How do you store your NIB vintage kits?

[Hibernaculum 933]

For those who've collected new in box vintage Tamiya kits, or vintage kits and models from any other brands...

Just interested to hear how you store them these days.

Shelving - do you have a dedicated shelf space for them?

Stacking - do you store them stacked, with one box on top of the other? How high do you stack?

Vertical or Horizontal - do you lie the boxes down, or stand them vertically?

Bags - do you keep them in bags of any kind, for protection?

Display - do you have the good fortune of being able to have some kits on display? Or are they all packed in your closet/bathroom/minivan/grandma's kitchen?

Climate/humidity - are they in a room with consistent temperature?

Vaults - are your kits in the house? In the roof? In a shed? In a chook pen? Underground? In the Cloud?

Security - Alarms? Rottweilers? Geese?

For security, I enjoy the Weyland Yutani UA 571-C Remote Sentry Weapon System, as it has the convenience of self-targeting. Although it does require re-arming more often than I'd like, causing me to have to get off the couch.

Also, cracked blisters...

Cracked blisters are common in vintage kits, particularly the one for the motor. People have said over the years that this is caused by standing kits vertically, due to the weight of the motor gradually causing the blister to break. But do we have definitive proof of this? Does mere vertical standing of the box cause the cracking? It seems weird in a way, for the blister to crack along specific lines, when the kit is sitting completely still, on a shelf. I could imagine the blister peeling away from the cardboard as a result of this. But not cracking.

Perhaps the cracking occurs more due to transportation, where the motor rattles around more inside the blister and deteriorates the blister. Kits that are 30 years old or more, may have been transported many times - in cars, planes, boats. Carried across borders, under fences. Along drains, sewers. People sprinting through fields, ducking and weaving past other collectors. Or dodging the bullets from a Weyland Yutani UA 571-C RSWS*.

Or perhaps cracked blisters have simply been exposed to more light, as this is definitely something that will deteriorate the thin plastic.

Thoughts?

H.

* Not possible.

[markbt73 5311]

I have heard that thr cracked blister packs are due to parts trying to escape and assemble themselves. Some have attributed this to sheer boredom, some to an instinctual nature to coalesce into a whole. Some have theorized that in 50-60 years, many of these kits will actually succeed at self-assembly, spontaneously grow batteries, and escpae from their boxes on their own.

[Truck Norris 2237]

I find stacking even one on top of another tends to bow the lid on the bottom kit. I only stack kits I intend to build.

Mine are either on shelves in wardrobes, or in outer boxes on top of wardrobes, or stacked in outer boxes in the spare room. All horizontal. I don't put kits in the loft but empty boxes go up there, in plastic bags to keep the dust off, but it's quite good conditions up there as I've insulated the rafters so the temperature difference is closer to the room below than outside. I've had boxes up there for years which are still bone dry.

I agree that cracked blisters are mainly caused by transportation. I've seen it on new kits so I don't think it's much to do with the age of the plastic.

[KEV THE REV 2307]

I store kits horizontally in bags and thick layers of card between them and the next kit stacks on top , only to 3 high max . . I also use bubble wrap layers inside the kit boxes to seperate parts which stops storage rub marks on plastic trees . I lay the tyres flat so as to prevent flat spots on the treads ( I noticed this started to happen to the waffle tyres in my XR311 kit ) . If tyres can't be laid down , I rotate them at intervals to prevent flatting

[backtomyroots 432]

Carefully .

[oz-trash-cowboy 63]

Silica gel, cling film, moth balls ( naphathlene ), bubble wrap, double boxed. rottweiler.

[whahooo 465]

When i've finished a model I threw the box in a corner of the room and the cat occupies it as her new place.

Edit:

Oh! New in box..... ....i usually do not own any NIB models.

At the time I only have the wheelie Montero NIB, soon to be build, and that's not a vintage model....

[waterbok 1282]

Or dodging the bullets from a Weyland Yutani UA 571-C bla bla*

* Not possible.

