Display and upkeep
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🦄 A little bit of positivity for everyone :D |
Shelves
IKEA is usually the place of choice, unfortunately this is rather rare in the US.
DETOLF is a popular display.
The BILLY bookcase with MORLIDEN glass doors is an alternative.
If you want cheaper alternatives you can get a DIY bookshelf from Walmart or wall mounted shelves, be aware dust will collect faster with either of them.
If you're a tippiest toppiest richfag, you could search for and purchase highly professional enclosed glass display cases instead. Be aware that anything airtight will entrap the PVC outgassing and make your figures smell like shit unless you air out the case every now and then. On the plus side, though, you'll probably never have to dust your collection ever again.
LED lights might be interesting too:
Here is a German blog that shows how to completely hide the wires in a Detolf. Here is a detailed guide by Anon with a slightly different approach.
Once you have sufficient shelving space to display your collection, it may be worthwhile looking into acquiring some risers, for better/more compact display. There’s a decent blog article on MFC about them, which you can find here.
Cleaning
Dust on your figures?
- Get a microfiber cloth
- Wipe
- Done
An alternative method is to dust carefully with a very soft brush, e.g. a makeup brush. Using compressed/canned air is another option.
You can also wash them with running water if they’re too dirty, just don’t so too often. Hot water can soften plastic and lead to deformation if you’re not careful. Never use cleaning chemicals other than soap, it might damage the paint or the figure itself.
Small stains can be removed by rubbing it with an eraser, be careful to only use it in the stain or you may end taking some of the paint of the figure instead.
Boxes
A commonly asked question is “What do you do with your figure boxes?” or something to that effect.
The general consensus to this question is to keep the boxes. For a few reasons, 1.) It maintains figure value. This will come in handy if you ever sell your figures 2.) More importantly, it is the best option you have when storing your figures in the event that you move. 3.) Some people view the box as a part of the product itself due to its quality, so throwing the box away is equivalent to throwing an accessory away.
Figure repair
Do-It-Yourself:
- Broken joints
- Reinforcing joints
- Scuffed paint
- Getting rid of the sticky layer (plasticizers)
- Broken base pegs
Taking care of your H-manga
Paper will eventually yellow, but you can greatly slow down the process with proper care. Sleeve your B5 sized doujinshi with Golden Age comic book sleeves available on Amazon, for larger A4 sized doujins use Treasury sleeves. Polypropylene bags are cheaper but they will wear out faster. Mylar bags will last a lifetime but are more expensive. Mylar bags are thicker, so you might have trouble fitting thick doujinshi into them. Leave your doujinshi out of sunlight. This goes for any other printed goods too.
