Galactic Collector provides FREE tools for collectors, buyers, and sellers of the original Star Wars action figures and playsets to keep track of their collection. Our channel is dedicated to the 3.75" toy line, with information and tips for your vintage Star Wars collection!
Have you ever tried to work on the Sandcrawler electronics? I Picked on up recently that had substantial battery acid corrosion. I was able to get the motor working (only in reverse) but I can’t get the remote to change the motor direction. Any suggestions?
With the remotes, it's hard - the problem could be on the remote side, or it could be on the Sandcrawler side. People who know WAY more than I will tell you this is a simple RC setup - but simple for them is beyond me in this case. I'm no help here beyond the basic motor wiring, I too would love to see a nice walk through on testing and fixing the RC components on this guy. Amazon has cheap RC chips. You could plug one of those in in the meantime (they have a transmitter and receiver) to make it "workable". You wouldn't have to remove any existing parts, just disconnect a few wires.
No, the smell disappears as it evaporates. After I use lighter fluid, I usually let the item sit outside for a bit. If it's cold (I'm in NY) it may sit outside for an hour. If it's warm, I usually won't smell any residual odors after 10 minutes.
Nothing that I've found that is as effective as lighter fluid. Goo-Gone is very effective at removing stickers without damaging the plastic, but you most likely won't be able to reuse the stickers. Even if they don't get damaged by the Goo-Gone, it's tough to get them clean enough to reuse - if there is any residue left, it will impair them sticking again.
I enjoy your videos a lot but I must say that I feel reproduction parts are bad for the vintage toy hobby, especially Kenner Star Wars. There are more than enough junk toys that can be stripped for parts (a glut, really). Repro has no soul. But, that being said, to each his own
I hear what you are saying, and in some cases I agree with you. When reproduction parts are almost identical to originals, it's a REAL problem. All of my parts are designed as to be obvious that they are not original parts. But, that aside - a counter argument can be made AGAINST stripping down those "junk" toys that are out there. I review eBay everyday to scrape pricing info for my website, and am disgusted at the number of sellers that strip toys down to sell for parts. In many cases, toys that are complete. It creates a vicious cycle: a toy get's stripped down, and someone buys a part of it, just to have to re-complete it. But that's capitalism. I don't consider any Kenner Star Wars toys as junk, regardless of what condition they are in, and that's why I offer repair parts as well as replacement parts. I'd rather see all of these toys be recycled (reconditioned) and remembered. But I agree with you: to each their own.
Thank you so much for this guide and in particular with regards to using lighter fluid to remove the stickers without damaging them. I've successfully used this method to lift up the stickers enough to access the screws to re-attach an arm on a G1 Jetfire Transformer before I sell it.
I find these videos *essential* to understanding how vintage Kenner vehicles are put together, and of course fixing them. Would enjoy seeing longer videos showing exactly how to disassemble and reassemble each vehicle in the line. Your speaking voice is calming and focused, which is more than suitable for these documentaries. I especially respect your stance on not using reproduction stickers. Please continue with this series. I'm genuinely surprised your following isn't much larger (?). Your efforts are appreciated
Hello, im looking to restore a Toy Story collection Buzz Lightyear. Im planning on swapping some parts but my conundrum is the good parts have tore up stickers but the damaged parts have pristine stickers. I wanted to ask about cleaning the lighter fluid after the removal of the stickers, my fear is that the piece where the fluid was applied could still be flammable after wiping with a paper towel. Do you find that the paper towel does the job, or is there anything more I could do to be sure the lighter fluid is completely clean?
The lighter fluid actually evaporates fairly quickly - in some cases you have to re-apply several times to get the sticker off. To make sure it's completely gone, simply let the part sit outside for a few minutes - maybe a little longer if it's cold out - and it will be gone.
The lighter fluid actually evaporates pretty quickly , especially in warmer temperatures. It's not a bad idea to wipe down the area, but I don't think it's necessary. Normally any toys I remove stickers from get a bath because they are disgusting, but if you are just removing one sticker to say, re-align it or something, just wipe the area down with a damp cloth after the lighter fluid evaporates, and you will be fine.
Thanks! I've used this technique on a number plastics and metals, and have not had an issue. I have had it remove paint on porcelain/ceramic once, but I really think it was the type of paint that was used. Do a test first by dipping a q-tip in lighter fluid, and rub it around a little in an inconspicuous area. If the q-tip pics up ANY color (other than dirt or dust) then I'd say it's a no-go. Otherwise it should be safe. Start small and you can always back off if you encounter issues.. good luck!
@@occasm I've never had ink smear. It will dry the heck out of your skin, but somehow it seems to be safe on stickers! The only sticker smear issues I've ever had were on home made stickers, but that wasn't lighter fluid related. That was just cheap ink. But again, you can always test with lighter fluid on a q-tip. The white of a q-tip is a great testing indicator.
