Display Preservation

[Section 8]

I've recently moved my display into my living room. With it going dark early, it often means the living room light (big light up north) is on for long periods. Due to where the sun rises they are out of direct sunlight but are exposed for long periods from halogen bulbs over winter.

Will this cause any light damage and yellowing or is the main culprit sunlight?
Will putting them behind a glass display or for my carded acrylic cases protect them?

Recently purchases quite a few mocs and am not a fan of yellowing but want to display them. Probably been discussed at length before but any tips or science behind it welcome.

 

[Robstyley]

I think it's only ultraviolet (sun) light that causes yellowing and plastic degredation. As far as I know tungsten, halogen, led and other artificial light etc will not damage your mocs. I'm sure you could do some research online to find out the effects of different artificial light. Also certain glass and plastics will block UV rays just like your sunglasses :wink:

 

[theforceuk]

Halogen bulbs do emit UV rays, but less than sunlight. That's all I know. LED seems to be the future.

As Rob says certain glass and plastics block UV light, I no for a fact you can get a tan if their is glass between you and the Sun, but it will take a long time!

 

[Robstyley]

Halogen bulbs do emit UV rays, but less than sunlight. That's all I know. LED seems to be the future.

As Rob says certain glass and plastics block UV light, I no for a fact you can get a tan if their is glass between you and the Sun, but it will take a long time!

Thinking about it you're right Adam. I was wrong about Halogen - they are in sunbeds and people use them to grow weed so they must emit UV!

 

[Robstyley]

By the way, I'm not a lobster skinned puff-head!! :lol:

 

[ScruffyLookingNH]

It's not all down to the UV by any means, although that is a guaranteed yellow bubble maker....

You only need to look at those cases of ROTJ figures that Jordan Hemborough bought to see that these things go yellow even without seeing the light of day (quite literally, or any light as it happens) for 30+ years. Temperature and humidity also have their part to play in the yellow peril.

If you weren't aware, he bought 2 or three cases of ROTJ figures. 2 were sealed and one had been opened by the owner immediately before the sale to Jordan. In the opened case, about 70-80% of the bubbles had yellowed to varying degrees. Without knowing the order they came out of the case it would be impossible to work out if they had been worse at one end or the other (perhaps placed next to a heat source) or whether it was seemingly random. It could simply be down to certain chemicals used in particular plastics, paints or cloths. In all likelihood, though, it's going to be a mixture of environment, light exposure, the packaging materials used and maybe the figure within the bubble. All in all it's a bloody lottery.

 

[x-pack]

I thought LED was fine. I can say that while my collection has been displayed in the attic I've noticed no change whatsoever, but then it's been in darkness 99% of the time. It would appear that changes in heat are less damaging than changes in light.

 

[bosk70]

I've always had my collection in the spare room with the radiator off, as I have always thought a hot room is bad for the collection / plastic, as a whole, as I have seen some figs stored in warm conditions that have showed that sticky, oil residue that can turn to the mould look, and always had the roller blind down when not in there. They have been like this since early 90's with no visible effect on the original collection that's always been in there and the four carded figs I have had since 1992 have never yellowed one was yellow when I got it and has not got worse.

 

[jayums]

I thought LED was fine. I can say that while my collection has been displayed in the attic I've noticed no change whatsoever, but then it's been in darkness 99% of the time. It would appear that changes in heat are less damaging than changes in light.

I'm sure that's true... Light and luck.

I have no idea if this is remotely relevant to plastics and paint, but I remember doing a lab experiment on the break down of different materials years ago , simulating decay over hundreds of years. It turned out high temperatures and extreme daily changes in temperature made virtually no difference on their own, unless combined with moisture, which rapidly accelerated the decay. Jeez... I'm even boring myself... Anyway, my point is that humidity is probably as important as temperature. Keep 'em dry.

 

[kingshearer]

I always thought the main culprit was the reaction of the glue with the plastic especially around the edge of the card so you couldn't do anything about it. And perhaps all yellow bubbles result from some of the glue vapour getting trapped in the bubble at the time of manufacture.

 

[bosk70]

I've had some figs over the years (lose), purchased at boot sales etc. so do not know the history of storage, that were sticky / oily, I had heard that depending on the type of mix of plastic used they could break down, as the original toy manufacturer's never thought that people would be collecting and still cherishing them 40 years later. seemed for me to be rebel hoth , gam guard and a nikto, cleaned them in warm water and were a bit better but years later were tacky to the touch, never happened to my own childhood ones, that were loft stored then spare room, so all cool temps involved seemed to be the best way.

 

[Section 8]

Thanks for the replies. Soon all mocs I have will be in acrylic cases, but my loose figures will be out in the open so may sort out some kind of glass display for them.