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#1 Jestermon

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 08:31 AM

My Beasts I am finding recently after my move seem to have some kind of slight stickiness on them, it isn't anything on them it just feels different than some of the others.

I am also feeling it on some other of my older toys what is it?
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#2 Tortle

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 09:02 AM

I'm not entirely sure, but this has happened to a lot of my figures. Many of my vintage Star Wars figures had the problem, as did my TMNT Pizzaface (1990). I even encountered the problem with an Episode I Jar Jar Binks (1999).

I suspect the stickiness is a degradation of the plastic, i.e. the plastic is slowly decaying. The stickiness is pretty easily removed by scrubbing with soap and water.

It seems like the problem occurs because the toy is stored for long periods of time in containers that can't breathe properly. My Star Wars figures were stored for years in sealed baggies. Pizzaface and Jar Jar were both sealed in their original packaging for a decade or more before I cracked them open and discovered the stickiness. I've since started storing figures in tupperware-like containers that aren't so hermetically sealed.

My Playmates Star Trek figures have a different slime: theirs is more slippery. I don't know if it's release agent or whatever, but I could actually see the slime on a ToyFare Exclusive Geordi when I opened the baggie. Again, I washed it off with soap and water, and the slime is gone. The figure's still a little slick, but I think that's just the texture of the plastic.

EDIT: Another thing: Jar Jar was particularly interesting because the figure uses a variety of different plastics. The softer plastics (legs, coat, etc) had the stickiness, while the harder plastics (arms, head) did not. I'm not sure if that's relevant or not.
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#3 Jestermon

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 09:27 AM

Thanks, good to know it wasn't something I did my Triceraton Mutagen man and Beach Mikey have it as well.
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#4 sherrie

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 10:06 AM

Thanks for the info! I have a few bb's that have it on the heads. I though they just came to me dirty. Now I know better and can clean them and leave them open for awhile! :p

Plus, I store all my toys in ziploc baggies, so now I know to find another way to store them!
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#5 Soupie

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 10:07 AM

EDIT: Another thing: Jar Jar was particularly interesting because the figure uses a variety of different plastics. The softer plastics (legs, coat, etc) had the stickiness, while the harder plastics (arms, head) did not. I'm not sure if that's relevant or not.

I think that is actually very relevant, because it has been noted that Bad Eggz Bunch figures made of soft material also ooze an oily substance, while BEB figures made of hard plastic do not.

Interestingly, I owned a soft blue BEB that oozed - albeit small amounts - continuously. On the other hand, I have owned a soft red BEB for at least a year or more and it has never oozed at all.

I wondering if certain colored, soft plastics are more prone to oozing/sliming/breaking down than others? And it looks like I'll be airing out all my various jars of figgies tonight. :p

Edited by Soupie, 31 March 2010 - 10:08 AM.

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#6 Drew

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 10:24 AM

None of my BB's that I've owned since I've a kid or have collected are sticky feeling, but I've noticed a few I've purchased have been that way, especially my Clear Carp.
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#7 skippy2003

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 11:55 AM

I wondering if certain colored, soft plastics are more prone to oozing/sliming/breaking down than others? And it looks like I'll be airing out all my various jars of figgies tonight. :p



I know the company I work for, in addition to decks makes wheels and this is a common occurance when using colored urathane. I don't know why, possibly the dyes.
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#8 Universal Ruler Supreme

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 01:23 PM

I was thinking possibly that it was oils seeping through the porous parts of the plastics. I'm not too keen on the plastic degrading thing. As plastic sometimes tends to get brittle and ashy or hard and crack when it is degrading. But I'm probably wrong. Some toys are in fact oiled around the joints before assembly, and I believe depending on the plastics used, the molds are slightly oiled before being injected. It's possible the high temperature or pressure of the molding process can pull in and trap small amounts of oils under the epidermis layer of plastic. Constant changes in temperature, such as in storage, or direct sunlight during the day could cause these oils to seep out of the plastic. I've had figures where the paint has sort of run messy on the figures in storage, and they of course have that tacky feel to them as well. :p

I'm not a scientist, but at least it sounds probable. B)

As for BEB figs...weren't they encased in an oozy substance? Maybe some of them sucked that gooey crap up into their bodies, and have yet to properly release it. :o
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#9 Tortle

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 01:38 PM

Huh! That's an interesting idea. You're right in that the figures usually don't have any other signs of degradation, like discolored plastic. So that might account for the slipperiness of my Star Trek figures and the tackiness of my Pizzaface and Jar Jar, since they were carded for so long. I'm not sure in what conditions they were stored prior to me buying them, so it's possible that they were put in a garage or something. The temperatures caused the oils to seep out, they didn't have a chance to dissipate, so they stuck to the figure.

The theory doesn't quite work with my vintage Star Wars figures, though. They've been out of the package forever, in a temperature-controlled environment at least for the past 15 years (prior to that, they may have been in the basement of our old house, which doesn't have particularly extreme temperatures). Maybe with time, the oils just seep out anyway.

But I think you're right that something is coming out of these figures. For figures with softer plastic (Star Wars), that something is sticky. For those with harder plastic (Trek), that something is slippery.

I just hope it doesn't cause cancer. :p
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Posted 31 March 2010 - 01:43 PM

I know this happens with vintage SW. I can't find a good Rebelscum thread about it, but I'll keep looking.

