No games were hard in the making of this video. Or were they? Thank you for watching, if you're looking for more videos we're scrubbing an Apple IIe in a Trash to Treasure episode on early access with the Official Cave Dwellers at patreon.com/rmcretro Neil - RMC
instead of using tape which may damage some artwork or pull the print off, maybe try some 3D printed corner clamps (and inside angle and an outside angle that can be clamped together in some way. Just a thought.
Regarding your question Neil, about whether we should do this, I can't speak for all museum professionals, but I will say that the rarer a thing is, the less you should do with it. Video games, produced in the thousands to millions of units, aren't as great of a concern as say, the original artwork for a game box would be. I think what you are doing is great and seems to be a levelled approach. Keep continuing to encourage others to do the same :)
There does not seem to be much clamour in art circles to curate original artwork , unless a judgement to its cultural impact or niceness is considered important
@@highpath4776 Unfortunately yes, but it's relevance to video game history is arguably as important as preserving source code. Any one-off materials need to be preserved until they can be accessioned into proper museums and hierarchically deemed worth the preservation effort. Ideally major producers would do this on-site themselves, but so far it has been spotty. I will say that niche game art collectors have been upping their game in recent years, and making preservation oriented plans, which is largely more than the artists and corporations have traditionally done.
On the topic of archival/preservation... Barring an edge case where you have "the last copy on earth" of some game, they're just objects, and you should do what you want with them. If you personally (or as the curator of a collection on display) are happy to make the concession that a glossy box may end up with some less-than-glossy patches that can't really be seen from a distance, but making that concession enhances your and your visitors' enjoyment of that box, then all power to you. If I were to offer an opinion on what I'd do differently, perhaps using those openable semi-rigid-plastic boxes rather than shrink-wrap, so the box contents are still accessible. Some of these old titles had cool "feelies" inside, and it'd be cool if they could be reached non-destructively (even if the destruction is only to the shrink-wrap), while still being protected from the atmosphere while shelved.
I'm 75% on board with you on that last part. I think the reason the wrap is used is cost. It's cheap to buy, use, easy to replace and easily accessible. The clear boxes, you'd need to get something rather specific in size in order to make it worth it, and those can be hard to find. I like the idea of the wrap as well because it removes the environmental elements that cause problems, like humidity. I'd even throw a small bag of silica to absorb the moisture in the box, and keep everything dry. I do agree having an actual plastic box would be handy to get access to the media inside, but if those plastic boxes crack, they're junk. As far as the guts go, like the "feelies", I'd aim to reproduce those. Paper stuff easy to photo copy anymore, for the most part. I agree that this isn't a PERFECT solution, photocopying that is, but, still.
Annoyed me to no end seeing him use tape that lifted the artwork. Just use wooden blocks or something heavy and square to hold the shape as it dries; it's what I did fixing up some old board game boxes years ago.
On the corners of board games boxes I use the metal right angle braces used for shelving corner supports. These are held on while the glue dries by the little plastic finger clamps. The brackets come in many sizes, cheap, and reusable.
As an old boardgames and wargames collector I just glue and reinforce internally split corners leaving shelf worn and other damage the way that it is, as I feel that it gives character to the box. But as you said is just a matter of taste. Thanks for the great video.
Yes!!! Keep these videos coming, they are great. Just one note, I'm not a professional, not even close. I just regurgitate what I have learned from others. :) I really like that you shrink wrap the boxes as it should eliminate abrasion of printed artwork. And it's easy to replace if damaged or worn out. Your results on fixing up the printed artwork mirrors what I have read and seen in my research. I think that in light of your goal of having a store front with all of the products like you remember is enough to justify the reconstruction work you have done. It's either that or trying to find a mint condition examples for every game you want for your display ($$$$$). On your next video you should look at doing something larger, like a Commodore Vic-20 or C64 box. I have a TI-99/4a box that really needs some TLC. I think abrasion is the real killer for these but you might not want to shrink wrap them? I starting looking into some spray on coatings (high gloss or mid gloss varnishes) that might help in this area, but didn't get very far. Then you have the problem that most of these are made of corrugated cardboard which might not like to be ironed? Just some thoughts, thanks again for the great content.
The only thing I'll add from success I've had with boxes is in regard to fixing torn corners. I use washi paper/tape, put the PVA glue on that and use that to brace the corners together inside the box. This tends to be pretty non destructive too as if it starts to come undone in future, then the washi tape just falls off and can be replaced.
@@bzuidgeest Yup fair point. That's why I like it - it is so easy to work with and non destructive. I forgot that it's so easy to comply to weird shapes as it's essentially a bit "stretchy" to some degree. I picked up using it from art restoration videos.
Instead of Sharpie try using a black whiteboard marker. It seems to stay absolutely black rather than the weird indigo of the Sharpie and it'll wipe off the intact glossy surface of the box.
Instead of tape you could use magnets. In car body works they use magnets that are 90° angled. Put one of those in the corner and a simple metal bracket on the outside (like the ones used for joining wood) and you will not have to fear about tape ripping the box. Also I would use gauze on the inside of the box instead of paper/cardboard because the glue has more to hold onto and it's not that visible when all is dried. Nice work though :)
Have you tried white board marker for covering worn edges? It just wipes off the glossy parts, so even if there is a texture difference, it's restricted to the exact areas that would have been ten times as distracting in plain brown or white. The black also seems to be more truly black rather than dark purple like most permanent markers. It will still wick underneath white areas of a printed box, so you won't want to use it anywhere you weren't already planning to use the acrylic paint, but where it works it's exceptionally quick and easy. Swipe with the pen, swipe the excess off with your thumb, and done. And then remember to wash your thumb before you stain something else. Finally, if you want sacrificial practice pieces to work on, try old paperback books. The spine isn't going to ever become uncreased or stop being curved, so it's not like there's anything to wreck as long as it still functions as a book.
For taking the sellotape off. A technique I learnt from taking stickers off old comics is not to hold the end of the tape you're pulling off, as this creates tension on the thing it's stuck to (the box in this case). If you keep moving your finger and thumb so they are close to the box, it's much less likely to tear. You can also then use the sticky thing you've removed to dab at the box to pick up any remaining glue residue it left behind
Great stuff Neil! Thanks for making another video incorporating our suggestions. What you did with the glue and paper in the corners is precisely what I would do, particularly if book-binding tape proved too weak for the job. Just make sure the paper is pH neutral as well. Good show!
