Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prizes

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larrydw
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by larrydw »

Hello All,
WOW, polishing plastic! Never thought of that. Some other tricks I use is WD-40 on slightly rusted metal prizes. Also, I would have a lot of paper books, etc that would have the covers fall off. I use a craft glue or rubber cement either of which remain pliable once dry. I just put a little on my finger and wipe the red binding.
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Luke
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Luke »

spudgy wrote:We have a Hobby Lobby here in Birmingham so I plan to check them out. Thanks!
They often have sales on the frames, so be sure to check their website weekly. Also they often have online coupons you can print out. There is one caveat with these frames... occasionally the hinge will open, and all the prizes will spill out onto the floor. It can be entertaining to see a waterfall of prizes cascading to the ground, but also frustrating. I use scotch tape on the corners for extra safety.
dianep2
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by dianep2 »

Wow Luke, that creates such a beautiful image, "a waterfall of prizes cascading to the ground." Only in my dreams. I would be under that waterfall with a bucket collecting those drops of CJ prizes.
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Jeffrey Maxwell
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

Your frames look great Luke! That is a great way to display favorite items.

I have cleaned and polished many types of plastic with many types of products, but mostly household items that I am going to display or sell. I have never polished plastic prizes. I have cleaned them with soap and water and a soft toothbrush when they came in dirty. But that is as far as I have gone in prize conservation/restoration.

One other thing -- I have used WD-40 to remove permenent marker marks on CJ prizes. It will work well on hard plastic, but don't use it on soft plastic, because it can soak in and damage the item. I used to use WD-40 a lot for cleaning melamine dinnerware and similar items.
spudgy
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by spudgy »

UPDATE: I just discovered that the colored magnifying glasses WILL BE DAMAGED by Nevr Dull. It dulls them even more. As for the hard plastics, I left a couple of pieces in the can with the cotton wadding for an extended period of time and the pieces still look completely unaffected.

Here are two pictures of the same piece, before and after polishing.
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2a.jpg
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Luke
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Luke »

Jeffrey Maxwell wrote:Maybe I should check into becoming a salesman for Riker mounts.
Have you done that yet?
Cyndy Boesch
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Cyndy Boesch »

As far as cleaning plastic Cracker Jack, I always given mine a soap and warm water bath when I first get them. An old toothbrush will help you clean out some of the dirt that is caught in crevices. If you want to polish your plastic, I would recommend using Simichrome metal polish, rather than Nevr Dull I have a large collection of bakelite jewelry and other bakelite pieces and Simichrome is used to both identify and polish it. It is actually good for the plastic. Give your pieces a warm water soak (with a little soap) dry them thoroughly and then apply a small bit of Simichrome with a soft dry cloth. Continue wiping until the polish is absorbed and it is actually beneficial to leave a tiny film of the polish on the piece. Of course, do not soak any metal or tin prizes in water! Same warning for anything that has paint or glue. Always keep any vintage plastic out of direct sunlight--it will both fade and become brittle. The color red is particularly vulnerable to fading. Oh, and the best polish for your lithographed tin pieces is a tiny bit of Turtle Wax (yes, the car polish!) on a slightly damp rag. You would be amazed at the amount of dirt and stain that this will remove! Follow the directions on the container and you will do fine.
spudgy
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by spudgy »

Thanks, Cyndy! I'll definitely give Simichrome and Turtle Wax a try.
Jeffrey Maxwell
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Jeffrey Maxwell »

I am trying to remember who it was who scolded me one time for cleaning my plastic prizes because she liked them to show their age.

I have never tried polishing them, but I do clean them with wet wipes if they have visible soil. Wet wipes work well for me, because they have only a very light cleaning solution in them.
Luke wrote:
Jeffrey Maxwell wrote:Maybe I should check into becoming a salesman for Riker mounts.
Have you done that yet?
Luke, I haven't started selling Riker mounts yet. I will let you know when I do.
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Luke
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Re: Best pratices for cleaning, storing and displaying prize

Post by Luke »

Thia is turning out to be a fantastic thread, I love all the cleaning tips. Although I've never cleaned my prizes, I will now. Cyndy, I have 2 questions. 1) Is Simichrome safe to use on the soft plastic prizes? and 2) I looked up Turtle Wax on Amazon last night, at was overwhelmed with all the different products they have. Could you be more specific about which Turtle Wax product you use? Thanks a bunch!
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