Restoring Console Box Integrity How To.

[Torx]

EDIT: while im here, can someone recommend a commodore monitor for the cd32 and commodore 64? I got a killer c64 collection and i'd like to be able to connect both to a commodore monitor. 1702? 1080? thanks



i did a search for "restore box" but gave an error about box being 3 letters, so dont shoot me.

im real anal about how my classic consoles look and how well maintained the box packaging is.. So i bought an amiga cd32, box, paperwork, console, controllers, etc etc the works. But was kinda, "meh", about the current state the packaging box was in. So in my first attempt at console box restoration i went about it like this. Hopefully amiga/commodore purists dont kill me for this.

So what i did first was meticulously apply flexible white glue to the portions where the thin paper was coming off the cardboard. Then for the corners i slathered on white glue in stages to let it build up, and molded the corners with my fingers until proportional. The glue dried clear and i used a black marker to cover.

Of course you can only get away with this for black. Blue, red, grey boxes wouldnt be feasible to restore unless you can match the color perfectly.
I know some may say "Leaving worn edges gives it a more vintage/retro appeal". But i beg to differ in this case. If what i just did kills the value, then i wont do it again, .

Take a look. This is BEFORE


AFTER

[SPAZ-12]

I kinda like what you're doing there. I'm not so sure about your corner fix though--the results look kind of "lumpy". I'm sure it looks OK from further back, but I think that there must be a better way. White glue always dries in an uneven texture, as does wood glue which I found out in a project that I'm working on right now. Maybe if you ended up putting paper on top of the glue to give it a more even surface it would end up looking better.

Something else that helps in some situations is to make a smaller box that fits within the box that is beaten up. If it fits just right then it supports the battered box, and helps prevent some types of further damage. Not that your box needs it, but it's a useful trick that I've used on some game boxes in the past.

About the value.... I'm not sure what others think, but I would not pay as much for this box after you "fixed" it. Then again, I don't collect boxes. However, this is obviously something that you like to display in your personal collection, and for that use, I think this is great!