LGR - Cleaning Up & Restoring PC Game Boxes

By request, this is an assortment of methods I use to remove stickers and gooey residue from computer game packaging. Also rebuilding cardboard box interiors so they hold up better!
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● Music used in order of appearance:
Whisky on the Rocks 1, Not That Serious 3, Streetlight Conundrum 1
www.epidemicsound.com

[@LGR]

To make it 100% clear: LGR episodes like today's, even though it features commercial products, are not sponsored. Not by Goo Gone, not by anyone. Unless you count Patreon backers. In that case I'm sponsored by love, man.

[@sonnder]

Maybe it should have been. May my like forever offset the dislike of a dummy!

[@GeneralSnus83]

For stickers and packing tape I also use a hairdryer and some tweezers as to not burn my fingers. I keep the heat on while I remove the sticker. Works wonders even on non glossy surfaces.

[@99bulldog]

Clint another cleaning product to look into is Simple Green. I've never used it on cardboard boxes, but I would assume it's not going to do any more to the box than Goo Gone. I've yet to find a stain that it couldn't take out with a couple of applications.

[@stevenf9772]

Thats' ok. Goo Gone was the first thing I thought before I watched.

[@pallerunqvist1]

Goo Gone should've been sponsoring this.

[@lucielcampbell2737]

As a note on the security stickers: If the box you have isn't the kind you can "flatten", what you can do is fill it up with books/magacines/paper that will prevent it from "caving in" when you're working on removing the sticket :)

[@darkstarnh]

A tip for removing tape and large labels is to (very) slowly unpeel them by wrapping them around something like a pencil. It can be a lot gentler than hand peeling.

[@LGR]

Nice tip!

[@IWALVG]

Clint's voice makes even the most menial and mind-numbing of tasks sound delightfully soothing and relaxing.

[@metfan4l]

That was a very satisfying video to watch.

[@ShinyStarriNite]

very helpful too, i absolutely hate those anti-theft stickers and i really needed to know how to get those off

[@arcadeguyceej6805]

That dry-erase method is brilliant. Never would have thought of it in a million years! Time to go restore a couple of old games. Thanks, LGR!

[@MrShiftyeyesshady]

Yeah, that blew my mind. I had no idea you could use a dry-erase for that!

[@kprox1994]

I've always used hand sanitizer

[@99bulldog]

Dry erase markers work on sharpies and permanent marker marks because of the alcohol in them.

[@outofsync6599]

Wait You didn't know that Dry erase Markers did that? Holy moly. Here where i live That is common sense becuz teachers forced us to clean the table that often had penises drawn on then soo we used the Dry Erase method

[@erichulliberger9303]

Me either, that's a great use of a dry erase marker...LGR rules!

[@BIGMIKEREC]

You can straight-up feel the love and commitment during certain parts of this video, especially the cardboard fab parts. You're something else, Clint. In a good way.

[@LGR]

Thanks :)

[@nicorkydude]

Man, LGR is such a loveable and wholesome character :) Such a relaxing channel to follow!

[@voxlvalyx]

He kind of reminds me of a much more charismatic Lester Crest from GTA V.

[@christopherwilliams9418]

Traded all of his creepy points for charisma points? :P

[@RingoBuns]

Hey Clint! I’ve been waiting for this video! I work at a used game shop and oddly, restoring and peeling stickers is one of my favourite parts of the day. One thing I would recommend after using the goo gone is to wipe it down with a little windex on a paper towel and wiping the goo gone away as I’ve noticed that over time, the goo gone residue likes to break down and eat certain materials. It’ll also help you get a bit more of that gloss back. This video was really great though! You’ve made my Monday a whole lot better. 😊

[@LGR]

Yep, this is why you see me wiping down the surface immediately after using Goo Gone. As mentioned later on, it tends to seep into cardboard if you're not careful!

[@kahe4237]

Are Nokia N-Gage games very easily available nowadays?

[@RingoBuns]

Lazy Game Reviews ah! Sorry, I must of missed that part! Thanks!

