Hi all,

I know a while ago i made a thread on restoration thing and it is always there in the back of my mind. It is something i want to do.

I started to collect the vintage collection toys from Hasbro a few years back and i like the fact that they have done a lot of vintage looking cards but sadly they give us the middle finger ( sorry if i am so blunt on this ) and decided to stop the line. A lot of people were hoping to have re-sculpts done on the original 12 cards but sadly it was not to be... ( so far )...

So whats the next best thing to do? well, recard the old toys. I am a big packaging fan and would like to see the original ones on their cards the way it was meant to be. ( point of view of MOC collector ).

What i would like to know is who makes the best restoration kits?

I know about Beggar canyon and their kits looks awesome but the big turn off for me is that they put this awful "reproduction packaging" mention on the cardback. They say it is discreet but it is not, at least not for the original first movie cards. I think it just defaces the card and looks awful. It just jumps to the eyes because it is white letters on black. His Gi joe repro cards are a bit better, the repro warning is hidden and less prominent.

That leaves me with costablancastarwars who seems to have some really nice cardbacks but the bubble are generic bubbles which just ruins it for me.
so as you can see i would need to buy from both of them to get the best kit possible.

Unless someone else knows someone else who combines the best of both world and makes better kit.

Basically, I need someone who makes the proper bubbles and makes a good quality print out of the card without modifying the packaging.

Also if anyone can chime in the quality of the print of the cardback from the dealer they have bought from i would like to know.

And no i am not planning on selling recards or trying to scam anyone into making them believe i have authentic cards to make money, i am not that type. I can barely afford a loose figure right now because i am so far behind my bills but i would like to start a recard project later. I am at 77 high grade loose figure now from the original 93 trilogy figures... give or take a few upgrades. I would like to at least do the first 21 Star Wars cards and maybe the empire cards.

let me know what you think , any tips or advice is welcomed.

cheers!

Don't post when drunk

Bud

Before you get skewered, I'll throw in my opinion.

First off, if you're behind on your bills you shouldn't be buying anything. Project or not, hobby or not, it's a bad idea. Over the years I've seen marriages ruined over collecting and people going into hock for figures. I've yet to see it work out well for anyone.

That said, you're an adult and free to do what you want of course. If you're going to buy stuff though, I think buying reproduction items is a complete waste of money. You might think they look good but if you consider what you'll invest in them over the long haul you'll see that the money could've been spent on a lesser amount of quality vintage items. Items that will retain value I might add.

This is a reason I even started this thread to help people save up:

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t5940-vintage-savings-club-plan 

Don't waste your money on recards. They'll always be stigmatized and I'd wager you don't recover the money you put into it.

...besides repro cards without any clear REPRODUCTION mark should be considered fake items. Please stir away from them.

budspencer wrote:

I know about Beggar canyon and their kits looks awesome but the big turn off for me is that they put this awful "reproduction packaging" mention on the cardback. They say it is discreet but it is not, at least not for the original first movie cards. I think it just defaces the card and looks awful. It just jumps to the eyes because it is white letters on black.

I just had a look at the site of Beggar's Canyon. I think he is a honest seller labbelling his cards with "reproduction packaging". Nobody can be confused now or in the future, this card is obviously just not the real deal.
And honestly, he has done so in an elegant and subtle way. But that's just my opinion off course.

Bud i agree with John mate, its a waste of time and money.

Im of the opinion loose figures look fantastic on their own in a cheap glass ikea cabinet or on a shelf, putting them on a repro card takes away their charm, feel and authenticity.

I understand say a custom bluestars or headman on a custom card for the fun factor, these are totally unattainable for most collectors and can look cool in a customs dispaly i suppose, but putting kenner figures on repro cardbacks just takes away some magic from the figures.

Id suggest putting your funds into finishing your loose collection when youve got the bills out of the way, and spend $100 odd bucks on a cheap ikea glass display unit, loose figures look fantastic in one of those, it looks a lot classier than haveing a wall full of fake cardbacks that hold zero meaning.

Putting kenner figures into repro cardbacks is like putting a picasso into a frame from a $2 shop, after a while you will want to throw them out and either get real cards or just love the beauty of a loose figure.

LONG LIVE THE LOOSE FIGURES BUD  Cheers mate

Dr Dengar wrote:

...besides repro cards without any clear REPRODUCTION mark should be considered fake items. Please stir away from them.

budspencer wrote:

I know about Beggar canyon and their kits looks awesome but the big turn off for me is that they put this awful "reproduction packaging" mention on the cardback. They say it is discreet but it is not, at least not for the original first movie cards. I think it just defaces the card and looks awful. It just jumps to the eyes because it is white letters on black.

I just had a look at the site of Beggar's Canyon. I think he is a honest seller labbelling his cards with "reproduction packaging". Nobody can be confused now or in the future, this card is obviously just not the real deal.
And honestly, he has done so in an elegant and subtle way. But that's just my opinion off course.

On the ESB cards its not too prominent, so you can live with it. But on the 12 back cards it just jumps in your face, its not well positioned at all.

DarthBerizing wrote:

Bud

Before you get skewered, I'll throw in my opinion.

First off, if you're behind on your bills you shouldn't be buying anything. Project or not, hobby or not, it's a bad idea. Over the years I've seen marriages ruined over collecting and people going into hock for figures. I've yet to see it work out well for anyone.

