JediDefender.com Forums
Collectibles => Vintage Kenner => Topic started by: Matt_Fury on December 25, 2008, 09:59 PM
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Hey Y'all,
I'm in the process of shipping out all my old vintage playsets and vehicles but after 20+ years in my parents' basement I've noticed a few problems:
-lots of dust in the corners and grooves
-the foam on the Dagobah and the Trash Compactor from the Death Star playsets have really deteriorated.
-The cardboard pieces of the Death Star walls are really frayed at the edges and would probably need replacing.
Anyone know of a cheap way I could replace the foam and cardboard cheaply? I'd also like to print out hi res images instead of purchasing anything. Also, what's a good cleaning technique?
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-lots of dust in the corners and grooves
Good old soap & hot water & Q-Tip's, may want to also use toothpicks with small pieces at the end for those hard to get places plus a soft/medium toothbrush should also help. Comes down to it, elbow grease. ;)
-the foam on the Dagobah and the Trash Compactor from the Death Star playsets have really deteriorated.
That is common for the foam & nothing you can really do I'm afraid. You can get repro replacement foam & that's going to be as good as it gets. The Dagobah brown foam just get's all gooey/sticky & the Death Star foam just crumbles. Keep an eye out on the bay, search Dagobah Foam (http://cgi.ebay.com/dagobah-action-playset-replacement-foam-swamp-bog-esb_W0QQitemZ310107372191QQihZ021QQcategoryZ2475QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) or get some dish sponge & dye it brown. :-\
As for the Death Star foam, give toyrestore.com (http://www.toyrestore.com/toyrestore_005.htm) a shot. They have a 3 color sheet for $10. & you have to cut it yourself.
-The cardboard pieces of the Death Star walls are really frayed at the edges and would probably need replacing.
12back.com (http://www.12back.com/playsets/deathstar.php3) has scans but not hi-res. Best to go to erikstormtrooper.com (http://www.erikstormtrooper.com/vintageds.htm), very nice scans that will help you plus other things. ;)
Hope that helps you out a bit Matt. :)
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Cool Dale. Thanks!
I remember someone saying they found a cheap way to replace the foam on the Dagobah playset. It may have been over in the vintage forums on Scum....but I can't ask over there. :-\
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Just like DSJ recommended, I used a dish sponge for the Dagobah foam and I am very happy with it.
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Cool. I also might check out Hobby Lobby and see what they have. If there's anything that works really well, I'll post it here.
Hey Dale, what kind of soap do you reccommend for this? Would regular dish soap work alright or is that too harsh. I have a few days before UPS drops off these items, but I'd like to get right to work when they show up. :D
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Regular dish soap will work fine, you don't want anything that is gritty as it will scratch & use a soap that is not too scented.
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i'm not sure if Rob ever mentioned what exactly he used, but on page 19 of the latest acquisitions thread, he shows where he did a pretty damn nice job of cleaning up an ewok village. which reminds me that i have a death star boxed up somewhere that could use a little tlc.
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I use Q-tips and baby wipes. its been more than 10 years since i started using to clean my collection and there has been no residue. You can wrap the wipes around the tip of the swab and scrub with that...
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Great! Thanks for all the advice y'all. I've never done any of this before and I'm totally paranoid about ruining my childhood toys (and the foundation of my collection).
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Yeah, I am kind of sad because my original Imperial Shuttle has that "yellowing" crap going on now. It was fine until I moved from Illinois to the dessert here in Phoenix. A couple of other vehicles are doing it now to. I guess it's the dry environment. I do have a humidfier and run it so I guess it may have been worse but oh well.
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Crap. That toystore.com website seems to be down. Shame too, they had some great stuff on there.
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Hopefully it's just a server issue. :-\
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I've used watered down rubbing alcohol (maybe like 1:1) and q-tips with great success. More on vehicles than figures... sometimes you can wipe eyebrows and such off of figures.
It'll take off some pretty stubborn stains.
I've also used carpet cleaner on some of the cloth like Klaatu's skirt.
As mentioned, foam replacement for the Dagobah set is available on eBay or can be made from scratch.
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Nice points Rob. Luckily, my figures are in pretty good (if not over-played with) condition.
