Caring for Your Collection
Most games are made of cardboard and paper. After 1860, the paper used, called "coated stock" (notice the shine or reflection of light), was more resistant to soiling. This paper can be cleaned with, quite simply, soap and water. But before I go into that, remember that proper handling of a game will lessen the need for cleaning and repair. Here are a few words of caution:
Beware of sun, heat, cold, moisture, and excessive dryness.
Keep games out of direct sunlight and away from bright light (the colors will fade). Keep games away from extreme heat or cold, and away from areas with great temperature fluctuations (the gameboards might warp, or the litho sheet may bubble or separate from the cardboard).
Keep games out of damp areas (they will mildew) or very dry areas (they may become brittle).
Watch out for rubber bands.
Don't use rubber bands to hold the cover on a game box unless you have to for a short period (such as in transit); they may disintegrate and fuse to the box cover. Buy the very elastic, high grade rubber bands packed in large boxes, found in office supply stores. (Suggested: Plymouth rubber bands, size 33.) Make sure you remove and replace rubber bands on game boxes very carefully so that you don't wear down the edges on the box; use two rubber bands, placing them right near the edge on opposite ends of the box; don't slide the rubber band along the box edge, lift it up. If, when antiquing, you want to look at game held together by a rubber band, ask the dealer to let you take it off rather than trusting the dealer to do it right.
Avoid tape, stacks, and one-handed hoists
Do not lift an old game with one hand, as your fingers might go right through the bottom. Don't stack games so the top of a game box is being pressed down by the game above. And never, ever use tape of any kind.
Collectors must wash hands before returning to collecting.
The oil in your fingers leaves marks (that's why professional crooks always wear gloves). Excessive handing will leave games soiled, and the dust and dirt from one game can be transferred by hand to other games. Wash your hands often when you're working with games.
Dirty games.
One of the best bargains a collector can find is a dirty game. Many non-collecting dealers know nothing about cleaning games and are afraid to try to remove the dirt from a game box for fear of ruining it.
Some stains, including simple water stains (light brown spots), ink marks and embedded grime may be impossible to get out. If you're thinking of buying a soiled game with the hope of cleaning it up, a good on-the-spot spot test is to wet your finger and rub it gently on the box cover; if you wind up with a clean spot on the box and a dirty finger, there's a good chance the game will clean up well.
Wash and dry paper games.
Mild liquid soap and a little water will clean up most games. Always test a small area first. Put a small amount of non-abrasive, non-detergent hand soap or dish washing liquid on a damp sponge. Gently rub the sponge on the paper in a circular motion near an edge. If the edges are worn, be careful not to get too much moisture on any exposed cardboard. Rinse and re-soap the sponge frequently, and wipe the cleaned area with a well-rinsed damp sponge. Repeat as necessary, but don't allow the surface to become too wet; let it dry completely between cleanings. Always check to see if the paper is being rubbed off or is buckling, or if the color is fading; if so, stop cleaning.
The big rubout.
You can also clean paper games with a kneadable soft eraser--an art eraser (not a pencil eraser). An eraser will let you remove some of the coloring from an ink mark, (though the indentation in the paper will remain). Remember that an eraser is acting as an abrasive and is removing paper, so work carefully.
Cleaning non-paper games.
To clean metal gameboards (such as most of Wolverine's products), use the same cleaners and polishers recommended by those who deal in toys and tin litho. One toy restorer recommends Meguiars Mirror Glaze # 7, which can be purchased in an automotive store.
Cleaning wood is as simple as washing or polishing wood objects in your home. Murphy's oil soap works well. If the game has illustrations drawn right on the wood, be careful; test a very tiny area, using liquid soap and water, to see if the color comes off or fades; use a white cloth or sponge to see if it is picking up any of the color from the wood. Clean along the grain of the wood, not against the grain, and work in short strokes.
Plastic takes well to soap and water. Do not use chemical cleaners on clear plastic (such as the plastic that covers the newer bagatelle games)--they can cloud the plastic.
Basic repairs for paper games.
The best way to repair paper games is to send them to an experienced restorer. And if you repair your own games, the best material to use is acid free glue and paper, available at most art supply stores.
Removing stickers and tape.
Never try to pull off a piece of tape or price sticker without using rubber cement thinner. Look for Carter's Rubber Cement Thinner in an office supply store. Put the cement thinner in a tiny (2"), clean oil can or use an eye dropper. Saturate a corner of the sticker, then gently peel back the corner, pressing down (not lifting up) as you do. Keep adding cement thinner as you slowly peel off the sticker. You can also try using a hair dryer on the tape or sticker; the heat may destroy the adhesive.
Repairing aprons.
The side of a game box is called the apron; where the apron is attached to the game box is called the edge. Edges are often worn, and aprons can be torn (in the middle) or split (at the corner), or detached completely.
Place aluminum foil or wax paper on a flat counter or tabletop. Set the cover on the foil/paper with the aprons pointing up. Use an archivists' glue (which will not become brittle) or a household glue such as Elmer's or Weldbond. Strengthen the box by placing a thin line of glue along the inside edges and corners. The glue may be white when wet but should dry colorless. Glue the inside edges and let dry before gluing the corners; use as little glue as possible (it will dry better).
If the corner is split, put some glue on the end of each apron, then hold the two aprons together with a paper clip (patience!). Push the two aprons firmly together, then add a little more glue to both the inside and the outside of the corner. Don't worry about getting glue on the paper clip; when the clip is removed carefully (wait until it is completely dry--24 hours is safe), it will snap off, leaving the glued corner in tact (hopefully). Do only one corner at a time, or two corners diagonally opposite. An apron that's torn in the middle can be held with a paper clip or, better yet, a "tweezer clamp" (try a hardware store).
If you are replacing an apron, set the apron so it is perpendicular to the box top or bottom and place a block or book along the outside of the apron to keep the apron upright. You may have to use a small, heavy item as support on the inside, or to keep the box bottom flat. Run a thin line of glue along the inside edge.
Warp speed.
Some game boxes are warped. (So are some collectors.) If your box is warped, wet the entire inside of the box with a wet sponge or a plant mister, or pour a little water into the box and move it around to cover the entire surface. Pour out any excess water, place the cover on a flat surface, line it with wax paper, and place inside the cover any flat, heavy object (a heavy bookend, or a large, unabridged dictionary or coffee table book), preferably one that is nearly the same size as the cover.
If your gameboard is warped, place it for a few days (in an open position if it is a folded board) under as large and as heavy an object as you can; depending on your sleeping habits, you may want to try it between your mattress and box spring.
© Bruce Whitehill, 1997, 2002. All Rights Reserved. Published in "Toy Shop," May, 1997. |
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