Transformer storage tips

[Yonoid]

Originally Posted by Scrapmaker

Don't use zip-locs for long-term storage:
http://www.onepercase.net/2012/04/ps...ures-like.html

interesting read. any suggestions on how thick the bag should be? I see 1,1.5,2mm on staples site

https://www.staples.ca/en/Recloseabl...1_2-CA_1_20001

[evenstaves]

Originally Posted by Scrapmaker

Don't use zip-locs for long-term storage

You know, I always had a feeling about baggies

When you are at cons, digging through bins of baggies, they always just feel brutal somehow

[TRUCKvsGUN]

Originally Posted by Yonoid

interesting read. any suggestions on how thick the bag should be? I see 1,1.5,2mm on staples site

https://www.staples.ca/en/Recloseabl...1_2-CA_1_20001

I buy from clearbags.ca because they have many varieties of sizes which can be ordered in any quantity, though they offer savings for economy of scale. I normally get 3mm (note this is overall thickness) 5x8 (thicknesses are in mm, dimensions in inches) for Deluxes, and 3mm 6x9's for my Voyagers - these sizes will fit 90% of those size classes. I use 3mm 2x3, 3x3 and 3x4 for accessories. I have experimented with 2mm for the much larger bags (Leader class) to save cost on them, and have noted that sharp corners will mark the bags, but I have yet to notice any pierced bags. Note that you want the Crystal Clear bags, as they are polypropylene; they make bags out of other materials as well. Having been contacted once by their staff about a particular baggy size being out of stock and contacted them once to ask questions, I can say that they have very good customer service. Links to their PP bags below for your convenience (note it doesn't say polypropylene in the description, but they are in fact PP:

2mm:http://clearbags.ca/store/products/z...al-clear-2mil/
3mm:http://clearbags.ca/store/products/z...ear-3mil-4mil/
4mm:http://clearbags.ca/store/products/z...al-clear-4mil/

Originally Posted by evenstaves

You know, I always had a feeling about baggies

When you are at cons, digging through bins of baggies, they always just feel brutal somehow

I love bin-diving at cons, and yeah it hurts to see all those toys at risk when a $0.15 investment can forever protect a $10.00 toy. It's very reasonable to ask the seller if you can open the baggy and inspect, just make sure you explain why, so they don't think you're looking to steal parts.

[Autobotz24]

I just finished moving and so far so good. I put all my CHUG figures in my Fort Max, Trypticon and Metroplex boxes with a layer of bubble wrap. It's best to have them in vehicle mode so they are compressed.
As for the big three, I had Metroplex and Fort Max standing up in the large U-Haul boxes with boxed masterpiece figures surrounding them to prevent movement. As for Trypticon, I had him laying down in a bin surrounded by pillows

[Zenith27]

Originally Posted by Scrapmaker

Don't use zip-locs for long-term storage:
http://www.onepercase.net/2012/04/ps...ures-like.html

What a pain in the ass. Now I gotta go buy special bags! In like 6 sizes!

I should just pose them and encase each in a block of acrylic! Then I could just neatly stack them without shelves!

Stupid hobby! I should seriously just throw them all in an old potato sack.

[RNSrobot]

1. Get a TROFAST bin from IKEA
2. Throw all the toys in it
3. ???????
4. PROFIT

[justprime]

So what is a short time for the bags or more to point at what lenght of time do they start to affect the plastic l know others that have had there figures in bags for more than 4 years with no issues.....

[TRUCKvsGUN]

Originally Posted by Zenith27

What a pain in the ass. Now I gotta go buy special bags! In like 6 sizes!

I should just pose them and encase each in a block of acrylic! Then I could just neatly stack them without shelves!

Stupid hobby! I should seriously just throw them all in an old potato sack.

You could always just order two sizes, if you don't mind putting all your stuff in bags that are loose. I only got several sizes because of my compulsive tendencies, and how pro it looks when all your stuff is in crystal clear bags that are just the right size. I can almost appreciate them as much in the baggy as out. Almost.