At 16:25 you ask "Should we do it". There is official term for that. It is called "The Paradox of the Theseus's Ship" (google it on). It goes like this: "Theseus was a mythical hero. He had a ship. When he died his ship was cast ashore and kept as a monument to national ancestor. But the wooden ship crumbled over the years. The people started to exchange the wooden desks to keep it whole. Soon the >repairs< exchanged around 90% of the ship. And the philosophers started to argue - is this is still an original ship or a new ship? (Should we do/did it?)."
I think the content you're displaying is unique but certainly 'common' enough to warrant small semi-professional repair. You're already putting in a lot of your time, money and dedication with the way you've created the Cave, so the community can only appreciate what you're doing. Especially since you're always looking for ways to improve yourself and find outside expertise where your own skill and knowledge is lacking. I hope you're selling hats in the gift shop, so when I get to visit the cave, I can take that hat off to you, good sir.
It'd be interesting to take a tour through an art restoration and preservation facility in a museum or university to see what they do to preserve not just paintings, but original works of art in book form or document form. A lot of commercial art was never meant to last forever and were meant to be disposable.
You can actually wipe the entire box with silicone oil to give you that awesome goodness and sheen. The silicone oil wipes off excess paint or marker inks nicely as well
Nice. I wish I had kept my old boxes. I'd recommend using blue painter's tape, or the yellow frog tape for "clamping" glue joints while they dry. As a guitar builder, I use it specifically because it is lower-tack, so it is less likely to pull up wood grain, and would probably be better for cardstock as well.
As Neill mentioned «acryllic paint on ink» I couldn’t help wondering if pure black flowing ink could match the color better without being so visible when light is shining at it. My experience with drawing and painting with artist ink made me wonder. Never tried it on a box but at least it will be ink on ink. Thank you for making these videos!
Done all my work 15 years ago. Just used hard back books for bigger boxes and many more paperback books for a smaller box. The weight is enough to flatten boxes, but it takes much longer. For torn edges, superglue. Didn't even think about the side edges, but looking at my "fixed" boxes, I think a little bit of "white" gives the game box character!
For the Lotus box I'd start by mixing the different greens and practicing on a piece of scrap cardboard until you find the right mixture to get the shade you need. If you were to apply the paint only to the damaged section, perhaps using a needle or something extremely fine, I think it wouldn't be as noticible. Part of why it was so noticible on the black box was because the paint was applied with a thick brush and so it covered a large area.
I'm not an expert but I am opinionated so I will give you my two cents about restauration. When it comes to cosmetic fixes like painting I think it's up to the owners preference as long as it enhances instead ruining the boxes. The box's rarity can be an argument for keeping the cosmetic damage. But the most important thing is repairing structural damage and prevent further damage. Things like repairing corners, prevent color from flaking/peeling off, protect from mold and UV damage etc. I think you are doing a great job preserving gaming history and are a fantastic steward of all these items. One day I will visit the museum to see/experience everything first hand. Keep up the good work! /Bo from Sweden
I think this sort of video is such a great thing to watch because it's so satisfying to watch someone bring something back to its splendor, or as close to splendor as you can.
When I saw that container full of paints, I was excited to see what results you could get touching up the artwork. But you chickened out! 🐔 (ok, black paint along the sides is indeed _something_ but come on, we wanted to see you butcher that Lotus box! 😁)
I think before you 'restore' a lot of these boxes. Scan them in with a flatbed. front and back, all the sides. Put them up on somewhere like the internet archive, and maybe at some point someone with good photoshop skills can digitally touch them up, and then have some reproduction prints made to recover some new cardboard boxes as 'new' replacements. That way, the original is preserved with it's pertina of used, abused and loved tones around it's edges, and we get the ability to have reproductions. At some point we, the community, may also want to print off some box art either at home or at the reprographics print shops and make our own boxes. I know I've lost my original Quake box, it would be amazing to to have the ability to recreate a reproduction and have it shrink wrapped on my shelf, even if empty.
Good work Neil, thanks for the advice. I've used a Sharpie on the Ultimate Speccy game boxes like 'Knight Lore' which aren't as large as the boxes you used. Because they have the artwork stuck onto the box you tend to get a subtle white outline so the Sharpie is good for small touch ups like this, but anything more and you can see the colour difference as you spotted when it dries. So acrylic paint as you suggested then!
You can get acrylic gloss pen set on Amazon for a decent price. As for colour matching certain shades , in this case the lotus box, I'm sure there are ways to get the exact colour. As an art/graphic designer I usually take high quality photos of colours I like in the course of my day to day movement and then colour pick them in an app or in Adobe. This had me thinking, maybe you could print just strips/shapes of colour on glossy sticker paper and stick them onto the corners of the box skipping the glueing process altogether. Or, print a high quality scan of the image (possibly found somewhere in the internet) on photo paper and without really using any sort of adhesive, have the printed copy cover the box and shrink wrapped, thus keeping the original nice and safe underneath without having to touch it up at all. Just some wild ideas. Cheers.
@@mal2ksc its not exactly a mock up as much as a "faceplate" to cover the imperfections of the wear and tear of the original when also keeping it from being defaced.
Black Sharpies do have a blue hue to them when hit with light, it also rubs off if not covered, it also fades over time mostly if uncovered but even when covered it somehow does. So many people label boxes and phone lines and thing with it, and 5 years later you the label is so faded most of the time you can't read them. What I do like though are Sharpie Paint Markers, the are a permanent paint unlike the acrylic you were using. I also might use a acrylic model paint, they can have a gloss finish, although they also won't likely just wipe off the box with water. I like the mentions below of various clamping methods for corners rather than tape on the art side. I've taped up my share of boxes in my younger days. I graduated to pva glue and paper reinforcement at some point.
Again a great video Neil, thank you. You asked for opinions about preservation vs. retouching, so here are my two cents: I'm more of a "retouching-guy". For me, preservation includes touching up those beat up cases. But I also undestand other voices to better not touch anything. Both are valid opinions. From my point of view it's like an old painting or some archeological pieces: These also get touched up but not in a way that would alter the art or exhibit. For me, it is to try to bring it closer to it's former look while still preserving some of that use and love a game has given people over the years. Hope to be able to visit the cave in the future and have a look at you exhibition =)
Must adit, i've always used the additional paper/thin card glued to the inside of the box technique and its worked well over the years. As you say, the key is to keep the paper/card thin enough so that the box fits together ok still. I tend to use elastic bands to keep the boxes together whilst the glue is drying. Saves sticking masking tape on the boxes.
