We all know this will happen eventually and some figures will go sooner than others.  The discoloration is actually much worse in person.





My collection was on display in a small closet at my parents house.  Now that I have moved out I needed to store it.  I discovered Lando hadn't faired so well.  FWIW the closet had no air return but didn't get any warmer than 80 during the summers.  However there was no air flow and its a humid part of the country.  If I had to guess it was the lack of air circulation in the closet since some of the figures were sticky as well.  The top photo was taken about 2 years ago.

As far as storage goes I am storing my figures in full temperature control in GTzip archival bags with holes punched in them.  Instead of using plastic tubs I decided to use shoe boxes which already have holes in them for air flow.  The shoe boxes are then stacked in a larger box.  I also bought some silica packets and placed them in the boxes hoping to keep moisture down.  

This Lando will stay in my collection and be used to populate my playsets and I will have to get a new one for my loose set.  I have decided to beater figures should have a place in my collection as well so any more that degrade will go to my vehicles or playsets.

This leads to a really good question....

How do you guys display your figures in a way that protects them? (include any products you use)


Most of mine are on display in an Ikea kallax unit with no protection from light or other environmental stuff. It's a lovely way to display and enjoy them but maybe not the best for their longevity. Whereas some of my last 17 are in plastic protech cases (but that displays awfully) and I have 1 (contemplating buying more) protech acrylic circular case [1]

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Protech-Acrylic-Cylinder-Display-Case/dp/B00SABTKWU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1478207155&sr=8-7&keywords=protech+figure+case

mat8yr wrote:

This leads to a really good question....

How do you guys display your figures in a way that protects them? (include any products you use)


Most of mine are on display in an Ikea kallax unit with no protection from light or other environmental stuff. It's a lovely way to display and enjoy them but maybe not the best for their longevity. Whereas some of my last 17 are in plastic protech cases (but that displays awfully) and I have 1 (contemplating buying more) protech acrylic circular case [1]

[1] https://www.amazon.com/Protech-Acrylic-Cylinder-Display-Case/dp/B00SABTKWU/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1478207155&sr=8-7&keywords=protech+figure+case

Well like I said in my post mine weren't displayed in ideal conditions... but ideally you want your collection displayed in temps between 65-75F (18-23C), the lower on that scale the better.  Constant and large temp changes are also bad.

Humidity wise you don't want it to be too humid.  Around 50% is probably ideal.  On the other hand if its too dry plastic can also be stressed.  UV of any type is bad for plastics but the worst is direct sunlight.  The best way to avoid uv is to black out of the windows of a collection room and to use led or incandescent bulbs.

Of course it can often be impractical to do all of those things or meet ideal conditions.  And these figures can and will degrade anyways.  So the at the least keep your stuff in a temperature controlled room or closet, out of direct sunlight, and don't let it get too humid or too dry depending on the climate you live in.

Storage is pretty much the same.  However there is some evidence to suggest that the figures should be allowed to "breathe."  This is because it is believed that the plasticizer off gases and is what causes sticky figures and maybe yellowing.  You can solve that by punching holes in bags or bins.  Also don't use regular ziplocks since they aren't acid free.  There is a http://www.imperialgunneryforum.com/t3931-storing-your-loose-collection-tips?highlight=storing+figures discussing storage.

Edit: In your situation (if you are really worried about the UV) I would suggest maybe looking into some of the clear UV blocking tint that is used on cars. I think you can buy rolls of it and I am sure there are youtube videos on how to apply it. Not sure how costly it would be.