That said, you're an adult and free to do what you want of course. If you're going to buy stuff though, I think buying reproduction items is a complete waste of money. You might think they look good but if you consider what you'll invest in them over the long haul you'll see that the money could've been spent on a lesser amount of quality vintage items. Items that will retain value I might add.

This is a reason I even started this thread to help people save up:

http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t5940-vintage-savings-club-plan 

Don't waste your money on recards. They'll always be stigmatized and I'd wager you don't recover the money you put into it.

I understand the points of views that it is throwing money away, please do not feel offended with my chain of thoughts no here to start something nasty either i love this place way too much to start a mess. I have no problem with this. It would be for my own gratification and no one else really. And it would be done with cheap doubles that i could pick up from ebay or sellers. Plus its a cheap way to get the cardback in pristine condition. I know that the original cardbacks are the way to go but when they have been defaced it just does not feel right to me. I dont think that putting a 20$ Luke on a decent repro kit would be the end of the world for me. I know it would be fake but its just like those people buying art prints. You know its not an original but it looks good. I am going for the looks of it all over anything else....

I just cannot afford a 1000$ Luke 12 back at this time, probably never will be able to Unless i just live in a cardboard box for a year. Kinda hard to do this in Canada come winter time.

This is a later project and i may change my mind down the road. I am working on finishing my loose collection and i want to get DT Luke, Blue Snaggy, the rebo band and yak face who is gonna ruin me. A VC jawa is on my hit list also. I am also getting the New Hasbro stuff and paying the bills without the GF lynching me in the process.

If i was still alone id be all set ahahaha. man i wish i had spent all my lunch money on these toys when i was a young lad, id be all set right now.

aussiejames wrote:

Don't post when drunk

ahahah I had a rhum and coke without the rhum James..... but as you can see i have my very own cardback ahahahahha



Cheers

My two cents for what it's worth, which is pretty much the opinion of the others inluding AJ (you even managed a typo in the thread title!)
I would love to collect MOC's but I don't because I can't afford it or at least couldn't afford to do it in the way I'd like too. To me recarding a loose figure on a fake card would forever just eat away at me because I would know it was fake so it would seem pointless, in the same way I would never add repro weapons to my collection, I'd rather have a loose figure with no accessoies than one with repros.
In terms of display, you can create some fantastic displays with just loose figures with out the need for cards, it just takes time and a bit of cash which would only be the cost of the repro cards anyway, and even if you recard the figures your still gonna have to display them (extra cost).
 
Even Darth Vader's got something to say about this....
 
 
 
Recarding your figures with fake cards would almost be as bad as this scene!

Why not buy original loose cardbacks with as little damage as possible (they do exist), and mount your figures on them using a repro bubble/top loader combo?

A full 'restoration kit' costs $500+. ( about enough to buy Yak, blue snag &  DT luke)  It would take a whole room to display it.  A room rents for $50 a week ? So after a year that's $3000+.  Enough to buy a great 12 back set or an ESB MOC run or a mint ROTJ run.  After a fun five year hunt you could have a full real set of 77 MOCs.  After 5 years repro cards would look like faded crap.

aussiejames wrote:

A full 'restoration kit' costs $500+. ( about enough to buy Yak, blue snag &  DT luke)  It would take a whole room to display it.  A room rents for $50 a week ? So after a year that's $3000+.  Enough to buy a great 12 back set or an ESB MOC run or a mint ROTJ run.  After a fun five year hunt you could have a full real set of 77 MOCs.  After 5 years repro cards would look like faded crap.

Nice one James.

Bud, if you really want to go for repro cards, go for the beggar canyon ones, they are at least marked as repro. (i don't see the whole SW vs GI Joe issue, as they both are marked in the same way imo, i even to look over the SW cardback twice, as i did not spot it the first time...)

But,  i do however agree with the other and woud advise you to spend your money on real vintage instead of repro....

That's about as true as it get's AJ, well put!

Got me thinking as well, if I boot the wife out, I could achieve all that in half the time!

aussiejames wrote:

A full 'restoration kit' costs $500+. ( about enough to buy Yak, blue snag &  DT luke)  It would take a whole room to display it.  A room rents for $50 a week ? So after a year that's $3000+.  Enough to buy a great 12 back set or an ESB MOC run or a mint ROTJ run.  After a fun five year hunt you could have a full real set of 77 MOCs.  After 5 years repro cards would look like faded crap.

mmmm, got me thinking. that money can go towards an early bird kit....

ahhhh, the agonizing choices of life.

budspencer wrote:

aussiejames wrote:

A full 'restoration kit' costs $500+. ( about enough to buy Yak, blue snag &  DT luke)  It would take a whole room to display it.  A room rents for $50 a week ? So after a year that's $3000+.  Enough to buy a great 12 back set or an ESB MOC run or a mint ROTJ run.  After a fun five year hunt you could have a full real set of 77 MOCs.  After 5 years repro cards would look like faded crap.

mmmm, got me thinking. that money can go towards an early bird kit....

ahhhh, the agonizing choices of life.

I think your statement above says volumes. You've mentioned an Early Bird kit several times over last while in various threads. My own suggestion is to go down the route I've chosen for myself recently. Instead of picking up every little thing that catches your eye, save up and get one thing you really want. It's not as much fun as having a room full of toys but you'll have the cool pieces that make you smile that much more. And if it take you 5 years, 8 years or 15 years to pick up a set of MOC, who cares. Someone here said to me one time it's not a race.