collection perservation/high temperatures

[decipher28]

With the recent nice warm weather,especially in the south east we're having lately,and going to be having.It got me thinking about how people go about keeping their collections in pristine condition.

For instance when temperatures get high am I the only one that starts to get a bit concerned about how it might be effect vintage mocs,figures,ships,etc.


Does any one have climate controlled rooms or air con?.My looses and some mocs are just stored in my bedroom in the dark and either in acrylic/star case and zip locks.My room does get pretty hot in the summer and wonder if it is doing any damage.

Would high temps speed up the process of things like yellowing bubbles,cracking bubbles,bubbles lifting,paint becoming tacky,card warping,yellowing white figures,etc.

With some of the valuable collections on these boards the need for slowing down or trying to halt any deterioration is becoming more of a priority I would of thought.

 

[x-pack]

I'm not sure temperature is as much a concern as humidity. Its humidity that will warp cards. Heat will dry them out and possibly speed up the bubble lifting.

Ventilation is the cheapest bet in this weather. I open my loft hatch to get some air up there.

A top tip from my crime fighting days is to secure your homes in hot weather. Thieves ****ing love it. While you may want windows and doors open remember that burgling bastards are mainly opportunists who would love your vintage star wars toys to sell for smack.

 

[bosk70]

:lol: :lol:
I have always thought light the common enemy of vintage and as mentioned on retro blasters I tend to agree with them that human sweat on the white/ grey toys mel fighter / x wings account for a lot of the yellowing as my childhood mel fighter was always kept in the box the majority of the time yet years later has masses of yellowing on the area's that my sweaty childhood hands would have been , but on the uv side there is still noticeably more yellowing to the top half. my room gets very hot in summer with no noticeable casualties

 

[Mr. Tie]

Most of all it's humidity and direct sun light that causes damage to your vintage collection

You also should not store your vintage toys in a garage or an attic. These are places which catch a lot warmth from the temperatures outside

As usual I close my windows and darken them with drapes early in the morning when temperatures are rising, like now. My vintage collection is stored in a darkened room and at night I open the window to cool down the room. It is simple and effective, becomes a way of life once you do it 8)

 

[Ian_C]

Considering attics/lofts are never air conditioned even in a house with a/c, and the fact heat rises (getting trapped in those areas), it is by far the worst place in a house to keep anything susceptible to heat/humidity.

I have a/c, and am very thankful for it. Not just for my own comfort, but tomorrow for example is due to hit 46 Celsius after humidity is factored in. :shock: I can imagine unprotected MOC's in my area warping and yellowing tomorrow alone.

Ian

 

[Dannywhiteley]

My modest collection is displayed in a small darkish room that's usually pretty cool (small windows and north facing). I've still drawn the blinds, UV wrapped the windows and backed my detolfs in black vinyl to stop any light seeping in from behind. I also run a small dehumidifier that helps to keep the air dry and cools it a little.

Not had any problems to date, but my shed that used to house part of my collection (still have some modern in there but hey) gets terribly hot this time of year. And I daren't even stick my head through the loft hatch for fear of melting so glad I have nothing of value up there.

 

[80s_collector]

I've got my collection and stock kept overseas where it is very humid and extremely hot everyday.
Aircon set at a constant temperature is the best bet, keep it all away from sunlight always.

A dark room or a room with natural light is ok and to be fair one item might get affected, but overall this is the best bet.

 

[AL_Bundy]

I have a query about storing vintage star wars figures and vehicles. Basically I have had to put a few figures in the garage that is attached underneath my flat.

I have wrapped the figures and my slave 1 vehicle in bubble wrap, and put them in a big plastic storage box for safety. The garage can get hot and cold, so will the figures and vehicle be ok to store this way?

 

[lejackal]

I have a query about storing vintage star wars figures and vehicles. Basically I have had to put a few figures in the garage that is attached underneath my flat.

I have wrapped the figures and my slave 1 vehicle in bubble wrap, and put them in a big plastic storage box for safety. The garage can get hot and cold, so will the figures and vehicle be ok to store this way?

I'm no expert on how temperature variation can affect figures but if you are storing and not displaying then you should definitely spend £3 on some acid free figure bags

http://starwarsforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=26287

 

[AL_Bundy]

I have some of those and I have just bought some acid free blister packs, I do not intend to keep them in the garage forever just for a while. They are in a plastic storage box out of the way of sunlight light.

 

[yoda]

I don't think temperature will affect the figures much. My own childhood figures went through a pretty good test from damp and cold conditions and they are still fine. The paintwork isn't great on some but that's due to the wear and tear of the many battles I had playing with them years ago
As for boxed ships with stickers and mocs I think you could have problems with different temperature. I have some of my carded figures in the loft along with ships. From reading this thread it's probably not the best place to store them.

 

[x-pack]

When we moved house years ago I stored some framed posters in my mum's shed and they were knackered after a month or so. Must have been damp or something. The posters warped in the frame. Bad news.

Even though my collection has been in the attic for a long time and I know it's not ideal, I haven't noticed and adverse effects at all. Still don't advise it

 

[Cazza]

Mine were in my parents loft for getting on for 20 years. They were in lidded plastic boxes. They went through some very high and low temps and came out the same as they'd gone in, as far as I could tell. Light is the worst enemy, for sure.

 

[stormcab]

Same here with my MOCs bought in the mid 90s. Had about 45 kept in a cardboard box in my loft for last 15 years with all sorts of weather and temperature. As far as I could tell they were affected in no way whatsover.

 

[SAVORY100]

Same here with my MOCs bought in the mid 90s. Had about 45 kept in a cardboard box in my loft for last 15 years with all sorts of weather and temperature. As far as I could tell they were affected in no way whatsover.

I'd echo exactly this. no issues with mine stored in the loft for around a decade.