Do you have the optional IR NIB evader? Always found the downside of the UA 571 that i had more holes then needed in my chassis's. (After they were returned)

[casethejoint 296]

Silica gel

Careful with that - can cause problems with rubber parts (eg tires in particular) which you don't want *too* dry.

[Plopes 138]

This is how I store my NIB.

They will all be built.

[GregM 1109]

I don't store them... I build them.

[Klausen 1197]

This is how I store my NIB.

They will all be built.

Cool skateboards.

Nice NIB collection as well

[Hibernaculum 933]

I don't store them... I build them.

Thank you GregM!

Thanks to everyone else also. Interesting that nobody has, so far, argued that cracked blisters are caused by vertical storage.

I am sure it was discussed here at some point a long, long time ago. But it was so long ago, I'm not sure who said it... (Plato? Copernicus?)...

[GregM 1109]

No big deal, get two of the same unbroken blisters out of boxes, store one vertically EDIT: horizontally and the other vertically, and we'll analyze their condition in 20 years for our scientific enjoyment in plastics.

[matman 1499]

No big deal, get two of the same unbroken blisters out of boxes, store one vertically and the other vertically, and we'll analyze their condition in 20 years for our scientific enjoyment in plastics.

???????? Horizontal & vertically ...

[GregM 1109]

You're correct, this is what I was meant to be saying. Thanks!

[Hibernaculum 933]

For those interested, this comment from 2008 might have been what I was thinking of earlier...

Is all about humidity and temperature and UV. I don't recommend storing the kit in garage, basement or the attic unless is all temperature controlled. Avoid handling the box, if possible or place stress on the blister pack meaning do not place the box on its side. Over time plastic and rubber will dry out and become brittle. One can protect it with paint for plastic and silicone for tire but that means builting it, but than is no longer NIB.
I not sure how long high plastic content kit can stay NIB before the plastic start breaking down even if store in humid and temperature control environment.

And here are some other past threads...

How do you store your NIBs? (2013)
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=71012

How Do You Guys Store Your Nib Vintage Kits? (2010)
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=54769

Preserving Vintage Nibs? (2008)
http://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=47154

I agree that cracked blisters are mainly caused by transportation. I've seen it on new kits so I don't think it's much to do with the age of the plastic.

I agree about the stacking (ie. not too high, otherwise the boxes do sag on top).
And how new were the new kits that had cracks? It sure does suggest rough transportation may be a cause.

I store kits horizontally in bags and thick layers of card between them and the next kit stacks on top , only to 3 high max . . I also use bubble wrap layers inside the kit boxes to seperate parts which stops storage rub marks on plastic trees . I lay the tyres flat so as to prevent flat spots on the treads ( I noticed this started to happen to the waffle tyres in my XR311 kit ) . If tyres can't be laid down , I rotate them at intervals to prevent flatting

Pretty comprehensive Kev. Impressed.

For the record, I try to stack no more than 2 high. And always boxes of the same size (i.e. not a large kit on top of a small kit, or a small and heavy kit on a larger one causing the middle to sink). If you have a lot of kits, this means lots of extra shelving, so it certainly requires some space.

Although I do notice that even the very best collectors find this a challenge, stacking them up to 5-high...

[GregM 1109]

To be honest, I just wouldn't care. To me, storing NIB kits for collecting is like collecting sealed vintage videogames or sealed old Lego kits. The collector for the sake of collecting doesn't get real enjoyment out of it, while other persons who'd like to build them / play with them will have a harder time getting their hands on remaining stock, with the prices rising.

[Swarm 242]

As an avid collector of NIB kits and having built a new house with 10ft high ceilings with built in wardrobes in every room I have stored my kits in every single wardrobe right up to the ceiling .

Its not how I wanted to store my beloved kits as they are in many cases stacked upon each other ,I will say I rotate the kits so the kits do not do the dreded sag ,but compared to my old method of stacking the kits in my old house the stacking of the kits in the new house is a blessing as all the new wardrobes are climate controlled.

