HOW TO STORE
and
PROTECT YOUR ACTION FIGURES
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As
you build up your action figure collection or maybe
you’ve been collecting for years, one of the things that
gets overlooked is ensuring your collection stays in the
same shape you originally purchased them in.
Protecting your collection may not have been a priority
initially, but it should be a very important part in your
collecting habits as you continue to grow your collection.
Most
collectors in the last few years are more conscious about
their figures’ lifespan and have been actively looking for
products that will help in not only protecting their items
but also allow their figures to be displayed at the same
time.
The most
important thing you can do without going out and buying some
of these protective products is to ensure that your figures
are not in direct sun light or next to areas where heat is
high.
Figures are made of plastic or some form of and can over
time in natural sun light fade and discolor.
The natural sun light tends to make packaged figure’s
cardboard and graphics and artwork to fade over a short
period of time and can turn the plastic bubbles containing
the figures to yellow even quicker.
Figures stored or displayed next to or on electrical
equipment like television sets or close by your home’s
heating vents can age your figures and discolor them.
Heat can have a very negative effect on your action figure
collection especially if you collect packaged figures since
the artwork and cardboard containers are susceptible to high
and extreme heat.
Some collectors only have the use of their bedrooms to store
their figures and that’s fine too as long as the curtains
aren’t open 100% of the time with your figures baking in the
sunlight.
The figures can be in the same room just not exposed to the
sunlight for extended periods of time, but ideally you want
to store and display your items in as cool an environment as
you can find in your living quarters.
Water is an action figure collector’s nemesis as it can
damage cardbacks and packaged boxes.
The slightest water damage can ruin packages forever.
It is recommended to keep your packaged figures boxes 18
inches or more above the ground to give your collection a
chance to avoid any initial flooding.
Keeping your collection away from dank, musty or moist
environments can go a long way in protecting your prized
action figure possessions.
Although you may collect opened/loose figures these kinds of
places can alter your figures permanently.
Simple corrections by you can go a long way in maintaining
your figure’s life. By preparing your collecting space and
storage areas will ensure your collection’s beauty for years
to come.
Storage
Containers
If you
collect opened/loose figures, it’s a must to purchase some
form of a storage container with small compartment drawers
that you can find at any hardware store or department store
like Target or Walmart.
These devices can contain 36, 48, 64, or 128 small drawers
which can house the figures and its accessories
comfortably. It’ll help keep things organized and you won’t
lose any items like pistols, figure stands, etc.
There are many different styles around and depending on the
size of your figures most will fit in these containers and
at the very least will fit your figure’s accessories.
These
containers can be pricey for some, but for the most part are
very affordable.
I use them and have kept my opened/loose figures very
organized for decades. I typically display all of my
figures on shelves with the storage drawers housing all of
the little accessories.
There are some specially designed action figure
storage/display containers that are sold on the internet
which allow you to stand opened/loose figures inside its
compartments. Some have mirrors on the back which gives a
nice touch.
I’ve seen items that can hold over 60 figures while there
are items that will hold a single figure or a few figures at
a time.
They vary in prices depending on the seller so do some
checking around if this is a route you want to go.
If you collect packaged figures, there are many different
products available online that you can purchase for
protection and display.
These protectors are usually made of the same kinds of clear
plastic that you see at your grocery store holding small
fruits or pastries.
Some manufacturers have taken to using this light soft
plastic and molded them to fit certain action figure
packages and marketed them for protection and display.
Some manufacturers make products that are of a thick plastic
that has heft and are usually made of hard acrylic plastic.
All of these containers are see through so you can display
your figures and gives you the assurance that they are
protected from most handling all at the same time.
Action figure packages are not uniformed across the board
and come in all sorts of shapes and sizes so there’s not
always going to be a product available to fit every figure
made.
I would recommend acquiring some of these products
specifically for your most treasured and valuable packaged
figures.
The harder plastic containers should be used for items that
are your most expensive figures as these items tend to cost
more than the soft plastic containers.
It’s simply not cost-effective nor realistic to store all of
your packaged figures in these protective containers.
If some of your best items have no protectors available,
that’s okay too.
I would
use banker boxes that you can get at Office Depot or Staples
to store the majority of your items while using shelves to
display your better items - of course out of the sunlight
and in a cool area/room.
As long as you don’t constantly handle your packaged figures
- only taking them out once in a while, they’ll be fine.
Insurance
If you have
a very valuable collection or a large collection that you’ve
spent quite a bit of money on, it might be advantageous for
you to insure them either with your current insurance
company or an agency that deals with insuring collectible
items.
You obviously value your collection and don’t want anything
to happen to them and having that peace of mind knowing that
your collection is protected financially makes sense.
Traditional insurance companies may be tough to deal with
since they have no idea on the value of collectible items
like action figures and trying to convince them using
various price guides may not be sufficient information that
they can utilize.
Check
with your current insurance company first to see what they
can offer you and if they don’t have an applicable plan,
then there are choices you can find on the internet that
will.
One such company has been insuring collectibles since 1966.
A simple Google search will find them for you. Just type in
collectibles insurance in the search window.
Happy Collecting!!!
Johnson's Collectibles