Originally Posted by justprime

So what is a short time for the bags or more to point at what lenght of time do they start to affect the plastic l know others that have had there figures in bags for more than 4 years with no issues.....

That would depend on the bags, the toy plastics, and the paints involved, so there is no rule as the reaction kinetics will vary. I would imagine it's always at least multiple years, though, and I myself wouldn't hesitate to put my toys in zip-locs if I suddenly had to pack up and move and had no PP baggies left.

The key words here are long-term storage; if you don't have set plans to take them back out of the bags anytime soon, best to invest in PP. Yeah they're more expensive than zip-locs and transferring them into new bags could take a day or more depending on your collection, but I'm sure we all care more about our toys than we do our sandwiches, so why treat them like sandwiches.

[Omegatron]

Sorry for being late to the party on this but I work in the museum sector so I have a bit to add here.

The problem with plastics is that they are not all created equal. Some are inert like polyethylene but others contain plasticizers and other impurities, like PVCs. The issue with storage materials is that you don’t want to introduce any new impurities or acids from the storage materials. It is also worth remembering that Transformers themselves are made from many different kinds of plastic and that some will deteriorate really no matter what you do (Vinyl tires anyone) because they are made of PVCs, contain plasticizers or fire retardants or just are made of plastic with is unstably bonded and so breaks down over time (and especially if energy is added to the reaction, which often occurs when you leave them in sunlight).

For this reason museums use materials which are acid free and made of stable materials. The number one supplier in Canada for this type of thing is Carr-McLean. Their web-site is as follows:

http://www.carrmclean.ca
For a direct link to the kind of bags I’d suggest here is the specific page:

http://www.carrmclean.ca/CategoryGroupBrowser.aspx?CategoryID=159&GroupNo=1 375

Now these bags are expensive, so it’s totally fair to decide if your collection is worth the expense. These are probably the best thing out there though. I should also say that impurities in regular plastic bags take time to leach out so if you are only using them for a month or two you would be fine with anything. Over time though (years generally, and the higher the temperature or the greater the light expose the sooner this will happen), the impurities will leach out and eventually affect your toys.

In terms of packing material, regular store grocery bags aren’t bad because they are generally made of polyethylene which is inert. I would turn them inside out though to prevent the logo, which is printed on, from transferring to your toys. The other problem with grocery bags is that they don’t actually provide much padding. For this reason museums usually turn to ethafoam which is a thicker, more padded form of polyethylene. This can be found on the Carr-McLean website here:

http://www.carrmclean.ca/CategoryGroupBrowser.aspx?GroupNo=2031

That being said most of these are blocks and sheets are better because they are more pliable. Carr-McLean also seems to be really expensive for this kind of thing so most museums in our area use ULine which is a packing company. The sheets I’d suggest from Uline are as follows:

https://www.uline.ca/BL_864/Foam-Sheets

Finally if anyone wants to shop around there is a competitor, its Brodart and their web-site is as follows:

http://www.brodart.ca

Brodart is also an American company so for our U.S. friends I’d suggest them over Carr-Mclean (which is Canadian) as their main U.S. site can be found here:

http://www.brodart.com

They tend to be more of library supplier than a museum or archive supplier (like Carr-McLean) but have many of the same items.

So, sorry for the essay, I get a bit too much into my work sometimes, but if this is of help to anyone then hopefully you’ll excuse my pontification.

[Zenith27]

Originally Posted by Omegatron

In terms of packing material, regular store grocery bags aren’t bad because they are generally made of polyethylene which is inert. I would turn them inside out though to prevent the logo, which is printed on, from transferring to your toys. The other problem with grocery bags is that they don’t actually provide much padding. For this reason museums usually turn to ethafoam which is a thicker, more padded form of polyethylene. This can be found on the Carr-McLean website here:

I put the toys inside the grocery bags. The printing is usualy on the outside or am I mistaken?