LGR - Cleaning & Restoring Big Box PC Games

This episode of LGR brought to you by Goo Gone :) But seriously, this was a very informative video, thanks!

Jason Lancaster

Omg yes! I think in all game cases as well especially the pre-owned ones, such a hassle to get off D:

floverSaeu09

The glossy/matte finish isn’t the real problem, the has/doesn’t have a finish is ;) For my games, I use a “service tag anti adhesive” that you can easily get in office supply stores (and a local retro game store here stocks up, as they use it *a lot*). It comes with a brush attachment to apply it. The liquid is fatty, and will eat through the adhesive. I used it to remove scotch tape from an NES box that was torn without any pieces of the box tearing up, also worked on security tags though you’ll also need to rub it, so the heat gun way is probably better for those. Thanks for the hints though!

Bastien Nocera

Safety razors make this a lot easier imo

Kenny Ketner

Fwiw, Scotty Peelers are awesome to remove stickers from hard surfaces like glass. Super cheap and I use it all he time. (Be careful on flexible or scratchable surfaces tho!)

Thomas Fuchs

For Aussies, I recommend using Zoff Adhesive remover. It's used to remove that sticky stuff left over from cheap band aids but works well on sticker removal.

This is incredibly helpful and creative! Goo Gone and a dry erase marker are your best friends for sure! Love the replacement inner cardboard box and using cardboard to flatten the sides of the boxes!

Marcus Zertuche

Hehe, yeah I've gone through many an episode of 8-bit Guy while removing decals myself ;)

LGR

Sure thing!

LGR

Shout out to 2nd and Charles for using stickers that are super easy to remove and leave no residue!

Dude

Neat. I really need to try the cardboard insert idea on some of my boxes. Thanks, Clint!

Thanks, glad to have shown something useful!

LGR

I know, that nastiness is the worst D:

LGR

This is the final subject discussed in this video.

LGR

What about how to reshape a dented/bent box?

steinaech

oh god, the sticker on that Typing of the Dead box *cringe*

David La Roche

I was JUST at Walmart... should have gotten some Goo-Gone

Zem Hysong

Very useful and fascinating ! This will help me a lot. Especially with those horrible stickers that leave a lot of gunk on the box. Thanks ! Also those boxes look fantastic ! :)

Maximilien Noal

Great video... was not aware of the dry erase marker trick. The cardboard box fill was brilliant.

Thanks for the tips, awesome video! I usually get some console games, so a lot of the PS2, PS1, PS3, 360 game boxes have a lot of stickers on them, and I just really hate that. I'm working at a game store, so I usually put the price stickers on my t-shirt, so it gets some lint, so its easier to remove. I got Project Zero 3 for the PS2 (fatal frame in the US) and when I bought it I saw, oh it has a huge blue sticker, but I bought it anyway and it wasn't put it on the plastic, but on the cover of the game. So i got an expensive game and like 30 % of the cover is ruined with a blue sticker that says to 2x 10 euros :D

László Viktor Lajos

Nifty tips! I would suggest - and only on the glossy ones of course - some CRC Label Off or Citrus Spray as they're often called, to get the really sticky paper based stickers and residues. But as with alcohol and such, you need to be careful and not let it sit too long. This is a Swedish version, but I believe they come in different variations all over the world: <a href="https://www.skoterdelen.com/atv-1/arctic-cat/tillbehor/oljor-kemi/crc-label-off" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.skoterdelen.com/atv-1/arctic-cat/tillbehor/oljor-kemi/crc-label-off</a> We use it all the time on our flight cases at work when removing transport labels etc. :)

Anders Enger Jensen

Very cool. I have dealt with this problem on a lot of boxes, particularly old computer boxes. I was surprised to see how well your results turned out, but then I realized most of the boxes you are dealing with are likely going to be glossy, where most of the ones I've dealt with have been matte. So that definitely makes a big difference. For example, I'd never use goo-gone or anything like that on these matte finishes, because they'll just seep right into the cardboard. I have found much the same methods as you, though. The biggest key is to pull slowly. I've even had some that required to pull so slowly that I'd sit down and watch a TV show while pulling slightly on a sticker or piece of tape. By the end of the show, it would be off. hahaha

The 8-Bit Guy

Very informative, Clint. What would you normally do if you had a box that was perfect save a small tear (no longer than an inch)? I have been given an original boxed Spectrum games that needs a little TLC and on has a 3/4" tear but is otherwise mint.

Glen Rea

You mention being really careful with boxes that can't be broken down to lay flat - have you considered putting a block of wood inside these boxes while you're removing the sticker? Seems like it could be a good way to support the box while peeling.

Peter Metzger

You've got a real knack for making videos on subjects that I didn't even think about but find fascinating. Keep it up!

yesssss goo gone, I love that stuff!

Jeremy Abel

Yep, using alcohol makes sense you're talking about plastic game cases and such.

LGR

I've had to peel way too many horrible GameStop stickers off the back of DS game cards, what terrible things. What I currently do is just slowly and carefully peel off as best as I can, the scrub the residue off with alcohol, but these are Nintendium plastic so you can usually afford to apply some pressure.

Love getting home from work and seeing new LGR.

ooo ya got me hooked straight from the thumbnail with that F-19 box. I played SO much of that when I was little, complete with the keyboard overlay

Peter Metzger