Restoring Home Carts

redfield0009

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Jun 24, 2009
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808
I got a copy of Last Blade 2 in the mail today and was pretty disappointed to see how disgusting it was. The manual has grime and finger prints and a giant crease that runs through the entire manual from front to back. The case as well was probably swaped out as well. It's pretty loose like the KOF 97 home carts and I don't remember my old copy of LB2 being like this. It's scuffed to hell and the snap is about to fall off. Basically trashed.

20201010_124325_17.jpg

20201010_124340_17.jpg

The seller is going to give a partial refund and since I used a ton of ebay bucks the game was pretty cheap. I figured I'd do my best try and clean it up.

I went out and picked up some tearable erasers to try and get the grime off the manual. The case is a total loss so I swapped it for an extra I have lying around.

20201010_152744_17.jpg

I cleaned the manual the best I could and then ran it through a heat press. I got the vast majority of the creases out of the manaul, but there is still wear on the spine. I can't do anything about that, but I'm happy with the outcome.

20201010_152200_17.jpg

20201010_152425_17.jpg

I also cleaned the hell out of the game shell and cleaned the out of the contacts. They were filled with grime.

I also stopped by gamestop and the guy working there hooked it up with some of the cleaning cards they use for their credit card machine. I used on on my AES and it pulled out a ton of dirt.

20201010_124319_17.jpg

So that's how I spent my Saturday. When you guys get a new home cart and it's not what you expected, what do you guys do? Do you guys have any tips or tricks to get grime off manauls and inserts? The insert could use a press as well but I need to practice on a spare FF3 insert first.
 
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max 330 mega

The Almighty Bunghole
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damn, it looks much better than it did. good work. you gonna pop the cart open and make sure its legit?
 

redfield0009

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Thanks man. I don't think I need to pop it. The insert, manual and label are legit so I don't think I need to open it. I very rarely open them up.
 

wyo

King of Spammers
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Did you try jizzing on it?
 

Massive Urethra Chode

Disciple Of Orochi
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As old musicians would say, it has mojo

Leave it alone. Carts are meant to be played. Its whats onscreen that matters most. Its the feel of the joystick in your hands. Play that sucker.
 

neo_mao

Been There., Done That., It Was Shit.,
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Ah yes, the feeling of my joystick in my hands is quite magical.
 

StevenK

ng.com SFII tournament winner 2002-2023
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As old musicians would say, it has mojo

Leave it alone. Carts are meant to be played. Its whats onscreen that matters most. Its the feel of the joystick in your hands. Play that sucker.

Presumably this kind of attitude is why you look like you've never washed your hair.
 

BIG BEAR

SHOCKbox Developer,
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I had that happen to me recently. The seller stated ,"judge by the photos if you want it or not"and I bit.When I received it the photos neglected to show the dirty stained manual,the tear in the plastic on the container and smudges on the cart.
I'll be a bit more careful next time and make sure the seller gives more detail then stating '"judge for yourself via the pics."
Anyway, if I were you, I'd sell it and purchase a copy you're going to be HAPPY with.
BB
 
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theMot

Reformed collector of junk
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Looks like it came from a 2 pack a day Marlboro red home.
 

HeavyMachineGoob

My poontang misses Lenn Yang's wang
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I had that happen to me recently. The seller stated ,"judge by the photos if you want it or not"and I bit.When I received it the photos neglected to show the dirty stained manual,the tear in the plastic on the container and smudges on the cart.
I'll be a bit more careful next time and make sure the seller gives more detail then stating '"judge for yourself via the pics."
Anyway, if I were you, I'd sell it and purchase a copy you're going to be HAPPY with.
BB

I'll offer him $100 for it, given the disgusting condition.
 

redfield0009

Sieger's Squire
Joined
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Posts
808
I had that happen to me recently. The seller stated ,"judge by the photos if you want it or not"and I bit.When I received it the photos neglected to show the dirty stained manual,the tear in the plastic on the container and smudges on the cart.
I'll be a bit more careful next time and make sure the seller gives more detail then stating '"judge for yourself via the pics."
Anyway, if I were you, I'd sell it and purchase a copy you're going to be HAPPY with.
BB

This was a similar auction situation. Lesson learned for sure. I'm pretty happy with it after swapping the case and cleaning and pressing the manual. It's really hard to find a copy without a sun faded spine and at a decent price.

