Swapping MVS shells and removing/re-applying existing labels..

[Jonny l3lanka]

Hi all. I figured I'd start a thread on this to see what the popular opinion is on this..

So you have a bashed up MVS cart.. amd a mint shell replacement. But the label of the cart is still nice condition or minty.. So you want to swap the shells and label but without tearing/damaging the label.

What do you do? I was told that there are some methods of doing this.

Also in the event of having an already messed up label... is it acceptable to reprint another identical one?

Cheers

Jonny

 

[betterdavid]

Ooh good thread. Interested in what the community thinks about this.

Personally, if you are going to replace a label that is scuffed up, I would prefer keeping the original label/shell in a plastic bag or something, but I'm fucking weird.

 

[Jonny l3lanka]

Ooh good thread. Interested in what the community thinks about this.

Personally, if you are going to replace a label that is scuffed up, I would prefer keeping the original label/shell in a plastic bag or something, but I'm fucking weird.

For collecting purposes right?

 

[betterdavid]

For collecting purposes right?

Exactly. Even if it's busted up, I'd rather keep everything possible. For the children.

 

[Jonny l3lanka]

Exactly. Even if it's busted up, I'd rather keep everything possible. For the children.

Yeah I know what you mean. This is why Im kind of in two minds about this.. I wouldn't want to make my games go down in value or collectability by doing this.. thats part of the fun!

 

[_rm_]

How about some shell treatment? Something that can bring the original look? There are solutions for the "yellow" in old consoles, sure something can be done to these shells, at least to give them a better look.

The stikers, now that's a different thing, i prefer to always keep the originals, even if they are beat up.

 

[Teddyboy16]

The label can be removed from the damaged cart by applying heat from a heat gun or a hair blow dryer. Of course, you need to remove the pcb's before trying this. You have to be patient, and go slowly. You especially need to be careful if you use a heat gun because they generate a lot of heat, so you might want to use a low setting. You want to get the adhesive hot enough, so it will start to let go of the surface. Start at one end work your way down to the opposite end. Don't go to fast when trying to peel back the label otherwise you risk ripping the label. I've done this and it works.

If the label is beyond salvaging, then a replacement label is in order. James has 1200dpi scans of all labels and all you would have to do is put the serial number (if it exists for the cart) on the label and print it out on a laser printer.

 

[malignantpoodle]

My personal take is this; I only care about original boards. That's it.

I even have a Zed Blade that had a bad cha board. I took the chips off of it and put it on a spare cha board. It works now (also with some help from Xian Xi fixing a trace I missed) and I consider that a full on legit cart.

Just my personal opinion.

 

[zapatistab]

Ask the CIA...since MVS labels are old the blow dryer method may not work

 

[Xian Xi]

For the outside of the shell, you can use a high grit sandpaper like 1500-2000 and wet sand it and then buff it with something like plastix to make it shiny again.

 

[Kid Panda]

Yeah I know what you mean. This is why Im kind of in two minds about this.. I wouldn't want to make my games go down in value or collectability by doing this.. thats part of the fun!

You guys really need to get the investment thing out of your mind, these are games to be played, they sat in a filthy arcade where the guy running the place did not care about the game one bit, only the money they brought in. Why do you think most of the carts look like shit? My games are played, if the label is good awesome. If the labels are shot or have cut serials, then I repro the labels. I'm just saying, of the look of the carts are so important, buy an AES then. Most of the really good games are not that expensive anyway and how MVS pricing is going nowadays, MVS will soon be the same price. This post isn't meant to be mean btw even though reading over it sounds like it is.

 

[Xian Xi]

If you want to be AES collectors but with MVS stuff then I suggest investing in shadowkn55's aes style MVS shells. That way you can just swap boards over to the new shell and the original label will be intact. The good thing about shadowkn55's labels is that they can be reapplied very easily. So if you sell the game you can keep the AMVS shell and just peel off the sticker and put a new game in there and a new sticker on the shell.

 

[shadowkn55]

You guys really need to get the investment thing out of your mind, these are games to be played

Says the "man" that has 50 copies of pulstar.

