Storing non built legos and boxes

[Bbafett]

Was curious what others do with sets that have been taken apart and what they do with their boxes?  I have a bunch of sets and boxes. We are having to move and I feel safer dismantling them into separate bags. Then breaking down all the boxes to make it easier to store them. 

What do y’all do?

[dutchmastr9]

when i moved i broke down my sets an put them into labeled ziplock bags. i also decided to toss all my boxes except for the larger UCS type boxes

[NathanR]

I don't have much display space, so most of my sets are kept in labelled resealable plastic bags.  I keep all the original boxes, but I tend to cut along the seams and flatten them out - this is easier to store, as most official sets are 1/3rd lego bricks and 2/3rds air.

By the way, if you are storing Lego in plastic bags long term (i.e. more than ~3 months) I'd be careful what type of bag you use.  I've had trouble with supermarket own-brand resealable food bags apparently causing my Lego bricks to go sticky.

[Jockos]

And what if they are stored in a direct sunlight-free place? The problem still occurs?

[Bbafett]

That’s interesting about them being sticky after being left in bags. I do agree about cutting the boxes down so I can collapse them bc the larger set boxes take up too much room. 

[NathanR]

3 hours ago, Bbafett said:

That’s interesting about them being sticky after being left in bags

It's been kind of odd.  The more recent system sets were affected, not the older sets or technic sets.  Once the set is built and exposed to air for a few days, the stickiness seems to disappear completely.  I've not managed to figure out if it's just oils from my skin remaining on the bricks and going funny in an airtight bag, or a problem with the bag itself breaking down (it's not listed as biodegradable, but I've read bags with a PVC component can release an acidic gas that eats away at whatever is stored).  I've recently swapped out the bags to museum quality archival bags made from poly-ethylene, but I've not had them long enough to tell if they're any good.

[TWP]

On 5-5-2018 at 11:48 PM, NathanR said:

It's been kind of odd.  The more recent system sets were affected, not the older sets or technic sets.  Once the set is built and exposed to air for a few days, the stickiness seems to disappear completely.  I've not managed to figure out if it's just oils from my skin remaining on the bricks and going funny in an airtight bag, or a problem with the bag itself breaking down (it's not listed as biodegradable, but I've read bags with a PVC component can release an acidic gas that eats away at whatever is stored).  I've recently swapped out the bags to museum quality archival bags made from poly-ethylene, but I've not had them long enough to tell if they're any good.

hmm interesting. I've heared that before with plastic bags and lego. I store Lego sometimes in plastic containers that i have left from food, like ice cream tubs, it costs nothing and they stack easily. I wonder if those can also have an impact on my bricks.

Edited May 8, 2018 by TWP