How to Protect Old GI Joe Action Figures
"Yo Joe" and "Knowing Is Half the Battle!" means much to the children of the '80s. GI Joe was more than just a comic book and cartoon, it was a series of action figures that helped raise a generation. As time passes, the figures from our past need our help to make it into the future.
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Instructions
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Don't play with them. The first rule to keep your Duke or Snake-Eyes battle-ready is to leave them alone. The joints wear away over time and the rubber band that keeps the torso and the legs connected becomes brittle. One slight move could cause your Joe or Cobra to snap apart.
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Dust them often. Take a dust cloth and gently remove layers of particles from your action figures. Be easy, as they are brittle and not as rugged as they once were.
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Keep them in standing position. By keeping your Scarlett, Lady Jaye or Destro in a standing position, you'll keep the rubber band in a straight position rather than allowing it to age in its tightest form.
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Avoid placing weapons in their hands or on their backs. As time is not kind to the plastic thumbs and grip of your army friends or terrorist foes, the rifles and guns can cause the hands to break as the materials harden. Keeping the backpacks out of the holes in the figure's back will keep the hole from wearing out. Place the accessories to the side.
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Keep them in a stable environment. You don't want your Joes or Cobras to be in a room that is too hot or too cold, and you want to keep them out of direct sunlight because their colors could fade. A moderate room will be fine, no need to get a special humidity-controlled environment.
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Comments
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The rubberbands can be easily replaced. You can purchase the bands cheaply on eBay. I recently dug out my old G.I. Joe toys from my parent's house, and bought 25 new rubberbands on eBay. I'm now down to 5 bands left and the old Cobra army I had is assaulting my Joe's base again. I haven't given my son the guns I had kept, so I haven't noticed any issues with brittle plastic on the figures. Now my vehicles are nearly all falling apart, snapping easily as if affected by brittle bone disease.