Thank you for the video! My motor looked brand knew, I hand spun the motor and it still wouldn't work except one time for about 5 seconds. Took it apart and there was a little "gunk" on the internal contacts. Got that brushed off put it back together and works like a charm! The only thing I would add is anyone doing this be aware when you separate the back plate it may dislodge the contacts so do this over a table as you did so that they don't fall into the carpet, they are very small and fragile.
Love the alternatives in this video. Question: Among the many vintage toys I'm in the process of fixing, one is Twiki from Buck Rogers. His decal covers the screw that holds him together. What is a good tool for removing that small decal (not much room to get under it) would dousing with zippo eventually loosen it?
The lighter fluid SHOULD eventually release the adhesive. It may take multiple applications. I've only had a few items where the stickers seemed baked on (maybe too much sun) where it doesn't work well. For tool, I like a dental pick, or an exacto knife. A careful hand is needed with either so you don't scratch the toy or damage the sticker. The most important tool: patience!
@@charlielundsberg8361 I've never had a sticker's color run, or seen lighter fluid damage any plastic or paint. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's a fairly tried and true method. The only issue I've ever had is some stickers can have their color flake off. You'll see a really minor example of this in the video. This isn't caused by the lighter fluid, it's caused by the sticker becoming rigid and brittle over time, and when you start flexing it with your prying and pulling, that's when the flaking can happen. Again, this doesn't happen a lot, and will just depend on the conditions the toy has lived through. If I start prying a sticker and see any flaking start to happen, I'll usually back off and leave the sticker in place, and just clean the toy as best I can. Good luck!
The Imperial Shuttle takes really nicely to a hydrogen peroxide bleaching. I've used the 12% hydrogen peroxide they sell at beauty supply stores. It has the consistency of a thick shampoo. Disassemble the ship (remove stickers too), take a part, and get a coat of the peroxide on it, and wrap it in a thin layer of cling wrap. Then set it out in the sun on a sunny day. Flip it every hour or so, and make sure the sun exposed side has a good coat of peroxide still (it's easy to massage around through the plastic wrap). Others use a UV light - I've never tried that. I've had super yellow go to bright original in a matter of an hour or 2. Start with a small part and practice a little. With a ship like this, the hardest part is making sure EVERY part gets back to the same shade that you want, but it's not hard to do! This technique will work on ALMOST any yellowed toy. Grays, black and whites are best - other colors may get bleached out - but some are safe depending on the plastic/paint used.
Thanks! I have yet to find anything that is close to that string, but I haven't looked too hard either. It's tough because it's a heavy cotton - a bit thicker than most threads, and a bit thinner than most string. If you are looking for something that looks good as a replacement, I suggest looking at heavy gauge braided fishing line - like 60 to 80 lb test in black. It's fairly thick, and will definitely look good as a replacement while at the same time being obvious that it is not OG. Archery serving thread is also pretty close...
So I open mine up but I did not see a black washer anywhere. What do you do when you have it open? It appears all you did was open it and close it back up. And I think one of the clips on the side broke off less it snapped back on somehow. Any advice? I was thinking about taking it up the local mechanic at the corner of the road here but he wants $75 just to look at it.
It needs some lubrication when it runs but screeches. Put a drop of 3 in 1 oil (or sewing machine oil, or pneumatic tool oil) on both ends of the axle where it goes into the motor housing. It's tougher to do on the end with the gear depending on how the nozzle of the oil dropper is - but once you've got a drop on both sides, spin it by hand a few times, then run it by the batteries on and off for a little bit. I'll usually move it around to let gravity help distribute the oil as well - but 9 times out of 10, this will knock the screech down to a whir!
Thank you! I was contemplating 'de-yellowing' a Transformer I've been rebuilding and was worried about damaging the stickers and wanted to avoid buying reproductions (I've already payed too much on the parts). Knowing I can potentially remove, save and even replace with better ones from my extra parts is a big relief!
Simple question, if stickers are a bit scratched or discolored due to aging? I have some vintage barbie playsets from my childhood that I'd like to restore and the stickers are a bit like cracked/discolored, what should I do? Is there a way to recolor then in the areas where the color came off? And how about making replicas from the original ones? Btw thanks for ur video, it's really helpful!
Dealing with damaged stickers is a tough decision. It's difficult to try to re-color them - some sticker backing almost seem to repel new color, but most vintage ones are papery enough to take some color. I usually leave them as is if they are just a little damaged. You could try a product like Mod Podge to seal the sticker so it doesn't damage further. Otherwise it's a matter of going to reproductions. You can find images of many vintage stickers online, that you could print out on to a sticker paper to make some decent facsimiles of what was there. In some cases you can purchase them directly off sites like eBay. Good luck!