I will add though and not sure if anybody has mentioned this before ,but when aquiring a kit especially a NIB from another collector of somebody who just happened to have a NIB to sell its important to seperate the kit before you store it with your other NIB's as they could have silverfish ,cockroach and other nasty bug issues .

I seperate these kits I newly aquire for a period of 2/3 weeks and even empty the kit from its contents and place the kit boxes outside in the full sun for a day of so as this method usually ensures any nasties are dealt with (ensuring not to place the boxart in the direct sunlight).

Consider this process a quarantine of sorts its well worth the effort.

Anyway its my 2 cents worth and I do consider myself a serious collector and my kits are my pride and joy .

Happy collecting .

Stuart.

[Saito2 6678]

I don't think this was intended to be a debate between the merits of collecting NIB kits vs assembling them. Swarm's methods are very comprehensive, well thought out, and impressive. Its interesting that many of us who collect some NIB kits have the same concerns but until a topic like this one comes up, one doesn't realize it. I stack vertically for display and horizontally in a closet for storage. A few times a year, I rotate the ones from storage out for display since I don't have the room to display them all. When stacking horizontal in storage (no more the 3 high) I try to keep the kit boxes roughly the same size so the upper boxes don't buckle the face of the lower boxes.

[Hibernaculum 933]

To be honest, I just wouldn't care. To me, storing NIB kits for collecting is like collecting sealed vintage videogames or old Lego kits. The collector for the sake of collecting doesn't get real enjoyment out of it, while other persons who'd like to build them / play with them will have a harder time getting their hands on remaining stock, with the prices rising.

You may not care (as you have suggested 3 times in this thread), but others do.

I collect NIB vintage kits, due to:

• The fun of seeing my favourite vintage R/C models in brand new, unbuilt form.
• Having the kits just as they would have appeared on hobby store shelves, back in the 1980s - when I couldn't afford them.
• Mint original parts, the smell of vintage plastic and rubber, the paperwork, and more.
• Cool packaging and box art.
• I can build one whenever I choose to.
• If I do build, it will be complete and original, with all parts ready to go. No need to trawl eBay looking for a missing part.
• I also enjoy researching R/C models, and looking for details relating to different variants (Mk1, Mk2 etc). This is a part of the history which can only be researched reliably by looking at what parts came in NIB vintage kits.

Since joining eBay 16 years ago, I am yet to meet a single other NIB kit collector who only collects "for the sake of collecting". Every collector I know, collects out of a sincere love for the hobby.

[StrokerBoy 772]

Nothing vintage+NIB here, everything just gets stacked on top of a cupboard in the garage.

[markbt73 5311]

You may not care (as you have suggested 3 times in this thread), but others do.

I collect NIB vintage kits, due to:

• The fun of seeing my favourite vintage R/C models in brand new, unbuilt form.
• Having the kits just as they would have appeared on hobby store shelves, back in the 1980s - when I couldn't afford them.
• Mint original parts, the smell of vintage plastic and rubber, the paperwork, and more.
• Cool packaging and box art.
• I can build one whenever I choose to.
• If I do build, it will be complete and original, with all parts ready to go. No need to trawl eBay looking for a missing part.
• I also enjoy researching R/C models, and looking for details relating to different variants (Mk1, Mk2 etc). This is a part of the history which can only be researched reliably by looking at what parts came in NIB vintage kits.

Since joining eBay 16 years ago, I am yet to meet a single other NIB kit collector who only collects "for the sake of collecting". Every collector I know, collects out of a sincere love for the hobby.

You know, I give NIB collectors a hard time too sometimes, but honestly, I'm rather jealous. And I'm disappointed that I missed out. I wish I had been in a position 15-20 years ago to pick up some of these kits when they were selling for peanuts and hang on to them. But I've moved around too much in the past to collect anything, let alone 2-foot-long boxes containing unassembled model cars. But I would love nothing more than a half a dozen or so thirty-year-old kits sitting there, just waiting for me.

Now my only hope is to wait another 15 years for the market to die down, the big collectors to get to their 50s and 60s and realize there is no need to hang on to duplicates and triplicates of things, and hope they're willing to sell 'em fairly cheap...