even after removing the lumps, does not have the liquid layer, and will most likely destroy your discs rather than shine them up. Ironically, toothpaste itself seems to do a better job for lightly scratched discs (don't use the clear ones like Colgate/Macleans as it will only make everything sticky while leaving the marks on the disc).

Of course, if you have any worries about using these materials, always test it first on a crappy old CD/DVD you never use, or one which is already destroyed (e.g. a crack through the middle or disc rot/holes in data layer).

Sounds like Mega Man/Megaman/MegaMan once again. It's called Megaman already. "Mega Man" is the obese guy in the blue and yellow onesie on the US boxart.

Actually, reading up on Plextor, I would be shocked if I did end up with one; they are virtually unheard of in Australia. They are seemingly very common in the US however, but at $30+ (AUD) for shipping, not in your lifetime, that pushes the drives well above $50 each despite them being about US $15, and the rest are your typical audiophool-grade overpriced crap ($130 for a CD-ROM drive, WTF??!!!)

Oddly enough, my Diamond Data 648A-045 just randomly died. I was verifying the drive offset as the drive is not in the AccurateRip DB and it stopped dead in the middle of testing the second disc, never to work again - the LED doesn't even come on, nor does the tray open or close. Had to use the emergency hole to retrieve my Mortal Kombat Trilogy CD back!

Only found the NEC 1100A a few days ago, it was in a Dell Dimension 8250 someone left on the side of the road. I haven't even checked to see if the PC works (it was raining when I found it).

Edit: I couldn't do crap with this drive, sure you weren't joking about your 1300A?

Firstly, it failed to read any PlayStation 1 disc whatsoever (it didn't even show up in Windows Explorer), and secondly, it was an absolute POS when it came to reading audio CDs in EAC. In secure mode it took forever to detect gaps and dropped to <2X when reading the audio tracks, causing EAC to practically lock up while I hammered away at the cancel button. In burst mode, it works somewhat OK but I still don't trust it. This one's eBay fodder I think, at least it's a DVD burner...

It also failed to read two random CD-Rs. I threw in Tekken Tag Tournament and it found the disc immediately (of course, there are no audio tracks on that disc, as with the majority of PS2 CDs). When testing the DVD side of things, it took 6 minutes to dump Shaolin Monks at its own merry pace (at least it matched the database). I think only the Hitachi GD-2500 was slower, but being that the latter is from 1999 when a DVD-ROM drive cost almost as much as a whole PC, it's understandable.