The time has come to think about storage. Specifically, where you will be storing your action figures after you take them off of the display shelf. Presumably, you already have the boxes or plastic bins that the figures will be stored in as well as the bubble wrap to provide cushioning. The only question now is: where in your home are you going to be storing them? You may have some ideas, but you might not be taking everything into consideration; and the environmental conditions in that room might be hazardous to the health of your figures.

Let’s take a few minutes to cover some of the places you should probably NOT be storing your action figure collection.

In no particular order:

1. Garage
2. Porch or Sunroom
3. Basement
4. Attic
5. Shed
6. Vehicle
7. Outdoors

Breaking down each of these would get repetitive, because there are similar problems across the board. Let’s break down the factors that will make for bad conditions for action figure storage.

Before I go on, I should note that I’m making generalizations here. There is a good chance that your attic, basement, or garage might be fine for action figure storage. In general, though, there are things that make each of those locations unfit for action figures storage. You may want to rule out those factors before storing your figures in one of these places. Anyways, let’s begin.

Sunlight

Sunlight is bad for action figures and pretty much any collectible. It causes all kinds of problems for your action figures, devaluing them over time. Some of the negative effects the sun will have on your action figures would include discoloration along with fading colors. One of the most infamous examples of this is how white plastic tends to turn yellowish-brown when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time.

When your action figures are being stored away, there is a chance that sunlight will not even be an issue, especially if you’re storing them in something like Rubbermaid tubs or cardboard boxes, which will block those UV rays. If you are using clear plastic tubs, then you need to be diligent about making sure sunlight is not reaching them. It’s unlikely the clear plastic those tubs are made of will block the harmful UV rays.

Garages, porches, vehicles, and obviously the outdoors are all in the “danger zone” for your action figures when it comes to sunlight exposure

Extreme Temperatures and Temperature Fluctuation

Extreme heat is one of the worst things for action figures. PVC plastic, for example, will start to warp at 140 °F. Heat can also accelerate the process of photodegradation, which is the chemical reaction caused by UV rays from the sun which results in plastic discoloration. Extreme cold is also a problem. It can make the plastic become brittle.

Extreme temperature fluctuation causes plastics and other materials to expand and contract which can lead to problems such as the loosening of joints. This can also cause stickers to get loose and fall off as well as metal screws and springs to get rusty.

Nearly every place listed above has issues with extreme temperature. Rooms in our homes typically used for storage like the attic and the garage are unsuitable for your action figures for this reason. The temperature cannot be regulated, so unless you live in a consistantly moderate climate, your action figures should not be stored there.

Humidity

The last thing we need to talk about is humidity. A lot of the problems created by extreme temperatures are exacerbated by humidity. Damage to paint, stickers, and metal parts caused by extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuation is just going to be made worse with excess moisture in the air.

Humidity is probably the only big factor you need to worry about if you want to store your action figures in your basement. Other than that, the basement could make for a good place to store your figures since you don’t need to worry about sunlight or the temperature problems. If you have a very damp basement, but you want to store your figures down there; consider investing in dehumidifier.

Everyone’s Situation Is Different

Obviously not everyone’s basement is as humid as a rain forest, and not every attic becomes a sauna in the summer. These places do tend to get used for storage though, and it’s important to point out the potential problems you may face when storing your action figures. Sometimes we store things away without even thinking about the environmental conditions only to find that our valuables have been ruined the next time we get them out of storage.

Though basements, attics, and even garages can make for good storage places for your action figures under certain conditions; it’s hard to imagine porches, sheds, your vehicle, or the outdoors ever being ideal for any kind of remotely long-term storage.

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