[@prufrockrenegade]

Hello Ringo I work at a record store that recently got into selling retro games. The other day a customer brought in a whole stack of boxed Genesis games that were all covered in stickers and tape on the boxes and cartridges. I thought it was gonna be a pain cleaning them all up but it turned out to easily be the most relaxing part of my day. I'm actually looking forward to the next time I have to do it haha

[@RingoBuns]

prufrockrenegade right?? It’s so peaceful.

[@SilvermaniaShow]

This was like ASMR for my eyes.

[@elshrapnel]

The funniest thing is when you carefully peel off the sticker from the box, so now the whole area of the boxart looks yellowed or discolored except under the sticker, if you compare (excuse me for my english)

[@Scofflaw_k10]

I can't help but be amused by the fact that the ad for this video was for Loctite super glue.

[@LGR]

Ha. KZbin ad bots doing their job I suppose.

[@MeepM33p]

My Gamestop used to take the art sleeve out of games and place the stickers STRAIGHT ONTO THE BOX ART. It is the most annoying thing. My copy of Devil May Cry forever has a big "USED" sticker plastered on it.

[@DaVince21]

Meep I guess that may make you cry forever. :P

[@mikechua159]

This was surprisingly useful. And the time, patience and careful effort you apply really displays the passion you have for preserving these big box pc games. I am, in a weird way, genuinely moved. Thank you. Keep doing what you do !

[@PewnyPL]

FINALLY! Been waiting for this video for 2+ years now (as I asked about how you do this around then) and you finally decided to make one.

[@jiukumite]

I used the same method back when I had old box games. My father taught me how to de-sticker books/clean up old books. Same old methods, tried & true! Thanks Clint! Awesome stuff as always!

[@draketungsten74]

I commend your dedication with all the time and money you spend on the boxes. Truly a labor of love.

[@banjoarefood898]

one of my favorite videos you've made. the less glamorous side of making the collection look so glamorous

[@ErnoSallinen]

I really appreciate your meticulous approach with your collectibles. Very nice.

[@ameliawright6947]

For those like me who repair and collect old books for a hobby, a lot of this advice is extremes helpful!

[@RetroPowerUp]

I never would have thought about adding my own cardboard inserts into boxes. Pretty cool idea! Pro tip for sure!

[@archer1116]

This video speaks to me in a way almost nothing else can. I hate when I get a game that spent some time at gamestop for this reason. They will have to answer for these transgressions against defenseless games at some point. My favorite is the stack of paper stickers that they put on old games when the price changes. They almost never come off smooth.

[@NicDoesDumbThings]

My favorite part about getting a stack of gamestop price stickers was being able to see through them sometimes to see the old prices. You just watched the game get progressively cheaper. Probably the only good part about those things, unfortunately.

[@MeerkatChris]

Wow, that Goo Gone stuff is exactly what I've been needing in my life! Another great video. You're just such a helpful guy, haha!

[@MDP_Motorsports]

Just want to say I love your intro, its one of the most warm and inviting of any regulars on YT. Nothing makes me feel more welcome and comfortable than "Greetings, and welcome to an LGR thing"

[@AqUariUsclashes571]

I really want to thank you for this. I buy books and DVDs from thrift stores once in a while and I have read every wikihow on trying to get the stickers off. This was the most helpful. Thank you again.

[@georgesiv2082]

Your best video so far. I have been collecting big box pc games for years and I still learned a lot.

[@DenDiskPro]

Dude I've recently found some of my first big box pc games in the wild and i think everything you covered in this video is going to come in handy. Thanks a bunch!

[@anthonymiller18]

Thanks, Clint! Never thought of the cardboard idea. Great stuff!

[@PXAbstraction]

Great video! I have a bunch of old boxed PC games with price stickers of probably every type you mentioned. I've always wanted to do something about that but never looked into how to go about it. This will help a ton!

[@finefatfly4019]

But, wow! I never would have thought about adding cardboard to the inside of the box to reinforce it and keep it un-squished! Brilliant!

[@user-ps6uc4hq7y]

This is SO satisfying to watch! Thanks.

