Answer: It is impossible to give an answer that covers every individual figure ever made; however, if properly cared for, its likely your action figures will outlive you.

This is a question that probably presents itself to every action figure collector at some point or another. It’s a scary thought that one day these figures that you’ve collected over the years will degrade and devalue and all the money and time you put into them will feel like it was in vain.

For some of us, we may be content just enjoying our figures while they last—completely fine with the fact that some degradation will occur over time; however, if you are reading this, then you probably want to know how long your figures have left, and what you can do to prolong their lives.

What Is the Life Expectancy of An Action Figure?

If you’re wondering how long it will take for your action figures to break down into dust one day, well, that is highly dependent on environmental factors, but it is likely you won’t live to see that happen.

Unfortunately, you likely will see your action figures deteriorate over time. Joints will loosen, paint and plastic will fade, discoloration will occur, plastic could become more brittle, metal parts could rust, rubber and leather parts could dry out and crack, etc. Is this guaranteed? Not necessarily, but it is possible. So, is there anything you can do about it? If there is, what can you do?

It’s All About How You Treat Your Action Figures

First off, you can take comfort in knowing that you do have some control over how much your action figures deteriorate over the years. If you are an adult collector, then you’re probably not roughing your action figures up all that much (i.e., throwing them down the steps, taking them into the bathtub, etc.). That being said, you probably “play” with your figures from time to time by posing them—maybe you even do things like action figure photography or stop motion animation. Just be aware that when you move their joints, that does cause wear and tear over time.

Honestly, the majority of us adult collectors really only do one thing with our action figures—we display them. They don’t get moved very much, so they’re probably safe, right? Well, not necessarily.

Action Figure Degradation from Environmental Factors

Okay, so this is really the meat and potatoes of this post. Environmental factors should be one of, if not the biggest concern for you as an action figure collector. I’ve written about the effects of extreme temperatures, humidity levels, and sunlight on action figures in previous articles, so this will just be a summarization of things.

Let’s talk about possibly the biggest enemy your action figure collection will face, and that is sunlight. Sunlight will cause paint to fade and some types to plastic to discolor. For example, white plastic may turn yellow when exposed to sunlight for long periods of time—I talk more about this here.

Extreme temperatures (especially extreme heat) are also a major threat to your action figures. Extreme temperatures can cause paint to peel, joints to loosen, and plastic to become brittle—sunlight may also have some of these effects over the long-term.

Next up, we have humidity. When it comes to humidity, one of the big things you need to worry about is metal rusting. If your figures have metal pieces or screws and pins, it’s possible that extremely humid conditions could cause them to rust. High humidity is not the only thing you need to be concerned about; low levels of humidity can also be damaging, especially if your figures have rubber parts (like how some older Transformers figures had rubber tires). Extremely dry conditions could cause the rubber parts to crack.

While there is no perfect temperature and humidity level for you action figures, the general rule is that if its comfortable for you, it’s comfortable for your figures. Generally, between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit (15 – 23 degrees Celsius) is probably a good temperature range with humidity levels at 35-50%.

I’ve written multiple posts that deal with the display of action figures and collectables. This post deals with the general display of action figures (I also have a post about the display of Funko Pops). I also have an article specifically dedicated to ways you can display your action figures while protecting them from sunlight.

Storing Your Action Figures to Preserve Them

If you want your action figures to last a long time, take care when storing them. The same rules about sunlight, humidity, and temperature apply when storing your figures. There are other things you should consider as well, such as packing materials to make sure your figure are cushioned when being stored. Bubble wrap is a great option for this.

I have a whole post on storing your action figures here, but, basically, you want to store your action figures in an environment where the temperature and humidity levels can be regulated. You also don’t want your action figures to be exposed to sunlight. So, if you are storing your figures in clear plastic bins, make sure those bins are not getting any sunlight.

Some may be tempted to store their action figures in airtight containers or bags. While exposure to oxygen does cause chemical reactions with the plastic that could cause discoloration in the long run, no exposure to air is not good for your figures either. Airtight conditions could cause a sticky film to form on your figures (more on this later), so, if you are storing your figures in an airtight container of some kind, take them out periodically to “let them breathe”.

Not All Action Figures Are Created Equal

So, here is a hard truth we all need to come to terms with: not every action figure has the same longevity as its peers. For example, some figures will experience extreme discoloration due to exposure to UV rays from the sun, while others will degrade much more slowly. This is due to a chemical in the plastic call Bromine which reacts poorly to the sunlight. Plastic mixtures vary from figure to figure, and it is nearly impossible to determine which figures will experience the most discoloration.

Let’s look at some other things that make up our action figures other than just plastic. Some figures have more metal (the original Transformers figures for example), some have rubber, some are made of PVC plastic, etc. Also, the types of paint used on your figures may not all be the same. There are so many factors here, but generally the rules about temperature, humidity, and sunlight are going to be true across the board.

Should You Open Your Action Figures if You Want Them to Last

It’s generally assumed that if you want your action figures to last for a long time, then you don’t take them out of their original packaging. Certain collectors pride themselves on not having opened any of their figures. The thing is, this isn’t always best for the longevity of those figures. Certain figures need fresh air every so often. Hot Toys figures, for example, have leather and rubber parts which will become dry and brittle if not aired out every so often.

Figures the use PVC or other softer plastics have a material called plasticizer in them which prevents them from becoming brittle over time. This plasticizer material evaporates over time. When the figure is left sealed, the plasticizer evaporation results in a sticky film on the figure. This natural process will not only effect sealed action figures though, but it can also affect your open action figures if they are not stored properly. If you are storing your figures in airtight bags or containers the stickiness from plasticizer evaporation will result the same as it would if your figures were unopened.

So, what can you do about this? Plasticizers evaporate naturally, there is nothing you can do to stop this process, but what you can do is accommodate for it. If you’re storing loose action figures just make sure you’re not storing them in airtight container or bags. Give them room to breathe. If you do want to store them in something airtight, just make sure you take them out every so often.

For figures that are unopened, not all of them are going to be in airtight boxes. For the ones that are, you may want to cut some kind of hole into the box or blister, just so the figure has room to breathe. If the figure can be easily removed from its packaging, consider taking it out occasionally.

So, How Long Will Your Figures Last?

To recap, your figures will not last forever, but they can last a long time; and they will probably outlast you. The question is, what will their quality of life be?

There are some things that you won’t be able to control. Discoloration and colors fading may be inevitable as simply exposing the plastic your figures are made of to air will start chemical reactions that are pretty much impossible to reverse. That said, as a responsible action figure collector, there are measures you can take.

In a nutshell, here are the things you need to avoid when displaying or storing your action figures:

• Extreme temperatures
• Too little or too much humidity
• Sunlight
• Airtight conditions for long periods of time

If you simply avoid these things, your action figures will remain in good condition for a long time, and, like I said at the beginning, its likely they will outlive you.

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