Kid-proofing your collection

[PC Valkyrie]

I have a 2 year old. I keep my valks/gundams out of reach by placing them on desks/shelves where he cannot reach. He often ask to touch them, but I always say "no". Gotta stay firm with that, because one you let them touch it once, it's game over. As a compromise, I give him my Doyusha YF-19 and YF 21 for him to hold once in a while.

[Godzilla]

You ppl are hilarious. On a monday morning this is what I need to get thru the day. Anyways, since I am not married nor even have GF (Ahem... sill looking for a woman who likes to collect Macross) I am not even overtly worried.

My philosphy: Get as many toys as possible before you get married.

My motto: The man whos dies with the most toys wins.

Anyways, you can always keep some of your stuff still MIB. I still do and they are sitting in my closet.

[EXO]

Maybe this is where a little pavlovian treatment might be useful. Just give them mild electric shocks everytime they're about to touch one of your valks. If twitching occurs, please stop treatment immediately.

[That NOS Guy]

Actually I've found that diversion is the best method.

When my little cousins come over to stay for about a week or so while their parents are out at some Christian mission thing ever so often they always go straight to my room, why? The 50+ Gundam models which line the shelves around my room.

Fortunately, I still have a crate full of legos left over from when I was a kid. Just let the little devils screw around with legos or something equally indestructible and you'll be fine.

Oh yeah, that and establish sentry guns and painful tape wire around your collection.

[Skull-1]

Lockable display cabinet... Just let them know they can see them anytime they want if they come ask you. My son doesn't even ask me any more...

Edited January 26, 2004 by Skull-1

[Angel's Fury]

Lockable display cabinet... Just let them know they can see them anytime they want if they come ask you. My son doesn't even ask me any more...

That's kinda a good idea. So Exo, how did your 1/48 valk stand up to him?

[Nightbat]

Rule #1

Kids can AND will destroy anything

Now you know that, next time you see 1 of your toys destroyed, you won't immediatly go into a psychotic rage

Rule #2

If you have models on your wall, make sure the shelves or cabinets are screwed to the wall good enough to support YOUR weight (better yet test it using a pregnant female)

Rule #3

Daycare Center!!!

99% of the time one of your toys is destroyed it happens when you're not at home

(and mommy doesn't mind it's "nice and quiet")

the less your potential heartattack is around, the more chance your toys have -surviving

little Satan's first 4 years (and the more chance little whirlwind has of reaching adulthood)

Rule #4

Locks are useless if you leave your keys in places your Destructive research expert

"would never be able to find them" keep them to your heart AT ALL TIMES!

Rule #5

Trust no-one, not your wife, your parents, your in-laws, the babysitter (don't even think she can be a little trustworthy!!!), the neighbours

(Closest person you can trust is the bum that sees you -a broken, lonely, but proud man-

walking with this old shoppingcart after rule #7, he knows.... he knows...)

Rule #6

There is no #6

Rule #7 when that little one sees it's first light in it's beautiful eyes (like his mother's)

Smile,.... then hurry home, grab your collection and run, RUN LIKE Hell!!!!

Edited January 26, 2004 by Nightbat®

[JValk]

My I suggest one of these fine "security cabinets"? Visual impairment is the only downside!

[EXO]

Lockable display cabinet...  Just let them know they can see them anytime they want if they come ask you.  My son doesn't even ask me any more...

That's kinda a good idea. So Exo, how did your 1/48 valk stand up to him?

My 8 yr old nephew is very respectful of other's people stuff. At first he never wanted to touch the valk because it was so complicated. He has a 1/55 Roy that I gave him. I also dumped my MPC on him. Yesterday when I was putting stickers on it,he asked if he could try to transform it. I showed him how to do it once and I let him try it until he didn't have to ask questions anymore. He handled it like an adult collector. On the other hand he has a 13 yr. old brother I wouldn't let near my 1/48s.

[Angel's Fury]

Rule #1

Kids can AND will destroy anything

Now you know that, next time you see 1 of your toys destroyed, you won't immediatly go into a psychotic rage

Rule #2

If you have models on your wall, make sure the shelves or cabinets are screwed to the wall good enough to support YOUR weight (better yet test it using a pregnant female)

Rule #3

Daycare Center!!!