Hey, just a thought you could design and 3D print a little jig that slides over the edges of the sides and then holds the corner together but stays far enough away as to not interfere with the glue :-)
Another suggestion instead of using masking tape on your boxes…3M sells removable tape which you can use. The adhesive side will less likely do damage to the box art. I use it often with my higher priced bagged books. Another trick you could do, to reduce the stickiness of the masking tape is to put the piece of tape on your shirt a few times before using it. The attached lint will less likely cause any damage to the box art.
With the paper corners you need to use acid-free paper, or it will damage the box over time. Book binding glue is usually acid-free so you're good there. The sharpie ink is acidic and will damage the paper. Acrylic paint is usually acid-free, but the water used as the medium will cause the paper fibers to swell, which can lead to damaging the structure of the paper if you're not careful, plus the pigment can get between the fibers leading to problems with any future restoration attempts, or if someone wants to reverse it. High-end wax crayons, or pencil crayons are usually acid-free (not always though) don't get absorbed into the paper, making removing them easier, but they aren't as light fast as paint, and will fade over time. As for the masking tape, if you find it's too sticky, put it on your cloths first, then take it off and put it on the box. The stray fluff form your clothing that's stuck to the tape makes it less sticky, and less likely to rip the paper. In the end - they're your boxes, what you do to them is your business, not any of ours. As long as it makes you happy, go for it. My 2 cents, I would just fix up the structure and leave the rest as is. Have fun.
I remember using sharpies on Magic the gathering cards to touch up the edges! Glad to see you try the painting defiantly worth the effort in experimenting, it is like art restoration!
I remember Clint from LGR saying not to use Sharpies to touch up black. He used pure black paint markers when he framed/improved his UA-cam play buttons.
Maybe you could try using a mini blow torch like chefs use to heat up the plate quicker. Plus it would look a lot cooler than an iron 😅. You could also use a temperature gun to work out what the best temp is to heat the plate up to for best results.
For tape: lighter fluid in small doses. Use a cotton swab For the box paint, if it shows like that, have some satin/ glossy overcoat you can brush on. let dry, adjust as needed. Look into diff types of gloss coat. I'd look into hobbyist restorations of book covers Or, cheat like hell, and find a way to paste a high quality overlay on top. 😁 At some point, you know you'll have to do full restores. A suggestion would be to *over* do the restorations. Like have the proper box size and artwork on something built like Apple's boxes. Cigar box wood.
Tria or Copic alcohol based markers come in all the colours of the rainbow, you can even pantone colour match if you would like to get exact colour for colour. They also have 3 nibs on each marker, super fine, fine and chisel. Green painters tape from the hardware instead of masking tape to make sure you dont peel off any artwork.
Very informative video. For more precision you can use those acrylic paint markers, which you can buy with a very thin tip, for example brands like Posca, Molotow or Qbix. I think you can go as thin as 0.5mm or 0.7mm with those. So you can go very accurate in restoring a damaged part of your box.
im no archivist but you can try buying a jar of goose grease from waitrose and rubbing that into the creases and that should really make them gross and ruined permanently
Use a set square and clamps when gluing the corners. More fiddly but also more accurate than a bit of tape. As for the artwork, personally I'd leave their "patina" alone and just worry about the structural damage, then shrink wrap it. No one is going to be expecting the boxes to be perfect.
For touching in black or simple colours, the Edding 750 or 751 paint markers can be very glossy on the right surface. They will still be absorbed by the card but they're a lot less messy than paint and a brush if nothing else. How much does the shrink wrap hide the gloss differences?
Have you considered a more minimal technique for when you know you're not going to get something perfect? Like saturated watercolours. The good thing about that is that you could do them for blacks (with gentle, repeated treatments) and even that lotus box because you could practice on white cardboard to see if you can colour match - and it doesn't take further intervention off the table since other paints are layered on rather than embedded into the media.
Just a thought for the Lotus box. Could you mix the paint, and when you think you have a matching colour, test it by painting straight onto the shrink wrap, to see if it's close, before committing to the actual edges of the box. You could just wipe it of then, or at worst, have to replace the shrink wrap.
Another nice video Neil. I've been thinking about doing a short video also based on a few of my boxes. I got a few which ive bought again due to damage from the old days. I really have no intention of selling those, but i hope i could maybe shine some light into them. I have tried the Sharpie technique before but only tried it once and i didn't do it again. I personally won't use paint but the ironing would Definetly be the more likely option. Glad its working out for you and again so glad and happy your videos are doing so well.
I wanted to mention, it might be worth putting a small desiccant satchel in the game box before you heat shrink them up, this will help stop moisture as well. :-)
if you're going to use markers solid black white board markers are the best, you can muddle them in with your finger to get a similar sheen to the original ink and it doesn't have a purple/deep blue tinge when raked with the light.
for me the issue here is that those boxes are now changed forever. in art conservation reversibility is the key - anything you do should be reversible. i think rebuilding the boxes, reenforcing them? that's all great and as far as it should go.
Sharpie does tend to dry with a purplish hue. Overall, good lessons learned. I like the corner repair technique with the paper support. Book binding glue is probably also a brilliant idea over most other types of wood/paper glues.
You could try POSCA paint pens. I used them for some models. Very easy to use because they have a nib like a felt tip, but contain paint. There are also ink pens designed for comics and manga, maybe worth a look.
You can buy paint pens they are used for all sorts of things. There's even paint pens with ultra fine tips. I think 'Edding' do a wide variety and are one of the best. They have paint pens for just this type of thing. They do nibs from 1.5mm to 3mm in a whole host of colours and finishes. And yes they do cost about £5 each but they will last you a long while. Just be sure to do some tests firsts because you load the nib bt pressing down. Too much pressure causes paint to seep out everywhere. So have a pactise first.
TIP with sharpie is after you use it, rub your finger over and it will remove that blue tint. Reason the tint is there because its just left over reaction from the sharpie drying
If we are talking about archiving certain objects, I would pick one system (as voted for by the Collective/ community ) and its games and accessories a make a display of it. Like you would have seen the catalogues back in the day, when they would sell a bundle of things for a set. So you have restored and repaired system and the restored and repaired boxes all as one thing , and on the other side of the room the same items but ones that can be used by visitors . I know tracking down certain things each system would be tricky so you do one each year.
You can get easy peel masking tape especially for putting over sensitive surfaces, here in NZ its green. it doesn't leave a mess behind nor does it pull off the surface its trying to protect.