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Figured this would be the best thread to submit this question for the group:
Anyone have any good suggestions for removing stickers from vintage toys? Specifically, the Star Destroyer playset base?
I bought one a few weeks back but the stickers are atrocious...ripped, faded, taped, many not even in the right location. I've resigned myself to a restoration rather than discarding it and looking for a better version.
I'm just wondering what is the most effective and least potentially damaging method for geting the old stickers off.
I'm very hesitant to use anything sharp or abrasive, or caustic. So razor blades, exacto knives, lighter fluid, etc are proabably out.
Any tips? THANKS A MILLION!
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Goo Gone did seem to be the choice of sticker remova lmostly on carded figures but it leaves abit of a oily residue & has a bit of an odor to it. I thing I have read/heard about is un-du (http://www.un-du.net/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=1&zenid=e73e2f3d495306df4a1a36ef44788c14) which is a sounds like will do the trick. I have not tried or used this stuff but it does sound interesting.
un-du® Original Adhesive, Sticker, Tape and Label remover (https://un-du.com/)
A revolutionary adhesive removal system that has hundreds of uses. Un-Du removes sticky labels, kids stickers, masking tape, invisible tape, name tags and price tags from virtually any surface including wood, leather, plastic, wallpaper, clothing, carpet, glass, painted walls and even plain paper. It will also remove gum, tar and candle wax. Unlike other adhesive removal products, Un-Du works immediately upon contact and allows for re-adhesion. In addition, Un-Du is safe to use on most any surface. It leaves no stains or residues behind and will not discolour plexi-glass, acrylics or other clear plastics.
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Thanks, I am familiar with Goo Gone and can readily attest to the downsides you mentioned. I'll have to see if I can find the Un-Du in stores somewhere, sounds promising.
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On solid items like the base of a playset, Goo-Gone would be fine. After you use it, you can use a mild dish soap or something similar to remove the residue and smell. I've used it on all types of things, including computer monitors at work, and after washing with soap and water you'd never know the Goo-Gone had been used.
Also, with a playset, you could soak it in a tub of water (or bathtub). The water would eventually soak through all the stickers and they should peal off. Might have to use a soft bristle toothbrush to finish them off as they'll probably break apart.
E...
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Thanks, I've decided to abandon the whole idea though. I'm going to have to buy a whole new one, dammit.
The replacement sticker sheet I ordered off eBay arrived yesterday and they looked terrible. They are very poor, faded copies at best, not sharp reproductions at all, very disappointing.
This was the worst vintage purchase I have ever made, along with the Ewok village that was missing so many pieces I will likely never complete it. >:(
I'm burned out on the whole thing right now...ugh.
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Look around online McMetal....there are a few sites that have hi-res copies of vintage sticker sheets available for download.
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Ok, picked up another vintage Star Destroyer playset recently, and between this and the other one I own, I think I can compile a complete and fairly decent set.
I've succeeded in removing the key stickers I need to transfer, but now I am wondering about the best way to re-affix these?
Anyone have any suggestions on a way to re-apply the stickers smoothly, effectively, and with no discoloration?
I was thinking of some kind of spray adhesive rather than a glue or epoxy, but I'm curious what others have done. I actually have a few pieces with some stickers starting to peel which need stabilization.
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UHU glue stick works a treat. For ones that are peeling get a toothpick with a small amount of glue on the end. Dries clear, no discolouration.
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Thanks! I will pick some up tonight and give it a try. Appreciate the help...
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I've used liquid superglue and had no problems as well.
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I'm currently looking at an auction for the Vehicle Maintenance Energizer - and the stickers on it are unapplied AND the eight tools are still on the plastic mold tree (they haven't been clipped off).
So my questions are:
1) Should I use the un-applied stickers from the 80s or should I scan them in and print them on a hi-res printer on a white label sheet and essentially "make my own" and leave the original sticker sheet un-used?
2) Should I leave the tools on the mold-tree and just try to acquire the loose tools from eBay? I have a couple tools from the one I had as a kid, so I don't think I'd have to buy all eight, but even if I did, I see those tools come up for auction a lot so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
Any help/advice you guys could give would be much appreciated.
