How to clean vintage action figures
As any serious collector of vintage action figures or contemporary collectible action dolls knows, the Holy Grail of any collection is an action figure graded NRFB - Never removed from box!
However, for any collector who has picked up a low grade bargain for sentimental nostalgic value or happened upon a hard to find item that needs some attention this is a brief guide to removing dirt from action figures.
The 1998 Bruce Lee action figure (produced under license from Media Asia Consumer Products Ltd) I'm using in this lens had seen some heavy use and had clearly fallen foul of the enemy of all action figures - children! The upper body and face were blackened with years of grime and actually sticky to touch before cleaning. There were also random splashes of paint on the face and some previous attempts at covering ink stains which would need to be tackled with particular care.
However, for any collector who has picked up a low grade bargain for sentimental nostalgic value or happened upon a hard to find item that needs some attention this is a brief guide to removing dirt from action figures.
The 1998 Bruce Lee action figure (produced under license from Media Asia Consumer Products Ltd) I'm using in this lens had seen some heavy use and had clearly fallen foul of the enemy of all action figures - children! The upper body and face were blackened with years of grime and actually sticky to touch before cleaning. There were also random splashes of paint on the face and some previous attempts at covering ink stains which would need to be tackled with particular care.
A very dirty action figure pre-cleaning
Original state - back of figure
Soak in some warm soapy water
So...let's get started! If the action figure is particularly grubby leave it soaking in a tepid bubble bath of gentle washing up liquid for half and hour or so. The water shouldn't be too hot as this may shift painted areas.
Important note!
Before you dunk your action figure in foaming water please check carefully and make sure there are no stickers or transfers on the figure that will obviously be ruined by contact with water! This lens is aimed at the cleaning of 100% plastic molded figures - any figures with batteries or electrical parts, or dolls with clothing or fabric accessories should NOT use this method!
Soak in some warm soapy water
Use a very soft toothbrush to remove stubborn dirt
For action figures that are moderately dirty it should be enough to rinse the figure after soaking and then pat dry with a soft cloth. This was a tough case though and even after a long soak Bruce still wasn't spruce! For particularly hard to remove or caked-on dirt the figure can be gently cleaned with a very soft toothbrush. A toothbrush will also help reach those difficult to reach nooks in more complex or detailed figures.
Use a very soft toothbrush to remove stubborn dirt
Gently remove ink stains with rubbing alcohol and cotton swab
If an action figure has been played with extensively more than likely it will have come off worse the wear from a battle with a felt tip or ballpoint pen! Ink stains are hard - but not impossible - to remove and require careful attention and patience. Marks will usually disappear if rubbed gently with a cotton bud or swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol or methylated spirits.
Important notes!
Always do a spot test on an inconspicuous area - some plastics may react with chemicals!
Remember to rinse the figure after treatment to remove any traces of alcohol or other solvents which might melt the surface of the doll over a period of time.
Gently remove ink stains with rubbing alcohol and cotton bud
Specialized product for removing stubborn sticky patches!
Goo Gone, 8 Oz.
Amazon Price: $4.10 (as of 11/29/2009)
Action Figure News
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byDry under cool air with a hairdyer
Dry the figure by dabbing with a soft cloth or use a cool hairdryer. Be careful to blow air into all the points of articulation and move them a little to remove any trapped droplets of water.
Nice and clean!
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Some Great Action Figure Links
- Vintage Action Figures - Rare and collectible designer toys and vintage action figures for sale
- Buy vintage action figures and other rare and collectible designer toys and rotocast vinyl action figures in our Vintage Action Figure Store
- Action Figure Blues
- Australian action figure blog
- Action Figures - About.com
- Action figure collecting resources including information for collectors about all types of action figures.
- Mego Museum
- The definitive guide to Mego figures
Share your tips!
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Reply
- John John Oct 30, 2009 @ 9:54 am
- whoa, great tutorial! thanks for sharing.
cheers from www.fabtintoys.com
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Reply
- MyYardSale MyYardSale Oct 27, 2009 @ 5:50 pm
- You give some great advice for all collectors to spruce up their battle-worn collectibles. If anyone is interested in some NRFBs, I've got some over at my online store (http://www.bonanzle.com/booths/MyYardSale24). Various Star Wars, wrestling, comic book, movie, and TV character figures available, mostly from the 1990s. Please come and check them out. Thanks!
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- Brian Stevenson Brian Stevenson Apr 24, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
- I used Poli-Dent Denture Cleaner to clean some vintage Star Wars Figures. Simply read the directions for cleaning dentures. Worked Wonders!
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- Mike Baylis Mike Baylis Mar 31, 2009 @ 1:31 pm
- Love the lense- This is a great tip, especially for individuals who find those rare gems at garage sales that need a bit of cleaning. I have a battle action he-man figure covered with gunk, thanks to you he looks MUCH better! If you get a chance, check out my Vintage Action Figure site, it's a bit new but I plan on having some great stuff there soon.
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- socialboy001 socialboy001 Feb 27, 2009 @ 3:35 pm
- This is fantastic. I've recently bought some pretty grubby looking Star Wars figures - should be able to sort them out now. Check out my new vinatge Star Wars action figures blog if you get a chance.
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by Debs
I am a British-born freelance Web consultant, blogger and translator.
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After studying Fine Art at Reading University I moved from England to the... (more)
| After studying Fine Art at Reading University I moved from England to the... (more)
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