I have one wing in the up position not quite folding up as much as the other. I’m guessing the issue is getting the pinwheels to match into the cross bar. Thanks for the video.
Yeah, that sounds like one of the gears slipped a little - probably got forced at one point. If you open it up, you should be able to synch them up again fairly easily..
Does the lighter fluid reactivate/soften the glue? I’m wondering if you could just use the fluid, wait, then slide the sticker to the correct position, since most old toy stickers are in the right spot, just done by a kid… so, not perfect.
While in some cases the adhesive will remain viable/sticky, I've never encountered one that would stick as well as I would like it to. So, yes, in theory it is possible (I'd guess less than 20% of stickers I've removed had some stick left), but odds are you will want to add some glue for best re-application.
I have one of the Vintage series versions with the larger wings that have been released recently. One of my wings doesn't stay on and I looked inside and found the exact problem as you're showing here. The latch on the button catch broke off. In 40+ years they NEVER fixed this issue with the design. I think I only ejected the wings less than 10 times since I bought it in 2021 brand new.
Wow, my collection is mostly original vintage line, so that is totally surprising to me. I guess I'll have to check if my fix needs modification to work with the new TIEs, or if they fiddled with the mold.. Thanks for the info!
Have you ever considered fabricating a set of tools shaped to get into most of the crevices for tabs and releases on these toys? I’d buy a set like that!
thank you for posting this helpful video... between this and one on cleaning the battery area I got it looking like it once did, well, its yellow in some area, but, even so it looks great, the wings are where they are suppose to be... and it all nice and clean... I got this shuttle for my son when the very first movie came out, and my son has been star wars hooked ever since... he's not really into the newer ones as much, but he still collects... I had a chuckle yesterday and today here I am taking my sons star wars old planes apart and cleaning them... I must say it was fun, and plus my son will be suprised... now onto the Falcon, hope it goes as well... oh and I will be getting a few sheets of stickers... and that side door if there is one to be had... When I looked for parts for the falcon they didn't have the parts I need, dog-gone... anyhoo, thanks and stay safe...
@@galacticcollector you got that right it is addicting... I even found that village of those bear little people that I can not remember what they are called. back in the day when I was getting/picking star war items up when I found them because the stores in my are country town didn't always carried star wars items, only the cities which were a long drive away, AND back then there was no internet, just magazines.... BUT, my son is still all shits an giggles with what he has... chad was amazed with the planes. so, once his house is compeleted all this will be going all nice an clean. it came nasty but, leaving clean. how this all came about I was on youtube and I came arcoss this video on star wars stuff, then hours later I was going through totes that my son has here while he building the new place, then bingo I'm having a good old time... sorry for the rambling...
I've never seen a clear shot of the bottom of the Smuggler's Run Falcon, but it looks like it has post feet on the bottom - so unfortunately this bracket won't work, sorry!
That can certainly work as well, I'm just demonstrating the good old lighter fluid method here. When it comes to 40 year old stickers, there is never a method that will work 100% of the time. I've had failures and success with heat. I've had failures and success with lighter fluid. Knowing multiple methods is always helpful!
High heat can damage toys, either by warping or by yellowing them. Also, depending on the age of the sticker, it has hardened and no heat will have any effect.
Great video! Sort of a related question the button to release the wings on my x wing is super stuck without a ton of force pulling the button / switch I can't close the wings, any idea why? Should I take it apart and take a look?
Fortunately, the X-Wing is easy to take apart - so, if you are comfortable with it, I'd say yes, take the screws out, and pull it apart. The rear part with the battery cover needs to kind of pull back from the top once the screw are out - it helps hold the top and bottom of the X-Wing together. Once you get the top off, you'll expose the blue button. There are 2 types: one with a vertical spring that just kind of flexes back and forth, and one with a horizontal spring, that actually helps the button go forward keeping tension on the R2 head - I find these to be way more temper-mental to lock ups. There could be a few things causing your stickiness. Sometimes the rim on R2 breaks, and you can simply rotate him. Sometimes the plastic parts just have too much friction - a little smidge of Armor All or a plastic lubricant can often work wonders - but be careful: if it's TOO slick, it will easily slip out of the locked position! There could be other reasons too - but opening it up should give you a good visual on what needs to be done. Good luck!
Awesome job! I have an X-wing in a box awaiting this exact type of repair. This will be alot cheaper than trying to find an entire wing piece. Thank you!
Great videos. Short and to the point. You, Toy Polloi and others give me the "unjustified confidence" to attempt to fix my old toys. They, like the Star Wars universe, are in a constant state of disrepair. Keep the memories alive and working properly, with fresh batteries. Thanks.
Thank you so much! My friend gave me an old Darth Vader Tie Fighter to see if I could repair it, and the motor works but is clearly filthy. This was exactly what I needed to know! Thanks again! (Edit: it worked! The motor runs like a charm now! Thanks one more time!)
