How to Remove Velcro off WGSH boxes.

[Music1st]

I was wondering if there was a remedy to remove old velcro off WGSH boxes? I have a T1 boxed Riddler and on the back of the box the guy I bought it from said he put them on a long time ago to hang his collection on the wall. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[Blue Meanie]

Your best bet is probably Goo Gone. Home Depot carries it. If that doesn't work I would try a hair dryer on low warm setting and let the heat of the dryer do its work with getting the old glue back to a semi gooey consistency and then peeling of the velcro strip very gently. Then use the goo gone to get rid of whatever old glue is still stuck to the box.

[PoorMansJB]

For removing pretty much anything with a sticky back (labels, Velcro, etc.) I like mineral spirits (aka paint thinner ... NOT LACQUER thinner!)

Depending on size of the piece, etc., I will take a cotton ball, paper towel, or some similar absorbent material, soak it with the mineral spirits, and lay it over the bit to be removed. Depending on the age and thickness of the adhesive, it will need to sit anywhere from an hour to overnight.

Most often, once saturated, what you're removing will simply lift off. If the piece is particularly moisture resistant or old, it's possible only the outer edges will initially lift; you may have to gently work the cotton ball or other carrier underneath and let soak longer, slowly working the piece off. Any adhesive that remains behind can be wiped away with the cotton ball, etc. Careful not to "scrub" too hard as this will sometimes remove ink. You can always test in an inconspicuous spot if there's a worry.

This will work for pretty much anything with an acrylic based adhesive (which most modern tape, labels, and "hook & loop" fasteners now use).

Two notes of caution:

1. Cardboard boxes will, of course, themselves absorb the mineral spirits and you will see what looks like an oil/grease stain. This will evaporate in a few hours or a day! (Evaporation can be accelerated with low heat.) Very, VERY rarely have I seen this process leave a mark on the printed box. There will sometimes be a "water" mark visible on the reverse (plain, non-printed side) or on very old packaging (from, say, the fifties or sixties; I believe this is most often dirt or other impurities brought to the surface).

2. Most plastics are safe with a couple of exceptions: Clear styrene should not be soaked for too long; it can sometimes turn milky and stay that way. Also, polypropylene (the soft, flexible plastic) products from Mattel (and this includes certain windows, windshields, etc.) will loose their sheen and this can be difficult if not impossible to restore. No idea why this seems to happen almost exclusively with Mattel's formulation and no one else's.