Collectorcast Ep.5 - Cleaning - What do you want to hear?

[Crabmaster2000]

So Duke and I decided that it would be beneficial for several reasons to get some community input prior to recording some of our future podcasts. In the next Collectorcast we will be discussing cleaning your collection.

With that in mind we'd love to hear about what interests you guys in this area. Have any unorthodox methods? Want to hear some horror stories? What kind of tools do you keep in your cleaning toolbox? How dedicated are you to keeping your collection pristine? Do you even care if another person's name is carved into your newest cart or a big fat security sticker is slapped across the front label?

Please let us know your thoughts on the subject either in this thread or shoot Duke or I a PM. We hope the community input will help in making the collectorcast better than ever!

[Razor Knuckles]

Other than covering the subject of cleaning (which I am very picky on myself) I'd dive into the strange aspects of gaming in general. Such as the before mentioned "When to expose kids to games" in your Dungeon thread. I'm not a parent but it would be cool to hear how you limit kids from too much gaming. Especially when you as a parent and collector having tons of games to expose them to.

How to organize a collection would be a cool subject too.

Maybe have some guests from this site on your show. Not quite sure ow that would work out though.

[Crabmaster2000]

Other than covering the subject of cleaning (which I am very picky on myself) I'd dive into the strange aspects of gaming in general. Such as the before mentioned "When to expose kids to games" in your Dungeon thread. I'm not a parent but it would be cool to hear how you limit kids from too much gaming. Especially when you as a parent and collector having tons of games to expose them to.

How to organize a collection would be a cool subject too.

Maybe have some guests from this site on your show. Not quite sure ow that would work out though.

We love to hear thoughts on future topic ideas too! We've got all of the above mentions already in the works for future episodes and I cant wait to dig into the children/family aspect of collecting/gaming eventually. Duke has a few fantastic guests lined up already and there are several members here who we are planning to talk with soon also.

Right now we want to know about your cleaning habits, concerns, ideas, etc. How do you tackle carts vs. dics. Do you spend as much effort cleaning up systems vs. boxes vs. jewel cases vs. etc.? Anything that is even remotely connected to cleaning that you find interesting we want to hear about.

[Razor Knuckles]

Oops, sorry Crabby I read that wrong lol I thought you were looking for other subjects also.

I'm really into keeping my games in near mint condition. I'm not super picky on condition, just like to make the best out what I can get. I did write a blog on cleaning, actually its my only blog I've done. I use mostly stuff you would find around the house to clean games. I hate removing stickers the most.

Too lazy to re-type everything but you can look it up in my blog.

[NES_Rules]

I guess I'll start with what I keep in my cleaning tool box, and yes I really do keep a box with my cleaning supplies nearby at all times. First off are alcohol swabs, these are ones they actually use in hospitals, a little piece of material soaked in rubbing alcohol in individually wrapped packets. I use these when I have just one or two games that need cleaned quickly. Next thing I have are a healthy supply of rags, I used my old flannel bed sheets for these, they're cut into squares about 6" x 6" and work out perfectly. I also keep a few Q-tips for a quick cleaning of stubborn NES games. For the good cleaning of NES games I have a pencil eraser for cleaning the contacts and the screwdriver bits. I also have a few toothpicks in there for scraping out the crease lines in systems and games. Finally, I keep a toothbrush in there for really scrubbing hard to reach areas and cleaning NES 72 pin connectors. And of course, I have a Liter bottle of rubbing alcohol nearby at all times.

I have a fairly consistent routine when it comes to cleaning games. When I get a new load of games, the first thing I do is a quick clean down of everything, whether I'm going to keep or sell it. A quick clean down essentially amounts to wiping down everything with a rag damp with rubbing alcohol. And yes, I even do the labels with this, I just avoid the very edge of the label so the alcohol doesn't get under the label. Unless the game is a Majesco release and doesn't have the clear protective layer on it, those I just avoid the label altogether.

For games I know I'll sell, I'll remove stickers if they're easy to get off, but if they're rental stickers or ancient stickers, I just leave them for their new owner and charge them less than I would for it if it were clean.

For games I keep, they generally get a full cleaning to remove all stickers, dirt, grime, and permanent marker. The only exceptions are rental stickers on really common games that I know I'll find another copy of eventually or some types of marker that just do not come off. Examples being the good permanent marker that I can lighten quite a bit, but never get rid of completely and some games that have this silver/white marker that reflects all methods of cleaning.

For systems that are filthy, whether I plan to sell or keep, I actually wash them in the sink with regular dish soap. I fully disassemble the unit and wash it like I would any dish, and use a soft scrub brush on the non-smooth systems like the NES or the vent ribs like on the NES and Genesis. The brush is soft enough to not scratch anything but firm enough to scrub away years' worth of grime.

