The Energon Pub

Does anyone have some good tips to prevent plastic from yellowing? I have some G1's that I want to keep in good shape.

I know direct sunlight can cause it, but is there anything else to watch out for, like certain kinds of lightbulbs?

Sunlight is your biggest concern, but technically fluorescent lighting also produces UV light.

Lazerface wrote:Does anyone have some good tips to prevent plastic from yellowing? I have some G1's that I want to keep in good shape.

I know direct sunlight can cause it, but is there anything else to watch out for, like certain kinds of lightbulbs?

Hide them in a box.

You think I'm joking, but that's about the best way to prevent yellowing. And keep them away from heat.

UV free bulbs are a must. UV lights allow the bromine in plastic to discolor so you want to prevent UV rays from hitting the toys.

robofreak wrote:
Hide them in a box.

Seriously, it works. I used to put my reissue G1 Optimus trailer on the same shelf i put Encore Skylynx. Apparently Skylynx is all white, yet shows no sign of yellowing, while Prime's trailer is yellowed

So now i just keep Prime's trailer in a box, and store it in my cupboard.

Well, the only fool-proof solution is...to avoid plastic.

But check this post out about why plastic discolors. Very interesting.

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

My opinion?

Just enjoy your toys. Play with them, display them, whatever. I always kept my old toys in a box, in a cupboard. They were pristine for over a decade, and I assumed that they would stay that way.
Then seemingly overnight, a number of them went yellow! Just like that - toys I had never displayed. I wish I had displayed and played with them more.

Enjoy 'em while you have 'em. Better that you love them and they make you happy, than they stay locked in a dark box for fifteen years only to discolour anyway.

^ Yeah, I just pulled some out of a storage box that had been there in the dark for 10 years, and they had turned yellow. They were never in storage to keep them in good shape - it was just the only place I had to keep them.

amtm wrote:Well, the only fool-proof solution is...to avoid plastic.

But check this post out about why plastic discolors. Very interesting.

http://www.vintagecomputing.com/index.php/archives/189

Thanks. I'll see if this gives me any ideas. I know a few tricks to get rid of the yellow (peroxide+sunlight), but that is easier said than done when they are 50 pieces held together by pegs and screws.

Pray?

Same thing happened to my vintage Valkyrie. Kept it in a box and the chest shield yellowed.

I recently took apart and peroxided my Getaway. I thought "Should be simple enough... he's got, like, four joints."
Oh, goodness, I was wrong. There must have been a hundred pieces! And so many tiny springs and ratchets...! I wondered for a while if I'd ever get him back together.

Goes without saying, I put him proudly on display!!

Basically...

1. Keep your figs away from sunlight, obviously.

2. Avoid using fluorescent and/or energy-saving CLF light bulbs. If you have no choice, try to use "encapsulated" energy-saving bulbs, as the glass dome filters out a substantial amount of UV--don't ask me how much.

3. Formaldehyde from certain furniture is also thought cause yellowing. So if you smell something sourish wafting from your bookshelf, and you're sure it's not a piece of lemon liquorice hiding amongst your figs, take them away out of the shelf and get another shelf, preferably glass.

4. Heat also causes yellowing, so try to store your figs in a cool place. Avoid using halogen bulbs if you display your figs in a glass display shelf. If you must use something to light up your collection, try IKEA's LED lights.