[@bobz1736]

Another gem. I love your videos. .. You are such a great orator (great voice and no umming and erring - and never say "basically")

[@OniResurrect]

Good techniques for removing gunk and keeping boxes clean, learned some new ones here too, thanks!

[@cassnate6259]

Only Clint could get me fascinated with a 12 minute video of peeling stickers off of boxes.

[@mastressalita]

Great video, Clint! I'm a librarian and have to mend books all the time, and Goo Gone is one of our favorite things! Purell is great for taking Sharpie off the front of laminate or DVD cases, but I had no idea that a dry erase marker would take Sharpie off a cardboard box! A lot of donated books on CDs have writing on them, that will be incredibly useful! Thanks for the tip!

[@whoevertf]

Awesomely informative. Can't make much use of this info myself but definitely cool to see how it's done.

[@loumalabann9303]

this was super fun and calming to watch

[@joshuagales1941]

I've saved so many gunpla boxes from terrible packaging decisions because of this video thank you very much.

[@KaotikKnight]

I have so many game boxes with residue left by stickers, I even have some that were left on manuals too. Great video LGR.

[@ihihbs]

One thing I've found very useful for making boxes with crisp edges is getting an inexpensive bone folder. If you don't want to spend a few dollars on one, the edge of a credit card can also work decently. Set the ruler a tiny bit off from a line you want to fold. Firmly press the folder into the cardboard and run it along the edge of the ruler. Ta-da! A nice crisp crease for the fold.

[@PeradonCentury]

I have never restored a game box like that, and i likely wont ever because im not a collector. But this was really interesting to watch. Great quality videos as always from LGR. Keep em coming, bud!

[@kylek1535]

Just spent twelve minutes watching someone remove stickers... LGR is awesome!

[@stoneprevious4294]

I watched this video years ago and thought "Neat". I have recently started "collecting" big-box games. I now have a very small collection of games that I'm nostalgic for and this video provided solid insight!

[@edgeman83]

Oh boy, I have been waiting for this video for quite a while!

[@francisacemaglalang1701]

Another great video Clint!

[@AgnostosGnostos]

Very nice videos. I was never keeping the boxes of my computer games during 90's and I regret that a lot.

[@monkeywithocd]

Thank you so much for this! Since getting into retro game collecting I've made some blunders trying to restore things (my biggest regret is using packing tape to restore a torn Police Quest 1 map, and then making the problem worse by trying to get the tape off), so I'll be sure to reference this video when I want to try some of these things! Might actually get the million stickers off of my copy of Riven.

[@rubisdrake]

I also love Goo Gone, a lot. Rubbing alcohol works excellent against permanent marker markings of any age. It just shouldn't be used on plain paperback surfaces that can get wet, or else it will smear. Just try it for glossy.

[@thespacecatjenkins8539]

you are a legend. thank u for all the free content

[@alexlindstrom9971]

Stickers in general are just a disaster. I get that they don't want prices and other identifying markers to be removed easily, but is it ever a pain in the ass to try and fix them up for either display or resale. Sometimes I swear retail workers are smashing the price tags onto the boxes. P.S. Cutting up those cardboard boxes for framing is some serious dedication, way to show how it's done.

[@jermasus]

Never thought a video about removing stickers could be so entertaining

[@filthyanimal]

I LOVE seeing people restore older stuff, I just want like, a playlist of just this.

[@ItsHyomoto]

That's very cool. It's obvious you've been doing this for a while. In a way though it's like getting to see the magician's tricks, now we have a glimpse at why your collection looks so nice :D

[@SkullFireSwords]

I've been using Goo Gone recently to take off stickers on old cartridges, super easy! Thanks for the additional tips

[@cratecruncher6687]

I also like to use Elmers white glue to fix torn cardboard and compress foxed corners. A set of multicolored Sharpies can be used sparingly to color in little chips of ink that are missing due bumps and rubs.

[@brianjohnson1705]

Thank you for providing metric conversions in your videos.

[@TheNotoriousBIF]

It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one neurotic enough to spend hours of my life removing stickers from twenty year old video games. Thank you LGR.