Also another tip, for the areas where the lamination of the art work has come off and left to be bare frayed paper, i use a mixture of gloss and matte "medium" for airbrushes, its a clear liquid acrylic resin. it can be mixed to get the desired gloss, then art work re drawn on then sealed with another coat. this way the paint or recontruction elements doesnt seep into the paper undernieth the art work and darken or wrinkle it. the matte mediium can be used on the edges of a box in the same way and corners too. it really toughens up the delicate paper undernieth the art. good luck sir, and cave dwellers too!.
Some years ago - I think it was when you first moved into the old cave - I commented that RMC had a real Blue Peter vibe to it... I think we've now reached peak Blue Peter and moved on to Hartbeat! Now, where's Morph and the Gallery?!
Adding the stiff paper/thin card to the corners to reinforce them is an excellent idea. As for touching up the boxes... unless you're able to colour match properly and get a glossy finish that matches the rest of the box, they should be left alone. I would hope that anyone would appreciate that these are pre-loved vintage boxes and it would be extremely difficult to restore them to that fresh from the factory condition. That's just my 2p worth though.
Great video Neil. But perhaps you could use a custom 3d-printed clamp to hold the corner rather than some tape to minimizing the tear damage on the ink. Looking forward for your next restoration project
If you don’t want that off color hue with the marker you can use a damp cloth and wipe it but that could do more damage to cardboard. It works for high gloss surfaces but even better would be an artist marker of sorts though it looks like you found a good solution anyways.
If I'd be doing this kind of repairs even bit more, I'd likely design "straightedge" type brackets in- and outside with embedded neodymium magnets. Just make intersecting corners like many straightedges have, a "hole" inside. Would just make similar to outside part. Would render risking with tape fully.
Instead of using masking tape to hold the corners of the boxes while the PVA dried, I'd have used two L-shaped pieces of cardboard as temporary brackets (one inside the corner and the other outside) and secured them using clothes pegs. EDIT: I see some others have made similar suggestions!
The sharpie probably is a blue-based ink. Many modern 'black' inks are actually very dark blue or very dark brown. The acrylic paint is much more likely to have a true black pigment like a black iron oxide.
Great video, thank you for sharing and trying tips and tricks for us. I have a question. Do u have a tips to remove molding from a video game box that unfortunately took a bit of humidity? Thank you and have a nice day.
Varnish is mixable to create different specular properties. Maybe an airbrush to blend into the original. But then you're getting into OCD and maybe murder gloves.
I'm not a archivist or someone who works with it but wax color printers have a finish like the ink on the box, probably would be painful and bad to use it properly but it does have a nice glossy finish on the ink
I would try reinforcing the inside of the boxes with something a bit more rigid to keep the shape, like cardboard or maybe try starching or soaking the paper with a mix of water and glue and let it dry beforing gluing it into the corners. Or even buy some paper stiffener from a hobby shop for that. And could you try using photoshop or something to color match, check the RGB values of the color and the paint to see what's closest?
Any experience with touching up manuals? I do use ironing (heat only) and parchment paper as a protective layer for wrinkles and folds, most of the time it is enough to get the pages back in shape again, but maybe there's more potential with other methods. For tears in paper minor doses of craft glue works well for me. Maybe someone has good results with removing finger prints on paper with darker colors without damaging the actual colors?
I have zero experience with this, but, for those boxes that are just WRECKED, I'd maybe look to see about getting another cardboard box, color print the box images, and stick them to the new box. It isn't PERFECT, but you don't further damage the frail. The point is to see the box as it was. Just indicate that the box is a reproduction and store the real box within. You COULD even just scan the existing box, do some touch up, and stick the paper to the new box with some stick glue. If you wrap it, there'd be no chance for the paper to detach from the new box...
Maybe just do the corners with paint or ink. Nothing more. But again it has to be what you want for yourself and are happy with. Oooh it's so difficult to call. Like you said Neil it's an archival issue. Does it devalue the item by messing with it, possibly, or is it kept as used and history regardless. Its a really tough one for the RMC setup.. Consider the RMC main goal and make a decision in that way I would suggest. It's your own personal call as its all yours. Is RMC now a museum, I doubt that as it continues to evolve. Treat it as a fan owner as its not for resale. Its yours to do as you like.
I recall the 8-bit guy literally redesigned some of his Atari 2600 cartridge stickers that had been damaged over time almost from scratch. Is the answer perhaps to digitize the box artwork, fix them up in photoshop and have them re--printed somehow? I suppose it depends on how much time and money you'd be willing to spend...
I wonder if a nice slip cover of original box art over the existing slip cover would be a nice solution for some. I have a feeling it will need a pretty pricey printer to get the same quality but I'm just guessing there
No games were hard in the making of this video. Or were they?
Thank you for watching, if you're looking for more videos we're scrubbing an Apple IIe in a Trash to Treasure episode on early access with the Official Cave Dwellers at patreon.com/rmcretro
Neil - RMC
Unfortunate typo. Or is it?
"Hard?"
instead of using tape which may damage some artwork or pull the print off, maybe try some 3D printed corner clamps (and inside angle and an outside angle that can be clamped together in some way. Just a thought.
That tape peel must have done it!
try an airbrush, Neil, possibly miniature paint + varnish
Regarding your question Neil, about whether we should do this, I can't speak for all museum professionals, but I will say that the rarer a thing is, the less you should do with it. Video games, produced in the thousands to millions of units, aren't as great of a concern as say, the original artwork for a game box would be. I think what you are doing is great and seems to be a levelled approach. Keep continuing to encourage others to do the same :)
There does not seem to be much clamour in art circles to curate original artwork , unless a judgement to its cultural impact or niceness is considered important
@@highpath4776 Unfortunately yes, but it's relevance to video game history is arguably as important as preserving source code. Any one-off materials need to be preserved until they can be accessioned into proper museums and hierarchically deemed worth the preservation effort. Ideally major producers would do this on-site themselves, but so far it has been spotty. I will say that niche game art collectors have been upping their game in recent years, and making preservation oriented plans, which is largely more than the artists and corporations have traditionally done.
For the corners, model makers use right angle magnetic clamps, should be sturdier and stronger than masking tape.
cardboard and clothespins work too.
On the topic of archival/preservation... Barring an edge case where you have "the last copy on earth" of some game, they're just objects, and you should do what you want with them. If you personally (or as the curator of a collection on display) are happy to make the concession that a glossy box may end up with some less-than-glossy patches that can't really be seen from a distance, but making that concession enhances your and your visitors' enjoyment of that box, then all power to you.
If I were to offer an opinion on what I'd do differently, perhaps using those openable semi-rigid-plastic boxes rather than shrink-wrap, so the box contents are still accessible. Some of these old titles had cool "feelies" inside, and it'd be cool if they could be reached non-destructively (even if the destruction is only to the shrink-wrap), while still being protected from the atmosphere while shelved.
