February 05, 2002 CURRENT RUMBLE Project Jumbo Rescue Walter Harris 02.05.02 o restore, or not to restore? One of the eternal questions and frequently debated topics of our hobby. Given my "customizing" addiction, it's no surprise that I clearly fall on the side of returning pieces to their "former glory." I recently scored a JM Dangard Ace who judging by his condition, had either been thoroughly enjoyed or hienously neglected by previous owner(s). He was missing everything that wasn't molded on: launching fists, shin blades, flip-down chest plate, wings, all the decals and worst of all - the one accessory that put him in a class of his own, the removable helmet. Despite his condition, this Dangard stirred something in me. I pondered whether this once proud phoenix could rise again from the ashes... could this penniless, down-and-out Charlie Sheen reclaim his previous star status? As toy karma would have it, I won the Dangard auction and within a few weeks had the shell of my personal Holy Grail Jumbo in my hands. Shell... what lied ahead was daunting, as I'd now have to develop replicas of all the missing parts and decals from scratch. I got to work right after the holidays and have completed about 95% of the restoration. Launching fists - locked and loaded, shin blades - lookin' sharp as ever, chest plate - flip away!, decals - bright and shiny like he's MIB. The figure still needs wings but I'm not in a hurry to make them, as I currently lack the shelf space to display them anyway. A labor of love to be sure, but well worth the effort. A complete Dangard can go for as much as $3,000 so I figured the closest I'd come to owning one was salivating over the picture of Matt’s on Jumboland. Now (after some considerable spit and polish) I have a (near) complete Dangard Ace in my collection - me, a JM collector with less than two years experience under his belt. So we return to the original question: to restore or not to? I like to think that when a JM enters my home, it's like entering the halls of Valhalla. Having fought valiantly in countless battles, they have finally earned eternal peace, rest and restoration on my hallowed shelves - where they will be pampered with frequent dusting and occasional wet-nap wipe downs forever... I'm sure in some circles I may have actually reduced the "value" of this piece by restoring it. Regardless, I have to believe he would fetch a few bucks more on ebay today than what I paid for him - not that he's going to the auction plate anytime soon.  RUMBLE INDEX  |  CURRENT RUMBLE