Storage unit recommendation
 

Hi all,

I am looking at a self storage unit for my transformers and marvel figures.

There are 2 options.


Inside with climate control ( ac, radiant heating on the floor and fans for humidity in the summer)

Outside with climate control ( NO ac, radiant heating on the floor and fans for humidity in the summer). This is a drive up.

Looking forward for your input and why

Thx

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

I think inside with climate control is better, because it more accurately reflects the climate they are stored in when in a home.

I assume your transformers will be packaged in plastic totes or something similar so moisture is not really a factor, but I worry about the No AC in the outside with climate control option. Specifically I worry about what excessive heat would do to to the plastic, chrome, etc. I mean, I wouldn't want to a bunch of g1 figures in a hot car over 3 months in the summer.

Do they have any statistics on how hot the outside units get in the summer?

Then again I guess it depends on what the figures are. If they are newer mass retail figures and you aren't too concerned about them, maybe go for the cheaper option.

Now that I think about it, the length of time you are storing would also make a difference. if you're storing for long term I would definitely prefer inside with climate control. If you just need somewhere to put them for 3 months while you move, makes less of a difference I think.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

Really not trying to be sarcastic or anything. Is it possible to move into a bigger place? It may be cheaper! Storage gets very expensive.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

Thx. It will be long term.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

And you will need to consider pests ....insects and rodents..can get into almost anywhere....

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

I work in the museum field with artifacts collections and so have training in long term management and protection of items, (technically Preventive Conservation). I've also been a transformer collector since 1984 (I was born in 70s), so I share your pain in trying to preserve these things.

So transformers are multi-material constructs, in this case plastics (also multiple types) and metal (screws, pins, die-cast etc.).

The good news is both of those materials are pretty robust and tolerant of many different environmental conditions (more so than say, wood), but as anyone who has noticed stress marks, rusted screws, GPS or light damage knows though, they are not indestructible.

To the best of your ability, to prevent damage, you will want to control the following factors:

1) Eliminate high temperatures (low temperatures are actually good as chemical reactions generally slow down)

2) Eliminate temperature swings (a consistent temperature is better than one that swings back and forth).

3) Avoid humidity that is either to high (causes condensation/ rust) or too low (can dry out some plastic materials causing cracking). Given the materials Transformers are made of, too high is likely more of a threat, plastics are pretty tolerant.

4) Eliminate extreme humidity swings (again consistent is better than swinging from low to high). The best humidity conditions are generally 40% to 50% for most materials but that is hard to maintain in the summer.

5) Eliminate visible light and UV, both cause damage in different ways.

Based on this I'd suggest the indoor option because of the AC, which will kill a lot of the heat and humidity in the summer. Being inside will also eliminate some of the temperature and humidity swings as the entire building will have to heat up and cool down which takes longer than a single unit.

Pack them carefully and don't use tightly sealed containers (like bags) as that can cause micro-climates which can actually be more damaging.

Hope this helps.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

Oh this is an interesting tid bit. I've been sticking things into ziplock bags and storing in them in a bin (like Marvel Legends) just to keep accessories and stuff together. Guess I should reconsider this or look into storing accessories only for figures

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

Yes. Interesting...
Maybe you could still use the Ziplocs, but poke some (pin)holes to allow for some air circulation -- but small enough so as not to lose any pieces.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

You can actually buy zipolock bags that have holes in them.

Re: Storage unit recommendation
 

Don't use ziplock bags at all; they're known to damage the paint. Go polypro, bro.