I'm 75% on board with you on that last part. I think the reason the wrap is used is cost. It's cheap to buy, use, easy to replace and easily accessible. The clear boxes, you'd need to get something rather specific in size in order to make it worth it, and those can be hard to find. I like the idea of the wrap as well because it removes the environmental elements that cause problems, like humidity. I'd even throw a small bag of silica to absorb the moisture in the box, and keep everything dry.
I do agree having an actual plastic box would be handy to get access to the media inside, but if those plastic boxes crack, they're junk. As far as the guts go, like the "feelies", I'd aim to reproduce those. Paper stuff easy to photo copy anymore, for the most part. I agree that this isn't a PERFECT solution, photocopying that is, but, still.
I fully agree. Many older games have beautiful maps, keyboard layout instruction etc. that you don't see anymore.
I don't know what it is about these box repair videos, but I find them oddly fascinating.
Might be worth 3D printing a corner holder to hold the corner while the glue dries. I 3D printed a similar thing for wood corners
I like this idea You also could embed some magnets and print an inside and outside corner, and use it as a corner clamp.
Annoyed me to no end seeing him use tape that lifted the artwork.
Just use wooden blocks or something heavy and square to hold the shape as it dries; it's what I did fixing up some old board game boxes years ago.
You can use Lego to make corner clamps
@@dreadnaught2707 that's actually a wonderful idea. Legos do help solve alot of things.
On the corners of board games boxes I use the metal right angle braces used for shelving corner supports. These are held on while the glue dries by the little plastic finger clamps.
The brackets come in many sizes, cheap, and reusable.
Try Golden Highflow acrylic, it's archival and lightfast and glossy and an ink.
As an old boardgames and wargames collector I just glue and reinforce internally split corners leaving shelf worn and other damage the way that it is, as I feel that it gives character to the box. But as you said is just a matter of taste. Thanks for the great video.
Spot on regarding the sharpie! Some might think is an easy and quick way to touch up something, but I have had much better results with acrylic paint.
Yes!!! Keep these videos coming, they are great. Just one note, I'm not a professional, not even close. I just regurgitate what I have learned from others. :) I really like that you shrink wrap the boxes as it should eliminate abrasion of printed artwork. And it's easy to replace if damaged or worn out. Your results on fixing up the printed artwork mirrors what I have read and seen in my research. I think that in light of your goal of having a store front with all of the products like you remember is enough to justify the reconstruction work you have done. It's either that or trying to find a mint condition examples for every game you want for your display ($$$$$).
On your next video you should look at doing something larger, like a Commodore Vic-20 or C64 box. I have a TI-99/4a box that really needs some TLC. I think abrasion is the real killer for these but you might not want to shrink wrap them? I starting looking into some spray on coatings (high gloss or mid gloss varnishes) that might help in this area, but didn't get very far. Then you have the problem that most of these are made of corrugated cardboard which might not like to be ironed? Just some thoughts, thanks again for the great content.
The only thing I'll add from success I've had with boxes is in regard to fixing torn corners. I use washi paper/tape, put the PVA glue on that and use that to brace the corners together inside the box. This tends to be pretty non destructive too as if it starts to come undone in future, then the washi tape just falls off and can be replaced.
Proper washi can also be brushed on with glue and conforms really well too shapes other than straight corners.
@@bzuidgeest Yup fair point. That's why I like it - it is so easy to work with and non destructive. I forgot that it's so easy to comply to weird shapes as it's essentially a bit "stretchy" to some degree. I picked up using it from art restoration videos.
@@crunchyfrog555 same source where I got it😀. Baumgartner restoration
@@bzuidgeest Great minds eh?
Instead of Sharpie try using a black whiteboard marker. It seems to stay absolutely black rather than the weird indigo of the Sharpie and it'll wipe off the intact glossy surface of the box.
Instead of tape you could use magnets. In car body works they use magnets that are 90° angled. Put one of those in the corner and a simple metal bracket on the outside (like the ones used for joining wood) and you will not have to fear about tape ripping the box. Also I would use gauze on the inside of the box instead of paper/cardboard because the glue has more to hold onto and it's not that visible when all is dried. Nice work though :)
Have you tried white board marker for covering worn edges? It just wipes off the glossy parts, so even if there is a texture difference, it's restricted to the exact areas that would have been ten times as distracting in plain brown or white. The black also seems to be more truly black rather than dark purple like most permanent markers.
It will still wick underneath white areas of a printed box, so you won't want to use it anywhere you weren't already planning to use the acrylic paint, but where it works it's exceptionally quick and easy. Swipe with the pen, swipe the excess off with your thumb, and done. And then remember to wash your thumb before you stain something else.
Finally, if you want sacrificial practice pieces to work on, try old paperback books. The spine isn't going to ever become uncreased or stop being curved, so it's not like there's anything to wreck as long as it still functions as a book.
I love your work, Neil!
That's how professionals preserve game boxes!
For taking the sellotape off. A technique I learnt from taking stickers off old comics is not to hold the end of the tape you're pulling off, as this creates tension on the thing it's stuck to (the box in this case). If you keep moving your finger and thumb so they are close to the box, it's much less likely to tear.
You can also then use the sticky thing you've removed to dab at the box to pick up any remaining glue residue it left behind
What a great series. Both exciting and relaxing. It's kind of like the restoration niche thats popular now, the before and after is so nice.
Great stuff Neil! Thanks for making another video incorporating our suggestions. What you did with the glue and paper in the corners is precisely what I would do, particularly if book-binding tape proved too weak for the job. Just make sure the paper is pH neutral as well. Good show!
At 16:25 you ask "Should we do it". There is official term for that. It is called "The Paradox of the Theseus's Ship" (google it on). It goes like this: "Theseus was a mythical hero. He had a ship. When he died his ship was cast ashore and kept as a monument to national ancestor. But the wooden ship crumbled over the years. The people started to exchange the wooden desks to keep it whole. Soon the >repairs< exchanged around 90% of the ship. And the philosophers started to argue - is this is still an original ship or a new ship? (Should we do/did it?)."
I think the content you're displaying is unique but certainly 'common' enough to warrant small semi-professional repair. You're already putting in a lot of your time, money and dedication with the way you've created the Cave, so the community can only appreciate what you're doing. Especially since you're always looking for ways to improve yourself and find outside expertise where your own skill and knowledge is lacking. I hope you're selling hats in the gift shop, so when I get to visit the cave, I can take that hat off to you, good sir.
