Hi, There Lego Fans

Recently i bought few sets of lego city. Now I`m thinking how to store them I read lots of topics about this and I got general idea.

I decide to store by brick type in plastic cabinet with drawers something like this:

Now I got questions when i store bricks in those drawers (like on photo bellow) will this type of storing cause scratches on them ?

What can i do to avoid or minimalize scratches on bricks when storing them ??

Edited December 31, 201311 yr by Adam87

Hey there, I have not had any problems just storing pieces loose in drawers like that (after many years). In my opinion sun damage is more of a concern, especially for white and light grey parts. Lego should only get scratched if there is a fair amount of pressure rubbing it against a surface. The only scratches I have is on the blue bricks in this moc of mine, and then again it only shows up in the right light.

Anytime bricks run against each other they can scratch. As in, when sitting in bags inside unopened boxes they can scratch each other. Unless you get them off the factory and store each brick individually, you may encounter some hairline scratches.

I've never had a problem with regular bricks scratching in storage. Trans pieces will develop microscratches, however, which will cause them to look cloudy. I store loos windshield, canopy, window type pieces in little ziplock bags when in storage to keep them looking good.

Thanks for all answers, I got one more question what can i do to avoid Teeth Marks on lego bricks ?

Easy: don't eat them.

But you can stop buying 2nd hand LEGO.

Thanks for all answers, I got one more question what can i do to avoid Teeth Marks on lego bricks ?

Avoid using pocket knives, scissors etc to seperate pieces. If you dont have two of these, I highly recommend getting some:

https://encrypted-tb...DsN5xu_VNTm14Ug

Thanks for all answers, I got one more question what can i do to avoid Teeth Marks on lego bricks ?

Um, don't bite down on them and don't give them to anyone who will (i.e. small children)? :D

When he was under the age of ten, I always made sure that my son had a LEGO piece or two (that I did not want)t to chew on. He could chomp down on swords and other weapons all he wanted as long as they came from that special pile. He got in the habit of knawing on weapons and leaving my stuff alone. When we find a mangled weapon in the yard or under something, it brings back lots of fond memories now that he is 25.

Hubby likes to chew on parts, too, but usually does it worth scrap pieces from his n-scale train sets. Our dentist stays very busy.

It is a good idea not to buy used LEGO unless it is for children.

BL sellers with good feedback seem to be much more honest about selling damaged parts than random eBay sellers.

You can store damaged bricks separately and only use them as filler inside larger builds.

After they turn three, most kids who do have to chew on something seem to do okay chomping on rubber bands to their hearts delight. Surely better than knawing on wooden window sills that happen to be at the level of the mouth of a one year old who is teething and leaning on the wall learning to walk. Glad we were living in a rental home at that stage!

Here is an interesting graphic about the hardness of plastic types:

The scale reads from left to right in order of ascending hardness. Plastic types are harder than the ones positioned to the left, and may scratch them if they come in contact. (A plastic's hardness is not the same as its resistance to scratching)

Most LEGO pieces are made from ABS plastic, which is a polystyrene plastic.

Plastic storage units like the one pictured at top in the original post have drawers that are usually also made from polystyrene.

The drawers in the LEGO storage unit pictured above are made from polypropylene, which is softer than ABS plastic and will not scratch it.

It is not the storage container itself that puts little scratches on LEGO parts, or even other LEGO parts (try scratching one brick with the corner of another - you may get a scuff, but it will wipe off). The scratches are caused by little bits of grit and dirt that are rubbed against the pieces as they are handled and played with. Keeping scratches off LEGO pieces is mostly a matter of keeping them clean.

Nylons are higher on the scale than polystyrene. Nylon is a common fiber used in carpeting, and even though the individual fibers are small and flexible, they may be able to scratch ABS plastic. Carpets also contain lots of tiny bits of grit, of course. Keeping pieces off the floor will help keep them from getting scratched.

Also note that polystyrenes are slightly less hard than bone in the chart above, which you can confirm by biting any LEGO brick.

Thanks for all answers, I got one more question what can i do to avoid Teeth Marks on lego bricks ?

"Teeth marks" can be caused by a number of things, not just chewing. I think most of these marks are from trying to get plates separated, and not just for the joy of chewing on plastic. Judging from my old collection, that is the case. The only "chewed" parts are plates, regular bricks look perfect. I used teeth, knives, anything I could wedge between two plates to get them apart. Invest in some brick separators, they will be your best friend. I have the older gray one linked to above, but the newer orange ones are superior as they can also be used to push technic pins out of holes.

Don't give any Lego you hold dear to a kid under 10, or else you risk getting chewed parts back. My 6yo stepson has his own lego collection, and I discovered a number of chewed parts in his lego bin while playing with him. Mostly longer parts: antennas, technic rods, swords, etc. He knows to use the brick separator, but I think his chewing is subconscious (oral fixation or some other fruedian thing). It's the main reason why I keep my own collection away from the kid's until they get older.

naf,

I agree about separating your LEGO collection from that of your child's if you want to keep it in good condition. My sons loved to play with LEGO on our dirty cement floor downstairs and sometimes took it outside to play. We did not know how badly the sun would fade it. Once we learned that, we kept it inside.

Now it goes only on a clean table surface and out of the sunlight. And my favorite sets are hidden from the grown up children....period.

And old bricks are stored in a separate container away from the newer ones so I don't have to sort them out while building.

Lots of folks have to chew on something constantly...including my son and hubby, both grown men. So just make sure they have something besides LEGO to chew on!

Well, to be honest Ive never been THAT paranoid about the condition of my lego's, (and Im pretty bad!) but if it reaaaaallly bothers you and your losing sleep, get some therapy.

I have the older gray one linked to above, but the newer orange ones are superior as they can also be used to push technic pins out of holes.

I actually prefer the old ones for most situations. For some reason, the new ones don't work as well in situations where two separators are required. They don't put enough torque on the studs and they just come off the studs when you try to take the pieces apart.