Looks like it came from a 2 pack a day Marlboro red home.

Oddly enough it didn't smell like smoke

I'll offer him $100 for it, given the disgusting condition.

It's not disgusting anymore. You can keep your 100 dollars.
 

Heinz

Parteizeit
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That came up pretty well red. I got an AOF2 for like $20 that was filthy but after a clean it came up really damn well.
 

yagamikun

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That sucks, man. Sorry that happened to you. While I generally seek out games with case, insert, or manual deficits to keep costs down, my type of bargain collecting isn't for everyone. That said, I've bought games that I thought were Very Good to Mint condition before, only to be sorely disappointed when I got the game.

I go through much the same process as you when trying to restore what I can, but here's some other considerations:

Shit insert: If it is irreparable, like my copy of Sengoku 2, I'll carefully remove and store the original insert. I'll then order a new repro insert from NeoOldStore so it still looks good sitting on the shelf in my collection.

Shit Manual: I'll usually just do what I can to restore the original manual if the game I got came with one. Because I don't care much if a game has a manual or not, I don't bother replacing these with a repro.

Shit Case: See above - they offer both SNK embossed snaplock and vinyl cases. You can tell they are repros upon inspection, but to the untrained eye they look legit. Their vinyl cases are especially awesome. I'll generally only buy these repro cases for games I've sourced as bare carts. If it's a "big tymer" bare cart game, like my copy of MSX, I'll source an original snaplock (but still get a repro insert).

Dirty Games: Everyone has their own method for cleaning games. All I'll recommend here is to get some 1Up cards. These things are amazing for cleaning cart contacts. No matter how "minty fresh" an AES game for sale is advertised, these are generally some of the dirtiest cart contacts I've ever seen and a simple q-tip and alcohol never fully gets the grime out. I don't recommend using Deoxit with these, though, as it will erode the adhesive that holds the cleaning pads to the card.

Dirty Console Connections: Dude on Ebay sells 3D printed console contact cleaners for like 4 bucks a piece. These last a long time too. He sells ones cut for an MVS, but you can just cut off about an inch on one side and it works perfectly in an AES slot. Just put a bit of Deoxit on it and clean away!
 
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Fritz

Annex Florida Coalition, Goodwill Ambassador,
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I bought a stack of homecarts from thailand once that had a coating of what smelled like top ramen and cigarette smoke. I tried to clean the plastic parts with de-odorizer but for the paper components not much I could really do. I ended up just replacing them with better copies later on.
 

BIG BEAR

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lol. Sh8tTy copies run high too.if you want or can, you purchase a double and you mix and match,then sell off what you don't want.
BB
I'll offer him $100 for it, given the disgusting condition.
 
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supergoose

Die Gans,
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lol. Sh8tTy copies run high too.if you want or can, you purchase a double and you mix and match,then sell off what you don't want.
BB
I still regret not buying the English Robo Army insert that you sold many years ago for something like $10 or $15.
 

Digmac

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I actually didn’t know you could get grime off of manuals using an eraser. I’ll keep it in mind if I get a real nasty manual in the future. As for the case being loose, are you talking about the case hinge being worn out, or the clear plastic covering the insert is loose? My Magical Drop 3 has some pretty loose plastic covering the insert, and it’s another 1997 release. I think with some cases they just added a little bit more of the plastic than others. SNK QC wasn’t that great as we know, lol. What heat press do you use as well? I’ve got a few manuals that could use it. It’s not a big deal to me, but I’d be curious what sort of improvement could be made.

