Label Replacement acceptable or verboten?

[MrChickenz]

I started my Atari collection in the early 80s. Over the the years I still add to my collection. Some of the original games I have became worn from use and some I find at flea markets or game stores with bad labels.

 

Now that I have a brand new Atari 2600+ with crisp HDMI! I decided to replace some labels. Since I have no intention of ever selling my collection it doesn’t matter to me. With some of these old labels the glue breaks down and label becomes illegible. Others I pick up at markets or game stores for a buck or two with labels that are torn.

 

I take them apart give them a good cleaning, slap a replacement label on and I’m good for another 50 years Lol!

Some labels I make myself others I purchase on eBay.

Whats your opinion?

 

 

Edited April 8 by MrChickenz

[THX-1138]

Very acceptable, I did the same.  When I preordered my 2600+ I started to build a small collection of about 30 or so cartridges.  Most needed new labels, so I decided to replace them all.  I used isopropyl alcohol to remove all the labels, opened each cartridge, cleaned the PCB thoroughly and clean the plastic etc like new.  (Even the clean carts were actually filthy.  Most had things inside, from hair, to plant matter and more dead spiders and things than I could count).  I got new labels from pboland here on AtariAge, who did a fantastic job and they are now like new and will be good long after I'm dead.   😆

 

Edited April 8 by THX-1138

[MrChickenz]

7 minutes ago, THX-1138 said:

I got new labels from pboland here on AtariAge

I did not think about checking here for labels! Thanks for the info!

[Brad_from_the_80s]

It's perfectly fine.  Most of these carts are not rare or valuable.  I would not replace a label for minor aging, wear, dirt, discoloration, historical markings (names typically), or if it can just be partially glued down again.  But torn, damaged, punctured, or excessive fading, etc.. sure, why not?  Just that a lot of "replacement" labels are not fully accurate, just reasonable approximations of the original, so if you care about that they are not all the same and you have to do your homework.  Depending on the printing technology/quality it is also not clear how long some of the replacements will really last.  So far I've only found one full replacement necessary, and a couple missing end labels with close-enough replacements.  Most of the rest I just did some light cleaning and gluing when necessary.

[MrChickenz]

22 minutes ago, Brad_from_the_80s said:

It's perfectly fine.  Most of these carts are not rare or valuable.  I would not replace a label for minor aging, wear, dirt, discoloration, historical markings (names typically), or if it can just be partially glued down again.  But torn, damaged, punctured, or excessive fading, etc.. sure, why not?  Just that a lot of "replacement" labels are not fully accurate, just reasonable approximations of the original, so if you care about that they are not all the same and you have to do your homework.  Depending on the printing technology/quality it is also not clear how long some of the replacements will really last.  So far I've only found one full replacement necessary, and a couple missing end labels with close-enough replacements.  Most of the rest I just did some light cleaning and gluing when necessary.

I agree! Some of these games are a second copy for me. I usually pick ones with bad labels with the intention of replacing the labels for my own use. Not to sell. It brings them back to life. A lot of Atari games had such great box art! But often was never used on the cartridges!

[Sean_1970]

I don’t buy ones without labels, but I’d definitely get a new label if I had no alternative. I bought doubled-sided tape to address the “glue gone” phenomenon; works a treat!

[Trebor]

If it is for your own use, then to each their own.

If you are a seller, as long as it is specified replacement label in the sale, then it is perfectly fine.

 

What comes into question is an unscrupulous person, selling a (rarer) cart, not denoting replacement label and passing off the entire cart as original. 

 

Of course, they will be seeking or/and obtain a higher amount for the cartridge as well, compared to what it would have fetched with its original label still left in place.

[MikeM_]

I’m of the same opinion that most others have already said. 
 

If re-sale isn’t in your plan, then do whatever you like. Repro labels, custom labels, original labels, no labels… I see no problem with any of that. 
 

I’ve personally relabeled all my Activision games, half my Parker bros games, and a few others here and there that I wanted to have cleaner looking labels. I don’t plan on selling any of my games ever, so I see no ethical dilemma for myself about this. I love the way they look with clean, shiny labels. It’s like having brand new carts. 
 

So to sum up, unless you’re planning on being deceitful in selling them someday as original pristine copies, do whatever you like with them that makes them more valuable to you. 👍🏼 

[MrChickenz]

1 hour ago, MikeM_ said:

So to sum up, unless you’re planning on being deceitful in selling them someday as original pristine copies, do whatever you like with them that makes them more valuable to you. 👍🏼 

Well said!

[+LS650]

If it's common, who cares?  I have ordered a bunch of replacement labels from pobland, and I've also had a fair bit of success finding downloadable images and printing off my own labels with a laser printer.  

If it were a rare game, then I would leave the original label alone.

[MrChickenz]

2 minutes ago, LS650 said:

If it's common, who cares?  I have ordered a bunch of replacement labels from pobland, and I've also had a fair bit of success finding downloadable images and printing off my own labels with a laser printer.  

