The Energon Pub

Hey all!

Today, I pulled out my Fortress Maximus transformer. I've had it in storage in an air tight container for about 5 years now. I've been in the Army and had my old collectibles in storage until I got out. Anyways, to my horror, Fort Max has somehow turned color. Parts of him have turned a rusty color, some parts look like a rusty orange shadow, like he's been in the sun for years, but not all of the discoloration fits that pattern. Does anyone have any idea why he would be changing color?!? And is there anything I can do to bring him back to his original luster? Please help! Thanks!!!

I know that white plastic will yellow no matter what you do, but that sounds extreme if he was in an airtight container. Perhaps the plastic reacted with something else you had stored in that same container? Or even the container itself?

Pictures would be a great deal of use.

Here's the pic... I really hope the damage is reversible. I was hoping to sell him off to pay a few bills, but now I'm afraid he's worthless.

Yup, typical yellowing. And if it's complete, it'll never be worthless. As for fixing it, I don't know offhand, but I'm sure some of our G1 collectors can help ya.

There's no cure for yellowing, nor for Gold Plastic Syndrome (in which late G1 figures with gold plastic get *really* fragile), but we do have a somewhat reliable technique for making your Fortress Maximus white again.

However, it's a very delicate process that involves disassembling the figure, and corrosive chemicals, in this case Hydrogen Peroxide. If you're not comfortable with either, consider settling for a lower price.

As it stands though, you will have to sell him off quickly, as we're getting a Fortress Maximus reissue by TakaraTomy sometime in March/April, and that will affect the selling price.

Sorry to hear about your Fort Max! I'd be interested to know more about the condition in which he was stored. Was the climate controlled? I've often wondered if heat was a catalyst for yellowing.

Fortunately for you yellowig is reversible. I've reversed yellowing and other discoloring in many G1 figures including Fort Max. The process involves hydrogen peroxide and UV light.

1) Disassemble the figure, separate the parts to be whitened, remove as much metal as possible. Occasionally you will encounted a pin that cannot be removed, if so it's not the end of the world, but if I recall you won't have this issue with Max. Be careful to keep everything organized for reassembly, taking pictures along the way can be helpful.

2) Acquire some hydrogen peroxide and clear sealable containers. Any strength will work from the 3% brown bottles you can get a Wal-Mart to the 30% you can get a pool supply store. In my experience the higher strength stuff works much faster, though it does require some extra precations. It will cause mild chemical burns to the skin.

3) Place the yellowed parts in the clear sealable containers and pour in the hydrogen peroxide until they are submerged. Be careful not to over crowd the parts, because they need to be exposed to UV light. Parts that are hidden behind others will not be exposed and thus not be whitened. In the case of Max some of his parts were so big, like his ramps and thighs, I had to lay them in Pyrex baking dishes and cover with plastic wrap.

4) Place your containers in direct sun light. I have a large mirror that I place my containers on so the UV get reflected up from the bottom as well. Let the parts set until they achieve the whiteness you desire. I find it helps to go out and occasionally stir the parts around just to ensure equal exposure. I've heard of others using UV lights, but the sun is the ultimage UV lamp and it's free.

5) Remove the parts and rinse them in fresh water, dry, and reassemble.

The more severe the yellowing the longer the process will take, and it also depends on what strength of peroxide you choose. I've heard of the 3% stuff taking days, while the higher strength stuff can work in minutes or hours. Stickers will often survive limited exposure, but if you're concerned the stickers can be removed using zippo lighter fluid and a sharp razor. Removed them, lay them on wax paper, and store them under a heavy flat object on in a phone book. You can apply 3M spray adhesive to reapply them. I would recommend trying this process with a junker before working on Max, but the yellowing can be reversed. Good luck.

Thanks for the input, everyone. I guess I'll get to work! It sounds fairly simple to fix. I saw some repro decals online. How badly does it affect resale to put those back on instead of the original? I didn't realize the re-issue of these guys affected the resale of the originals! Thanks for the info.

If I don't do the peroxide bath, how much do you think a complete Fort Max is worth? I'm sorry for all the questions, I'm new to reselling these guys. I'd hate to ruin something someone else would enjoy having. Thanks again

I'm not really sure how Reprolabels affect the price, but it's something you would definitely want to disclose during the sale. The pending Encore reissue has and will affect the price of the original, but there will always be a demand for the the vintage model. As for pricing I would recommend doing and ended auction search on eBay to see what figures comparable to yours are currently going for. Either way you go, good luck.

Here's some pictures I took while I was whitening my Fort Max. As you can see the yellowing on mine wasn't severe, but it was noticeable and it always bothered me. I think the reassembled picture speaks for itself.