What do you think is the lifespan of cardboard console/game boxes?

[CatsGamesWhatever]

I have a few old console boxes and it seems they can get dinged by just looking at them. To protect them you need a plastic or acrylic box with UV protection.

I was pricing my options and it seems that it would run me $60+ for each and it dawned on me that the cardboard boxes themselves probably won't even last that long.

I was wondering if anyone knew exactly how long these boxes can be expected to last. 50-100 years with protection? By then the glue or paper will start degrading no?

I'm thinking that I might just build a custom metal/plastic box (with foam for the consoles) which would run me the same price and I can decorate it with some paint. These will probably last much longer than the console itself.

Anyone have any thoughts on this matter?

[+Gemintronic]

Some of my Atari 2600 common boxes look brand new. My NES boxes don't like my lifestyle, though. I think you're right about different paper and glue effecting longevity. Starting to think those VGA rated sealed plastic cases would be a real good idea for my best stuff. Not an endorsement for VGA. Just the method of casing them.

Edited November 17, 2018 by Gemintronic

[godslabrat]

You're taking something that's intended to be disposable and trying to make it last a century. Bear this in mind.

[MadZiontist]

You're taking something that's intended to be disposable and trying to make it last a century. Bear this in mind.

Better that the materials are in use in a house/storage than a landfill (or worse).

[godslabrat]

Oh, agreed. I'm just saying that the extraordinary effort required to keep them in good shape shouldn't be surprising.

[spacecadet]

Cardboard is degrading from the day it's produced. And after only a few years, the difference from when it was new is already noticeable. I think what you're really asking is at what point the degradation will have progressed too far *for you*, and that's not something anyone here can answer. I will say that I have bought consoles new, opened them maybe once and stored the box on the same shelf for 20 years, gone back and that box is aged as much as any other box that old. Faded, dulled, brittle feel, etc. And that's without even moving it.

 

You can protect cardboard against dings and scratches, which are obviously not natural degradation, just with a big cellophane bag. That's what they do if you go to retro game stores in Japan - they use giant cellophane bags and then fold them over and tape them so they look fitted to the box. I can't imagine these bags costing more than a buck or two a piece in reasonable quantity.

 

Not exactly environmentally friendly, but anything that would be would break down just like the box itself will.

 

Some types of cardboard do last longer than others, but I'm not sure why or what the difference is. And just to be clear, I've never had a box really outright fall apart on me or anything, and there are people on Antiques Roadshow who bring their 150 year old toys that still have cardboard boxes sometimes. So in a perfect environment, cardboard can last a good long time before completely breaking down. But again, I think your question is at what point does it not look or feel good anymore. And that's going to happen to some boxes pretty quickly no matter what you do.

[MadZiontist]

Oh, agreed. I'm just saying that the extraordinary effort required to keep them in good shape shouldn't be surprising.

True dat.

 

I have an NES set in a box that has some relatively minor dings/dents, but is in fantastic shape overall. And this is the set with R.O.B. and the Zapper, so it's pretty dang old. It obviously has to do with the manufacturing process/materials mostly, as well taking care to not be wreckless with the materials in storage.

[AtariNerd]

The chemical composition itself comes into play. Old dime novels or comics from the early part of the last century, printed on acidic paper, often are very fragile to the touch, after all of these years. If left be, they will eventually disintegrate on their own. You can sometimes see discolorations from fingerprints left on pages. Keeping the air out, by keeping items sealed, does help some and can slow the process. Some of the rarer items will get acid-neutralized by dipping them in solution to arrest the process. Of course, that itself has a host of issues. Items meant for long life or thought of as importance, like fine art-work or documents, are printed on acid-neutral stock to begin with.

 

Game console boxes generally aren't considered to fit into any of those categories (they probably should hold up for a few decades, or more, depending on care), so game historians and collectors are pretty much left to their own devices and discretion. Eventually, decades down the line, these things will become rare enough, that certain after-market alternatives become somewhat acceptable- modern reproductions in original or other material that preserve the original artwork, even if they note that they are newer in some way. Odd thing to speculate about, but 100 years from now, almost none of the original hardware will work, either, without some form of overhaul.

[atarilovesyou]

I can say that all you have to do is keep the boxes away from sunlight and water and they will outlive you. My VCS box looks as new as the day it was made, although because I didn't protect it from damage and dings over the years, that shows. But if I haf it in safe storage, it would still look brand new. Like all my board games and other stuff. If you take care of it, it's fine. Like comics. Like everything. Metal box?...for a cardboard box? You can put sock puppets in a metal box, though.

[Video]

Cardboard will pretty much last forever. What is degrading is exposure to light, moisture and air. If you're seeing it degrade in a few years, or decades even, it's an issue with storage. Stored on a shelf in a game room that gets constant regular use is a world of difference to being stored in a dry seldome used closet. God help you if you store it in a musty basement or shed.

