1/6 HT Star Wars Figure Deterioration / Staining Thread

Collector Freaks Forum

Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Hydeous

Apprentice
CF Supporter
Joined
Dec 29, 2008
Messages
18,167
Reaction score
106
Location
Death Star
Be good to have a thread where we can have an idea which figure / parts starts to deteriorate, or staining and tips and tricks to maintain it.
 
Those that like to put the hood on on Anakin, be careful not to get the hood on the skin part:

829CC598-A67F-4B10-910A-529AF62B4B87.jpg
327ADE11-1988-4E1A-8ED2-4A533D050B77.jpg
1C371943-E7DE-4CE7-BEA8-BF4032C44A65.jpg
 
Good to know. I had heard that there might be possible staining with the hot toys Emperor? Those pics look like he's bruised up from a fight.
 
Good to know. I had heard that there might be possible staining with the hot toys Emperor? Those pics look like he's bruised up from a fight.

Need to put some masking tape on the point of contact then. I havent open up mine yet, so i dont know bout emperor.

I personally rinse and soak my personal luke jedi robe to avoid the staining from reading the luke thread a while ago, but not sure if it work on the long run.
 
You guys need to realize, the clothing is dyed, weathered with pigments, etc. Anything that comes into contact with "skin" should be rinsed with water. If anything, it gives clothing a more realistic look. I've never had these kinds of issues with any of my figures.

You can use a q-tip dampened with alcohol to remove clothing stains. Carefully, I might add.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
 
A couple posts I've saved from FB, there are more with non-SW figures, especially regarding pleather/faux leather and rubber degradation

Pleather damage Hot Toys quarter scale Vader.jpg

Pleather damage Hot Toys RO Vader.jpg
 
This things are normal? I mean, all this deterioration it's true to happen to all the figures with pleather? No matter what care you have with the figures? Can anyone that have figures from long time ago with pleather put photos? I'm scared and worried about this. I just started collecting and i didn't know this was going to happen. If this will happen in some years with my figures i'll consider stop collecting.

I think this it's pretty important to confirm with the help of the comunity and maybe tell oficially to Hot Toys to do something. It's unacceptable to buy figures of 300/500$ that in 4 or 5 years starts to be destroyed.

I'm pretty scared right now...
 
This things are normal? I mean, all this deterioration it's true to happen to all the figures with pleather? No matter what care you have with the figures? Can anyone that have figures from long time ago with pleather put photos? I'm scared and worried about this. I just started collecting and i didn't know this was going to happen. If this will happen in some years with my figures i'll consider stop collecting.

I think this it's pretty important to confirm with the help of the comunity and maybe tell oficially to Hot Toys to do something. It's unacceptable to buy figures of 300/500$ that in 4 or 5 years starts to be destroyed.

I have both the ANH and ESB HT Vaders and neither one has issues.

I have a 'pleather' poster portfolio, which lays under my bed on carpet, which is peeling.

I have yet to be convinced that this is a materials issue. It is much more likely that this is just an issue with handling or care.

If this was a legitimate materials issue, Hot Toys would have remedied it, or customers would have stopped buying these figures.
 
I have both the ANH and ESB HT Vaders and neither one has issues.

I have a 'pleather' poster portfolio, which lays under my bed on carpet, which is peeling.

I have yet to be convinced that this is a materials issue. It is much more likely that this is just an issue with handling or care.

If this was a legitimate materials issue, Hot Toys would have remedied it, or customers would have stopped buying these figures.

That's the thing I want to believe but when i see this cases I'm in doubt. How many Darth Vaders could have sold Hot Toys around the world for example. I want to believe that they are sure that all his figures will be in good shape a lot of years, because if all the Star Wars, Marvels figures that have been sold in the last years (ALL of them include pleather) start deterioring like that, it would be a massive problem for them.
 
This things are normal? I mean, all this deterioration it's true to happen to all the figures with pleather? No matter what care you have with the figures? Can anyone that have figures from long time ago with pleather put photos? I'm scared and worried about this. I just started collecting and i didn't know this was going to happen. If this will happen in some years with my figures i'll consider stop collecting.

I think this it's pretty important to confirm with the help of the comunity and maybe tell oficially to Hot Toys to do something. It's unacceptable to buy figures of 300/500$ that in 4 or 5 years starts to be destroyed.

I'm pretty scared right now...

Thats the point of this thread - to find a common issue and find remedies.
 
I have both the ANH and ESB HT Vaders and neither one has issues.

I have a 'pleather' poster portfolio, which lays under my bed on carpet, which is peeling.

I have yet to be convinced that this is a materials issue. It is much more likely that this is just an issue with handling or care.

If this was a legitimate materials issue, Hot Toys would have remedied it, or customers would have stopped buying these figures.

Not really. HT doesn't care because in the end collectors would buy anyway, complain, but still buy.

That's the thing I want to believe but when i see this cases I'm in doubt. How many Darth Vaders could have sold Hot Toys around the world for example. I want to believe that they are sure that all his figures will be in good shape a lot of years, because if all the Star Wars, Marvels figures that have been sold in the last years (ALL of them include pleather) start deterioring like that, it would be a massive problem for them.

Usually pleather gets damaged/rot easier in hot humid areas. But in the end it might rot no matter where you are and how you take care of your figures, it's all about the quality of the pleather (and rubber), and HT doesn't use top materials.
 
Not really. HT doesn't care because in the end collectors would buy anyway, complain, but still buy.

Usually pleather gets damaged/rot easier in hot humid areas. But in the end it might rot no matter where you are and how you take care of your figures, it's all about the quality of the pleather (and rubber), and HT doesn't use top materials.

Yep. There's some real sad stories - one I remember was a pricey mixed media piece - Indiana Jones I think - the whole jacket peeled.

But I've got 3 TWS Bucky and Rescue Cap - no peeling; or from CW Scarlet Witch etc. IMO it's the binder (glue) breaking down...worst case if I had to, I'd peel the whole thing down and recoat with flexible cloth paints; or a vinyl repair kit or liquid rubber. The one beat-up BW I bought where I saw peeling - the HT coating is painfully thin, anyway.

If I get 10 years from a fig - past that, I'll roll with whatever comes.

That said, I do the usual - keep under glass; go over figs occasionally and get any dust off; keep dry, cool, and in my case my shelve are shadowed, mostly. I like to keep fans on a lot - keep air circulating. I have something of a humidity problem, so fans help there.

I see shelves of figs out in the open - and I couldn't do that. I am too messy and there is hair and dust floating around. Some of these HT fabrics seem to be dust/hair magnets.

So while it is not do-able for everyone, if u are getting into fig collection, while the possibility of peeling wouldn't stop me - found out pretty quick the hobby practically demands having a basic care kit on hand (sharp small scissors; fabric glue, E-6000, superglue, small needles, thread, tweezers and forceps, micro screwdrivers, toothpicks, and needle files are useful). I'd also consider getting some kind of covered shelves or boxes. IMO the Detolf on it's side - maybe elevated if your walls can take it - is a cool idea. U get can stuff from thrift stores too, or make cases from old windows.

Some folks completely seal their cases, but I like to leave cracks and get air circulating so humidity doesn't get trapped. Anyway peeling IMO is easier to cope with than a complete rubber degradation, but I haven't run into that. If I wanted Vader I would get him.

fabric_paint.jpg
 
Back
Top