The Energon Pub

I have a good part of my TF collection stored in a bunch of Sterilite containers, which I purchased about three months ago. I recently read something that said plastic stored in plastic might lead to faster discoloration or plastic degradation. I store mine in a closet to avoid sunlight, but I never thought the containers could be trouble.

Has anyone here seen or heard of this before?

I use the sterlite and have no issues.

I think the argument was that it was bad to wrap them in plastic since any remaining fumes or chemicals on the wrap could mix with the toys. As for just putting them in boxes, if they going to be used for the long term, I think it's good to air them out like once a month at least.

Would styrofoam be bad for the figures?

a friend of mine some gundam action figures in a plastic tub for a few years and all the plastic is discolored.
cardboard for me!

009* wrote:I think the argument was that it was bad to wrap them in plastic since any remaining fumes or chemicals on the wrap could mix with the toys. As for just putting them in boxes, if they going to be used for the long term, I think it's good to air them out like once a month at least.

Would styrofoam be bad for the figures?

Not sure about styrofoam, but it seems to be okay in the figures I have bought that are 20+ years old.

Note on plastic containers...they are not vacuums. They don't seal properly like a ziplock bag. So particles are free to come and go as they please, but they should keep them dust free and dry, for the most part.

The plastic on those containers is fine.

It's made by an entirely different process and it's all good.

I have some Giant Light Blue containers I bought at Wal-mart, they have roller wheels on one side and locks on the plastic lids, they are actually square as apposed to shrinking as the box goes to the bottom, so I can fit alot of Figures MISB in there and they don't have any issues. The discoloration of your friends could be due to other factors, bu8t I have had my Takara Reissue G-1 Sets in Plastic and they are just fine, no discoloration waht so ever, and as far as Stirofoam goes, I tend to stay away, they can be damaged easily, especially by rodents looking for a nice Transformers Box snack, that is if you store it outside in a shed or in a storage unit..

My collection is Stored in My Parents attic, I come by to visit sometimes, I have to leave it there for now, since the new house me and my girl bought doesn't have an attic, but 3 years from now, I will have my new office/ 2 car garage constructed as an addition to this house. so I can then place everything in there on display and make my own little Comic Art studio..Finally!!!

teroh1988 wrote:a friend of mine some gundam action figures in a plastic tub for a few years and all the plastic is discolored.
cardboard for me!

Softer plastic? Very hot and or Humid conditions? Sunlight involved? These could all be variables that could effect how stored figures will stay intact in a container.

CP's fiance is a chemical engineer, she knows plastics, and actually gave us some nice advice at the convention.

A few month's someone was complaining bout his Action Master Shockwave getting all funky coloured 'cause it was stored in a rubbermaid bin. Does anyone remember this? Was there a resolution to this. I think some plastic bins leech out fumes and they will discolour your plastic toys.

I've got a couple of the giant blue tubs Skywarp is talking about. I'm using them to store my alt boxes. I've got my alts in smaller tubs wrapped in bubble packaging and foam peanuts. Been there a year, no effects so far...

He says as all of them suddenly melt into a pool of ooze.

Just make sure you keep the clear tubs out of direct sunlight. That's the biggest thing about all those tubs, consistantly changing environments will mess with them just as they would the toys themselves.