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Thoughts on a protective laminate for N64 labels


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11 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Nah, that’s where I deviate. If your just going to use a flashcart, then it’s pointless to keep the carts around. Its like the guys who have a nice classic car and leave it in the garage. That’s a really boring way to do it

It's not pointless because it's this physical manifestation of experiences and an era, the collectible. Altough it's still important that it works and can be played otherwise it's not a game anymore.

A classic car can't be driven without actually doing it so it's not the same. A game can be played anyway. If there was a comparable "hack" that could allow the classic car to remain pristine while getting the driving experience out of it at the same time most owners would do it.

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9 hours ago, cartman said:

 

A classic car can't be driven without actually doing it so it's not the same. A game can be played anyway. If there was a comparable "hack" that could allow the classic car to remain pristine while getting the driving experience out of it at the same time most owners would do it.

I strongly disagree. Many owners do just that, by driving another car. Driving is driving. Seems like a completely apt comparison. 

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22 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Nah, that’s where I deviate. If your just going to use a flashcart, then it’s pointless to keep the carts around. Its like the guys who have a nice classic car and leave it in the garage. That’s a really boring way to do it

I think it's nice to have flashcarts to supplement a collection. Having access to rom hacks, system test software, unreleased/translations (big yessss on translations, glad to see stuff start getting official English releases lately though too!), import stuff that you can't easily get access to.

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8 hours ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

I strongly disagree. Many owners do just that, by driving another car. Driving is driving. Seems like a completely apt comparison. 

Yes another car. But it's still not really the same. There's just no way to make a copy of a car like you can a file. Sure you can buy another one but to additional cost, and that one will degrade aswell you use it.

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On 6/3/2023 at 9:45 AM, LeatherRebel5150 said:

I understand people like things to be original, Im one of them. But I don’t see this as a major alteration. Everything exists as it was minus the ability to smear the ink on the label with your sweaty finger. 

 

I do get this.  It's nice to use original hardware/games and only inflict absolute, minimal wear when you use them (because inserting a cart into any system is committing minor cart damage, every time) so wanting to protect the label makes sense.

But as I pointed out, there is no solution to date that doesn't cause long term issues.   So why "protect" something with an acrylic, clear sticker when in the end this will end up causing more damage than carefully using the game and being sure that when you insert/remove the game, don't touch the label.  In my house, I'm the only one who inserts the N64 cartridges  (because my kids like to play it.)  I pinch the cart from the plastic sides.  That's how I get around this issue.  I never touch the labels.

 

On 6/3/2023 at 12:07 PM, Dr. Morbis said:

The problem with most "restorations" is that they make the item far worse in the long term.  You may not be thinking (or caring) about what your N64 carts look like in thirty or fourty years, but I can guarantee you that any after-market laminate applied in 2023 will look like complete ass in 2063 when the glue has broken down and it's either actiplaquing or wrinkling or smearing the label with oil or whatever.  Ask an archivist of just about anything and they'll tell you that previous "restorations" are the bane of their existence, and for good reason...

Bingo.  Some form of archival stickers that can easily be removed with no damage would be great.  They don't exist though, and that's my point.

On 6/3/2023 at 4:54 PM, LeatherRebel5150 said:

Seems like a good idea to protect it to me 🤷‍♂️ 

Regarding the Declaration of Independence, yes, it is a good idea to preserve it!  That's why scientists in the field of document restoration and preservation will come up with plans to firm up aged pager and stabilize it.  In affect the result is the same but their final intent isn't to "laminate" something.  It's to be sure the document lasts as long as absolutely possible and, hopefully, when their changes have reached their life time of effectiveness, some new science will pick up where their work left off and preserve the document even further.

We may not be talking about items that are even 1/100th of historical significance as a document like The Declaration of Independence or even something like The Magna Carta, but must of us as collectors want to preserve our collections for very long term integrity.

I can agree that I like the idea of a label protector for any game with a matte finish because, yes, they wipe off very easily the print.  But I'm not about to do it at the expense of the future.  This is also why I stopped (mostly) retrobriting stuff.  I like games and items that are in pristine, bluish grey color, but since I've heard it accelerates the brittle nature of the plastic and the affect doesn't last as long as the original plastic anyway, I've stopped.

 

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4 minutes ago, Brickman said:

Blow Your Mind Wow GIF by Product Hunt - Find & Share on GIPHY

Crazy right? Heres the steps

 

1. hold from sides, insert into console- press top down (in)

 

2. grip from sides and pull (2 hands)

      2a.  Grip next to label with forefinger and thumb, brace against console with ring and pinky, use leverage to remove (1 hand)

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