Who Else Makes Their Own Facsimile Boxes?

[Hymie]

I've been fortunate enough to purchase most of my robots complete with their original (though sometimes less-than-pristine) boxes, which is important to me because I love the box art almost as much as I do the robots themselves (I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here). However, like everyone here, I've also bought quite a few "loose" examples of robots that I wasn't willing to wait around for until a boxed example showed up somewhere. Recently, I've been having fun creating my own repro boxes for my otherwise loose toys. Perhaps this sort of activity has been discussed here before, but I haven't seen the thread if it has, so I thought I'd run it up the flag pole.

 

Since (obviously) I don't have their original boxes to scan directly (like the commercial reproducers do), I've enjoyed the challenge of searching for nice, reasonably-high-resolution photos on the internet to create my reproduction boxes from. As you might imagine (or know from experience), it's very difficult (impossible?) to find perfect "straight-on" views (especially of the sides and ends). Most shots you find are at least a little trapezoidal, but a thorough search of old auction photos and the like on the web will usually turn up views that, if not perfect, are close enough to use if you do a little digital manipulation. Oddly enough, I don't use any fancy graphics software. I just use PowerPoint, which actually has pretty much all of the functionality you really need for this sort of thing. Now, I should point out that my purpose has been simply to create facsimile boxes to use as backdrops for my own collection -- I'm not suggesting my boxes would pass muster under close scrutiny. I would never hope to pass them off as originals (or even as commercial repros -- I'd be curious to know what the copyright implications are in that enterprise, by the way, but that's another discussion). I just make them for me -- to complement and enhance my own collection. If you've never done it, it's great fun (both the image searching and the box making). By the way, if you're inclined to try, I'll tell you that perhaps the best place to find high-quality (blessedly non-foreshortened) box images is the Japanese auction site Mandarake. If they've ever auctioned a given robot, you will generally find copious very-usable box images archived with the auction record. Anyway, I've attached a shot of a few that I've made recently. Tell me what you think. I've also done a couple of large-scale boxes. Those are too big for most home printers, but you can take the files to Office Depot or somewhere and have them printed out on a big barrel printer (relatively inexpensive, by the way). Cheers!

[zebedee]

These are really nice hymie good job, there's someone on ebay who sells repro boxes from Italy so maybe as the old companies don't exist anymore then there's no copyright issues, but I would still check but who to ask I suppose if your not selling them I can't see it being a problem, I would imagine its no difference to people who do repro spare parts, best of luck  

[Hymie]

Thanks, Zebedee. Yes, the copyright question crossed my mind, but I've never pursued an answer because, as I say (and you observe), I don't make them to sell. Indeed, it takes so much time and effort to create one (essentially out of nothing) that I could never hope to realize any kind of profit.  I just like to make things, and it's something to do with my robots other than just sit and look at them (although I think most collectors would agree that there's real joy in just sitting and looking at your robot army standing at attention in your display cabinet).

 

Speaking of sitting and looking, I'd love to get a sampling sometime of members' reasons for collecting, and how they derive pleasure from it (sitting and looking, par exemple). I may have to start a thread to that effect...Thanks again.

 

 

[Mick_B]

those look great!

I have played a little making some boxes. or box art prints from internet images. (I'll have to check out Mandarake for some more)

Most of the boxes I have made are usually edited or customized to match whatever little odd robot project I want to put in them.

And I agree PowerPoint can do lots to improve an image and lay it out for printing.

the office stores offer best printing though, especially if you are after a heavier weight card stock. I've jammed up my home printer too many times trying to run heavier stock through it.

 

as for as commercial repo boxes, from your picture there, yours look as good as most I have seen. a few of my robots came with a commercial repro box and I was not too impressed. Faded washed out colors and low resolution.

 

 

[Hymie]

Many thanks!

 

For what it's worth, I generally print the image out on standard printer paper, use spray adhesive to glue it to a piece of lightweight chipboard (purchased readily at a crafts or art store like Hobby Lobby), and then spray it with semi-gloss lacquer. I've also used high-gloss printer paper with no lacquer, but I think the result is closer to the look of an original box using the former method. And of course, it's essential to pre-score all the fold lines while the image is still flat to obtain the crisp folds and joints (I use a butter knife and a straight edge).

 

For anybody who might be interested in making boxes, I should warn you that one of the biggest challenges is determining the correct dimensions of the box (since, again, you don't have an actual box in hand -- or else you'd just scan it). Typically, I search until I find a reasonably-straight-on shot of the box top, measure the photo to obtain the height-to-width ratio (as the measured dimensions themselves mean nothing individually), and then find a good shot of the toy next to (or, better still, actually in) the  box to see how tightly it fits. Finally, you have to carefully measure the toy itself to extrapolate the actual dimensions of the box (all this requires a little algebra, of course!). For the sides, once you know the size of the top, you can find a picture of the side (or end) and deduce its corresponding dimensions. Anyway, my point is that it can get a little tedious, but to me it's great fun.

 

Incidentally, I have been unable to find a stapler of the sort the original box makers apparently used, which deliver the staple perpendicularly to the standard orientation of regular desk staplers. Such a stapler would allow stapling of the assembly flaps (like most original boxes) rather than using glue. But it is possible to buy copper-clad staples, and it's simple enough to just punch appropriately-spaced holes, insert the staples by hand and bend them over. But if anybody knows a source for the odd sort of stapler I'm thinking of, please advise!

 

Thanks again for the shout out, Mick_B!

[Hymie]

Of course, I should add that if you know someone who has the box you want to duplicate, you can  just ask them to measure it for you -- or if they live close, borrow the box and scan it. Unfortunately, I am the only robot collector I actually know, so, alas, I am reduced to pressing rulers up against my computer screen! 

[Atomic Robot Bob]

Would something like this work for you?

 

[Hymie]

Wow, that certainly looks like the correct species of instrument. I shall investigate...Many thanks!