When I get a cart in, I don’t test it before I perform a cleaning. I take the insert out of the case and I make a pass with a disinfectant wipe, and I let that air dry. Then I make another pass with a damp, folded paper towel. I then use a soft cloth to wipe the water off and dry the case. That gets all of the dirt and grime off of the soft case/snaplock and it does feel better in the hand after it’s cleaned. For the cart, I use 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to clean the contacts. I wet a Q-Tip and gently clean the contacts on one side of the board. I use a clean Q-Tip for each side of each board to ensure they’re truly clean. If they still need attention I’ll make another pass with four more Q-Tips. I also like wiping down the cart shell with a slightly damp paper towel if I see the cart has seen regular use. If it’s really nice, I don’t worry about cleaning the cart shell.
 

BIG BEAR

SHOCKbox Developer,
20 Year Member
Joined
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You know that I still have some inserts left that I acquired many years ago from that stash but they are in terrible shape..I will double check and see if I have anything salvageable...doubt it but would be nice to revisit the tomb.
This brings back terrible memories where I purchased a lot,not alot of authentic AES inserts off a guy in Singapore..this is like before eBay and he shipped them in an oversized cylinder allowing the inserts to get crushed...I remember one of them was an English Rbff and I'm pretty sure there were other high tier English one's I don't want to remember.Pretty sure I have the correspondence on an old drive I retired long ago...
BB
I still regret not buying the English Robo Army insert that you sold many years ago for something like $10 or $15.
 
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redfield0009

Sieger's Squire
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Posts
808
That sucks, man. Sorry that happened to you. While I generally seek out games with case, insert, or manual deficits to keep costs down, my type of bargain collecting isn't for everyone. That said, I've bought games that I thought were Very Good to Mint condition before, only to be sorely disappointed when I got the game.

I go through much the same process as you when trying to restore what I can, but here's some other considerations:

Shit insert: If it is irreparable, like my copy of Sengoku 2, I'll carefully remove and store the original insert. I'll then order a new repro insert from NeoOldStore so it still looks good sitting on the shelf in my collection.

Shit Manual: I'll usually just do what I can to restore the original manual if the game I got came with one. Because I don't care much if a game has a manual or not, I don't bother replacing these with a repro.

Shit Case: See above - they offer both SNK embossed snaplock and vinyl cases. You can tell they are repros upon inspection, but to the untrained eye they look legit. Their vinyl cases are especially awesome. I'll generally only buy these repro cases for games I've sourced as bare carts. If it's a "big tymer" bare cart game, like my copy of MSX, I'll source an original snaplock (but still get a repro insert).

Dirty Games: Everyone has their own method for cleaning games. All I'll recommend here is to get some 1Up cards. These things are amazing for cleaning cart contacts. No matter how "minty fresh" an AES game for sale is advertised, these are generally some of the dirtiest cart contacts I've ever seen and a simple q-tip and alcohol never fully gets the grime out. I don't recommend using Deoxit with these, though, as it will erode the adhesive that holds the cleaning pads to the card.

Dirty Console Connections: Dude on Ebay sells 3D printed console contact cleaners for like 4 bucks a piece. These last a long time too. He sells ones cut for an MVS, but you can just cut off about an inch on one side and it works perfectly in an AES slot. Just put a bit of Deoxit on it and clean away!

Thanks for the info! I agree, those 1 up cards are awesome. I use the smaller Gameboy sized cards to scrub the contacts of home carts. I'll check that ebay seller out and get some cleaner cards for the console. Those credit card cleaners also pulled out a ton of dirt.

I actually didn’t know you could get grime off of manuals using an eraser. I’ll keep it in mind if I get a real nasty manual in the future. As for the case being loose, are you talking about the case hinge being worn out, or the clear plastic covering the insert is loose? My Magical Drop 3 has some pretty loose plastic covering the insert, and it’s another 1997 release. I think with some cases they just added a little bit more of the plastic than others. SNK QC wasn’t that great as we know, lol. What heat press do you use as well? I’ve got a few manuals that could use it. It’s not a big deal to me, but I’d be curious what sort of improvement could be made.

