How UV Light Impacts Vintage Toy Packaging
UV (ultraviolet) light is a type of electromagnetic radiation that gets transmitted in wavelengths or in particles. The wavelengths of UV light are shorter than typical light that you see. On the spectrum of light, UV light falls in between visible light and x-rays.
While most of our exposure to ultraviolet light comes from the sun, there are also other artificial ways now that we get UV light. Some of these artificial lights that damage vintage toys include halogen lights, fluorescent and incandescent lights, specific lasers, and tungsten-based lamps.
Ultraviolet light causes great damage to toys. It harms the packaging by breaking down materials and ruining both the appearance and quality of vintage toys. Join us throughout our blog today to see how UV light impacts vintage toy packaging and how you can prevent the damage from occurring.
How Does UV Light Impact Vintage Toy Packaging? Follow Along to Find Out!
Follow along in our blog with us to see how ultraviolet light impacts vintage toy packaging and learn to take preventative measures to keep your collection in its current condition rather than getting damaged further.
UV Light on Cardboard and Paper
Ultraviolet light harms boxed vintage toys and card backs greatly over time. The ultraviolet shorter wavelengths vibrate quicker and start to expand, split, and rebound which causes deterioration. The damage to paper fibers on cardboard box packaging and cardboard backs to bubble packaging on toys is irreversible.
This damage doesn’t happen right away, but over time. The wavelengths damage the paper’s fibers and causes the colors to fade and distort. It weakens the material of the packaging and makes it more prone to damage from any amount of pressure that hits it.
Ultraviolet light also causes photo-oxidation over time. This yellows the paper, the images on boxes, and weakens the material. Ultraviolet light can make materials brittle and easily damaged. It can even cause red or brown spots to form from the ultraviolet light breaking down materials.
Another thing to consider is the thickness and quality of the cardboard. Whether this is on a cardback or the box of a toy, the thinner the cardboard, the more prone to ultraviolet light damage it will be. If your toy's box is made of thin cardboard paper, it will be more prone to becoming brittle, weaker, and faded in color.
This causes harm to so many vintage toys and stands as one main reason why mint condition vintage toys are so rare and high in demand. Many people place their toys on display under incorrect lighting or in windows and don’t find out until later how it affects their vintage toys’ appearance and value.
UV Light on Plastic Bubbles and Windows
Ultraviolet light also affects plastic on toy packaging. Many toys, especially action figures, are released in bubble packaging on cardboard backs or in boxes with plastic windows. The plastic bubble packaging and windows were designed so you can see the toy within its packaging before you buy it and as it remains in its packaging.
For collectors, these items are often appealing since they can still be MOC (mint-on-card) in original factory condition while the collector can still see the toy as well. However, like boxed toys, ultraviolet light causes damage to these items greatly over time.
On plastic, ultraviolet light breaks down polymer chains. This leads to deterioration, weaker materials, and yellowing. Similar to cardboard and paper materials, yellowing occurs as a result of ultraviolet light. However, it can sometimes be more noticeable on plastic since it changes the entire plastic from clear to yellow.
The ultraviolet light also causes the plastic to become incredibly brittle to the point of cracking. Sometimes you will see holes in plastic on vintage bubble packaged toys with the plastic yellow, this is all a result of ultraviolet light.
Ultraviolet Light on Adhesives and Tape
Lastly, on vintage toy packaging, the adhesives and tape react to ultraviolet light in a couple different ways. Ultraviolet light acts against the tape to photodegrade it. This means that the adhesive’s molecular chains break down and reduce its stickiness and strength.
For tape, the non-adhesive side breaks down as well. The plastic or paper back of tape becomes brittle with ultraviolet light exposure. Also, when ultraviolet light hits adhesives, the breaking down of molecular chains not only reduces strength and stickiness but can also completely remove the tape or bubble from the paper or cardboard that it used to stick to.
This is problematic with many mint condition or factory sealed toys. When these sealed toys are left in ultraviolet light exposure, either from the sun or from lightbulbs, the tape or bubble packaging can become loose and fall off of the packaging. This makes the cherished factory sealed items no longer in the same condition which often reduces the value of the toy.
With tape and adhesive, ultraviolet light can also cause yellowing where the adhesive is. For instance, while a box may not take too much effect from ultraviolet light or might not be as apparent, the tape shows signs of this by yellowing and losing its grip on the packaging.
How to Protect Your Vintage Toys From UV Light
With every piece of vintage toy packaging susceptible to damage by ultraviolet light, learning how to protect your collection and prevent it from further damage is vitally important.
First up, to protect your vintage toys from ultraviolet light damage, it’s important to keep each item away from direct sunlight, windows, and harsh lighting. Instead, choosing to store your collection in a dim or dark room will help to avoid UV damage.
Many collectors choose to store their collections in climate controlled storage units which keeps their items free from ultraviolet light damage as well as many other environmental factors that cause harm to vintage toys.
Another thing to watch out for when keeping your vintage toys in storage or on display is to check the lighting in the room. Both fluorescent and incandescent spotlight lighting also give off harmful UV rays. Switching to a low-heat LED bulb, if using any lighting at all, helps to keep UV rays off of your vintage toys to keep them from harm for years to come.
If you choose to display your collection rather than keeping it in storage, investing in acrylic display cases and cabinets that are specifically designed to keep UV light out will ensure your toys will be free from further damage. Also, choosing to display your toys in a room that you are not in as frequently will reduce the exposure to light and will help keep them in good condition.
Final Thoughts
While ultraviolet light causes irreversible damage to vintage toys, there are preventative measures you can take to keep your collectibles from any further damage.
It’s important to know the ways UV light affects vintage toys and how to prevent further damage to keep your collection at its best value and in the best condition it can possibly be in.
Do You Have Old or Used Toys?
Don’t let your collection sit in storage gathering dust—turn it into cash! At Wheeljack’s Lab, we specialize in evaluating and buying vintage and used toys, from single standouts to entire collections.
Our friendly, expert team has decades of hands-on experience in collectible toys, so you can expect honest evaluations and a smooth process from start to finish. Ready to sell? Call us at 888-946-2895 and let’s get started.
About the Owner, Chris Ingledue
Chris is the founder and owner of Wheeljack’s Lab Pop Culture and Toy Shop. His vision has always been to reconnect collectors with the toys and pop culture that shaped their childhoods—sparking memories, nostalgia, and imagination along the way.
Each day in the “Lab” feels like Christmas year-round. From scouring the internet for the next great treasure—much like flipping through the Sears Catalog of years past—to eagerly awaiting the postman’s arrival like Santa himself, Chris lives and breathes the thrill of the hunt. Helping collectors around the world experience their own version of Christmas is what makes being a vintage toy buyer an absolute joy.