Best Ways to Display??

[Zest]

Hello!  I tend to pop in here erratically, kind of went with the fact that I was always having to move my ponies into storage.
But! I'm finally in my own place for the first time! 

So I was wondering what's the best(safest) way to display ponies? I'm always so worried about the spread of cancer and pindots, and other forms of discoloration. I noticed my Starflower actually seemed to have developed some cancer-y looking stains behind her cutiemark which kinda started my slight panic. (I also happen to have a good collection of nirvanas, including my two grails; I'm so paranoid I almost considered shrink-wrapping them, lol! )

[Baby Sugarberry]

'cancer' is nothing of the sort - it's Vinyl Deterioration, aka entropy - the natural result of a chemically unstable mixture breaking down as time marches on.  There is nothing you can do to stop it, though it can be slowed down by maintaining proper environmental controls - stable humidity and temperature avoiding extremes of dryness/wetness and hot/cold.  Even previously perfect ponies can and will develop VDS as the years go by.  It's inevitable.

Pindot is caused by dirt being rubbed into the open pores of plastic - avoid exposing your ponies to mud / dirt / oil / excessive handling with dirty hands and they won't develop it. Neither of those conditions are contagious.  The only 'spreadable' conditions out there are things like dye transfer (aka 'saddle sores' - commonly seen with hot pink bridles/saddles transferring their pigment via contact, and some fabrics as well) and bleaching through use of overly aggressive chemicals, like remove-zit. 

Don't shrink wrap your collectibles or otherwise put them in airtight storage for long term display - you'll do more damage than good.  Virtually all plastics are UNSTABLE - and when you put two unstable compounds in close contact to each other they often react.  Even a single unstable compound will deteriorate faster if you don't let it breathe properly.  Microclimates are bad news bears for most objects because they easily swing out of control. 

Glass cases / displays are excellent so long as they are not airtight and placed in a location with minimal light exposure.  Bookshelves (the white IKEA ones are the most popular) are also pretty good, I've yet to hear about any reactions between whatever type of plastic they use for the coating and MLP's - and collectors have been using them for a very long time, so it's reasonable to assume such a situation would have shown up by now if it was going to.  Avoid untreated / unfinished wood, as most wood is acidic.  Powder coated metal or sealed, seasoned (not freshly varnished) wood are also generally safe for collections storage.

Personally I store my collection in dressers - cuts out virtually all light, has some airflow but keeps out the dust, and it's easy to check on them. 

[Gizmo]

Great post Baby Sugarberry!

I keep my collection room without sun light, switched all bulbs to LEDs, minimised dust gathering furniture, and temperature is kept cold with low humidity. I also avoid washing ponies unless absolutely necessary and like to keep them spaced out.

[Zest]

Thanks, you guys! I think I'll try the dresser idea for now, my apartment faces the sunrise so the only spaces that don't get sunlight are the kitchen and bathroom. Would the glass cases still be appropriate, since it was mentioned they cut down light a little?

[BlushingBlue]

You can get clear UV blocking film to put on the glass to help cut down on the harmful sun exposure. It's pretty cheap (depending on how many cases you have) and still lets you enjoy that open display look.

[buttonso]

You can get clear UV blocking film to put on the glass to help cut down on the harmful sun exposure. It's pretty cheap (depending on how many cases you have) and still lets you enjoy that open display look.

Ooh I had no idea such a thing existed! Must find! 

[Princess Lala]

I would say maybe a glass case with maybe an LED sensor light? I keep my ponies in almost total darkness because im terrified of them sunfading! I like the light on for photos only!

[Baby Sugarberry]

Keep in mind that light, even without the more harmful UVA and UVB components which modern windows largely block, is still energy - pumping energy into matter causes molecular breakdown and damage over time.  Think about movie posters that have been in store windows for a while, how the dyes break down (red first, then yellow goes, often leaving only blue) and the paper yellows and gets brittle.  Ideally collections are stored in light-free areas, but you also have to weigh that against the value of enjoying your ponies.  Most of us don't care if our toys are going to outlive us, and they don't carry the status of say, a national treasure or historically significant object, so the type of extreme measures one would use in a museum or archive setting aren't really needed. 

That said, it's definitely better to avoid all direct light, particularly sunlight, if feasible, or to limit light exposure to times when you're viewing your collection. 

[hathorcat]

I keep my collection room without sun light, switched all bulbs to LEDs, minimised dust gathering furniture, and temperature is kept cold with low humidity. I also avoid washing ponies unless absolutely necessary and like to keep them spaced out.

This pretty much sums up my pony room as well

These are relatively small things to do but all good for the plastic.

Thanks, you guys! I think I'll try the dresser idea for now, my apartment faces the sunrise so the only spaces that don't get sunlight are the kitchen and bathroom. Would the glass cases still be appropriate, since it was mentioned they cut down light a little?

As others have said, any exposure to light is a concern and will result in fading over time. So as long as you are aware that it might happen, there is no harm in using such a location but if you want them to stay as minty as possible you need to keep them in an area with no natural light