99% of the time one of your toys is destroyed it happens when you're not at home

(and mommy doesn't mind it's "nice and quiet")

the less your potential heartattack is around, the more chance your toys have -surviving

little Satan's first 4 years (and the more chance little whirlwind has of reaching adulthood)

Rule #4

Locks are useless if you leave your keys in places your Destructive research expert

"would never be able to find them" keep them to your heart AT ALL TIMES!

Rule #5

Trust no-one, not your wife, your parents, your in-laws, the babysitter (don't even think she can be a little trustworthy!!!), the neighbours

(Closest person you can trust is the bum that sees you -a broken, lonely, but proud man-

walking with this old shoppingcart after rule #7, he knows.... he knows...)

Rule #6

There is no #6

Rule #7 when that little one sees it's first light in it's beautiful eyes (like his mother's)

Smile,.... then hurry home, grab your collection and run, RUN LIKE Hell!!!!

LOL

Those are good rules to follow by especially when you have a kid.

[Angel's Fury]

Lockable display cabinet...   Just let them know they can see them anytime they want if they come ask you.   My son doesn't even ask me any more...

That's kinda a good idea. So Exo, how did your 1/48 valk stand up to him?

My 8 yr old nephew is very respectful of other's people stuff. At first he never wanted to touch the valk because it was so complicated. He has a 1/55 Roy that I gave him. I also dumped my MPC on him. Yesterday when I was putting stickers on it,he asked if he could try to transform it. I showed him how to do it once and I let him try it until he didn't have to ask questions anymore. He handled it like an adult collector. On the other hand he has a 13 yr. old brother I wouldn't let near my 1/48s.

What a good nephew of yours Exo! His parents did a good job raising him.

You got a smart nephew there.

[Mechafan]

Rule #5

Trust no-one, not your wife, your parents, your in-laws, the babysitter (don't even think she can be a little trustworthy!!!), the neighbours

That is so true. One day I found pieces of one of my valks under the bed and my sister-in-law said I forgot to tell you your daughter did that.

The electric invisible fence is sounding good right now.

[JValk]

Don't buy that line. It was your sister in law. She's a closet otaku!

[g3173]

Hello Everyone!

1 method i've considered is crate training but I couldn't get my wife to agree. You can also move out or live in your office and stash everything there like I do!

Regards,

Gene

[EXO]

Lockable display cabinet...   Just let them know they can see them anytime they want if they come ask you.   My son doesn't even ask me any more...

That's kinda a good idea. So Exo, how did your 1/48 valk stand up to him?

My 8 yr old nephew is very respectful of other's people stuff. At first he never wanted to touch the valk because it was so complicated. He has a 1/55 Roy that I gave him. I also dumped my MPC on him. Yesterday when I was putting stickers on it,he asked if he could try to transform it. I showed him how to do it once and I let him try it until he didn't have to ask questions anymore. He handled it like an adult collector. On the other hand he has a 13 yr. old brother I wouldn't let near my 1/48s.

What a good nephew of yours Exo! His parents did a good job raising him.

You got a smart nephew there.

LOL... don't know if it's the parenting... he has a 1 and 6 mos brother that the Tazmanian Devil in disguise. he got a hold of a bootleg (the one with a light up canopy) and proceeded to tear it apart in less than a minute. Luckily it was just a bootleg.

[Midnightangel22]

Children are best...

...served with a '93 dessert wine.

Fortunately, I don't have any to create the very situation that must have spawned this thread.

[JsARCLIGHT]

Very, very high shelves... with glass display cases that lock.

Seriously though, buy the kids "their toys" that look like daddy's toys and let them smash those into the pavement. Children can sometimes see logic if you appeal to their inherant greed. Tell them they have "their toy" that is just like daddy's "Big boy toys" and if they take good care of that one when they grow up they can get big boy toys too.

... and if that doesn't work there is always the locking high shelf thing...

