Shrink Wrap. To peel or not to peel, that is the question

[Daddyfink]

I am sure some of you have some old vintage kits that are still sealed, and am pretty sure that some of them are heading this way.

The wrapping is living up to its name and shrinking. In some cases the wrap just gives up and breaks loose, but some of them get so tight you could use them for drums!!

Being slowly crushed by their own shrink wrap. I know that this is not exactly a rare kit, but, I do like to have some original seal kits in the stash, but, this is not good for the box.

So, do you unwrap and save the box from further damage and sacrifice that "new" kit feel, or just let nature takes it course?

[slusher]

I would take it off but the box is really ruined buy now. My worry would be the model...

[Ace-Garageguy]

I'm like an 8-year old. Soon as I get a kit, I just HAVE to look in it. Of course I say it's to see what condition it's really in...but the truth is, in the rare cases of long-sealed original kits, to relive some of the old feeling of opening a new kit for the first time as a kid. They say the sense of smell is the most evocative of memory, and for me, the smell of opening a sealed vintage kit is as good as a time machine.

And of course, as Carl says, I'd be concerned for potential warpage of the model if a box was in that condition.

[Don Sikora II]

I'm strongly in the "it depends" camp.

I do have some old kits I've left sealed, but if I really want to look at a kit I'll open it. If the wrap is nice, or I want to preserve something like an old price tag, I'll just cut the wrap along the edges of the box bottom and leave it on the lid.

Maybe I'm lucky, but I don't think I've ever had a box with as much crushing from shrinking shrink wrap as your Vegas T-Bird. I'd probably open it, especially if I was worried about the parts getting damaged.

[highway]

Since shrink wrap doesn't stay on for 5 seconds after getting home, I don't have this problem! I buy every kit to build, not to collect, and as such, even vintage kits that may be shrink wrapped when I buy them lose it very quickly. Of over 600 kits in my "collection", only three still have shrink wrap on them, and that is because I already have one (or more) of those kits, and they are all I would steal parts from if I didn't keep it sealed. One of them in particular is the 70 Coronet Pro Street, over the course of the years since it's original issue I've had at least a dozen of them, and would at least like to build one instead of stealing the tires and Hemis from it!

In my opinion on the kit you pictured, it would depend on the rarity and if you intend to collect it or build it. Collect=keep as is, build=open it.

[espo]

I have many sealed kits in my stash and none of them have shrunk like this. I wonder if they were some how damaged or crushed in storage. Some of these kits go back over 30 years but have been in a temperature controlled environment. At this point I would open the kit and see what damage has happened. You really have nothing to lose as to collectability at this point, the box is just to far gone as a collectable I would think.

[StevenGuthmiller]

The only real reason to keep the shrink wrap on a kit is if you're planning on selling it & you want the added value of the "original wrap" thing. If you're not going to sell it, I would definitely un-wrap it to save the box if nothing else. If you were planning on selling it, you're at that point where you're going to have an issue with condition any way & you've already lost that extra value. Personally I wouldn't buy it without seeing the contents for fear of damage to the kit itself. Steve

[jeffs396]

I open 'em ALL in the car as soon as they are bought!

[Daddyfink]

I have quite a few kits that are still sealed, most are in fine shape. I have a MPC 67 Firebird first issue in sealed condition and it is fine. On the other hand, I build a Revell Magnum P.I. Ferrari that had the box crushed by the shrink wrap. Luckily it was fine, but, it is a pretty crappy kit.

As for this one, I am going to unwrap it to try and save the box. Like I said, the only cool factor on this was the fact that it was sealed, it's a Vegas kit and the price tag is till on it!

[Erik Smith]

Peel. I have purchased old sealed kits and they are usually in worse condition than open ones - broken parts, tire melt, etc. To me, I would rather buy and have a kit I can see.