It'd be interesting to take a tour through an art restoration and preservation facility in a museum or university to see what they do to preserve not just paintings, but original works of art in book form or document form. A lot of commercial art was never meant to last forever and were meant to be disposable.
I would absolutely love to do that
@@RMCRetro Would be good to see what they would do to a damaged box and what their insight would be on when enough is enough.
You can actually wipe the entire box with silicone oil to give you that awesome goodness and sheen. The silicone oil wipes off excess paint or marker inks nicely as well
Nice. I wish I had kept my old boxes. I'd recommend using blue painter's tape, or the yellow frog tape for "clamping" glue joints while they dry. As a guitar builder, I use it specifically because it is lower-tack, so it is less likely to pull up wood grain, and would probably be better for cardstock as well.
As Neill mentioned «acryllic paint on ink» I couldn’t help wondering if pure black flowing ink could match the color better without being so visible when light is shining at it. My experience with drawing and painting with artist ink made me wonder. Never tried it on a box but at least it will be ink on ink. Thank you for making these videos!
Done all my work 15 years ago. Just used hard back books for bigger boxes and many more paperback books for a smaller box. The weight is enough to flatten boxes, but it takes much longer. For torn edges, superglue. Didn't even think about the side edges, but looking at my "fixed" boxes, I think a little bit of "white" gives the game box character!
For the Lotus box I'd start by mixing the different greens and practicing on a piece of scrap cardboard until you find the right mixture to get the shade you need. If you were to apply the paint only to the damaged section, perhaps using a needle or something extremely fine, I think it wouldn't be as noticible. Part of why it was so noticible on the black box was because the paint was applied with a thick brush and so it covered a large area.
I'm not an expert but I am opinionated so I will give you my two cents about restauration.
When it comes to cosmetic fixes like painting I think it's up to the owners preference as long as it enhances instead ruining the boxes. The box's rarity can be an argument for keeping the cosmetic damage.
But the most important thing is repairing structural damage and prevent further damage. Things like repairing corners, prevent color from flaking/peeling off, protect from mold and UV damage etc.
I think you are doing a great job preserving gaming history and are a fantastic steward of all these items. One day I will visit the museum to see/experience everything first hand.
Keep up the good work!
/Bo from Sweden
I think this sort of video is such a great thing to watch because it's so satisfying to watch someone bring something back to its splendor, or as close to splendor as you can.
When I saw that container full of paints, I was excited to see what results you could get touching up the artwork. But you chickened out! 🐔 (ok, black paint along the sides is indeed _something_ but come on, we wanted to see you butcher that Lotus box! 😁)
Bookbinding glue and corner support. Excellent!
I think before you 'restore' a lot of these boxes. Scan them in with a flatbed. front and back, all the sides. Put them up on somewhere like the internet archive, and maybe at some point someone with good photoshop skills can digitally touch them up, and then have some reproduction prints made to recover some new cardboard boxes as 'new' replacements. That way, the original is preserved with it's pertina of used, abused and loved tones around it's edges, and we get the ability to have reproductions. At some point we, the community, may also want to print off some box art either at home or at the reprographics print shops and make our own boxes. I know I've lost my original Quake box, it would be amazing to to have the ability to recreate a reproduction and have it shrink wrapped on my shelf, even if empty.
Great idea
Good work Neil, thanks for the advice. I've used a Sharpie on the Ultimate Speccy game boxes like 'Knight Lore' which aren't as large as the boxes you used. Because they have the artwork stuck onto the box you tend to get a subtle white outline so the Sharpie is good for small touch ups like this, but anything more and you can see the colour difference as you spotted when it dries. So acrylic paint as you suggested then!
Major blue Peter vibes here and a nice respite from all else going on in the world. Very much welcomed. Thanks Neil! 🙏🏼🙌🏼👀
You can get acrylic gloss pen set on Amazon for a decent price.
As for colour matching certain shades , in this case the lotus box, I'm sure there are ways to get the exact colour.
As an art/graphic designer I usually take high quality photos of colours I like in the course of my day to day movement and then colour pick them in an app or in Adobe.
This had me thinking, maybe you could print just strips/shapes of colour on glossy sticker paper and stick them onto the corners of the box skipping the glueing process altogether.
Or, print a high quality scan of the image (possibly found somewhere in the internet) on photo paper and without really using any sort of adhesive, have the printed copy cover the box and shrink wrapped, thus keeping the original nice and safe underneath without having to touch it up at all.
Just some wild ideas. Cheers.
If you're going to do a mockup of the box, why put the original box in harm's way by leaving it inside?
@@mal2ksc its not exactly a mock up as much as a "faceplate" to cover the imperfections of the wear and tear of the original when also keeping it from being defaced.
I love these, it's so satisfying to see beat-up boxes restored. (also, it gives me tips for my own)
Here's a title for a new series idea: Ironing Stuff With Neil.
but never the clothes I'm wearing
@@RMCRetro Exactly. 😆
Arts and Crafts with Neil.
Black Sharpies do have a blue hue to them when hit with light, it also rubs off if not covered, it also fades over time mostly if uncovered but even when covered it somehow does. So many people label boxes and phone lines and thing with it, and 5 years later you the label is so faded most of the time you can't read them. What I do like though are Sharpie Paint Markers, the are a permanent paint unlike the acrylic you were using. I also might use a acrylic model paint, they can have a gloss finish, although they also won't likely just wipe off the box with water. I like the mentions below of various clamping methods for corners rather than tape on the art side. I've taped up my share of boxes in my younger days. I graduated to pva glue and paper reinforcement at some point.
Again a great video Neil, thank you.
You asked for opinions about preservation vs. retouching, so here are my two cents:
I'm more of a "retouching-guy". For me, preservation includes touching up those beat up cases. But I also undestand other voices to better not touch anything. Both are valid opinions. From my point of view it's like an old painting or some archeological pieces: These also get touched up but not in a way that would alter the art or exhibit. For me, it is to try to bring it closer to it's former look while still preserving some of that use and love a game has given people over the years.
Hope to be able to visit the cave in the future and have a look at you exhibition =)
When i started collecting in 2001 for my first Pentium PC... it was something magical those big box games 😳
Yes! Part 2 👍👍👍 love this “Archiving Techniques” series.
Must adit, i've always used the additional paper/thin card glued to the inside of the box technique and its worked well over the years. As you say, the key is to keep the paper/card thin enough so that the box fits together ok still. I tend to use elastic bands to keep the boxes together whilst the glue is drying. Saves sticking masking tape on the boxes.