When I get a cart in, I don’t test it before I perform a cleaning. I take the insert out of the case and I make a pass with a disinfectant wipe, and I let that air dry. Then I make another pass with a damp, folded paper towel. I then use a soft cloth to wipe the water off and dry the case. That gets all of the dirt and grime off of the soft case/snaplock and it does feel better in the hand after it’s cleaned. For the cart, I use 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to clean the contacts. I wet a Q-Tip and gently clean the contacts on one side of the board. I use a clean Q-Tip for each side of each board to ensure they’re truly clean. If they still need attention I’ll make another pass with four more Q-Tips. I also like wiping down the cart shell with a slightly damp paper towel if I see the cart has seen regular use. If it’s really nice, I don’t worry about cleaning the cart shell.

I'll test out your cleaning method on that snap lock LB2 came with. I'm also going to see if Novus can help with the scratches. The heat press is some cheap thing I got off Amazon for 119 I think. I bought it for comics for CGC submissions but I honestly don't recommend it. It's still perfect for manuals though. Shot me a PM and I can press your manuals for you. It won't do miracles but it can really improve things.

The LB2 still has the crease, but it's no longer a fold if that makes sense. I got a game coming in Tuesday that has a bend I'm going to attempt to press out.

In regards to the snap, it has extra plastic, guess it's a 97 thing, but LB2 was 98 so I think it was swapped at some point. Probably by the seller before shipping. The hinges are also loose and the snap is about to fall off.

You know that I still have some inserts left that I acquired many years ago from that stash but they are in terrible shape..I will double check and see if I have anything salvageable...doubt it but would be nice to revisit the tomb.
This brings back terrible memories where I purchased a lot,not alot of authentic AES inserts off a guy in Singapore..this is like before eBay and he shipped them in an oversized cylinder allowing the inserts to get crushed...I remember one of them was an English Rbff and I'm pretty sure there were other high tier English one's I don't want to remember.Pretty sure I have the correspondence on an old drive I retired long ago...
BB

Dude, if you can find those I'd love to practice pressing them. Insert paper is very thin and if the press is too hot it will cause the edges of the paper to get wavy.

I'd love to be able to fine tune the process and share the information with the community. I'll send you a PM.

I bought a stack of homecarts from thailand once that had a coating of what smelled like top ramen and cigarette smoke. I tried to clean the plastic parts with de-odorizer but for the paper components not much I could really do. I ended up just replacing them with better copies later on.

I had a US copy of KOF 98 that smelled like it lived in a bar. Just placing it on the shelf would cause the oder to pass to any cart it was next to. Nothing could get rid of the smell so I got rid of it.

That came up pretty well red. I got an AOF2 for like $20 that was filthy but after a clean it came up really damn well.

Thanks man. It shocks me how many people let some of these games get in such bad condition.
 

supergoose

Die Gans,
20 Year Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Posts
4,042
Not sure why the attachments didn't work last night. They did show up in preview and some of them also worked on the phone. I decided to delete last nights post and uploaded the pictures to Flickr:

---------

That's quite the difference.

You could try to touch up these blemishes with a black pencil:

50462486413_d82c0632f8_o.png


Have you tried a (soft) eraser yet?:

50463183896_3d32f29682_o.png


I stopped collecting homecarts years ago and I know this is bottom of the barrel kind of stuff but a few days ago I ended up winning an auction for this "beauty":

50462485433_afec1bef1b_o.png


Can't wait to find out how bad the damage really is. Fortunately, I do have a few spare cases.

