hirohawa Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 I plan on putting some of the toys and empty boxes up in my attic and basement. What should I do to ensure that they will not get destroyed? I know humidity can occur if I just wrap a plastic bag around it. Has anyone shrink wrapped their toys? What long term storage methods have been proven against the elements? Hopefully someone here can help. Thanks Steve Quote
hirohawa Posted January 20, 2005 Author Posted January 20, 2005 Don't know if they would survive the process. Quote
Montarvillois Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Don't know if they would survive the process. If they don't, the empire will compensate you... (breathing in plastic mask...) Quote
do not disturb Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 well i've had some stuff in storage and one thing i can tell you as a fact, is to use those little silica bags that say "do not eat" on them. they suck up all the moisture/humidity that comes near them. i have no idea where you can buy the but they do come in an array of food products and also come in the drawers of wood furniture(it keeps the wood from warping). i(psycho)usually toss a silica bag when i box it up, wrap it with tissue paper then some bubble wrap, then into a large cardboard box. Quote
nightmareB4macross Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Hirohawa, For small boxes, try storing them in totes, they are relatively strong and stackable (useful in small storage spaces). For large boxes use a large box that you can assemble in the attic, line the inside with a plastic bag and tape and place the boxes inside. You can also fit boxes within boxes to make more room. Once they are store, place a few moth balls in there to repel small animals (they just hate the smell). And never forget to place or write an inventory on the box. This you will appreciate when you need to find something inside the boxes (or totes) without opening them. Quote
Opus Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 I wouldn't put anything plastic in the attic. The temperatures up there can be quite extreme. Empty boxes should be OK though. Quote
Panzer Posted January 20, 2005 Posted January 20, 2005 Suspended in frozen carbonite? i was gonna say that.. Quote
nightmareB4macross Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Well actually, if you place the boxes up in the attic by themselves that would be just fine. Just remember there are small animals that do tend to navigate and use as shelter and breed in cardboard boxes. I store most of my boxes and items in the aforementioned method. So far it has been 10 years and still working great. Everytime I open one box I place at least a handfull of mothballs to help detour small animals from wanting to get into the boxes. Quote
EXO Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 well i've had some stuff in storage and one thing i can tell you as a fact, is to use those little silica bags that say "do not eat" on them. they suck up all the moisture/humidity that comes near them.i have no idea where you can buy the but they do come in an array of food products and also come in the drawers of wood furniture(it keeps the wood from warping). i(psycho)usually toss a silica bag when i box it up, wrap it with tissue paper then some bubble wrap, then into a large cardboard box. You can actually buy those by the can. You just leave it open at a place where you're trying to avoid humidity and it sucks it up. you see the can fill up with gel after a while... you throw it out and buy a new one or empty it out. Maybe you should buy some of those and put it in your basement/attic... come to think of it... so will I... Quote
Kamineko Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 I use pallet wrap. Its managed to keep my Gakken Mospeda box all glossy and scratch free and from yellowing, though i'm not sure the plastic has held up the same. Quote
Ali Sama Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 I plan on putting some of the toys and empty boxes up in my attic and basement. What should I do to ensure that they will not get destroyed?I know humidity can occur if I just wrap a plastic bag around it. Has anyone shrink wrapped their toys? What long term storage methods have been proven against the elements? Hopefully someone here can help. Thanks Steve my room is excelet for toy storag.e send them here. Quote
Captain Crunch Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Well actually, if you place the boxes up in the attic by themselves that would be just fine. Just remember there are small animals that do tend to navigate and use as shelter and breed in cardboard boxes. Womprats? I used ta' bullseye womprats back home... Quote
Bub Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 I put mine in plastic bags then in a box with some mothballs together with the other yamato in plastic bag. Quote
do not disturb Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 well i've had some stuff in storage and one thing i can tell you as a fact, is to use those little silica bags that say "do not eat" on them. they suck up all the moisture/humidity that comes near them.i have no idea where you can buy the but they do come in an array of food products and also come in the drawers of wood furniture(it keeps the wood from warping). i(psycho)usually toss a silica bag when i box it up, wrap it with tissue paper then some bubble wrap, then into a large cardboard box. You can actually buy those by the can. You just leave it open at a place where you're trying to avoid humidity and it sucks it up. you see the can fill up with gel after a while... you throw it out and buy a new one or empty it out. Maybe you should buy some of those and put it in your basement/attic... come to think of it... so will I... no basement/attic for me, just a spare bedroom. so they make it in a can? any idea what its called? i can get the little bags anytime(i work in a furniture store) but a whole can?, this i must see...especially for the summer time when the humidity gets bad in NYC. Quote
Bmaximum Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 I would say use some dessicant packets and keep everything in the coolest, dryest place you can find. If you have a separately air conditioned room it would probably be best to keep it at a steady 70~75 degrees Farenheight (don't know if I spelled that right) with some sort of bug repellent plentiful and strategically placed. Just imagine if termites were to get to it without your knowledge, in NO TIME you'd have nothing but toys and droppings! P.S. Does anyone have the calculation for farenheight to celcius for those of us who don't live in the us? Quote
Opus Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 P.S. Does anyone have the calculation for farenheight to celcius for those of us who don't live in the us? The National Weather Service is your friend. http://www.wbuf.noaa.gov/tempfc.htm Quote
