Does anyone think/know from experience if there are any negative effects caused by storing figures in the trunk of a car? If it matters, it'd be late August through December ish.
If you're talking about 4 months, then I'd say it depends on where you live. I live in Buffalo, so the extreme temperatures would likely affect the packaging (i know that even CD inserts take a beating form the extreme hot in summer and cold in winter in my truck). However, I don't know what the climate is like in the land of small parking lots.
in a word NO. I can almost guarantee there will be some damage unless the car in question is not driven and kept in a climate controlled area (central heat and air). Also if the figures are in plain sight it risks a break in to steal them.
Couple weeks ago, I have my PCC's in the trunk of my car while I was at Cedar Point. It was roughly 95 degrees. I was really worried when I got back to the car, opened up the trunk and felt how hot it was inside. But then again, these things sit in the trailer of semi-trucks from one destination to another and those things get pretty dang hot in the sun.
I always worry about this when I am mailign a package and have a toy sitting in the car, I am probably just being paranoid. But there is no way that these toys wouldn't get messed up, I mean I had toys stored in a room with full blinds and some still got sun damage from the little slits in the blinds. Toys just are a pain to store, and you also have to think of the sticky plastic thing, some plastics, especially older rubbery plastics "sweat" this stuff you can't see it but it just makes them sticky and messy.
I wouldn't simply have them lying about in your car's trunk. Maybe keep a plastic tote to put them all in, and simply have that placed into your trunk. That's what a couple of us here in WA St. do for the toys we either buy for other local collectors/board members or just want to bring along to show off.
I bet they'll be fine. I bet the expanding/contracting factor wouldn't do all that much damage unless it was over a much longer period than four months. I wouldn't do it with a MP or some other pricey import, but I'm sure if you threw Generations Thrust in your trunk for four months it will be fine. I'm an IT guy and I've left laptops in my trunk for stretches of about six months and they're fine. And extreme temperatures is probably the second worst thing for a computer after magnets.
Hold on - You're storing them in your trunk cos you've run out of room - or you're trying to hide them from your other half? Of all the hiding places in the world...
Are they Christmas gifts? Hiding them from the wife? I would take em to a friend's house and hide em there. I used to ship my Canadian cousin 25th Ann GI Joes, and he stored them in his trunk (I think hiding them from his wife). Car got stolen from his work and the only thing missing when they found it was his 100+ Joes and a few vehicles.
I'd be worried about direct sunlight but if it's in the trunk, that should be one less thing to worry about. Unless the car in question is a hatchback/wagon/SUV that doesn't have a tonneau cover.
It doesn't sound safe but i'd say the toys would be ok. We just found my nephews PSP underneath my back seat after 7 months and it still works great . Keep in mind, we are having some record heat waves in Texas...
I've had no problems with in package toys. Out of package toys have warped or gotten looser by being in a car for only a few hours