Hey, just a thought you could design and 3D print a little jig that slides over the edges of the sides and then holds the corner together but stays far enough away as to not interfere with the glue :-)
Another suggestion instead of using masking tape on your boxes…3M sells removable tape which you can use. The adhesive side will less likely do damage to the box art. I use it often with my higher priced bagged books.
Another trick you could do, to reduce the stickiness of the masking tape is to put the piece of tape on your shirt a few times before using it. The attached lint will less likely cause any damage to the box art.
With the paper corners you need to use acid-free paper, or it will damage the box over time. Book binding glue is usually acid-free so you're good there.
The sharpie ink is acidic and will damage the paper.
Acrylic paint is usually acid-free, but the water used as the medium will cause the paper fibers to swell, which can lead to damaging the structure of the paper if you're not careful, plus the pigment can get between the fibers leading to problems with any future restoration attempts, or if someone wants to reverse it.
High-end wax crayons, or pencil crayons are usually acid-free (not always though) don't get absorbed into the paper, making removing them easier, but they aren't as light fast as paint, and will fade over time.
As for the masking tape, if you find it's too sticky, put it on your cloths first, then take it off and put it on the box. The stray fluff form your clothing that's stuck to the tape makes it less sticky, and less likely to rip the paper.
In the end - they're your boxes, what you do to them is your business, not any of ours. As long as it makes you happy, go for it.
My 2 cents, I would just fix up the structure and leave the rest as is.
Have fun.
I remember using sharpies on Magic the gathering cards to touch up the edges! Glad to see you try the painting defiantly worth the effort in experimenting, it is like art restoration!
Thank you for sharing the experimenting with us Neil. I think you're very brave doing it among all the Internet experts! :D
I remember Clint from LGR saying not to use Sharpies to touch up black. He used pure black paint markers when he framed/improved his UA-cam play buttons.
Maybe you could try using a mini blow torch like chefs use to heat up the plate quicker. Plus it would look a lot cooler than an iron 😅. You could also use a temperature gun to work out what the best temp is to heat the plate up to for best results.
An iron in a man cave! Oh the humanity! lol. Keep up the great work!
For tape: lighter fluid in small doses. Use a cotton swab
For the box paint, if it shows like that, have some satin/ glossy overcoat you can brush on. let dry, adjust as needed. Look into diff types of gloss coat.
I'd look into hobbyist restorations of book covers
Or, cheat like hell, and find a way to paste a high quality overlay on top. 😁
At some point, you know you'll have to do full restores. A suggestion would be to *over* do the restorations. Like have the proper box size and artwork on something built like Apple's boxes. Cigar box wood.
To fix up the point of damage on black boxes ,I use a Liquid Black Pen right trough the raw cardboard damage.It absorbs ink and it’s nice to see.
Tria or Copic alcohol based markers come in all the colours of the rainbow, you can even pantone colour match if you would like to get exact colour for colour. They also have 3 nibs on each marker, super fine, fine and chisel. Green painters tape from the hardware instead of masking tape to make sure you dont peel off any artwork.
Very informative video. For more precision you can use those acrylic paint markers, which you can buy with a very thin tip, for example brands like Posca, Molotow or Qbix. I think you can go as thin as 0.5mm or 0.7mm with those. So you can go very accurate in restoring a damaged part of your box.
im no archivist but you can try buying a jar of goose grease from waitrose and rubbing that into the creases and that should really make them gross and ruined permanently
Wait.....what? don't make me do it
😂😂😂
Use a set square and clamps when gluing the corners. More fiddly but also more accurate than a bit of tape. As for the artwork, personally I'd leave their "patina" alone and just worry about the structural damage, then shrink wrap it. No one is going to be expecting the boxes to be perfect.
For touching in black or simple colours, the Edding 750 or 751 paint markers can be very glossy on the right surface. They will still be absorbed by the card but they're a lot less messy than paint and a brush if nothing else. How much does the shrink wrap hide the gloss differences?
Have you considered a more minimal technique for when you know you're not going to get something perfect? Like saturated watercolours. The good thing about that is that you could do them for blacks (with gentle, repeated treatments) and even that lotus box because you could practice on white cardboard to see if you can colour match - and it doesn't take further intervention off the table since other paints are layered on rather than embedded into the media.
Just a thought for the Lotus box. Could you mix the paint, and when you think you have a matching colour, test it by painting straight onto the shrink wrap, to see if it's close, before committing to the actual edges of the box.
You could just wipe it of then, or at worst, have to replace the shrink wrap.
Another nice video Neil. I've been thinking about doing a short video also based on a few of my boxes. I got a few which ive bought again due to damage from the old days. I really have no intention of selling those, but i hope i could maybe shine some light into them. I have tried the Sharpie technique before but only tried it once and i didn't do it again. I personally won't use paint but the ironing would Definetly be the more likely option. Glad its working out for you and again so glad and happy your videos are doing so well.
I wanted to mention, it might be worth putting a small desiccant satchel in the game box before you heat shrink them up, this will help stop moisture as well. :-)
if you're going to use markers solid black white board markers are the best, you can muddle them in with your finger to get a similar sheen to the original ink and it doesn't have a purple/deep blue tinge when raked with the light.
for me the issue here is that those boxes are now changed forever.
in art conservation reversibility is the key - anything you do should be reversible.
i think rebuilding the boxes, reenforcing them? that's all great and as far as it should go.
also, just to say: these videos are so relaxing and you're doing a great job regardless.
In the best of worlds, the techniques used should also be reversible.
For the damage on the boxes use alcohol markers it won't make those areas glossy but it will not make them larger.
Sharpie does tend to dry with a purplish hue. Overall, good lessons learned. I like the corner repair technique with the paper support. Book binding glue is probably also a brilliant idea over most other types of wood/paper glues.
Supremacy.....my all-time favourite game on the C64. Many hours playing it. Thanks for that Wow moment.
You could try POSCA paint pens. I used them for some models. Very easy to use because they have a nib like a felt tip, but contain paint.
There are also ink pens designed for comics and manga, maybe worth a look.
Very therapeutic watching this!
You can buy paint pens they are used for all sorts of things. There's even paint pens with ultra fine tips. I think 'Edding' do a wide variety and are one of the best. They have paint pens for just this type of thing. They do nibs from 1.5mm to 3mm in a whole host of colours and finishes. And yes they do cost about £5 each but they will last you a long while. Just be sure to do some tests firsts because you load the nib bt pressing down. Too much pressure causes paint to seep out everywhere. So have a pactise first.