Bmaximum Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 Much appreciated opus That's 21~24 degrees celcius... Quote
do not disturb Posted January 21, 2005 Posted January 21, 2005 WHat is pallet wrap? same a saran wrap, its just a lot bigger. Quote
Retracting Head Ter Ter Posted January 22, 2005 Posted January 22, 2005 WHat is pallet wrap? same a saran wrap, its just a lot bigger. Much much thicker too! Quote
Kamineko Posted January 22, 2005 Posted January 22, 2005 Where can I get Pallete wrap? Any warehouse suppliers carry pallet wrap. I did a quick Google for "pallet wrap" and got this. Quote
kensei Posted January 23, 2005 Posted January 23, 2005 Doesn't the toy suck up the mothball smell? Even though I would love to keepinsects away as well. Quote
peolesdru Posted January 23, 2005 Posted January 23, 2005 The new "crystal" clear kitty litters are 100% cilica gel. Save some money and make your own packets/cans. Quote
Kamineko Posted January 23, 2005 Posted January 23, 2005 The new "crystal" clear kitty litters are 100% cilica gel. Save some money and make your own packets/cans. Wow! I never heard of the idea of putting kitty litter with stuff I'm storing. Seriously though, thats a very intriguing idea! Quote
peolesdru Posted January 24, 2005 Posted January 24, 2005 The new "crystal" clear kitty litters are 100% cilica gel. Save some money and make your own packets/cans. Wow! I never heard of the idea of putting kitty litter with stuff I'm storing. Seriously though, thats a very intriguing idea! Just don't use clay litter Quote
jenius Posted June 11, 2006 Posted June 11, 2006 I just had an unpleasant surprise. I live in the bay area and there's lots o' fog about. Usually I don't think the inside of my house gets it too bad but every now and then I notice mold build up around the windows. Anyway, I just pulled a cardboard box out of my closet that I had stuffed with toys and a few of them have what appears to be the very early stages of water damage. The toys that I just threw in that closet all appear to be fine but for some reason, a few of the toys in that cardboard box look like they got the worse of it. I'm wondering if that cardboard box didn't somehow facilitate the water damage??? I dunno, glad I caught it now! Quote
Macross73 Posted June 12, 2006 Posted June 12, 2006 Long term storage apparently is tricky. I have everything in plastic totes sealed in plastic wrap. The totes make things easy for stacking What i'm not sure about is the plastic wrap. Will it retain or prevent water damage? Either way this is temporary. Since I'm trying different things out to protect everything from potential damage. I may try some of the suggestions already provided. Quote
Vermillion21 Posted June 12, 2006 Posted June 12, 2006 I just had an unpleasant surprise. I live in the bay area and there's lots o' fog about. Usually I don't think the inside of my house gets it too bad but every now and then I notice mold build up around the windows. Anyway, I just pulled a cardboard box out of my closet that I had stuffed with toys and a few of them have what appears to be the very early stages of water damage.  The toys that I just threw in that closet all appear to be fine but for some reason, a few of the toys in that cardboard box look like they got the worse of it. I'm wondering if that cardboard box didn't somehow facilitate the water damage??? I dunno, glad I caught it now! 407098[/snapback] A shame about your toys mate .... Quote
Fortress_Maximus Posted June 12, 2006 Posted June 12, 2006 I just had an unpleasant surprise. I live in the bay area and there's lots o' fog about. Usually I don't think the inside of my house gets it too bad but every now and then I notice mold build up around the windows. Anyway, I just pulled a cardboard box out of my closet that I had stuffed with toys and a few of them have what appears to be the very early stages of water damage.  The toys that I just threw in that closet all appear to be fine but for some reason, a few of the toys in that cardboard box look like they got the worse of it. I'm wondering if that cardboard box didn't somehow facilitate the water damage??? I dunno, glad I caught it now! 407098[/snapback] Interesting, are your windows the older metal ones and not the doublepane glass ones? Also the proximity of the window to your closet will definitely affect the temperature in the closet. From my experience putting the items you want protected as far away from the windows or any open light source helps. Yes, at times I've even experimented with covering all the windows and seeing how it helps, to be honest it does help preserve the toys better. However, given how we are in the bay area, I'd be more concerned with protecting items in secure boxes as much as possible for the next large quake. Quote
eugimon Posted June 12, 2006 Posted June 12, 2006 perhaps lord kungfu will share with us what he does, since he owns hundreds and hundreds of toys all locked away in a warehouse somewhere. He probably has some great ideas on how to pack them for long term storage. Quote
jenius Posted June 12, 2006 Posted June 12, 2006 Interesting, are your windows the older metal ones and not the doublepane glass ones? Also the proximity of the window to your closet will definitely affect the temperature in the closet. You know, it's the damnedest thing about the moisture in my house, I sometimes think it's because I keep the windows in those rooms closed all the time that they get the moisture. Maybe they get moisture because the temperature outside is cold and the house is pretty toasty inside and it causes a condensation effect? Clearly I'm just pretty clueless about it. The windows are double-paned and seem to make a great seal when closed but the closet is in pretty close proximity to one. As a result of my discovery I placed all my most valuable boxes in a plastic tote with a desicant package. As an experiment I put a ton of MPCs in a big garbage bag and taped it sealed shut and left that in the closet where the old cardboard box was. Side note, my biggest fear about earthquakes won't be the stuff I have stored (unless there's a fire) but rather all my display cases! Man, if those took a tumble it'd suck but I think the more realistic problem would be that the toys would fall over, bump the door open, and then fall to the floor. Quote
Vermillion21 Posted June 13, 2006 Posted June 13, 2006 I'm actually getting pressure from the wife to toss the boxes?!? Crazy or what, eh? Quote
Macross73 Posted June 13, 2006 Posted June 13, 2006 I'm actually getting pressure from the wife to toss the boxes?!?Crazy or what, eh? 407427[/snapback] dont throw away anything Quote
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