Sunlight is possibly the greatest foe your action figure collection will ever face. The UV rays from the sun can cause the colors to fade on your figures, or worse, to discolor. The yellowing of plastic that used to be white is a prime example of how detrimental the sun can be to our action figures and other collectables. It is unfortunate that many collectors of action figures and other plastic collectables don’t realize the effect direct sunlight is having on their collection until it’s too late.
So, what do you do? How do you make sure your action figures avoid the sun? Sure, you could just leave your figures boxed up 24/7 and 365 days of the year, but where’s the fun in that? As a collector, you want to enjoy your collection, and one of the best ways to do this is by displaying it. In the post I am going to go through some of the best ways you can protect your action figure collection from direct sunlight while still having it on display.
Keep in mind that even though I’m addressing action figures in this post, this advice can be applied to other collectable as well—LEGO sets, Funko Pops, Gundam Model Kits, etc.
1. Display Your Action Figures in a Closet
To start off, let’s go over one of the most affordable ways to display your action figures, while protecting them from the sun. If you have a room in your home without windows, then this would be a great place to display your figures. Luckily, most of us do have some spaces in our homes that are closed off and don’t have any windows: closets.
Some closets come with built in shelves that will work perfectly for standing your figures on, while others may have wired shelves which are not ideal since the figures can easily fall through. In these cases, you may want to get something to lay over top of the shelves like a piece of cardboard so your figures will be able to stand properly.
If you do not have any shelves in your closest, but it is big enough, you may be able to set up some shelves in there.
2. Display Your Collection In a Room That Doesn’t Get Sun
Certain rooms in your home may have windows, but just don’t get that much sunlight, if any at all. This could be due to where that room falls in the layout of your home. These rooms could be a great place to display your figures; because you’re pretty much free to choose any type of display shelf or case that you want. Since you’re figures won’t be getting any direct sunlight, you don’t have to worry about covering them or setting up borders/dividers to block the sunlight.
Basements and attics are generally not ideal for storing or displaying your figures, however, if the space is finished, and you have complete control over the temperature and humidity, then these spaces may fine for displaying your figures since many times they don’t get nearly as much sunlight as the rest of your home.
3. Display Them in A Utility Cabinet
Remember what I said about displaying your figures in the closet? Well, using a utility cabinet to display your figures is going to function in much the same way as a closet would. The area can be completely closed off from the sunlight. You can choose to open the cabinet when the coast is clear and there will be no direct sunlight hitting your figures.
Utility cabinets are generally made for storing various items likes tools, garden materials, and an assortment of things one might store in their garage or basement. For this reason, many utility cabinets have adjustable shelves to account for the different sizes of the items you might need to store.
You can get metal or wood cabinets; however, I prefer plastic utility cabinets. Plastic cabinets are nice because they are lightweight and easy to manage.
HDX Multi-Purpose Cabinet (The Home Depot)
| Dimensions (inches) | 34.50’ x 17.50’ x 70.75 |
| Weight Capacity Per Shelf (lb) | 55 |
| Material | Plastic |
| Number of Shelves | 4 |
Plastic 2 Shelf Multi-Purpose Base Cabinet (The Home Depot)
| Dimensions (inches) | 34.50’ x 17.50’ x 36.25 |
| Weight Capacity Per Shelf (lb) | 55 |
| Material | Plastic |
| Number of Shelves | 2 |
Keter Storage Cabinet with Doors and Shelves (Amazon)
| Dimensions (inches) | 26.77’ x 14.96’ x 67.32’ |
| Weight Capacity Per Shelf (lb) | 44 |
| Material | Resin |
| Number of Shelves | 4 |
4. Display Them in a Case that Blocks UV Rays
Some acrylic display cases are made with UV filtering acrylic. This option not only protects your figures from some UV rays, but also will reduce the buildup of dust, and protect them from the hands of young relatives and from pets.
There is some misleading information about acrylic cases that offer UV protection. Manufactures will often boast about the percentage of UV rays that their cases will filter. It is difficult to assess whether or not these claims are accurate. It is the case, however, that, though UV filtering acrylic can block some UV rays, it can’t block them all. Even UV filtering acrylic cases used in museums don’t filter all UV rays. So, even if you are using a UV filtering case, you still don’t want your figures to be in direct sunlight, because some of those rays will be getting through.
All that being said, there are benefits to using UV filtering cases. Maybe you’re displaying your figures in a room that gets sunlight, but you’ve made sure that the figures are positioned so that no direct sunlight is hitting them. Well, indirect sunlight may still be an issue. What is indirect sunlight? Indirect sunlight is sunlight that is not directly hitting something but is still reaching it through other means. An example would be sunlight reflecting off a surface. UV filtering cases may be beneficial in these types of scenarios.
Many acrylic display cases are made with sports memorabilia in mind (footballs, basketballs, etc.). With that in mind, there is nothing saying that display cases made for basketballs can’t suit your needs as an action figure collector. You will just need to pay attention to the dimensions to make sure that the size of the case is to your liking.
