Future of your collection-bubbles etc

[_Lee_]

Ello guys,

Thought i would start a new thread tonight that could be interesting.

Do you guys ever think about the future of your MOC figures? I ask this because i got out of the MOC game a while back,as im not sure a majority of bubbles will last much longer.I do pick up a few here and there,but i stopped going for a full set years back.Palitoys/Trilogos have the longest life IMO as a majority are clear and just look stronger that their kenner counterparts.Do you ever think of this?

Good to see some input on this.

Lee

 

[PGowdy]

I've heard talk of this a lot since i started collecting. I personally have never worried about it. I have mocs that are 31 years old and the bubble looks as good as the day it came out of the factory. I think if mocs are mistreated they won't last long but otherwise i don't see where the worry comes from. If the bubbles can last another 31 years they'll outlive a lot of us.

 

[silver grin]

Yeah, I am with Pete on this one - It all depends on hwo they are looked after. I only collect MOC's and posters so if I mistreat my mocs then I will have wasted a LOT of money :lol:

 

[spoons]

All bubbles will become brittle or fall off eventually. Some will take a long time to decay, others fall off much sooner - they're made of plastic so enjoy them while you can

 

[tigerham]

Yeah like Pete, I always go for the clear good bubbles and like Nik said, it all depends on who's looking after them. Certainly safe in my hands! :twisted:

 

[Lee Gregory]

It's something I do worry about to be honest , I get a few MOC's and gave a good look at the bubble every so often.

However as Pete has already said if they've lasted 30 odd years and still look decent chances are they'll still be in good order when I'm 6ft under so I shouldn't be that concerned really.

 

[Caswellbot]

This is a good question and one that makes me think a lot of the time about the possible outcomes. I think for the main part carded figures and alike are safe for a fair amount of time still to come. There will always be exceptions to the rule where seals have nt been fastened as securely as they should in the factory.

I think that it is important to look after them appropriately. Basic stuff like making sure they aren't in too much heat or allowed to get too cold. Cold will make the bubble very brittle as I have found out to my detriment in the past.

As for the plastic bubble it should be quite safe for a while. It is very unlikely to bio degrade as such as plastic takes a very Long time to break down as we all know.

I guess all we can do is try to buy carded figures where the bubble is in good condition and hasn't been compromised by lifting or dents. Then its a case of looking after them appropriately and of course keeping an eye on them.

Only time will tell I guess. If anyone's carded figures start falling apart, please let me know asap! Lol.

 

[PGowdy]

The plastic will take 100s of years to bio degrade. The glue holding the bubble on is a different matter and that i will concede is an unknown factor. I still maintain that in the right conditions the glue could hold longer than we're alive.
I think what keeps this discussion going with collectors is the lack of past reference/examples. I'm pretty sure that there were no MOCs before the 1970s so we have nothing to look back on in terms of how long an MOC can last. Does anyone know when the first MOC action figures came about?

 

[Joe]

No need to worry about glue- there is none

Bubbles were sealed to cards with heat and pressure on a machine which basically heated the bubble to make it tacky and pushed it onto the card. It's why you can see the imprint of the bubble on the backs of many cards (The Kenner crease as it is also known is usually not considered a true flaw as it happened at the factory)

As for the general subject, I don't think we will have anything to worry about in the next 60+ years by which time no doubt some of us will be dead or have moved on, so as others have said, as long as you keep them in good condition and don't throw them around or change the temp from one day to the next (and providing the seal if it's good from the factory) then they will not suddenly open on you.

 

[spoons]

The plastic will take 100s of years to bio degrade. The glue holding the bubble on is a different matter and that i will concede is an unknown factor. I still maintain that in the right conditions the glue could hold longer than we're alive.
I think what keeps this discussion going with collectors is the lack of past reference/examples. I'm pretty sure that there were no MOCs before the 1970s so we have nothing to look back on in terms of how long an MOC can last. Does anyone know when the first MOC action figures came about?

It's not about biodegrading, it's specifically to do with off gassing. The plastic weakening rather than rotting like an apple. If I don't open my loose collection cupboard door every so often there's a real build up of new car smell - the plastic changing chemical structure. Some figures even become tacky.

The bubbles go through the same process, unless they are stored in perfect conditions they will decay. Next time you are at a toy show check out the 60s toy packaging - it's not pretty. All those yellow brittle bubbles.

The bubbles aren't glued but will fall off with weight. Finding a well sealed die cast moc is becoming harder by the year.

As others have said, sw bubbles could well outlast us all, but many won't

Apologies for the pessimism

 

[PGowdy]

I would bare in mind that bubbles toys from the 60s probably weren't collected and preserved in the way they are now. Most if not all of them were probably kept in damp, dusty, smoke basements forgotten about by non collectors until they became collectable many years later. Many of the toys we have now have never been outside of the collecting community. Many never even been displayed in shops or owned, even touched by children.
I think this could well be a factor tho i am speculating.

