WinterSoldier Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I was going through some of my older 'mates and stumbled upon her. I noticed something very unusual, she's...um, yellowing. Like a lot. On one of the legs and one of the arms where the white details are. I don't know if this is due to heat (I doubt it), I seriously doubt it would be any sort of nicotine stains as I've been out of an environment where people smoked inside the home since 2008 (and it wasn't yellowed then), is there a way to clean this up? I think it may even be due to being in the same container as some other yellow Minimates parts (like the Shooting Star, and I think there were some stray Lego jet engines in there). What do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBT! Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Its a known issue some older clear minimates do yellow. Frodo and the invisible woman suffer from the same thing. I Don't think theres much you can do about it sadly. T. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 I've heard Hydrogen Peroxide in direct sunlight, but have never tried it myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WinterSoldier Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Its a known issue some older clear minimates do yellow. Frodo and the invisible woman suffer from the same thing. I Don't think theres much you can do about it sadly. T. That was the weird part to me, it's the one from the old TRU boxed set! It's not one of the translucent versions. If it were one of the clear ones I would've kinda expected it, I'm still kinda catching up to me just how /old/ some of my collection really is. I knew some types of plastic also yellowed but being that these things have been kept almost exclusively in a container in the dark usually, it was just a surprise. I'll probably just get a newer one. Still, sentimental value, one of my earliest ones y'know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rikfenix Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Hmm.. that is strange. I've had flight stands start to yellow but thought it may be due to smoke. Know how you feel - I get sentimental bout my earliest figures too. Just recently took out my first mate, Mega-Rage Hulk, to display ( play with). What a great figure! His right arm falls off repeatedly but no interest in replacing him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaipo Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Pics? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lobsterman Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I had the same problem and tried the peroxide method to no avail. For what it's worth, I think you need industrial grade peroxide for it to work. I just started over with a fresh white blank and some decals. PM me if you'd like to give them a whirl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stack32 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I think that's pretty common with many (most?) white plastics even if you are careful with them. There's a ton of stormtrooper figures out there that are more yellow than white. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Make sure your toys are always in a breathable container. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Politician Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 There's solutions I've used to brighten my yellowed SNES but they're sometimes dangerous to mix so you'd have to look that up on your own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
battlecat Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Yeah, my Emma's a goner too, and I mentioned recently in another thread that I had this happen to my blue suit Xavier too, although I guess that was more of a "greening" than yellowing. Seems like plastics and paints can just to react to all kinds of things -- exposure to sunlight, being completely sealed like Turtle mentioned, heat or humidity, or just the material of the container they're stored in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hailtotheking Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 I just noticed mine had the same issue a few weeks ago. I have it stored in a minimate carrying case. I also had a pair of extra legs in my parts bin and they have yellowed too. I kinda think it is unavoidable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaipo Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 So keeping em in little ziplocs isn't a good idea? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mnemosis Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 This reminds me of my dastardly scheme: Launch a toy line wherein the plastics of the figures will begin to decompose UNLESS removed from the package. That way, anyone trying to keep them "mip" will end up with a blister full of sludge, and only openers like myself will have mint figures Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VulcansFury Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Kaipo, for ziplocs i hear they still need a hole to allow gas to escape. If there are small pieces I just use a nail clipper to clip small incisions on the sides of the bags, otherwise I just use a hole puncher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karamazov80 Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Make sure your toys are always in a breathable container.I usually store them in my stomach, so they should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 (edited) "I've heard Hydrogen Peroxide in direct sunlight, but have never tried it myself." - TM2Dinobot You're on the right track ..... Mix equal parts of nail varnish remover with 35% hydrogen peroxide ,perhaps an ounce of each in a sealable plastic container. Immerse the tarnished yellowy Minimate in the mixture ,seal the container & shake vigorously for about 2 minutes . Leave the contents to settle. After 30 minutes remove the lid & place the minimate at least 20 yards away from the settled mixture to dry & immediately phone a friend or relative letting them where you have placed it. Make sure you say 'Goodbye'. Place a lighted match inside the container & you will notice an immediate reaction . This reaction varies but it generally accompanies the removal of all walls,ceilings & roofs within 20 yards . I think this works but unfortunately nobody has yet to confirm it. Edited April 4, 2014 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shanester Posted April 4, 2014 Share Posted April 4, 2014 Yes, BHM, I would prefer TM2 not give ANY type of advice on this site, but he feels such a need... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mystery Man Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I've not had that issue with the clear variant Invisible Woman, thankfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 (edited) Yes, BHM, I would prefer TM2 not give ANY type of advice on this site, but he feels such a need... Love you too, big guy. http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/1252/removing-yellowing-from-plastics/ Edited April 6, 2014 by TM2 Dinobot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gillbob316 Posted April 6, 2014 Share Posted April 6, 2014 I noticed this in my Astonishing Emma... I want to say over a year ago. But it was a fair while back. I think I may have even made a thread about it here that I'm sure is buried by now, though I don't vividly recall.I remembered one of my local comic book shops, for whatever reason, still had one of the original two-packs lingering on the shelves in its toy section, so rather than try to fix it, I just went and bought a new one.The new one, as it happens, was also showing signs of yellowing. It was less severe than my original one, so I still hung onto it and replaced mine. But this was still a BRAND NEW, straight out of the package Astonishing Emma that showed slight yellowing, which was enough to tell me, "Okay, yeah... this isn't just how I'm storing it, or something in my house, this is something that's happening to all of these Emmas with time." because I'd literally seen this two pack at my comic book store, sitting on the shelf unopened for years... so if it could effect a brand new, untouched one, it could certainly effect them all.So *Shrug* if there's a relatively easy way to fix it, I'd be curious. But I'd also be concerned that anything that would de-yellow the plastic, might also take the paint off her.In any event, rest assured, it's nothing about the way you specifically stored your Emma. It's happening to them all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youbastards Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Yes, BHM, I would prefer TM2 not give ANY type of advice on this site, but he feels such a need... Love you too, big guy.http://chipmusic.org/forums/topic/1252/removing-yellowing-from-plastics/ I can attest to this method for whitening yellowed plastics, a co-worker collects/restores vintage Apple computers and equipment, and he does this on a regular basis. No idea how the tampos on a Minimate would be affected, but I'd say its worth a shot. Edited April 7, 2014 by youbastards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted April 7, 2014 Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) In all honesty & sincerity I believe the peroxide may work but for your own safety be careful with any chemical especially concentrated ones. http://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/feature-how-whiten-your-yellowed-plastic-gadgets Edited April 7, 2014 by buttheadsmate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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