To RESTORE box or not to restore...Help. (Pro Advice Needed)

[JJADAMSART]

Greetings, I'm new here. Collector from the very beginning and since a child but had never come across this forum before, it's great in here

The Reason for my post is I am stuck trying to decide on what to do with part of my Vehicle collection.
I have a few boxed vehicles and I've restored a few of these myself but I don't know whether to carry on or if I am actually ruining them?

As you can see in the pics I have the unrestored boxes and the restored boxes next to each other for comparison. (All the vehicles are original & have all original parts and instructions and posters and the toys are almost unused)

I've restored the AT-AT, Landspeeder, Rancor, Tie Interceptor and Ewok Glider boxes.
I haven't restored the Slave 1, Millenium Falcon, Jabba and Snowspeeder yet.

The At-At box was the worst and literally falling to pieces and I had to strengthen with cardboard on the hinges.

If you can hear my process out, then please comment and let me know if you think I am ruining them or whatnot, I honestly don't know. I know they look amazing once done but that is my opinion and could affect future value and I need honest feedback.

Here is my process, I remove everything from the box, clean and iron the instructions, clean the vehicle, check electrics work, add a little silicon oil to battery terminals and motor etc and just get the vehicle looking pristine or as best as I can (They're pretty mint anyway).

Now for the Box resto, I flatten it out and Iron the hell out of it, both sides, using many many heavy books to flatten it as it cools, I remove tape and repair any damage/tears with PVA glue. (Now this is where I think I feel most guilty and need the feedback).... While it's flat I then use a Black Acrylic Paint Pen (Matte & waterproof and not a sharpie, a proper artists paint pen) to recolor/repaint all the scratches and the white box crushed print damage. :shock: I know.. :? (I don't touch the photo graphics)

Once I have repainted the damage (Only the black box edging) I then if required, glue white comic book backing card along the main seams to strengthen the box before re-glueing the box back together and putting the vehicle back in and wrapping the entire thing in clear shiny Florists Plastic Wrap which protects it from getting scratched in the future and stops air getting in. It now looks like new, or at least as close to new as it'll ever get and it goes on display.

Thoughts please...should I carry on or should I just repair the box without any repainting and leave it strengthened and scruffy looking or not strenghtened or just not touch them at all? While this is my collection, I am sure there's a good chance parts of it could end up being sold one day or passed down to my kids and I need to know how stupid I am being or not. I just don't want them to gain any more damage or get torn accidentally or crushed and I felt doing what I do breathes new life into them or am I damaging them myself even further...Please let me know your thoughts. :wink:

See pics.

 

[Lindo]

Hi mate, they look great restored, as long as you declare it if you decide to pass them on, other than that do what makes you happy. Personally i think it will decrease the value but it aint always about that.

 

[poncho]

nice work

IMO i like edge wear it adds character and the fact that opened boxes have survived since the 80s is a mirical in itself. i wouldnt touch up boxes with pen/paint. flatten and support sure touch up no no :x

 

[Bonsai_Tree_Ent]

Agreed, the ink touch ups are a big no no. They will lower the value not increase.

 

[tiefighterboy]

Everything is good up until the black marker (paint). Most time it may look good at a distance, but marker touch-up is typically ugly. I would leave them alone in regards to the marker.

 

[Lee Bullock]

Sometimes boxes need structural repairs in particular bad rip and detached end flaps - a few pieces I own have been repaired in this way - but ink touch ups are viewed fairly dimly in the hobby and would make any resale potential limited. it is in truth a very old practice that dates back to the early '90s but it fell seriously out of favour in my experience about '95 onwards.

 

[x-pack]

Sometimes boxes need structural repairs in particular bad rip and detached end flaps - a few pieces I own have been repaired in this way - but ink touch ups are viewed fairly dimly in the hobby and would make any resale potential limited. it is in truth a very old practice that dates back to the early '90s but it fell seriously out of favour in my experience about '95 onwards.

Yep what Lee said. Ink touch up was something people did back in the naive early days of collecting. Hell, back in 91 I bought a Jedi card and opened it to display the figure! Nowadays people be like :evil: :roll:

A lot of people iron out boxes from the inside and use starch to stiffen them up. There are tutorials on this. If a box is completely knackered then why not?

 

[JJADAMSART]

Thanks, I really appreciate the feedback as I was in two minds, I'll restore without paint touch up from now on, the touched up ones will always remain in my collection for display anyway. Really appreciate the response

 

[threesheepio]

I've restored a couple of my boxes by ironing and using internal cardboard supports, but when doing so I follow one rule... don't do anything that can't be undone.

They look lovely by the way and, as previously said, do what makes you happy. As long as you declare any alterations made if you decide to sell them on.

 

[theforceuk]

Defo no to ink touching up from me.

 

[Jez]

I'm all for some ironing etc if you are careful but as others have said, just don't bother with the touch ups. Awful, just awful.
Your collection looks awesome in those photos by the way.

 

[maxf]

Are you JJ Adams?

 

[edd_jedi]

I think all would agree that (from a distance at least) the restored boxes look great. I would be interested to see a close up of an inked area. However as everyone else has said, ink only reduces value I'm afraid. To be honest as the boxes all look pretty mashed anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much, it's not like they're ever going to be worth a fortune in that condition anyway.

 

[inzaman]

I wonder if eventually for some carded figures and boxes even they will go along the comic restoration route as this http://www.ccspaper.com/services_restoration.php#what_three.
This is obviously a professional restoration and the results look pretty amazing - well they certainly do for comics. For carded figures though i imagin it will be the bubbles that will eventually need a helping hand.

 

[JJADAMSART]

Are you JJ Adams?

Apparently, or so I'm told but I don't believe everything they tell me :wink:

Thanks for the feedback on this folks, I'll be ironing and adding support but leaving the finely matured creases and edge damage in place.