 

[Joe]

The plastic will take 100s of years to bio degrade. The glue holding the bubble on is a different matter and that i will concede is an unknown factor. I still maintain that in the right conditions the glue could hold longer than we're alive.
I think what keeps this discussion going with collectors is the lack of past reference/examples. I'm pretty sure that there were no MOCs before the 1970s so we have nothing to look back on in terms of how long an MOC can last. Does anyone know when the first MOC action figures came about?

It's not about biodegrading, it's specifically to do with off gassing. The plastic weakening rather than rotting like an apple. If I don't open my loose collection cupboard door every so often there's a real build up of new car smell - the plastic changing chemical structure. Some figures even become tacky.

The bubbles go through the same process, unless they are stored in perfect conditions they will decay. Next time you are at a toy show check out the 60s toy packaging - it's not pretty. All those yellow brittle bubbles.

The bubbles aren't glued but will fall off with weight. Finding a well sealed die cast moc is becoming harder by the year.

As others have said, sw bubbles could well outlast us all, but many won't

Apologies for the pessimism

I do know exactly what you mean Andy but I think in terms of degrading, the figures will destroy themselves inside the bubbles before the bubbles fall off, I have never seen any evidence of a figures off gassing having any effect on a bubble. In fact some perfect bubbles + cards hold horribly discoloured figures.

 

[olisuds]

Actually Joe thats a good point. I would be more worried about the figures degrading. Last year i opened a cut card with a Leia Boushh reverse painted torso. Yes alright it was a bit naughty, but bloody glad I did.

Inside, the figure had been swetting and had partly stuck to the card. It had lost some paint from where it had stuck to the card but what was worse is that the actual plastic was sweating or secreting a funny oily greasy sticky film. Even the paint on the hair was sticky and wet. I gave it a wash and dried it with a paper towel. I had to rub very carefully to remove the sticky secretion but not remove the paint.

After giving it some air it appears to have dried out and stopped sweating but it made me think long and hard about the deterioration that some figures must be going though sealed in the bubbles without being able to breath.

I take alot of care about storing my loose figures. They are either displayed in a large UV resistant acrylic display case with a removable cover (not touchig anything else) or in steel draws lined with acidfree buffered tissue paper. Maybe a little over cautious but at least I sleep peacefully at night

 

[spoons]

I would bare in mind that bubbles toys from the 60s probably weren't collected and preserved in the way they are now. Most if not all of them were probably kept in damp, dusty, smoke basements forgotten about by non collectors until they became collectable many years later. Many of the toys we have now have never been outside of the collecting community. Many never even been displayed in shops or owned, even touched by children.
I think this could well be a factor tho i am speculating.

Pete there are loads of mint 60s toys out there, particularly dinky toys in plastic boxes, which are all very yellow. They were collectable long before Star Wars but to be fair the plastic is probably different to some of the Sw bubbles.

I worry most about the Kenner Rotj bubbles, I reckon in 10 years time most will be yellow.

We've had this discussion a few times here, and the short answer is enjoy them while you can, but your grandkids will have a lot of loose figs :wink:

 

[Caswellbot]

I think you make a good point about the corgi and dingy stuff Andy but not all the plastic Windows on those I've seen have been yellowed. I would also say that yellowing doesn't necessarily mean that the bubble will fall off. It's to do with the compounds within the plastics as far as I was told. The change in colour of the plastic is not consistent. If it was to do with age then why are star wars and esb bubbles generally much more likely to be clear whereas rotj and potf bubbles regularly yellow? I genuinely think that it is mostly to do with the type of compounds that make up the plastic used in the actual bubbles. Not age.

I'm not saying they'll last forever but I think there's life in them yet

p.s. I'm not trying to convince my self here honest. Lol.

 

[waztotuk]

Yeah it is worrying, I have a window style Rebo band sealed. Had it stood on my shelf for a while, and then one day Droopy McCools feet decided to break through the bubble - the bubble literally gave way due to the age its become fragile. Not a happy day lol. Its not stored in direct light or anything like that either!

Wayne

 

[Caswellbot]

Lol. Ok now I'm a bit scared. You sure no one knocked it off your shelf and then placed it back up there hoping you wouldn't notice Wayne??

I might have to invest in some chest style display cases and lay my items flat in there. Great thread. Its got all the scaremonger value of reading the daily mail.

 

[PGowdy]

Figures have been known to burst through the bottom of the bubbles. Usually with weaker more brittle bubbles such as ROTJ and trilogo lipped bubbles. This is a wear and tear/gravity issue. Happens when figures are posted tool for obvious reasons. If your mocs are kept upright then i guess this could always happen. Laid on their backs this obviously wouldn't happen.

Also, re the figure gas problem. If this really is an issue, the answer would be to push a small pin hole in the back of the card like on the MIM cards. This would allow the figure to breathe.

 

[Chewie]

They're all DOOMED!!!! DOOMED I TELL YOU!!!! :lol:

Theres only one way to save them.....FREEZE THEM!!!! I've already put all mine in a bucket of water and put them in the freezer! I urge you all to do the same whilst you've still got time!!!!

Check this guy out.....He's MINT!

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070711-mammoth-picture.html

 

[PGowdy]

Sounds like a plan Chewie. :wink: