presevation of loose figures with vinyl capes advice

having sifted through my loose which are stored in a box all in zip lock bags. i noticted one of my kenobis now has mould spots embedded into the plastic this was not like this when i put into storage a year ago.

admittantly i dont live in a well ventilated house which probably speeded up the process of these spots and main cause more than likely.

having thought about this ive seen these spots on hoth stormies, jawas,leia organa original and bespin over the years so it must be the vinyl capes not allowing the figure to breath this along with bad storage causing like me or in a box in the attic for years causing the brown mold spots.

so any figures that are not on display and do t have access to open air i advise you store the figures and capes seperately.

regards

chris

I've seen figures without capes develop mould spots as well Chris. Unfortunately it is the environment inside the sealed zip lock bag causing the problem, not the vinyl capes. I have seen it recomended that if you use a hole punch to perforate zip lock bags and store them in a ventillated box, it allows the bag & figure to 'breathe' reducing the likely hood of any problems. Apart from mould spots (caused by fungal spores in the air, on our fingers etc.), the vapours and oils released by both figures and bags can lead to previously mint figures becoming discoloured, tacky or showing other signs of deterioration. High temperatures e.g. in an attic / loft also speed up the deterioration of our beloved toys.

From what I have read in the past , I think Steve nailed it Chris

However , while I have never heard that the capes could be the source of mold , there is certainly no harm in storing the capes separately just in case , it is always better to be safe then sorry

i blame my house time to sell up and move

mmmm i tad drastic i think a hole punch is a good start

If there is a figure that certainly wouldn't hurt to store the capes separate it is Lando .

He is the only caped figure with a painted butt and I have seen many examples where the paint has stuck to the inside of the cape and peeled off the arse .

It could be due to environmental conditions (most likely heat) or a chemical reaction between the 2 kinds of plastic and/or paint that cause the capes to stick .

I've been using ultra pro "one touch" reseal able bags on the recommendation of another collector, they fold over but leave room for ventilation while sufficiently preventing dust. Much like what Steve is saying there.

I havnt tried this myself, but I have heard of others using Silica Gel Disecant products, they come in many sized satchels, absorbs any excess moisture from the zone around them.
Mould needs moisture to grow.
Combine this with some acid free plastic baggies, with a small hole to let the air circulate.

ourchickenshack wrote:If there is a figure that certainly wouldn't hurt to store the capes separate it is Lando .

He is the only caped figure with a painted butt and I have seen many examples where the paint has stuck to the inside of the cape and peeled off the arse .

It could be due to environmental conditions (most likely heat) or a chemical reaction between the 2 kinds of plastic and/or paint that cause the capes to stick .

That's a great shout James, I also have seen many examples of paint stuck to Lando's cape from his backside
So to be safe I remove the capes when it's really warm in the summer months as Lando was a small focus of mine

justdisplay em CHris , then ya dont have to worry about bags and such

for a few years i had my figures stored in bags in boxes . luckily i live in new york where we get all sorts of weather and it doesnt seem to affect my figures (not yet)