[Myersjessee]

Kids are smart...often times smarter then you. As a result, no real answer for the young ones (minus Mikes Man Cave with lock) My answer..bribes....a steady stream of toys as payment for their compliance seems to work...

[Southcross]

Rule #7 when that little one sees it's first light in it's beautiful eyes (like his mother's)

Smile,.... then hurry home, grab your collection and run, RUN LIKE Hell!!!!

ROTFLMAO

Personally I like Fire-proof vaults, your kid with a 12 guage couldn't open it Also again, no viewing collection.

My design for a display shelf (will need some tweaking, but basically here it is). Take an office depot/officemax/Staples $40 book shelf. Using matching 1/2" (12.7mm) molding, cut pieces to fit inside of the shelf compartment (top/bottom/sides). Install with glue and finishing nails .75" (19mm) back. Install Glass panes (I would suggest that the corners be croped by about 1/4" (prevents the corners from snapping, also allows easy removal with a pen, and the glass to be 1/8" smaller than the shelf opening). Cut two more pieces (per shelf) of 1/2" molding for the top and bottom. Install (holding glass to back molding) with screws (don't glue and nail!). Now here is where you can get creative, use 3" crown molding around the top and bottom. Any other idears?

[Druna Skass]

Kids are smart...often times smarter then you.

That's why you take the Der Fueher approach, scare them sh!tless about what will happen if they mess with your stuff. I've seen it done and it works.

[Myersjessee]

Kids are smart...often times smarter then you.

That's why you take the Der Fueher approach, scare them sh!tless about what will happen if they mess with your stuff. I've seen it done and it works.

but for how long...one night you walk home and hear..."What are you doing...dad?" (ala 2001.... )

[Dat Pinche Haro!]

Kids are smart...often times smarter then you.

That's why you take the Der Fueher approach, scare them sh!tless about what will happen if they mess with your stuff. I've seen it done and it works.

i've find from past experiences that using that approach works well...very well

i caught my 6 year old nephew attempting to play with my first 1/60 yamato and i just rushed him and jumped on top of him scaring him shitless.....then i swung at him full force and missed intentionally....just feeling the wind from my fist scared him enough to wet himself and to stay away from my collection because he knews if he does it again i won't miss the next time <_<

Druna Skass knows it works...he saw me do it to him and he see's how my nephew eyes my stuff but doesn't dare touch any of it

[mcpaz]

I would like to make a suggestion: to build a demilitarized zone, you know, a first-level barrier based on transformers. And then, the more expensive the toys are, the higher the shelves must be. That way, you may minimize their curiosity. <_<

My display cabinet has 4 shelves (yep, a glass-based IKEA's), and I keep the lower two full of tf's, and my yamatos and MPC prime are on the higher. My daughter is only 14 months old, but I have seen her looking my collection with THAT kind of expression (yes, 1st step. You guys MUST know what I'm talking about). But her curiosity goes more for the TF group. Might be the more colours they have, I don't know.

Definately, all I can tell is to have PATIENCE. And teach them NOT to even touch our treasssure!

(for all tf fans, hey, I'm too, but yamatos are cooler!).

manu

[Jolly Rogers]

One word: vasectomy.

Children and a pristine collection are mutually exclusive, unless you can afford a child-free storage facility.

[JValk]

One note to add here - dogs are good substitutes. most can't climb shelves. but cats are evil. and climby.

[kanata67]

One note to add here - dogs are good substitutes. most can't climb shelves. but cats are evil. and climby.

to evil and to climby... at lest my friends kids don't chew on my toys

[JValk]

Cat too near Chunky Monkey! Attack, HLJ Shiba Guard!

[Druna Skass]

but cats are evil. and climby.

Not mine, he's like Garfield and will just stay in one place all day and is too lazy to try to climb anything in the house.

[Jawjaw]

Kanata67 - Is that all fur or is your cat that freakin huge? It looks like the cat fell and can't get up!

[Angel's Fury]

Kanata67 - Is that all fur or is your cat that freakin huge?

Yeah, I noticed that too! Looks cute though.