[@LochNessHamster]

This'll help me out a lot with used hardcover books. Thanks, Clint!

[@padawanmage71]

Thanks for that! I honestly didn't know you could use dry erase marker to help remove writing on boxes. 👍🏼

[@seansretroverse9082]

Yeah man, I've pretty much had to use every method you mentioned for stickers and tape, but I had no idea on the dry erase marker trick for getting sharpie ink to come off! That was an awesome trick! Thanks for that!

[@mwegner568106]

I think this subject deserves its own KZbin channel just like your LGR Foods channel. Uploads every week or you peeling stickers

[@KarlPiper]

No padding between the blade and table, a bold man. Also the way he sprays Goo Gone looks awkward, but those stupid bottles are like: gentle squeeze…geeeentle squeze…SPURT!!!!

[@Ikrananka]

Great tips LGR. A couple of suggestions though that may help: 1. Instead of using your finger nail, use the edge of a plastic credit card (or similar - I use an old hotel room key). The plastic card should be orientated at a slight angle to the box and then just gently push the edge of it against softened (heated / Goo Gone) sticker residue. 2. If you have an absorbant box that Goo Gone may damage, then I use lighter fluid. Just make sure you do this in a well ventilated space. Saturate the sticker residue with it and leave for a minute. You may need to repeat this several times before the glue is soft enough to remove using a credit card. Although the lighter fluid spreads everywhere and darkens big areas of the box making it look like you've damaged it, the lighter fluid completely evaporates and, for me, leaves the box without a trace of it whatsoever.

[@MrToothrot]

Loved this Clint! Thanks for the info.

[@Bozzyplays]

I just watched 12 minutes of someone peeling off stickers..

[@LGR]

You're WELCOME

[@DarknessViper99]

I thought I was watching a 12 minute Goo Gone™ advert.

[@LeeDee5]

If it was LGR I would watch 12 hours of him peeling stickers.

[@senditcars]

Same.

[@HissinSpit]

And what a satisfying 12 minutes it was.

[@TheACEJester]

That is the most care a FOX Sports Golf '95 box has ever gotten. I love it.

[@bsc3253]

Yes, Anti-Theft thing at 2:43 is called RFID (Radio-frequency identification) - first widely used standard was Tris, developed by Texas Instruments. Nice episode, Thanks !

[@animalyze7120]

I wish I could locate my copy of Robot arena and another game that was called Cyber Empires. Miss those games. Great video as always Clint! Glad you are on you tube!

[@GetVladimir]

Thanks for sharing these techniques!

[@BrightSpark]

Now, that's very handy. I've had console games that I bought from flea markets in the past that had price stickers and stuff on the paper cover for some ungodly reason, so maybe I can try that sometime. I assume that a good number of people here have probably already seen the cartridge restoration video from The 8-Bit Guy, but one recommendation for stickers on plastic that I'd like to forward to everyone is applying a bit of WD-40 to the sticker and letting that soak in. Then they come right off, even without leaving any glue residue if you let it soak in properly!

[@Nerven86]

awesome video as always!!

[@RyuNoZero]

The Videos of LGR are those where I don't regret to press the Like Button at the start of the Video.

[@broderperdurabo]

Great video, this works great for vinyls as well.

[@CommodoreFan64]

Awesome stuff, and I've been using the Goo Gone, and blow dryer method for years.

[@GreyHulk2156]

A lot of these tips work well on more modern games too. I've been doing similar things to remove stickers from PS3 games bought from pawn shops. The plastic case makes it a lot easier, but it's still really messy.

[@tedfondak5206]

Great guide, Clint -- thanks!

[@An9eL_C]

Wow that Dry eraser marker trick was awesome... Thanks Clint...

[@TheInsanemonkeyboy]

I collect toys and I keep the original price tags on vintage toys. If it's been on there 20+ years it is part of the package now. And seeing now defunct toy stores is nostalgic.

[@LGR]

I'll keep them too if they're original price stickers from a nostalgic location that don't get in the way of the box art. But obviously this video is about removing *annoying* stickers, ones with no redeeming value.