 

I know people like to display this stuff, but if you can see it, so can light and and moisture. If you want it on display, it's going to require special protection. Take care of it and it WILL outlast you.

[RodLightning]

I found some card stock paper booklets mixed in with old photos a few years ago. They had belonged to my great grand parents and were from around 1905. These were stored in a dark closet for decades and a desk drawer before that. The cardboard felt fine but is extremely brittle and will tear easily. At the time, I wondered if some of my old comics will end up like that in a couple more decades. Most video game boxes are of similar thickness to the old booklets, so we might venture a guess that our boxes could survive in excess of 114 years. Paper quality, as pointed out by AtariNerd is a factor, and has probably improved somewhat between 1905 and the 1980s, so there's that. My best guess is maybe 120 years with reasonable care before they become brittle and delicate. I hope we can post follow-ups to this thread in another 20 years. Those of us still around may be interested.

[Blazing Lazers]

The present and future condition of anything largely depends on how it is stored and handled, and to a lesser extent upon the quality of its manufacture. I have a full set for the original Odyssey, and the boxes are holding up just fine. The system box itself had hardly ever been used back in the day, and was probably in a closet for decades when I found it at an estate sale. The games were essentially NOS from a well known Ebay seller that purchased a lot of them from an old Magnavox dealer. They'll likely still be fine in another 45 years. These are just the oldest examples, but they give hope for everything that followed.

[HoshiChiri]

Considering the myriad of paper goods over 100 years old floating around, I think it's safe to say your cardboard will outlast you as long as it's taken care of. UV is gonna be your worst enemy- if you've got it somewhere you can see it, it's in the process of falling apart just becuase of how the light contributes to the breakdown.

 

By the same token, storage can be an issue becuase a lot of storage isn't climate controlled, meaning at some point it's likely to get wet. Wet can be just as bad as UV, causing instant warping & ink bleed/transfer, and eventually molding.

 

There's a reason some of the best-lived old cardboard in most people's homes is board games- they get stored in closets in a house you're keeping dry & temperate becuase you live in it. In short- the easiest thing to keep your cardboard long-term without paying for fancy protections is just to keep it in a bedroom closet. But if you're going for an archival piece that you want to last as long as possible? Pay for the fancy protections- the nicer it stays, the more it will be worth as time goes on.

[Tanooki]

Cardboard isn't like stone or metal, it's a paper product after all, but it still can last 10 years or 100 or more. It just comes down to repeated use, environmental hazards, or something as simple as weird weather or the wrong light from a dumb bulb of all things that can chew it up. I've got a 1987~ish NES Action Set box that looks shiny nice still with minimal wear to it that could still pass for something on the shelf, and I have a couple sealed (1 NES, 1 GB) game that are all pretty and shiny like nothing else still entombed in shrink wrap and both are over 20 years old too. And while untouched I do a Gameboy game that looks like new which oddly came in one of those uptight plastic clear fold over boxes for it which is Final Fantasy Adventure, and while not a box in a box situation I have a SNES Civilization as nice. It all just depends.

 

More use, more fiddling with it, more random occurrence from whatever can erode it. I gave nice cases there, but I got a fairly battered DKC3 box too while still in one piece clearly has had a rough ride, and I've got more GB to GBA boxes in the same range. Time will kill all, but to try and guess a year or decade how long any of it will last is damn near comedically pointless unless you've got a time machine?

[jhd]

If money is no object, purchase proper acid-free archival storage boxes and buffered tissue with which to carefully wrap the the game boxes. Keep them in a climate and humidity controlled facility, and your treasures will last significantly longer than you will ever live. Of course you will have to make a decision about keeping or removing original price stickers, etc. as the adhesive will eventually leach out and stain the underlying material.

 

If money is really no object, you can have the boxes deacidified -- a process generally reserved for rare books and archival materials.

 

(I worked as a professional archivist for 7.5 years; my institution held items made of cardboard but, sadly, nothing video game related.)

 

My own game boxes are stored flat inside of a much larger box. It is currently in indoor, but not climate controlled, storage. Most were in less than pristine condition when acquired, so the imperfect storage conditions will not make a huge difference.

[Andromeda Stardust]

youll want to avoid uv light especially windows and florecent fixtures. only use led or incandescent bulbs in your game room. avoid ionizing air purifiers as ozone is highly destructive. store in a climate controlled environment like your living space. attics, garages, or sheds are a big no-no. heat encouages breakdown and cold condensation. then you have vermin such as roaches, rats, and termites which will eat your boxes and piss/shit in them. ask me what happened to my mom's collection of 1st edition sci-fi novels which sat in the garage for 20 years...