The best ways to store LEGO minifigures

If you are investing in LEGO minfigures it's also worth investing time and a little money into storing them properly. Everything degrades over time and LEGO is no exception despite it generally being very durable.

While what I'm about to say isn't gospel and advice may differ depending on who you speak too, I do have many years of experience collecting and here are some tips and tricks I've picked up along the way.

Don't build it!

If you are splitting minfigures from a set don't be tempted to build the minifigure, instead keep the parts seperate and put them straight into a grip seal bag like the ones pictured below.

Be sure to check you have the correct size, some minifigures can have large head pieces or accessories so bare that in mind. I've found that 3 x 3.25 inch bags generally work well.

Putting your minfigures in grip seal bags will stop them rubbing against each other which can happen due to vibrations in the environment. You could go ahead and put each seperate part in a grip seal bag but I think that's a bit overkill.

The reason for not building the minfigure is because plastic expands and contracts with changes in temperature. If the leg piece is inserted into the body piece this can cause cracking down the sides of the torso which dramatically reduces said minfigures value.

Store in a temperature neutral environment

Leading on from the last point try to store your minifigures in a location that doesn't experience extreme temperature changes. For example lofts and attic spaces can be very cold in winter and very hot in the summer so this is not a good place to use as storage.

Keep away from direct sunlight

The UV rays coming from the sun can very quickly fade and damage LEGO parts so always keep them away from direct sunlight. If you have any sets / minifigures on display try to keep them away from windows. If you have no option but to put them in direct sunlight it's better to do it so they get sunlight in the morning when the UV rays are weaker.

Handle with care

If you're going to be handling minifigures for sorting / bagging / cataloging etc, give you hands a wash beforehand. Again this may seem excessive but if you have oily fingers that oil is going to be transferred onto the LEGO pieces you are handling and over time could damage them.

You could take this a step further and use gloves but personally I don't go this far.

Keep aways from pets

I have three cats roaming around my house and for some reason they are facinated with LEGO. Recently they decided to completely destroy my Barracuda Bay set shortly after I finished building it, so if they get hold of your minifigure who knows what they'll do!