Does your Lego ever get damaged by pest?

[KotZ]

5 hours ago, ks6349 said:

If you inspect your plastic container closely, you'll find that most, if not all, plastic containers are not closed snugly, almost always there is slit for small insects to get into the containers. There are not so many "more reputable brands" for such items, most consumers tend to buy the cheap one because they don't care about the locks. The best solution I can figure out is to tape all sides of a Lego box with good adhesive tapes, in that way, no insect can go inside the Lego box. Yes, they can bite or feed on the box, but when this happens you will know and you can react quickly. I used to wrap Lego boxes with plastic cling but it is very costly, and unfriendly to the environment, so I don't do this anymore.

As the user above me commented, the one in the photo is a very snug seal. As for the reputable brands, then do some research, as there are a lot of good options out there of plastic tubs that can help contain your unopened boxes in pristine condition. Or you can use cling wrap and not damage the boxes as you mentioned you were concerned about damaging them with tape.

I feel like you're being obtuse just to be obtuse.

[Toastie]

20 hours ago, ks6349 said:

 ... wrap Lego boxes with plastic cling but it is very costly, and unfriendly to the environment, ...

Well when it comes to the impact on the environment - cling wrap will certainly be better than any bunch of ABS bricks - in every regard. Making ABS needs nastier chemicals and more energy than making polyethylene based cling wrap. Just weigh the content of a LEGO box and the amount of cling wrap you need to wrap the box. The latter is next to nothing. Cling wrap degrades must faster into microplastic  ABS lasts for a very, very long time (that is what we love so much about LEGO, isn't it?

I am not sure what you are trying to accomplish with not building the sets - but in that case, even cling wrap will last a pretty long time. I also don't get the "very expensive" bit: The amount of cling wrap for any LEGO box will be orders of magnitude less expensive than the set itself, so I am a bit lost.

Best,
Thorsten   

[MAB]

4 hours ago, Toastie said:

Well when it comes to the impact on the environment - cling wrap will certainly be better than any bunch of ABS bricks - in every regard. Making ABS needs nastier chemicals and more energy than making polyethylene based cling wrap. Just weigh the content of a LEGO box and the amount of cling wrap you need to wrap the box. The latter is next to nothing. Cling wrap degrades must faster into microplastic  ABS lasts for a very, very long time (that is what we love so much about LEGO, isn't it?

I am not sure what you are trying to accomplish with not building the sets - but in that case, even cling wrap will last a pretty long time. I also don't get the "very expensive" bit: The amount of cling wrap for any LEGO box will be orders of magnitude less expensive than the set itself, so I am a bit lost.

Best,
Thorsten   

Indeed, the cost of plastic wrap needed to totally cover a box is much cheaper than the set, or just a replacement box, or the cost of a plastic tub, or even enough sticky tape to seal (and damage) the set boxes.

[ks6349]

4 hours ago, Toastie said:

Well when it comes to the impact on the environment - cling wrap will certainly be better than any bunch of ABS bricks - in every regard. Making ABS needs nastier chemicals and more energy than making polyethylene based cling wrap. Just weigh the content of a LEGO box and the amount of cling wrap you need to wrap the box. The latter is next to nothing. Cling wrap degrades must faster into microplastic  ABS lasts for a very, very long time (that is what we love so much about LEGO, isn't it?

I am not sure what you are trying to accomplish with not building the sets - but in that case, even cling wrap will last a pretty long time. I also don't get the "very expensive" bit: The amount of cling wrap for any LEGO box will be orders of magnitude less expensive than the set itself, so I am a bit lost.

Best,
Thorsten   

The major cost of wrapping with plastic cling is Time, not the price of the plastic cling. They are usually very sticky and easily stick together, it takes time to separate them. In the past I usually spent up to 5-10 minutes wrapping a Lego box because the cling was really sticky! Keeping a Lego box new and sealed has nothing to do with "not building". For sets I really love so much, I usually buy one more copy and keep them.

On 12/6/2023 at 3:21 AM, Yperio_Bricks said:

The plastic container which is shown few posts up has a sealing and it should be almost impossible for any insect to get into the box.

Yes, but as I said when the locks fail, the lid will become loose. Most plastic containers are not well made. Size is also a problem, many containers are not big enough to contain large sets.

