The Energon Pub

Space has become quite the valuable commodity at my home lately. Another family member will be moving in with us for a while (a year, most likely), and some of my packed up TFs will need to move to make some space. Does anyone here need to keep their TFs in an unfinished attic? It's dry and dark, but the temps up there get pretty crazy from season to season, even with ventilation... I would be storing basically the Beast Wars through Cybertron line (BW, BM, RID, ARM, ENG, CYB), if that matters as well--no G1, Classics, MPs or Alts up there, that's for sure. All of these TFs are currently in sealed plastic tubs--not ideal, but free from exposure, anyway.

Any advice, warnings, suggestions, etc. would be appreciated!

Any sympathy is also welcome.

Thanks in advance!

You specifically have my sympathy since those figures won't survive in the attic in the condition you put them there. Extreme heat with melt paint and plastics and release gases from the tubs and figures themselves that will age them and discolor some. Extreme cold can make them brittle and much mor prone to break. If I were you, I'd try to find other things to store up there in the place of your treasured collection. Clothes or bedding would be a much beter alternative. Hell, store the house guest there, just not the robots man! Not the robots!

Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!
Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!

Got a basement you can stick them in instead? Storage room? Empty closet? They're probably all better alternatives.

I think if you wrap them in bubble rap they'll be fine. Its not like your attic is going above 70°C.

Make sure there are no stresses on the plastic if it weakens and seal up the tubs nice and tight.
Good luck.

Thanks for the suggestions--I seem to have found a temporary solution that involves upper closet cabinets and NO attic space. I wasn't thrilled about putting them in the attic in the first place--I've been up there on a 90 degree day, and it's no picnic. I just wish I had a place to display all of them instead of keeping them boxed up...

I may need to build a garage addition..

Dude, the attic is equivilent to toy death...

TFBuyer wrote:I may need to build a garage addition..

lol, that would be awesome, building an addition just for your collection.

kirbenvost wrote:

TFBuyer wrote:I may need to build a garage addition..

lol, that would be awesome, building an addition just for your collection.

It's just about come to that. Every time I think of selling some off, I change the subject in my head. So, I'm sitting on near-complete collections of most of the major TF lines from past years...and nowhere to display them.

At least they haven't been banished yet to "toy death," in CP's words.

I actaully have mine stored in an outdoor shed. It's finished, it was supposed to be some kind of outdoor guest room or something. I've packed most of my toys in plastic baggies with there accessories and such, and check on them every so often. So far they're all still in good shape. I do worry in the winter and summer though.

D-340 wrote:I actaully have mine stored in an outdoor shed. It's finished, it was supposed to be some kind of outdoor guest room or something. I've packed most of my toys in plastic baggies with there accessories and such, and check on them every so often. So far they're all still in good shape. I do worry in the winter and summer though.

Which TF lines do you have out there? I'd think the more recent ones would be a bit more hardy, but what do I know?

I've got a better idea! Send them to me!

TFBuyer wrote:

D-340 wrote:I actaully have mine stored in an outdoor shed. It's finished, it was supposed to be some kind of outdoor guest room or something. I've packed most of my toys in plastic baggies with there accessories and such, and check on them every so often. So far they're all still in good shape. I do worry in the winter and summer though.

Which TF lines do you have out there? I'd think the more recent ones would be a bit more hardy, but what do I know?

It's a mix of current stuff. All of my older TFs are on display.

Today in Tulsa it reached 104 F in the shade. It was 114 F in my garage and when I put the thermometer in the attic it read 128 F. I would not put anything painted or plastic or even the boxes in my attic.

Transtopias Rodimus Prime wrote:Today in Tulsa it reached 104 F in the shade. It was 114 F in my garage and when I put the thermometer in the attic it read 128 F. I would not put anything painted or plastic or even the boxes in my attic.

Yikes. THIS is what I was hoping to avoid. I guess I made the right choice--temps were hovering around 100 a few days ago, even over here in Ohio.

But yours was a dry heat, right?

megatroptimus wrote:Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!
Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!

LOL. Could be a cool strap line for a Steven Spielberg movie!

megatroptimus wrote:Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!
Toys! Toys! Toys... in the attic!

Aerosmith, or the obscure R.E.M. cover?

I have to keep mine in boxes as well, but they stay in the garage, so it's not as hot. Plus I keep them against the wall to the house, so they get a little help.

But mine are there looooong term, no display space available, especially with a 1 and 3 year old running around the house.

Plus the wife doesn't share my, ah, um, enthusiasum.

Funny thing was my Tutor said she'll be cleaning out her loft and said I can have all of the old Transformers in there!

She's the mum of the guitarist and bassist of Rotating Leslie, they'll be famous soon!!! FAMOUS! I hope they're not pissed at me taking their old toys...


In other news, I'll be getign £100 soon! Soo many Transformers.... SO MANY AGH!

--B-- wrote:I have to keep mine in boxes as well, but they stay in the garage, so it's not as hot. Plus I keep them against the wall to the house, so they get a little help.

But mine are there looooong term, no display space available, especially with a 1 and 3 year old running around the house.

Plus the wife doesn't share my, ah, um, enthusiasum.

I hear you about the kids...but at least my wife is willing to concede that I'm a collector. She even got me two display cases, but I think she was a little overwhelmed when they only held my G1 and Alt collections....

TFBuyer wrote:

Transtopias Rodimus Prime wrote:Today in Tulsa it reached 104 F in the shade. It was 114 F in my garage and when I put the thermometer in the attic it read 128 F. I would not put anything painted or plastic or even the boxes in my attic.

Yikes. THIS is what I was hoping to avoid. I guess I made the right choice--temps were hovering around 100 a few days ago, even over here in Ohio.

But yours was a dry heat, right?

LOL A dry heat in Tulsa is 85% humidity. Normally we have the highest humidity and heat combo in the states. People are stunned at the heat. Did you happen to watch any of the Golf Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa this weekend? Tiger won. Everybody looked like they were ready to quit. Over 200 people sought medical attention at the tournament. I love the heat so it doesn't bother me, but I was only up in the attic for about 5 minutes and thought I might suffocate from the heat/humidity.

TFBuyer wrote:

--B-- wrote:I have to keep mine in boxes as well, but they stay in the garage, so it's not as hot. Plus I keep them against the wall to the house, so they get a little help.

But mine are there looooong term, no display space available, especially with a 1 and 3 year old running around the house.

Plus the wife doesn't share my, ah, um, enthusiasum.

I hear you about the kids...but at least my wife is willing to concede that I'm a collector. She even got me two display cases, but I think she was a little overwhelmed when they only held my G1 and Alt collections....

She's getting there, but I'll never have everything out. My sons love the toys a little too much, so it's best to keep stuff away from them.

Until they are older, of course.