I spent .75 cents today

[Captain]

Cool stuff. Bet your having a good day bumping into stuff like this. Like TIK said, those Trek boxes are a goldmine. Just be glad it's only crayon your cleaning out of it, and not a 40 year old left behind lunch!

[SUP-Ronin]

Sweet find, for sure. That is my favorite look for the hulk. I think it's the hair.

[AUSSIE-Rebooted-AMM]

Great lunchbox. . . and towel. . . .sweet pick ups indeed!

[Adam West]

That Star Trek box is a Holy Grail among box collectors and like Mike said, easily worth $100-$200 in C-6 condition. C-8's were selling for $400-$500 a few years ago when I was collecting boxes.

I have experimented with just about everything on boxes since I own close to 100 of them and know what works and what doesn't. There are some box collectors who are purists and won't buy it if there has been cleaning done to it. Others don't care and it doesn't seem to affect the value one way or the other.

Here is how I handled every single box that came into my collection once I figured out the best way to clean them.

1. Wash with warm soapy water to remove surface dirt and possibly the crayon markers. Just use a wet cloth, no soft scrub or abrasive cleaner or steel wool or anything like that.

2. Immediately dry it off completely with a soft dry towel. every nook and cranny.

3. If the crayon markers are still there use goo gone. Make sure it is the variety that is more of the orange peel oil and not the turpentine smelling stuff. Just use a q-tip at first to make sure it doesn't remove the paint. I have never ever had a problem with the non-turpentine variety, but make sure you re-wash those areas again and dry them.

4. I would take and old soft bristled toothbrush to clean the crud from the lunchbox handle using soapy water....again dry.

5. Rust is tricky. I have had some limited success getting corner rust off with various metal bristled brushes and a lot of patience. Personally, I don't think it's worth the effort because you have to do it gently and usually the rust won't come off completely. I use chrome polish on the latches and handles which will make it shine and remove some of the rust. Leave the rest of it alone. For rust inside the box, it's ok to use a little white rustoleum in spots to prevent from further rusting. Most collectors are not bothered by it as long as you use it sparingly (like an inside box corner).

6. Finally, I put a fresh coat of wax on the entire box inside and out. My favorite easy to find wax is Zymol, just apply it on like you would a car, let it dry, sprinkle a few drops of water on it and polish with a clean cloth.

Using these techniques, you might be able to get your box to a C-7.5 from its current 6. The wax will make it shine, present nicely and prevent further rust issues.