Edited December 6, 2023 by ks6349

[Toastie]

51 minutes ago, ks6349 said:

In the past I usually spent up to 5-10 minutes wrapping a Lego box because the cling was really sticky!

Where's the environment, then?

OK, 5-10 min to wrap one box you keep for love. There are so many sets, TLG cranks out every year. Times 5 to 10 seems not to be that of an issue, when I think about building a large set. But hey, even with very small boxes ... I bet I can cling wrap them way faster, you can build them. I am not claiming that I am a cling wrap expert, but food in this house gets that treatment rather frequently. And comfortably. And yes, there are food containers as well, but they demand kitchen storage space. 

And for the large sets taking hours and hours to build them - no, sorry, I can't follow your logic.

In any case, seal them as you wish.

Best,
Thorsten

[Lyichir]

23 hours ago, ks6349 said:

Yes, but as I said when the locks fail, the lid will become loose. Most plastic containers are not well made. Size is also a problem, many containers are not big enough to contain large sets.

Buy ones which ARE well made, in that case? With storage, as with many things, you get what you pay for—a cheaper box with a flexible lid may be the cheapest option but more robust containers with durable locking hinges do exist. And if you're intent on preserving high-value Lego sets, it's worth it to pay for more reliability.

The size issue is harder to overcome, at least for the very largest sets, in which case something like shrink wrap might be your best option. But you shouldn't have to resort to that for all sets, since the majority of set boxes are small enough to fit into a good-sized container that's less labor-intensive than wrapping/unwrapping each box individually.

[ks6349]

On 12/7/2023 at 5:23 AM, Toastie said:

Where's the environment, then?

OK, 5-10 min to wrap one box you keep for love. There are so many sets, TLG cranks out every year. Times 5 to 10 seems not to be that of an issue, when I think about building a large set. But hey, even with very small boxes ... I bet I can cling wrap them way faster, you can build them. I am not claiming that I am a cling wrap expert, but food in this house gets that treatment rather frequently. And comfortably. And yes, there are food containers as well, but they demand kitchen storage space. 

And for the large sets taking hours and hours to build them - no, sorry, I can't follow your logic.

In any case, seal them as you wish.

Best,
Thorsten

My logic? Everyone values their time differently. I think spending 5-10 minutes or even more to wrap a Lego box is a waste of time because I don't enjoy it. Spending hours building a set isn't a waste of time because I enjoy it. After all, I have already figured out another way (by myself) that I can save a lot more time. Just leave a note here for future readers -- You can buy those cheap but usually very big vacuum bag and put the set in and seal it very quickly.

[Yoggington]

This is a strangely antagonistic thread

It sounds like you don't care too much about damaging the cardboard if you're willing to cover it in tape. This is the only part any pests might be interested in - they'll stay clear of the bricks. I'd say you'll be absolutely fine just storing them in the closet with a few mothballs.

I just want to mention you can get special tape that is less damaging than regular sellotape/scotch tape. It's still not perfect, especially over a longer timeframe - I wouldn't be putting it on a priceless comic for example - but it's distinctly less gummy with less residue left behind and less chance of pulling the cardboard to shreds when you try to remove it. I use it on items that I want to reopen in the future (e.g. repackaged lego boxes).

If interested, search for 'removable tape'.

 

Edited December 8, 2023 by Yoggington

[MAB]

26 minutes ago, ks6349 said:

My logic? Everyone values their time differently. I think spending 5-10 minutes or even more to wrap a Lego box is a waste of time because I don't enjoy it. Spending hours building a set isn't a waste of time because I enjoy it. After all, I have already figured out another way (by myself) that I can save a lot more time. Just leave a note here for future readers -- You can buy those cheap but usually very big vacuum bag and put the set in and seal it very quickly.

Well done for figuring out something by yourself.

[Lion King]

46 minutes ago, Yoggington said:

This is a strangely antagonistic thread

It sounds like you don't care too much about damaging the cardboard if you're willing to cover it in tape. This is the only part any pests might be interested in - they'll stay clear of the bricks. I'd say you'll be absolutely fine just storing them in the closet with a few mothballs.

I just want to mention you can get special tape that is less damaging than regular sellotape/scotch tape. It's still not perfect, especially over a longer timeframe - I wouldn't be putting it on a priceless comic for example - but it's distinctly less gummy with less residue left behind and less chance of pulling the cardboard to shreds when you try to remove it. I use it on items that I want to reopen in the future (e.g. repackaged lego boxes).

