[Fly Navy 75]

I'm a relatively new collector, but have been acquiring models full-throttle for about the last two years. Needless to say, the portion of my collection that I'm unable to display takes up a considerable amount of closet space. I'm trying to keep my models inside so that they're climate-controlled, but may need to move some to the garage soon. How concerned should I be about models being outside the AC boundary of my house? I live in Central California, so I don't have to worry about humidity - just the temperature variations throughout the day. Thanks.

-FN75

[admin]

You don't have to worry about it. I floored my attic and have stacks of plastic bins up there containing diecast models. They've been fine up there for years in the Dallas summer heat. I often cycle my collection so I've been able to witness the effects.

I would recomend that you store you models in a container though!

[hworth18]

I live in Oklahoma with extremes of heat and cold.. The majority of my collection is kept indoors, but many pieces are kept in large plastic tubs in the garage.. I have not noticed any ill effects from this on any models and many have been out there for over a year..

[Fly Navy 75]

Thanks for the advice. If yours can survive in the hot Dallas/OK summers and cold winters (I grew up in Carrollton - near Plano), California should be a walk in the park. I'll definitely go get some bins this week. That was a close one, too. With my limited indoor space I thought I might have to slow down my collecting! What a relief!

-FN75

[hworth18]

I use the large blue plastic rubbermaid bins that come from Walmart.. I think they run about $8-14 each and work really well.. They are stackable also...

[STARMAN 352ND]

Fly Navy,
I'm in Northern Calif and i have mine in the attic and there has been no ill effects at all to the diecast planes.I will go up there about every 3 months to check on them and happy to say no problems.
I use the same Rubbermaid Bins that HWorth just stated they come in very handy.
Only one little problem....My attic is getting a little crowded
JP

[ZS-VAN]

Thanks for your insights guys. I've been storing my collection in cupboards inside but am running out of space.

[Ted in DC]

I have a couple of closets full, and am thinking about going the garage route. It's been really cold out there the past few weeks, though, and gets into the 90s in summer with incredibly high humidity. Also, not to perpetuate any stereotypes, but I can imagine my wife bumping/crashing into them with the car...

[Old Crow]

Another issue when it comes to storage, and another reason to use plastic bins, is rats and other critters.

A couple years ago I had quite a few models stored in cardboard boxes in the attic and discovered one day that a rat had made a meal of some of the boxes, leaving teeth marks and droppings on the model boxes inside.

[Cardinal]

Originally Posted by Old Crow

Another issue when it comes to storage, and another reason to use plastic bins, is rats and other critters.

A couple years ago I had quite a few models stored in cardboard boxes in the attic and discovered one day that a rat had made a meal of some of the boxes, leaving teeth marks and droppings on the model boxes inside.

Were the models still there? It could have been Skunk droppings that you found (those little critters get around you know, diapers and all ...)