Author Topic: Custom Vehicle Boxes/Packaging  (Read 23528 times)

Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Custom Vehicle Boxes/Packaging
« on: October 28, 2006, 09:48 AM »
Hi Gang!

Some days it just doesn’t pay to get outta bed!

My STAR WARS toy collection  is located on most of the second floor of my home.

I came home one night about  3 months ago and found that my kitchen (located on the 1st floor) had become a virtual  swimming pool due to a ruptured waterpipe  up on the third floor.

The water leaked through the second floor ceiling (flooding my STAR WARS Collection room),  and through the first floor ceiling to flood the kitchen.  There was SEVERE damage along the way.

For me the MOST heartbreaking damage was to my STAR WARS toy collection on the second floor!!

Boxed VINTAGE  Kenner collectibles  as well as MODERN Hasbro pieces were completely  WATER-LOGGED!!!

The toys themselves were (for the most part) un-damaged.    But the packaging for these collectibles were reduced to useless soggy lumps of cardboard!!!

My friends, I don’t mind telling you, I damn-near  broke into tears.

Nearly 30 years of collecting just... soggy.

Now, I've posted this thread HERE in the customizing section because in the tradition of true customizing,  I've decided to take this bittter LEMON of a situation and turn into LEMONADE. 

I have begun to design NEW CUSTOM PACKAGING for all of the (newly) loose toys.

I have created my own CUSTOM GRAPHICS for these boxes using photos of my custom  action figures,  and photos of the actual loose toys composited in ADOBE PHOTOSHOP.

I also decided to base the STYLE of my packaging on  Kenner’s VINTAGE boxes. 

You see,  I really don’t care for the flimsy modern “window” boxes that  present the toy in a “posed” state. 

Call me “old School”, but I prefer the packaged  toy to be contained in a windowless box  protected from damaging sunlight. And the box should have exciting, colorful graphics.

Now,  before anyone asks,  I am NOT offering these custom boxes for sale.  I have only created them for my own personal collection.

In some cases,  the photography work for these boxes  is my own.  But  in many cases,  I have  downloaded photos from throughout the web and from the Rebelscum  toy archives to create these.

Therefore, it would simply be un-ethical for me to profit from the work of others.  So I will NOT do it.  Please do not ask. I hope you understand.

Without further ado,  here are my custom box designs so far…


Roberto  DARKLORD Williams

Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #1 on: October 28, 2006, 09:52 AM »
12-BACK ACTION FIGURE CARDS


I actually created this  card back months ago as an experiment.  I was curious to see what a vintage KENNER  Star Wars 12-back card would look like with photos my own custom action figures replacing the main  12 character line-up.

Of course I could not leave out Boba Fett, so this became a “13-Back”









Photo Credits:

Hasbro photography:        (X-Wing Fighter)
Rebelscum Toy Archives:     (Tie Fighter,  Dewback , Darth Vader Tie Fighter, Tusken Raider,  C-3PO,  R2-D2,  Stormtrooper,  Jawa)
Roberto Williams:       Custom Action Figures
« Last Edit: October 28, 2006, 09:55 AM by DARKLORD »

Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2006, 10:11 AM »
LANDSPEEDER

When Hasbro released the AWESOME Saga Landspeeder  with Luke Skywalker about three years ago, I saw no reason to keep the previous versions of Luke’s speeder  in my collection.  I sold them off.

However,  for reasons of nostalgia,  I will ALWAYS fondly remember my Vintage Kenner Landspeeder’s BOX design.

While replacing the damaged box for my Saga Landspeeder,   I created a windowless box that pays homage to the vintage Kenner   days.

Photo Credits:

Roberto Williams:    (Landspeeder,   Luke Skywalker)






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2006, 10:14 AM »
X-WING FIGHTER

With the release of the Power FX X-Wing Fighter from 1998,  I got rid of  the  “dinky” out of scale X-Wings from the Vintage Kenner  and early Hasbro releases.

And with every subsequent release of the NEW X-Wing design (Red Leader’s X-Wing, Dagobah X-Wing, and now Luke’s Skywalker’s X-Wing)  I always made sure to pick up a few.

Now my Rebel squadron is 30  X-Wings strong.

For the X-Wings whose packagings were damaged in the flood, I created window-less box designs in the rough dimensions  of the Red Leader X-Wing package.

Photo Credits: 
Hasbro photography (X-Wing Fighter)
Rebelscum toy archive  (Tie Fighter)
Lucasfilm LTD (Death Star)






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #4 on: October 28, 2006, 10:16 AM »
RADIO CONTROLED JAWA SANDCRAWLER

I  must confess that the box for my Radio Controlled Jawa Sandcrawler was NOT damaged in  the flood.

However,  from the day I bought  it  back in 1979,  the box was in VERY rough shape.

Furthermore,  I never cared for Kenner’s package design for this toy.  I thought it was very clumsy the way the toy seemed to be cut off along the top of the photo by the extended arm holding the remote control and by the STAR WARS logo.

I took this opportunity to make a new customized box design.