Edited November 15, 2014 by Erik Smith

[slusher]

  On 11/15/2014 at 2:47 AM, Daddyfink said:

I have quite a few kits that are still sealed, most are in fine shape. I have a MPC 67 Firebird first issue in sealed condition and it is fine. On the other hand, I build a Revell Magnum P.I. Ferrari that had the box crushed by the shrink wrap. Luckily it was fine, but, it is a pretty crappy kit.

As for this one, I am going to unwrap it to try and save the box. Like I said, the only cool factor on this was the fact that it was sealed, it's a Vegas kit and the price tag is till on it!

I can why you like the box and also Robert urich is no longer with us...

[my80malibu]

Unless Robert Urich personally autographed the shrink wrap,and someone snapped a photo of Him doing it. It is probably not valuable to have it on. So let her rip Tater chip.

[Daddyfink]

I would have unwrapped it if Robert Urich would have autographed it! fast! LOL! Bummer he went too soon.

All the kits I have had autographed are not wrapped or I took the wrap off to have it autographed.

[Lunajammer]

The shrink wrap adds no added value to a vintage collectible kit. Once it reaches a desirable price, future buyers are going to be suspect of it anyway. At a certain point, being able to view and validate the contents is more valuable than the old cellophane, which might actually be lowering its value to people who want to know what they're buying.

[Casey]

Leave it on for another decade and it'll be 1/32 scale, Jesse.

I tear them open almost immediately.

[bobthehobbyguy]

I'd say peel it. It creates doubt on possible damage to contents. Also did you get it that way or has it happened since you got it.

[Mr mopar]

I have had to many kits with tire burn on the decals and glass so that's why I never have a sealed kit .so go a head and open it up...LOL

Edited November 15, 2014 by Mr mopar

[1930fordpickup]

After going through the stash this year I opened most of my kits up. Bagged the tires, glass and chrome . I have two kits that the box and contents do not match. I believe these were both show buys . The body is wrong in one and the other one only the chrome and glass match the box. LOL

[slusher]

  On 11/15/2014 at 5:10 AM, Mr mopar said:

I have had to many kit with tire burn on the decals and glass so that's why I never have a sealed kit .so go a head and open it up...LOL

Newer kits have the glass in sealed bags but does the tire burns on glass and styrene still happen in a controlled temperature?

[W-409]

Well, if I buy a kit, my plan is to build it. I don't see a reason on buying something that I would not build, so they all will be unwrapped anyway. As I like to see what's in the box, I open those kits almost immediately.

[Tom Geiger]

That Vegas '57 T-bird kit looks like someone stored it in an outdoor shed over a few East Coast winters. I've also seen kits like that at outdoor flea markets, no doubt having been baking in the sun at flea markets for years. Those kits have no value other than to retrieve the "builder grade" kit inside, and to make sure it's actually okay. I'd suspect that the decals and instruction sheet are also toast.

I do what Don Sikora suggested on a lot of my kits, even the new ones. Dave Burket taught me to do this maybe 20 years ago. I turn the kit over, and carefully cut the shrink wrap in the box bottom groove, so that it remains intact on the lid. I toss away that small patch of wrap that covered the box bottom. That keeps the kit boxes protected in my closet. As Don said, it also preserves any cool old price tags etc.

I do have some older kits I've never unwrapped. I don't care personally, but I'm not planning on building them, and already have seen what's in the box so leave them be in case I want to sell them someday. I also have a few boxes that are autographed on the cello, I'd rather have the sig right on the box, but I got these this way.

[cobraman]

Unless it is a Cobra kit I buy for my collection it gets opened soon after I get it home. I have many sealed Cobra kits and none have any damage................ so far . : )

[slusher]

I have some kits I have not opened yet. If I never get to build them I just kinda want to leave them shrink wrapped but all are bought with build intentions..

[demoinc392]

  On 11/15/2014 at 2:46 AM, jeffs396 said:

I open 'em ALL in the car as soon as they are bought!

I thought I was the only one who does that lol

[webestang]

I open all my kits, sometimes though if I want to keep the box (box art is just too cool to trash) I'll just cut the wrap off the bottom and keep the rest on the box to protect it.