If interested, search for 'removable tape'.

 

I agree. And this guy doesn’t take our helpful advices real seriously, it seems.  Like…reporting the neighbor to the health service, placing lego boxes into plastic bags, getting new plastic containers, etc. 

 I know he is in Singapore, not Arctic (he mentioend his country somehwere once before). 

[JaBaCaDaBra]

On 12/3/2023 at 8:45 AM, ks6349 said:

These locks (i.e. blue locks) usually fail easily within few months of use.

lego boxes in container, cling wrap container

all problems solved

Edited December 8, 2023 by JaBaCaDaBra

[MAB]

Last time, it was keeping dust out of opened LEGO boxes. At which point he knew about wrapping in cling wrap, but was concerned about the environmental aspect so was going to tape them instead.

Quite how dust quickly accumulates inside a box that has been opened and closed again, inside a wardrobe, I don't know.

Now it is sealed boxes, and they are OK using much more plastic in the form of bags to seal new sets, to keep those pesky geckos from getting into the sealed boxes.

 

What will the next one be? Will mice eat through plastic vacuum seal bags and enter the sealed boxes? Do mice even eat or play with LEGO?

[Toastie]

1 hour ago, Yoggington said:

with a few mothballs.

Chemistry@work! This is my favorite approach  

Well, he found the vacuum wrapping technology, so we have come to a solution,

Best,
Thorsten

[MAB]

3 minutes ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

lego boxes in container, cling wrap container

all problems solved

Then inside a bigger bag, then inside a bigger box for extra security. Ideally buried in the garden, in case the geckos learn to play with matches and start a fire.

[JaBaCaDaBra]

1 minute ago, MAB said:

Then inside a bigger bag, then inside a bigger box for extra security. Ideally buried in the garden, in case the geckos learn to play with matches and start a fire.

Or Addams family comes along

[KotZ]

12 minutes ago, JaBaCaDaBra said:

Or Addams family comes along

And a partridge in a pear tree.

[Peppermint_M]

We got a rat in the house once  our neighbour was in hospital and an unsecured/broken back window let it get in and thru a wall cavity into our attic. 

Shredded a plastic storage bag, but left the Lego alone...

[Toastie]

7 minutes ago, Peppermint_M said:

Shredded a plastic storage bag, but left the Lego alone

Which is a clear hint that ABS is far less tasty than polyethylene - despite the much better crunch factor ABS has

Best,
Thorsten

[ks6349]

6 hours ago, Yoggington said:

This is a strangely antagonistic thread

It sounds like you don't care too much about damaging the cardboard if you're willing to cover it in tape. This is the only part any pests might be interested in - they'll stay clear of the bricks. I'd say you'll be absolutely fine just storing them in the closet with a few mothballs.

I just want to mention you can get special tape that is less damaging than regular sellotape/scotch tape. It's still not perfect, especially over a longer timeframe - I wouldn't be putting it on a priceless comic for example - but it's distinctly less gummy with less residue left behind and less chance of pulling the cardboard to shreds when you try to remove it. I use it on items that I want to reopen in the future (e.g. repackaged lego boxes).

If interested, search for 'removable tape'.

 

Sometimes I don't care about damaging the box because the box isn't in good condition on day one of purchase, e.g last one on the shelf, bought on the web. Then I will use tape.

However, if the box is in mint condition and I love the set so much, then I will use big vacuum bag.

Edited December 8, 2023 by ks6349

[dr_spock]

10 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

We got a rat in the house once  our neighbour was in hospital and an unsecured/broken back window let it get in and thru a wall cavity into our attic. 

Shredded a plastic storage bag, but left the Lego alone...

A mice got into the house. It liked the CAT5e network cable near the LEGO.  It didn't seem to go for the hard ABS pieces.  I think soft LEGO flexible tubings could be at risk if left out.

[Peppermint_M]

19 hours ago, dr_spock said:

A mice got into the house. It liked the CAT5e network cable near the LEGO

Urgh.

I think we were also saved by the fact that my mother had stored a box of pots of unopened/factory sealed Sugar decorations (Sugar strands, sprinkles, etc. Very long life when unopened so she felt safe to keep them out of the way for a while) and the critter found them, chewed through the plastic and had the sugar-packed feast of its life!