 

[alsmoneo]

You guys really need to get the investment thing out of your mind, these are games to be played, they sat in a filthy arcade where the guy running the place did not care about the game one bit, only the money they brought in. Why do you think most of the carts look like shit?

Lol I have a really beat up MVC cart in a shock box. I guess at the end of the day as long as the pbc's are legit i am good

 

[zapatistab]

Lol I have a really beat up MVC cart in a shock box. I guess at the end of the day as long as the pbc's are legit i am good

agreed, keeping them in shock boxes is sufficient enough for me. I think I may have MVS labels that I never applied to my old carts. Someday

 

[Pope Sazae]

I'm going to start putting just the boards directly into the MVS, never have to worry about my labels again.

 

[Tyranix95]

The label can be removed from the damaged cart by applying heat from a heat gun or a hair blow dryer. ... You have to be patient, and go slowly. You especially need to be careful if you use a heat gun because they generate a lot of heat, so you might want to use a low setting. You want to get the adhesive hot enough, so it will start to let go of the surface. Start at one end work your way down to the opposite end. Don't go to fast when trying to peel back the label otherwise you risk ripping the label. I've done this and it works.

If the label is beyond salvaging, then a replacement label is in order. James has 1200dpi scans of all labels and all you would have to do is put the serial number (if it exists for the cart) on the label and print it out on a laser printer.

Ask the CIA...since MVS labels are old the blow dryer method may not work

Be careful when you do this, if you try and lift the label when the adhesive is NOT hot enough, then the label will not separate from the cart easily at all. And, instead, the label will lift and curl a bit which will cause the ink on the label to bend and crack and flake away.

You guys really need to get the investment thing out of your mind, these are games to be played, they sat in a filthy arcade where the guy running the place did not care about the game one bit, only the money they brought in. Why do you think most of the carts look like shit? My games are played, if the label is good awesome. If the labels are shot or have cut serials, then I repro the labels. I'm just saying, of the look of the carts are so important, buy an AES then. Most of the really good games are not that expensive anyway and how MVS pricing is going nowadays, MVS will soon be the same price. This post isn't meant to be mean btw even though reading over it sounds like it is.

Yeah, +1 here. You guys really need to stop treating Loose MVS like AES.

AES and MVS Kits are where the money is at--not Loose MVS carts.

Loose MVS stuff is for OPs and gamers.

 

[Jonny l3lanka]

Yes I agree for the most part.. these games are to be played.. and played to hell at that!! but there is nothing wrong with refurbishing what you have with somewhat of an investment mindset.. just kind of like a get out of jail free card.. if you decided you didnt want to collect neogeo anymore and wanted to sell on.. hmm Im starting to lean more towards keeping MVS shells the way they are..

btw I just noticed something HILARIOUS in one of my previous quotes..

perhaps this would be a nice idea for these new MVS shells.. you know.. to differentiate from the AES coloured labels.. give them a more arcade feel while still holding some aesthetic touch..

Hold some AES-thetic touch... haha! Genius.. had I actually meant it..

 

[malignantpoodle]

I'm a collector. I hope for value increases now that my mvs collection is complete.

Having said that, I never turned down a cart for the way it looked, and yes I play my games. All of them.

 

[Xian Xi]

I'd rock the AMVS shells for the games I play the most which is like 4 games.

 

[xsq]

I have no problem what so ever with a cart beeing banged up, as long as the PCBs are fine. In fact in my opinion it doesn't fit to an arcade system (which the MVS undoubtaly is) to have super shiny mint carts - the scratches and dull plastic show the games have been used, like they should be. Sure, if I can pick up a game in a nice shell for a good price I will do so, but that isn't the decisive factor for me. I might be going after intact serials, but the collecting maddness ends there.

 

[Jonny l3lanka]

I have no problem what so ever with a cart beeing banged up, as long as the PCBs are fine. In fact in my opinion it doesn't fit to an arcade system (which the MVS undoubtaly is) to have super shiny mint carts - the scratches and dull plastic show the games have been used, like they should be. Sure, if I can pick up a game in a nice shell for a good price I will do so, but that isn't the decisive factor for me. I might be going after intact serials, but the collecting maddness ends there.

The collecting madness never ends here!!!