A toys finish or “patina” is only original once and after applying even soap and water it will never be the same. This is not to say you shouldn’t clean a toy, its just that you should first understand how it may affect the value or one’s interest in a particular type of collectible.
Some toys have delicate finishes including plastic and tin. Plastic windscreens or a pressed steel truck or part of a robot have a glass-like finish that can easily be dulled while cleaning. There are plastic cleaners that take out swirls and others that are used to “clean and protect.” Using a warm soapy to spot clean to remove dirt and grime is always a first step. However. be careful not to dampen decals, labels or any metal parts.
Be careful no matter what you are cleaning, things happen. Once I disabled a few Lionel plastic boxcar tops and bottoms to perform a good cleaning. I forgot to do one so I dipped it in warm soapy water and realized the metal base was now wet. I had used a hair dryer set to low to eliminate the residual moister of the first lot, but I was in a rush at the kitchen sink and thought why not set the countertop oven to low to help dry out the train car. It probable would have been fine if I had just remembered to take it out after a few minutes. The boxcar top slumped under the heat ruining the car. Over the next 20 years I’d come across a bag with the doors and door guides I took off that boxcar, a reminder of that moment when I realized my error.
Tin Toys and even pressed steel trucks usually accumulate dust and its tempting to take a dry cloth to quickly wipe them clean but you are only scrubbing the dirt into the finish. Again, a conservative application of warm water in a damp (not dripping wet) and soapy sponge or paper towels will allow you to wet and dissolve the dirt and grime in 10 – 15 seconds after which you can dry off with a clean damp cloth. Give it a good shake from all angles to remove the water droplets and dry it off by folding a clean hand towel around it to gently dry the item. Then, hit them with a warm stream of air from a hair dryer just to evaporate and residual moisture from hard to reach areas. I once bought a 30 truck collection and piled them high in the kitchen sink (carefully) and down both sides of the counter. I posted a picture on Facebook and received about 100 inquires! I couldn’t resist sharing the opportunity with other collectors since I knew its not often one has a chance to take that pic.
GI-Joe and Captain Action clothing and accessories are the most difficult to clean. The material looses its color easily so a full wash or even a spot clean is not recommended. I only take a hand towel and dampen an area the size of a piece of bread and attempt to blot out any discoloration or stain. Action figure clothing of this vintage is highly sought after and finding a mint piece of clothing is something you should hang onto. You may not have the other accessories to finish a figure but if you’re a collector, this is when you should “hold.”
Diecast cars including matchbox, dinky and hot wheels ordinarily are either played-with, hardly played-with or un-played-with. If they have dirt on them its okay to wash them in warm water using a toothbrush to reach the crevices. Only un-played with diecast command the highest prices and for matchbox only mint-in-box examples are coveted although there are a lot of people (like me) that like loose mint matchbox. When I was a kid we took chlorine pool tablets and lite them on fire so the molten chlorine would drip onto the matchbox cars making a “pish, pish, pish” sound when hitting the car. I may not have my original matchbox cars, but I do remember having fun with them! One other time I bought a beautiful dinky vehicle in a rare color. This seller used blue tape to price out over 900 items. I carefully removed the tape and at the last second a small triangle of paint was pulled off, making the car a “9” at best and not the “10” I was going to put in my case. From then on I use a hair dryer to loosen tape!
Boxes are another tough call when it comes to “cleaning.” One really cant clean a box except to dust it off and perform some seam repair. I save very old boxes when I find them and skin the board off of cardboard boxes and cut them into rectangles to fit a box seam. I use rubber cement and sometimes contact cement for the tough areas. I’m not going to go into where the use them or when to use them since one can really make a mess if your not careful. I can only say that I’ve fixed many boxes for pressed steel toys like tonka because the end-flap on most boxes have detached or are about to detach. I reinforce and reattached flaps cutting a rectangle that extends 3/4 – 1 inch from the seam or bend. The aforementioned cements come with instructions so follow them carefully. Make sure you are working on a disposable piece of paper or cardboard and be careful not to apply too much or attached the repair rectangle too early or too late. Again, follow the instructions and watch some collectible box repair videos if you can.
Cellophane covers or window boxes are very difficult to repair and should be left alone. If you have a valuable box or window box, it may be worthwhile to purchase a lexan case made for that particular box. All of my GI-Joe boxed sets are set in custom Lexan cases that hold it together and upright for a great, dust free display. I still have items cased in Lexan behind glass (doors of showcases) because it prevents others from handling or attempting to clean underneath and around them. I once had a Tonka clipper boat windshield cracked (probably dropped) a few years back and since then only I am allowed to clean and dust the “toy room.”
If you ever sell a toy you have repaired or if you know of a defect its best to include this information in the description. A reinforced or reattached flap for a tonka truck may not be a big issue. However, that’s not the diecast collectors. They are very particular about the condition of the box. Original 1960s Hess truck and GI-Joe collectors are similar in that if a box has spit ends or a tear on the face, side or bottom, they will be discouraged. Don’t guess if a condition issue is or isn’t an issue, just explain everything you know so that it ends up in the right hands.
If you are not sure how to clean a toy, then don’t! Just keep in away from heat, sunlight and moisture until you find out because the last thing you want to do is to find out you cleaned away some of the value and enjoyment to be had by the next owner/collector. I once gave my cousin “Joey Boats” 7 vintage brass propellers. After a few weeks he told me he cleaned and polished those propellers and they look brand new! I realized then that not everyone was the same when it came to enjoying vintage items. I’m glad I didn’t give him an 18th century ships bell but I’m sure he has more than one hanging from the trees around his house. Yes, there are ship’s bells and anchors hanging everywhere!
What's a toy worth? 