Arresting Decay

[towmater]

This is my "haul" from Goodwill. I'd like to look at stopping box decay, and I'm wondering if there are any generally accepted methods for preserving boxes? My first thought is to carefully unglue the overlaps, flatten them to the original pre-folded state, and preserve them in some sort of large photo-album like hard page with a clear plastic cover.

 

[BassGuitari]

Firstly: you found that at Goodwill?! Hot damn. If I saw all that sitting around at Goodwill I'd just about shit my pants.

 

Secondly: unless you're trying to save them for your great-grandkids or you live in an inordinately humid or wet climate, I'd say you're worrying way too much about it. Just keep them in a dry area out of direct sunlight (or other ultraviolet light).

[towmater]

I'm picturing something like this, It could be along the lines of those sports collectibles. But yes, I realize now I am probably way overthinking this. Some of the artwork is pretty retro-diculous-cool. (Not Spce Battle, that's why I used it as a test.)

[Rev]

Nice find....I must ask, what was this stuff priced?

 

I never find anything at Goodwill!

[HunterZero]

I don't think this is really necessary - the worst that will happen is the glue will eventually crumble and become unstuck. You're risking damage to the boxes disassembling them like that.

 

I would be far more worried about corrosion to the cartridges themselves, and UV causing fading to printed material and damage to the plastics.

 

I would keep the boxes assembled (optionally in individual plastic protection boxes), upright to avoid crushing, in an airtight case away from sunlight, with a couple of packets of desiccant such as silica gel to prevent moisture damage.

 

- James

[towmater]

3D Printing might be over-kill, but still some correct thickness of foam or cardboard or (?) that sits in the box's void might at least prevent "casual crushing."

[HunterZero]

These would be more than sufficient:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/212365-intellivision-game-box-protectors/

[+JasonlikesINTV]

Hmmm...first of all, nice find at a Goodwill! The one by me recently had some loose common carts for $4 each. Sometimes they will print off an eBay listing (usually the wrong one) and attach to stuff to 'prove' it's worth their high asking prices. It's sad to see Goodwill go the eBay route on pricing...especially since they don't do it very well.

Game preservation:
A few considerations. 1). Are you limited on space? 2). Do you ever plan to pull these out to play or display?

Either way, I think that breaking down the boxes is unnecessary unless you really need the space. If you can dedicate some wall space I'd highly recommend buying or building some shelving and displaying them as is. These games are pretty tough and have lasted this long. If stored properly, they will last for many more years.

Here's what will damage your games:

Sunlight: Direct or even indirect sunlight will quickly fade your games. Best place is a finished/dry basement or a 2nd bedroom with the window well covered. No sunlight!
Cigarettes: No hate on the smokers, but it will discolor and permanently stink up boxes, manuals, and labels. It just ruins them. If you smoke, store them at a friends house.
Moisture/Temp: Musty basements, garages, attics...any place that floods or gets seasonal changes in moisture is bad for games. Also, humidity condenses on cold things. Moisture gives games a musty smell and can stick manual pages together or to the box. It will also rust the staples that hold manuals together. It will also rust the pins on the cart and ruin the label. Best storage is 21C (70F) and 45% Relative Humidity.
Salt: If you live near an ocean and like to leave your windows open....you're going to have some corroded games.
Kids/Pets: Your kid just ate a sloppy pb&J and wants to show his friends how the dog can lick peanut butter off of your vintage games. Also, they smell. Enough said.
Exes: If you love them and they have value....don't have a messy divorce.
Stacking Incorrectly: Don't store flat. You're more likely to stack other (heavy) things on them. I also suspect that over the years the bottom game boxes in a stack will start to give. Storing flat also maximizes surface area for dust. Best to stack them like books on a shelf. Don't cram them in and don't leave partial shelves with game boxes at odd angles. Keep them vertical. If you decide to use plastic bins, be careful of the corners. Most of those storage bins have rounded corners, so when you put your game boxes inside the corners get mushed. Try to avoid corrugated cardboard. It wears out, it gets wet, and can have acids in it. All bad for games. If you must, use sturdy acid free boxes.
Playing them: I hate to say it, but normal wear and tear adds up. If you play a lot, consider a multicart for playing. Another option is to leave the carts out of the boxes and store them in easily accessible Tupperware. Then the game boxes sit untouched on the shelf.


My advice:

If you have the room, get some nice shallow wall shelving. Shelving that is 36" Wide x 48" Tall x 6" Deep will hold around 150-180 boxed games. Protect them from sunlight, cigarettes, pets and kids. Handle them with care. Avoid unnecessary opening and closing. Consider some clear box protectors.

Here are some examples from my collection:

Stackable Sterilite Modular Drawers

 

Homebrews in clear box protectors

Old entertainment center modded to hold games

[lol, it's an older pic and I forgot that I was using candles to hold up the top row of games. I later bought some bookends.] Edited March 17, 2015 by JasonlikesINTV

[towmater]

Votive candles? That's an altar!