This was my most disgusting homecart case so far:

50462486393_06a732a8fd_c.jpg


The worst Famicom cart that I have ever seen:

Spoiler:

50462672068_9bbd83cd48_o.png


50462486873_3cd31c9c69_o.png


50463350462_1fc24eec81_o.png


50463182381_9e10cc46ca_o.png


It came in a 100 carts lot that I bought on eBay for less than $60 shipped. Instead of throwing it away, I decided to see what could be done. Most of the other games were in good to like new condition. Donkey Kong Jr. wasn't actually visible in the pictures.
 

supergoose

Die Gans,
20 Year Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2001
Posts
4,042
I take the insert out of the case and I make a pass with a disinfectant wipe, and I let that air dry. Then I make another pass with a damp, folded paper towel. I then use a soft cloth to wipe the water off and dry the case.
You can submerge those cases in water. You just have to make sure that they are really 100% dry before putting the insert back in. I use paper towels to get even the smallest waterdrops out, prop up the case and let it dry overnight.

I like to:
- Remove sticker residue with Goo Gone or IPA. Depending on how bad it is.
- Rinse it.
- Let is soak in diluted clorine based household cleaner for about 15 to 30 minutes. As I'm typing this I have parts of a NGPC sitting in the same cleaning solution. You won't believe how much dirt and grime this will be able to remove.
- Use a toothbrush, paintbrush (I have one that is about 2" wide.), magic eraser, wooden toothpick, q-tip or regular sponge to carefully get rid of some of the more stubborn stuff. If there is any. If the case/item was only dusty and maybe slightly greasy, then I still like to use a paint brush to get in all the nooks and crannies.
- Rinse it.
- Spray it with diluted vinegar based houshold cleaner. (I have some in a spray bottle.)
- Rinse it.
- Let it dry.

Diluted clorine based cleaner after cleaning five Game Boys and three NEO GEO Pocket Color:

Spoiler:

It is fucking disgusting and those systems didn't even look all that bad when I took them apart:

50463751506_917a73edfa_b.jpg


50463750421_03896ddab6_b.jpg


That gets all of the dirt and grime off of the soft case/snaplock
I wouldn't be too sure about that one. In addition to what I'm already doing, I'd actually prefer to put my cases in an ultrasonic cleaner but mine isn't big enough.

I also like wiping down the cart shell with a slightly damp paper towel if I see the cart has seen regular use. If it’s really nice, I don’t worry about cleaning the cart shell.
I wipe mine with toilet paper that I put a little bit of IPA on. Just make sure that it's not too wet. I also always have some dry toilet paper handy in case it was too wet and I want to dry off the label quickly. Paper towel usually doesn't absorb water quite as well as toilet paper.
 
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redfield0009

Sieger's Squire
Joined
Jun 24, 2009
Posts
808
Not sure why the attachments didn't work last night. They did show up in preview and some of them also worked on the phone. I decided to delete last nights post and uploaded the pictures to Flickr:

---------

That's quite the difference.

You could try to touch up these blemishes with a black pencil:

50462486413_d82c0632f8_o.png


Have you tried a (soft) eraser yet?:

50463183896_3d32f29682_o.png


I stopped collecting homecarts years ago and I know this is bottom of the barrel kind of stuff but a few days ago I ended up winning an auction for this "beauty":

50462485433_afec1bef1b_o.png


Can't wait to find out how bad the damage really is. Fortunately, I do have a few spare cases.

This was my most disgusting homecart case so far:

50462486393_06a732a8fd_c.jpg


The worst Famicom cart that I have ever seen:

Spoiler:

50462672068_9bbd83cd48_o.png


50462486873_3cd31c9c69_o.png


50463350462_1fc24eec81_o.png


50463182381_9e10cc46ca_o.png


It came in a 100 carts lot that I bought on eBay for less than $60 shipped. Instead of throwing it away, I decided to see what could be done. Most of the other games were in good to like new condition. Donkey Kong Jr. wasn't actually visible in the pictures.

The mark in the spine is a scratch on the case, as far as the insert goes, I wouldn't want to color in the black. For me color loss is what it is. I'm just happy there is no sun fade lol
 
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