But I thought I remembered that it had to do with the mix of the plastic. Companies could save money by having different mixes, so it was sort of an ongoing change. They might try one, then go back - it doesn't really signal time or location of its creation. However, since there are these different plastic mixes out there they all react differently. So cool and dry might work for some, but it doesn't stop others from breaking down.

It's really one of the oddest parts of plastic toy collecting – especially since I haven't witnessed it on plastic toys that are far older. Likely because the plastics weren't mixed – allowing better stability over time.
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#11 Universal Ruler Supreme

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 01:49 PM

:lol: Yeah, I've been waiting for the CNN report that has proof that plastics and toys made of plastic are the leading cause of cancer. :D I'd be very upset!

What country is it that doesn't allow plastics in their childrens toys? They only have like wooden toys. Has anyone every thought to check the cancer rate of that country. :rolleyes:

It's really one of the oddest parts of plastic toy collecting – especially since I haven't witnessed it on plastic toys that are far older. Likely because the plastics weren't mixed – allowing better stability over time.


Your right, even Episode I figures are 12 years old now. I think it's more common for figures over 10 years old to start going through this. Being familiar with opening action figures over the past 20+ years I can recall how clean new figures I got as a kid like TMNT and GI-Joe were, but even now my older figures I still own are kind of tacky to the touch. Not so much my Joes though..
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#12 Kollector

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Posted 31 March 2010 - 10:16 PM

I believe it might have something to do with the dyes they use ? :(
I got a batch of MIMP recently from ebay and only the red ones were like it.
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#13 Nyarlathotep

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Posted 01 April 2010 - 10:25 AM

I'm betting environment can do it too, so it could very well vary from location to location.
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#14 TOPHER

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Posted 08 April 2010 - 09:47 PM

Got 1 BEB the bat holding a club of some sort.
Originaly thought it was the rare secret MIMP figure
unfortunatly it wasn't,about 3 years ago,it looked
and felt fine at the time.
It was placed in a 2x2 baggie,about 2 months ago
looked at the fig in the baggie and it looked all oilly
inside it,took out the fig only to find the fig was
decomposing mostly around the leg areas and
had significant shrinkage,I bent it a little and dang
thing nearly cracked off.
I believe that the reaction was caused by the
baggie plastic compound touching the BEB fig. :lol: .
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#15 Nyarlathotep

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Posted 09 April 2010 - 06:51 AM

I believe that the reaction was caused by the
baggie plastic compound touching the BEB fig. :lol: .


I believe you're right about that. Certain plastics "melt" or decay when they come into contact with each other. Certain older toys even had the issue where different parts were made of different plastics. Never heard of a baggie doing that however.
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#16 Universal Ruler Supreme

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Posted 09 April 2010 - 07:54 AM

Wow! Now I'm very concerned with all my toys that are allegedly safe in their Sandwich bags! :lol:

I wonder if there is any way to compile a collectors guide to storing your figures safely. There is always that chance of destruction at every turn in our hobby. Sunlight, other plastics, decay, weather, temperature, smells, etc... So many things can damage our dear little collectibles. ;)
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Posted 09 April 2010 - 09:01 AM

I wonder if there is any way to compile a collectors guide to storing your figures safely. There is always that chance of destruction at every turn in our hobby. Sunlight, other plastics, decay, weather, temperature, smells, etc... So many things can damage our dear little collectibles. :woot:

I don't think it could be done.

You usually hear the same key messages: avoid sunlight, climate control, etc. But once you start digging into the details the opinions start to vary. I've read several opinions over sandwich bags – sometimes it's the brand, or the plastic used, or even whether the bag should be sealed. Then you have the variability of the plastics, both of the figures and any storage piece. For instance, I've read people suggest comic book bags are the best because they are non-corrosive and allow for airflow. On the flipside, people say they're better for paper and not plastic.

Honestly, for the average collector I don't think it's really worth worrying about. Find the best way to display it, and enjoy it while you can.
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#18 Nyarlathotep

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Posted 09 April 2010 - 09:55 AM

I think the uncertainty of the exact composition of both figures and storage make this more challenging. I know for business card collecting, it's one has to get acid-free archival type sleeves, because otherwise the plastic used for the raised ink will react with them. I've never seen archival type storage materials for things that are more three dimensional.

Is there a chemist in the house? :woot:
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#19 TheOrgg

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Posted 09 April 2010 - 12:37 PM

Not yet...

:woot:
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#20 samuraismurfette

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Posted 26 April 2010 - 07:59 PM

It's caused by the breaking down of the plastics.
I first noticed it on some of my Thundercats figures, but it seems to be popping up on a few PVC figures now too.
There's no way to stop it, only slow it.
Rubbing alcohol I find works best, and I've heard feedback from other folks in other forums that a light Soupieg of talcum powder also works.
Bottom line is, you gotta get that moisture out.
Keep the figures out of baggies and basements!
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#21 TOPHER

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Posted 23 March 2011 - 08:42 AM

ANOTHER DON'T:
Don't display rubber figures on top of CD cases.
I had a couple of figs displayed on a CD case
for about a couple o months and thier feet started to stick
into the CD plastic,caught in time :sweat: ,no major damage to the figs.
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'On Sale' or 'For Sale'. It's really the same thing! The word, 'Sale' means YOU CAN BUY IT,
not that it is discounted. We as consumers are conditioned to think"On Sale"means it's cheaper.
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