Photo Credits:   Rebelscum  toy archives  (Sandcrawler)





Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #5 on: October 28, 2006, 10:21 AM »
IMPERIAL TROOP TRANSPORTER

When I saw the  extent  of the water damage to the box of my vintage Kenner  Imperial Troop Transporter, I was CERTAIN that the toy was history.

But I was lucky.

The electronics actually still work!!

Here’s my go at a new box design:

Photo Credits :  Rebelscum  Toy archives:   Troop Transport,  Stormtrooper,   Dewbacks






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #6 on: October 28, 2006, 10:23 AM »
CREATURE CANTINA ACTION PLAYSET

This toy was a birthday gift to myself back in 1979 when I turned 12.

I’ve always loved the toy, so I was  heartbroken  when the box was damaged in the flood.

Fortunately, the cardboard backdrop for this toy survived un-scathed! 

In fact, I used the actual toy to take the  photo for this package design!

Photo Credits:

Roberto Williams:        (Cantina Playset,  Custom Action Figures)
Rebelscum  Toy Archives    (Various action figures)





Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #7 on: October 28, 2006, 10:26 AM »
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE ENERGIZER

Now here’s one group of boxes I was HAPPY to re-design!

I have about six or seven of these VME’s mint in their box for my Rebel  Base personel.

ALL of the boxes were damaged in the flood.

Now seeing as these machines ONLY appeared in A New Hope,  and seeing as the Kenner box design was beyond silly,   a new box design was in order.

Photo Credits:

Roberto  Williams:        (Vehicle Maintenance Energizer)
Rebelscum  Toy archives:    (Dutch Vander Action figure)
Hasbro Photo:         (Background)




Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #8 on: October 28, 2006, 10:28 AM »
DEATH STAR SPACE STATION

As of last night,  I now own 3 of these AWESOME playsets MINT and COMPLETE.

I actually did some minor customizing to the playsets themselves by giving them updated customized stickers  (downloaded off the web)  and by doing some minor Photoshop work on the cardboard wall  inserts and then printing new ones.

I photographed one of my assembled Death Stars, and then “populated” the photo (via Photoshop)  with my custom figures and others.

Photo Credits:

Roberto Williams:   (Death Star Space Station Playset , Various Custom Action Figures)
Rebelscum Toy Archives   (Stormtrooper , C-3PO, and R2-D2 Action Figures)









Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #9 on: October 28, 2006, 10:32 AM »
TWIN-POD CLOUD CAR

Here’s a box design I created as two VARIANTS, because I could not decide which one I liked the best.

Photo Credits:

Rebelscum Toy Archives:   (Twin Pod Cloud Car,  Pilots)
Lucasfilm LTD:      (Backgrounds)








Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #10 on: October 28, 2006, 10:33 AM »
TRI-POD LASER CANNON /  RADAR LASER CANNON

Once again,  these box designs were created  to store the various loose POTF II Tri-Pod  and Radar  Laser  Cannons that I own.

But I wanted  the design to be reminiscent  of the closed window-less box from the Vintage  Kenner Days:

Photo Credits:

Jeditemple  Toy archives:     (POTF II  Radar Laser Cannon  /  POTF II  Tri-Pod Laser Cannon)
Rebelscum Toy archives:   ( EP1 Obi-Wan Kenobi / Major Derlin  action figures  used to create  Hoth Rebel soldier  “composite figure”)












Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #11 on: October 28, 2006, 10:38 AM »
TAUNTAUN


There were NO vintage Kenner  Tauntaun boxes damaged in my flood because ALL of my vintage Tauntauns  were  (mint but) LOOSE to begin with.

I’ve therefore taken this opportunity to create box designs for them.  The boxes are the same  dimensions  as Kenner’s vintage box,  but my design is vertical  instead  of horizontal like Kenner’s.


Photo Credits:

Rebelscum Toy archives:       Tauntaun
Roberto Williams:      (Custom Luke Hoth Figure)






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #12 on: October 28, 2006, 10:40 AM »
REBEL ARMORED SNOWSPEEDER

My whole fleet of 12  Rebel Armored Snowspeeders had packaging damaged beyond repair  due to the flood.

So I designed this box to replace them:






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #13 on: October 28, 2006, 10:43 AM »
REBEL TRANSPORT

Both of my loose Rebel Transports  needed boxes so I went ahead and designed this.

Photo Credits:

Rebelscum Photo archives:   (Rebel Transport)
Hasbro Photo:         (X-Wing Fighters)
Lucasfilm LTD:      (Hoth Ice Planet background)






Offline DARKLORD

  • Jedi Initiate
  • *
  • Posts: 139
  • I'm a llama!
    • View Profile
Re: INSURE YOUR COLLECTIONS!! : Making lemonde out of lemons
« Reply #14 on: October 28, 2006, 10:44 AM »
AT-AT: All Terrain Armored Transport

Three of my Hasbro AT-AT’s were left “homeless” by the flood.

In the tradition of the vintage Kenner  box, I designed this box so that I could  store them properly  again:

Photo Credits:

Rebelscum Toy  archives:     (AT-AT)
Jeditemple archives:      (background AT-AT)
Lucasfilm LTD      (Background)