TIP with sharpie is after you use it, rub your finger over and it will remove that blue tint. Reason the tint is there because its just left over reaction from the sharpie drying
If we are talking about archiving certain objects, I would pick one system (as voted for by the Collective/ community ) and its games and accessories a make a display of it. Like you would have seen the catalogues back in the day, when they would sell a bundle of things for a set. So you have restored and repaired system and the restored and repaired boxes all as one thing , and on the other side of the room the same items but ones that can be used by visitors . I know tracking down certain things each system would be tricky so you do one each year.
Nice application of negative entropy!
You can get easy peel masking tape especially for putting over sensitive surfaces, here in NZ its green. it doesn't leave a mess behind nor does it pull off the surface its trying to protect.
Also another tip, for the areas where the lamination of the art work has come off and left to be bare frayed paper, i use a mixture of gloss and matte "medium" for airbrushes, its a clear liquid acrylic resin. it can be mixed to get the desired gloss, then art work re drawn on then sealed with another coat. this way the paint or recontruction elements doesnt seep into the paper undernieth the art work and darken or wrinkle it. the matte mediium can be used on the edges of a box in the same way and corners too. it really toughens up the delicate paper undernieth the art. good luck sir, and cave dwellers too!.
I was thinking the same 3M sells removable scotch tape here in the US. The adhesive side peels away pretty easily from the surface.
Thinning acrylic paint with water gives a dull finish, while using isopropyl alcohol will give that inky gloss finish
Ooh that’s something to try thank you
Let's paint here some happy little boxes.
Greetings from Greece! Love your videos!
Χαίρετε
Some years ago - I think it was when you first moved into the old cave - I commented that RMC had a real Blue Peter vibe to it... I think we've now reached peak Blue Peter and moved on to Hartbeat! Now, where's Morph and the Gallery?!
Where's the "here's one I made earlier?" - it's all very Blue Peter! Wonderful!
Adding the stiff paper/thin card to the corners to reinforce them is an excellent idea. As for touching up the boxes... unless you're able to colour match properly and get a glossy finish that matches the rest of the box, they should be left alone. I would hope that anyone would appreciate that these are pre-loved vintage boxes and it would be extremely difficult to restore them to that fresh from the factory condition. That's just my 2p worth though.
Great video Neil. But perhaps you could use a custom 3d-printed clamp to hold the corner rather than some tape to minimizing the tear damage on the ink.
Looking forward for your next restoration project
Wouldn't be great if one of these box's ended up on the Antiques Roadshow!! With an expert pointing it has being touching it up! Anyway great video.
If you don’t want that off color hue with the marker you can use a damp cloth and wipe it but that could do more damage to cardboard. It works for high gloss surfaces but even better would be an artist marker of sorts though it looks like you found a good solution anyways.
If I'd be doing this kind of repairs even bit more, I'd likely design "straightedge" type brackets in- and outside with embedded neodymium magnets. Just make intersecting corners like many straightedges have, a "hole" inside. Would just make similar to outside part. Would render risking with tape fully.
You should add a small silica gel pouch to the boxes before shrink wrapping them
Instead of using masking tape to hold the corners of the boxes while the PVA dried, I'd have used two L-shaped pieces of cardboard as temporary brackets (one inside the corner and the other outside) and secured them using clothes pegs. EDIT: I see some others have made similar suggestions!
Great results Neil! Go for it with the Lotus, might as well :)
The sharpie probably is a blue-based ink. Many modern 'black' inks are actually very dark blue or very dark brown. The acrylic paint is much more likely to have a true black pigment like a black iron oxide.
I used Book binding fabric tape, it's really good for fixing cardboard boxes.
Great video, thank you for sharing and trying tips and tricks for us.
I have a question.
Do u have a tips to remove molding from a video game box that unfortunately took a bit of humidity?
Thank you and have a nice day.
It's probably worth contacting a company or print shop that makes these types of boxes for advice on how to how to do touchups.
Varnish is mixable to create different specular properties. Maybe an airbrush to blend into the original. But then you're getting into OCD and maybe murder gloves.
I'm not a archivist or someone who works with it but wax color printers have a finish like the ink on the box, probably would be painful and bad to use it properly but it does have a nice glossy finish on the ink
I would try reinforcing the inside of the boxes with something a bit more rigid to keep the shape, like cardboard or maybe try starching or soaking the paper with a mix of water and glue and let it dry beforing gluing it into the corners. Or even buy some paper stiffener from a hobby shop for that. And could you try using photoshop or something to color match, check the RGB values of the color and the paint to see what's closest?
Yessssssss, a followup video!
Chaos Engine! 😲 I’d completely forgotten about that game!
Any experience with touching up manuals?
I do use ironing (heat only) and parchment paper as a protective layer for wrinkles and folds, most of the time it is enough to get the pages back in shape again, but maybe there's more potential with other methods.
For tears in paper minor doses of craft glue works well for me.
Maybe someone has good results with removing finger prints on paper with darker colors without damaging the actual colors?
You probably need some corner jig for fast and percise glueups. Woodworking corner clamps maybe?
I have zero experience with this, but, for those boxes that are just WRECKED, I'd maybe look to see about getting another cardboard box, color print the box images, and stick them to the new box. It isn't PERFECT, but you don't further damage the frail. The point is to see the box as it was. Just indicate that the box is a reproduction and store the real box within. You COULD even just scan the existing box, do some touch up, and stick the paper to the new box with some stick glue. If you wrap it, there'd be no chance for the paper to detach from the new box...
Maybe just do the corners with paint or ink. Nothing more. But again it has to be what you want for yourself and are happy with. Oooh it's so difficult to call. Like you said Neil it's an archival issue. Does it devalue the item by messing with it, possibly, or is it kept as used and history regardless. Its a really tough one for the RMC setup.. Consider the RMC main goal and make a decision in that way I would suggest. It's your own personal call as its all yours. Is RMC now a museum, I doubt that as it continues to evolve. Treat it as a fan owner as its not for resale. Its yours to do as you like.
I recall the 8-bit guy literally redesigned some of his Atari 2600 cartridge stickers that had been damaged over time almost from scratch. Is the answer perhaps to digitize the box artwork, fix them up in photoshop and have them re--printed somehow? I suppose it depends on how much time and money you'd be willing to spend...
I wonder if a nice slip cover of original box art over the existing slip cover would be a nice solution for some. I have a feeling it will need a pretty pricey printer to get the same quality but I'm just guessing there
@@RMCRetro yea alot of games already did come with a sleeve and they usualy get torn and lost so making those would definitely be a nice alternative.