[@TheInsanemonkeyboy]

I know it is a touchy subject in toy collecting circles. Some want them off others say leave them on for nostalgia. I enjoy your videos keep up the good work.

[@TheInsanemonkeyboy]

OUCH To soon Boco to soon. lol

[@SuperJman991]

I've always wanted the stickers off of my games. John Hancock brought up the same point you did, that it's part of the package and part of the history. Just depends on what it is I guess, but I really don't like all those Gamestop stickers on these cheap PS3 games I come across.

[@erichulliberger9303]

+Boco Corwin I imagine you're right, I never see much business in there on the few occasions I've frequented Toys R Us stores. Their prices are out of sight. I collect Lego sets as well as being a retro gamer, and I never go in without a coupon of some sort.

[@Nr7]

These are some really good tips!

[@MelodieOctavia]

You even make peeling stickers off of boxes interesting. You have a talent, my bespectacled, wood-grain-loving friend.

[@LGR]

Thank you!

[@CheekyChan]

For the boxes you can't take apart I used to just find a book and a bunch of plain paper to match the inside height of the box then stick it in there and go to town on the stickers so I don't damage the box or crush it. It's always worked a treat for me.

[@oaijac]

Don’t listen to the haters, this was well done! Do your thing LGR!

[@faz7248]

A tip for hard to remove labels: roll a cotton swab impregnated with a solvent that solves the glue (usually methanol or isopropyl) over the label and wait a few minutes. This is a method used in art conservation as well. Sometimes it might make sense to impregnate with just water. This will remove the label but leave the glue on place. The glue can then be cleaned with another solvent.

[@mitsostechtips9047]

I just used W5 glass cleaner like windex from Lidl, and it Works just fine. These methods have worked for me. Thank you Clint.

[@RikoJAmado]

LGR: only guy I know that can hold your attention by narrating a video of watching glue dry.

[@CircuitsandCoffee]

This was amazing!!! Now I just have to plan time to remove way too many stickers. Thanks for such an informative video!

[@LGR]

You’re quite welcome!

[@ReaperUnreal]

Real solid tips. Thanks!

[@CoreyDWillis]

I love it! Don't let the trolls stop you from making more of these. Maybe just state at the top of the video that the products are not sponsors.

[@cattthompson4143]

I personally don't do any restoration for my game stuff like this. But I found this video very interesting and now I'll know what to do should I ever need to patch up some of my fave game boxes! :)

[@Veronique487]

great tip with the dry erase marker, I didn't know about it! 👍🏼

[@groutguy]

Duuuuuude do more videos like this this was the best

[@ArtyomHavok]

i really enjoyed the end about making boxes. its pretty obvious now that ive seen but its awesome to see a tutorial(ish) thank you. Typically i leave original price stickers on but mostly cause sometimes i need a good giggle that something that is only 10mb or less cost sooooooooooo much lol

[@heyyitsultima]

Oh man, I wish a video like this had come out around 6 months ago. I got Hearts of Iron 1 & 2, both were taped excessively and the top of the second game is now entirely ripped off because they'd used thick packaging tape. And there's marker on the one box which I'm not sure I'll be able to get out all the way because of how long it sat in the store. Either way, thank you so much for the video. I'll definitely be coming back to this when I get back into thrifting

[@eltrash]

Instead of googone you can use conventional petroleum, which is the main component of Googone. Advantage: Costs only a fraction and has the same effect. Petroleum is oily, it does not attack any surfaces

[@retrobsolete7491]

I didn't know the dry erase over permanent marker method! I'll have to give it a try. Thanks for another great video as usual.

[@hfvhf987]

I have seen a few box resto vids recently but you touched on things no one else did so good work sir

[@expecttheunexpected4817]

Cool video as always.

[@jplus2601]

Do not even own any PC games and still I enjoy this video, thanks for the tips!

[@LockeRobsta]

For any Australian viewers out there; our regional equivalent is called De-solv-it. There is nothing more satisfying that just wiping away decades of gunk in a few swipes of a paper towel and some De-solv-it.

[@Enchurito]

That was an awesome tip I would not have thought of MAKING an inner box