BallQube Grandstand Basketball Display (Amazon)
| Dimensions (inches) | 9.45 x 9.45 x 9.45 |
| UV Protection | 98% UV coating |
| Made for | Basketball |
BallQube UV Grandstand Football Display (Amazon)
| Dimensions (inches) | 7 3/8 X 11 3/4 X 7 3/8 |
| UV Protection | 98% UV Protection |
| Made for | Football |
Ultra Pro Basketball Display Case (Amazon)
| Dimensions (inches) | About 10 x 10 x 10 |
| UV Protection | Percentage not specified |
| Made for | Basketball |
BallQube UV Mini Helmet Display (Amazon)
| Dimensions (inches) | 5 x 7 x 5 |
| UV Protection | 98% UV Protection |
| Made for | Mini Football Helmet |
When it comes to what display case you should choose, there are a number of different options out there—some offering a wide variety of different sizes, with some companies even willing to make custom cases you. Here are few places you may be able to find a display case that specifically suites your needs best.
5. Use Room Dividers
If you don’t want to display your figures in a utility cabinet, but UV filtering cases are just overkill for you and would take up too much space on your shelves, consider room dividers. They work very well for sectioning off open spaces, or, in this case, part of the room you want to block from sunlight.
Room dividers could be a great solution for those who have their action figure collection displayed out in the open, but don’t want their blinds/shades closed during the sunny parts of the day. A room divider can be used to simply block off the section of the room where the action figures are being displayed. The dividers block the sun from hitting your figures, but you can still enjoy the rest of the room getting some sunlight. Just be aware of indirect sunlight as I mentioned earlier—position your dividers so that they will block that as well.
Room divider come in a variety of different shapes and sizes. You will need to find one that matches the décor in the rest of the room. They also can be made from a number of different materials—particle board, wood, plastic, etc.
Another nice aspect of room dividers is that you can fold them if you want to open up the space a bit. At night, for example, when the sun is no longer an issue, you can fold up the dividers and open things up a bit.
If there is a section of your room without any windows, perhaps consider hanging some curtain room dividers and just sectioning off that portion of the room to be dedicated to your action figure collection display.
Here are some different options that might interest you:
Curtain Room Dividers:
Hiasan Privacy Room Divider Curtain (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (feet) |
6.7 x 7 8.3 x 7 8.3 x 8 8.3 x 9 10 x 8 15 x 8 |
| Material | Polyester |
Room/Dividers/Now Ceiling Track Room Divider Kit (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (feet) | 10+ different sizes |
| Material | Polyester |
Panel Room Dividers
Proman Products Room Divider (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (inches) |
102 x 16 x 71 (Max) 34 x 71 (Individual Panel) |
| Material | Metal, Fabric |
| Number of Panels | 3 |
| Weight (lb.) | 19 |
FDW Room Divider (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (inches) |
71 x 70.5″ (Max) 71 x 18 (Individual Panel) |
| Material | Wood |
| Number of Panels | 4 OR 6 |
| Weight (lb.) | 15.4 OR 17.47 |
White Blank Canvas Room Divider (The Home Depot)
| Max Dimensions (inches) | 71 x 94.5 (Max) |
| Material | Canvas, Wood |
| Number of Panels | 6 |
| Weight (lb.) | 18 |
MyGift Freestanding Room Divider with Asian Calligraphy Artwork Design (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (inches) | 0.7 x 94.5 x 68.9 (Max) |
| Material | Wood |
| Number of Panels | 6 |
| Weight (lb.) | 16 |
STEELAID Room Divider Office Wall Divider (Amazon)
| Max Dimensions (inches) | 71 x 72 |
| Material | |
| Number of Panels | 1 |
| Weight (lb.) | 9.58 |
6. Cover Your Action Figure Display
Okay, so maybe none of these options appeal to you. Maybe you just don’t want to be bothered moving that display shelf that is sitting right in the path of direct sunlight—maybe you like it where it is. There’s also the possibility that you have some shelves built into the walls of your bedroom and you want to utilize that for displaying your figures, but those shelves get direct sunlight during certain times of the day. In these scenarios, you might want to consider covering them with a sheet or curtain during the day.
In the case of built-in shelves, I would recommend going with curtains. You can cover them during the day and pull away the curtains once the sun is no longer an issue. After all, if you have built in shelves, it would be a shame not to use them.
For bookcases or standing shelf units, consider covering them with a thick bedsheet if the bookcase is in direct sunlight and cannot be moved for whatever reason.
Conclusion
Action figures and other collectibles like Funko Pops, LEGO sets, and figurines need to be protected from UV rays from sunlight. Whether or not your collectibles will be exposed to directed sunlight should be a major factor in where you decide to display them. If you can’t or don’t want to display your figures in a closet or another room that doesn’t get any sunlight, then you need to choose a method of displaying your figures that will either block or filter those harmful UV rays.