If it were a rare game, then I would leave the original label alone.

True, I agree

[chad5200]

So many Activision labels look like crap. The good thing it is so easy to remove the label (with a little heat like a hair dryer or heat gun) and open them up and clean them up and replace with a brand new repro label. They look great afterwards!

 

[MrChickenz]

5 minutes ago, chad5200 said:

So many Activision labels look like crap. The good thing it is so easy to remove the label (with a little heat like a hair dryer or heat gun) and open them up and clean them up and replace with a brand new repro label. They look great afterwards!

 

You are so right! Most Activision labels look like crap! They didn’t hold up well over the years. I never understood why they used screen shots for the labels when they had great box art!

[Video]

As long as someone isn't trying to pass them off as original, I've got no issues replacing missing or damaged labels. I've got games for all kinds of systems with label issues, but Atari seems the worst, don't know if its quality control, simple age, or how much they were handled, probably bits of each.

[MrChickenz]

On 4/9/2024 at 8:39 AM, Video said:

As long as someone isn't trying to pass them off as original, I've got no issues replacing missing or damaged labels. I've got games for all kinds of systems with label issues, but Atari seems the worst, don't know if its quality control, simple age, or how much they were handled, probably bits of each.

You’re right Atari labels are the worst! NES labels seem to hold up well! SEGA as well but I noticed some SEGA games have dark spots like the Atari labels.

[MikeM_]

3 hours ago, MrChickenz said:

You’re right Atari labels are the worst! NES labels seem to hold up well! SEGA as well but I noticed some SEGA games have dark spots like the Atari labels.

I don't think it's an Atari issue so much as it's a trend with the 3rd party publishers for Atari systems. 

 

Most of my Atari Brand games have held up very well over the years. Only a couple of them have needed replacement labels and some of them are just the glue drying up and needing a fresh coat to re-apply the original label which still looks good. I think the most common issue with them is the end label just falling off and being lost.

 

Activision game labels were just not made to last which is a shame because overall, I love the look of them. The glue bleeds through on all of them, and even a mint in box game after all these years will most likely have the spotting issue if you were to open it. I've replaced all of my Activision labels. 

 

Parker Bros are the next most problematic from my experience. About 3/4 of mine have replacement labels.

 

Coleco games seem to all develop a crease on the top end along the cart seam and end up looking ratty. Over half of mine have gotten a new clean label. 

[MrChickenz]

@MikeM_ You nailed it on those types of labels! All my Activison carts I had to replace as well. With the exception of H.E.R.O.,

Pitfall II and Private Eye. They still look good. I’m waiting on two Parker Brothers labels. Then those will be finished. The rest I’m replacing only if they need it. 
 

IMAGIC are also ones that I need replacements for. The labels tend to fade on those. Either the names are faded or the pictures don’t look as vibrant as they once were.

[John Stamos Mullet]

It’s perfectly fine. The only people who care are the price gougers and scumbag profiteers who prey on collectors with no impulse control. 

[Tiberius]

I try to do the best of both worlds and I don't plan on selling them on

I remove original label with a hairdryer and respectfully store it away in an album. That way it can be reapplied at a later date (if required) and will no longer be subject to further wear and tear whilst in the album.

Meanwhile I have the illusion that my carts are brand new!

[Ben from Plaion]

Great topic.

 

Question for me is how close to the original label are the repros? 

 

Two main things spring to mind, firstly, how close is the artwork, fonts, placement of text to the original and secondly what is the finish of the label like, the paper thickness and finish.

[SoundGammon]

What's a good glue for re-attaching a label?

[+Neon Wraith]

9 minutes ago, SoundGammon said:

What's a good glue for re-attaching a label?

I use rubber cement, available at Wal-Mart, Staples, Office Max or any craft/hobby store.

[MrChickenz]

15 minutes ago, SoundGammon said:

What's a good glue for re-attaching a label?

What I use is a glue stick. I just apply a small amount so if it has to be removed I don’t believe it will tear the label. If anyone else has a suggestion for glue it would be appreciated!

[MrChickenz]

48 minutes ago, Ben from Plaion said:

Great topic.

 

Question for me is how close to the original label are the repros? 

 

Two main things spring to mind, firstly, how close is the artwork, fonts, placement of text to the original and secondly what is the finish of the label like, the paper thickness and finish.

Good questions. Some I purchased online look great as far as artwork and fonts is concerned. Although I noticed background color on some is a bit off. 
 

And some labels seem a bit thin compared to originals but pretty durable.

 

And some labels are spot on I can’t see a difference.

 

These are a few I made just for Activision. I have a double set of Activison carts that I purchased over time. I made sure to get ones with torn or bad labels. I like the artwork on the labels 

 

 

Edited April 13 by MrChickenz

[MrChickenz]

46 minutes ago, John Stamos Mullet said:

It’s perfectly fine. The only people who care are the price gougers and scumbag profiteers who prey on collectors with no impulse control. 

Ha Ha! Let’s relabel them all we’ll show them! 🤣