Collectibles with batteries and food-based items

[jedi_mister]

A big trend with the modern collectibles was to include batteries with the electronic items so that punters could try before they buy. Almost 20 years on these batteries are still in place and (depending on battery type and storage conditions) can still be working. I wanted to create a post to find out what modern collectors think about this and what are there longer term plans for their battery-based items. Sell soon ? Open ?

As well as the electronic items I also have quite a few food items (!) in my collection. They're all sugar based so would be expected to last for while. If they're kept in inert conditions then they can remain stable for quite a while. I've been slowly getting my collection from my parent's loft(!) over the last few years. Things are starting to look interesting! The pez packets have suffered sugar breakdown but from the front still look OK. Got some Star Wars comics from 1999 at the weekend while included a free sweet. Those sweets are still attached but are starting to take on a new lifeform ?!?

My worst case scenario is a Lazer Pop toy which is both a sweet and contains a battery!

Am interested to here from others with similar stories or maybe I'm the only one mad enough to still keep these items!

 

[Richard_H]

Gus Lopez is the food guy. What I think he has done is open all the food products very fairly and dispose of the contents. Then display/store the packaging like box flats.

 

[jedi_mister]

Yeah, I've done the same with the boxed items as the containers are the more attractive part of the collectible. The problem for me has been the carded items such as the Pez dispensers or the Topps candy heads 4 pack and the Chupa Chups Lazer Pop which only has a life as long as the sweet and the battery. Still it looks like it's time to bite the bullet on these items and just salvage as much of them as I can.

 

[stratpack]

Back in the 90's i collected everything SW branded - including foodstuffs and sweets. Cereal boxes are easy as they can be flatpacked etc but unfortunately the chupa cups, lollipop type stuff ended up being binned about 5 years after I opened the storage boxes to have a look. They just didn't last. I think you should probably try and find a way to salvage the packaging and dispose of the contents as it'll end up being a health and safety problem! :lol:

 

[jedi_mister]

Yes I was the same in terms of collecting. All cereal boxes, crisp packets and other conatainers I emptied and have stored. I did dismantle a lot of chupa chups and also opened a lot to collect the stickers and freebies but as I mentioned above there are sone left. Generallt they appear not too awful but you're right they could become hazardous at some point!