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I'm currently looking at an auction for the Vehicle Maintenance Energizer - and the stickers on it are unapplied AND the eight tools are still on the plastic mold tree (they haven't been clipped off).
So my questions are:
1) Should I use the un-applied stickers from the 80s or should I scan them in and print them on a hi-res printer on a white label sheet and essentially "make my own" and leave the original sticker sheet un-used?
2) Should I leave the tools on the mold-tree and just try to acquire the loose tools from eBay? I have a couple tools from the one I had as a kid, so I don't think I'd have to buy all eight, but even if I did, I see those tools come up for auction a lot so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.
Any help/advice you guys could give would be much appreciated.
I would DEFINITELY advise against trying to use the un-applied stickers from the 80's. Just leave them on the sticker sheet. I made this mistake when I bought my Endor Forest Ranger and have regretted it ever since. The stickers just don't adhere like back in the day. Pretty much ALL of mine just fell off within a day or two. They went on fine, but did not last. For some reason if you actually applied the stickers back in the day, they hold much better then if you tried to do it now. Go figure.
I'm not sure I understand your second question but I'm sure someone else here will. Good luck on the vintage hunting, it's a fun way to distract yourself from all the hasbro fail! :)
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Thanks McMetal - I think that I'll definitely go with using the unapplied sticker sheet to create a hi-res scan and print a replacement set on a white sticker sheet page.
For the eight tools - when the Vehicle Maintenance Energizer originally shipped, the tools were all attached to a plastic frame, like a model kit and you had to cut them off the plastic frame.
The auction I'm looking at has the tools still on that frame. So I'm wondering if I should leave the tools on that frame and just acquire the tools separately loose from eBay.
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Ah, I get it now. Tough call, seems like more of a personal choice on pulling them off the frame. They do self contain pretty nicely within the unit itself, so loss isn't too much of a risk. Then again, it seems like an untouched piece would be rarer and potentially more valuable. If the price isn't prohibitive I might suggest trying to pick them up loose just for that reason.
I really need to go back and start picking up some missing weapons and accessories myself. I still have a few gaps here and there...
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I'd go with scanning/printing your own stickers, and acquiring a set of tools elsewhere. VME's were cheap... are cheap still I think, for the most part. Getting the tools should be relatively cheap too. Find a beat up one with the parts for the most part, and you're set to go IMO. The stickers on the sheet and the parts on the spru tree are more valuable to me personally than the effort to track down a second one to have the best of both worlds.
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I have a few NIB mini's, I just leave them in the box next to my sealed ones. Since we don't play with the "new" ones I just get used ones and display those.
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Have you guys ever heard of Erikstormtrooper? (http://www.erikstormtrooper.com/index.html)
I stumbled across this site and it looks like he's got some great images of sticker sheets and backgrounds from vintage vehicles and playsets!
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That site is still around? I remember years ago downloading everything he had because I was afraid he would turn the site off. I guess he is still paying the electric bill.
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Yeah he's been around since the old FFURG email listserver (holy moly) customizing days. I've kept his rebel imperial logo sheet handy for eons. It's useful for customizing.
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I like the vintage R2 stickers. They come in different colors.
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Can you actually order from them or just access images you need to print on your own? Looks like their last update was in 2010...
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They're free downloads. I recommend taking them to an office store or whatnot for a better laser print quality then.
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Do you guys know of a printable sticker paper that's higher quality that would work well? Something that feels smooth or vinyl-ish and not like a cheap paper label?
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Do you guys know of a printable sticker paper that's higher quality that would work well? Something that feels smooth or vinyl-ish and not like a cheap paper label?
I haven't found anything yet that doesn't look like an obvious reproduction. I've actually had better luck finding stickers from spare parts and just gluing them onto my keeper vehicle or playset. I was a little apprehensive about using glue on a vintage collectible, but its just adhesive with the authentic sticker, and comes out looking the best IMHO.
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Intersting resource for replacing damaged cardboard pieces. (https://www.replicator-boxes-and-inserts.com/)
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I was looking through some old boxes and found my vintage Snowspeeder. It was in sad shape, but I was able to clean it up and get everything working. I had a little trouble with the electronics when I had a wire break, but I was able to repair it.
Check out the video here. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmLNx8QR5xA)