I think that's about it, nothing too unusual and pretty standard cleaning practices for me. I guess that's what happens when I get my original cleaning tips from the same forums like this one as everyone else.

[RobotCowhand]

When I buy a bunch of games, this is usually the process.

Pass 0 : Hairdryer on stickers for removal
1st Pass : Windex on a microfibre cloth
2nd Pass : Remove more stubborn dirt with q-tips and alcohol. Toothpicks or toothbrush for cracks.
3rd Pass : Goo Gone on sticker residue
4th Pass : Wipe down with microfibre cloth and water
5th Pass :Open up the cart, use Q-tips and electronics contact cleaner on contacts

[Addicted]

It would also be a good idea to mention the various types of game bits, (size and quality such as black gamebits vs silver), weinmans (sp) stove top cleaner (and other controversial cleaners), as well as controller cleaning/accessory cleaning. Looking forward to the next podcast.

[Duke.Togo]

Thanks for the input Addicted, and welcome to the message boards!

A lot of you have hit some of the same things we have listed, but definitely some great additions. Keep 'em coming.

[singlebanana]

My tool box consists of:

cotton swabs
brass cleaner (for ultra clean contacts)
rubbing alcohol (final passes and get off brass cleaner)
security bit screwdriver (to open NES/SNES/Genesis carts)
tri-wing screwdriver (for Gameboy devices)
small phillips and flat head screwdrivers
dry erase markers (to get off permanent marker)
lighter fluid (yes, lighter fluid...removes stickers/sticky like nothing else, the smell quicky discipates)
goo gone
small tubes of super glue (light application for labels)
soft cloth and more abrasive towel
more cotton swabs.....

[Duke.Togo]

dry erase markers (to get off permanent marker)
small tubes of super glue (light application for labels)

OK, I want to hear more about these two. I've heard other say that super glue will discolor labels, and to use regular elmer's school glue. I personally use an acid free glue that my wife uses for scrapbooking.

The dry erase thing is new to me.

[NES_Rules]

dry erase markers (to get off permanent marker)
small tubes of super glue (light application for labels)

OK, I want to hear more about these two. I've heard other say that super glue will discolor labels, and to use regular elmer's school glue. I personally use an acid free glue that my wife uses for scrapbooking.

The dry erase thing is new to me.

I use a standard glue stick to repair my labels, because it was nearby the first time I needed to reglue a label and I don't have to worry about using too much and it seeping out the sides.

I've heard of the dry erase marker trick before. You basically just write overtop the permanent marker with it and the permanent marker disappears. It apparently works because the markers contain alcohol or some other dissolvent in order for them to be able to erased easily. The alcohol also breaks down the permanent marker and the felt tip acts like a mini scrub-brush to help it along even more.

[singlebanana]

I have never had a problem using super glue, nor has there been any discoloration.  True, you do have to be careful, but I usually use the really cheap glue, in very small tubes with a thin tip, from the $1 store, since the bond doesn't need to be overwhelmingly tight.

And yes, the dry erase markers work well.  They have brought several of my carts back to life.

[nupoile]

Goo Gone and something like Clorox disinfecting disposable wipes are my two main cleaning items. I generally just wipe down every use item that we get. I'll even wipe down paper items like book covers and manuals. Not every page gets wiped, just the outside. If it is a disc game, I take out the cover insert and just wipe all over the case, disc and manual. Because those wipes leave a little bit of a tacky feeling behind, I go back over with a dry cloth to clean that up.

I wouldn't do this sort of cleaning to a high dollar, mint item but I'm not so picky about condition. And besides those wipes don't affect paper much, if I use one wipe to clean a bunch of plastic and then get to the paper when the wipe has lost most of it's dampness there isn't much or any harm done.

If something needs more serious cleaning, like a NES cart that looks like someone spilled pop all over it, I'll happily take things apart to really clean.

I used to leave stickers on just as a kind of history of the game's travels. Now I take them all off. I'm not sure if I'll miss them in the future or not.

[Addicted]

Duke:

Thanks. Looks to be a great community here.

It should be mentioned that when checking pawnshops/resale stores it is worthwhile to check out the DVD section and the PC game section. I found a CIB UBI Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade for $7 in the PC section of a Half Price Books, and a CIB Dragon Warrior mixed in with the DVDS. CIB UBI Indy pictured below:

[Duke.Togo]

Very nice grab! I'll have to make sure to start looking in those other areas when I go to HPB. I've come across a few decent items from there.