Sewage backup. Had to pack this... ...quickly. Ended up being a few large boxes of vinyl haphazardly piled on. Part of me thinks these toys will stay in boxes for a long time... Part of me is afraid them being in contact with each other for too long might result in rubs (I can accept a few marks, I just don't want them to get stuck to each other). Meh. Get insurance, people.
So sorry to hear that! And yes, always get insurance... Renters insurance especially, most people skip that. I've heard some awful stories about people losing almost everything to apartment fires.
Holy hell, what a nuisance! The only silver lining I can offer is that it's better to deal with potential scuffs and scratches than toys drowned in sewage! Fingers crossed for the best, and good luck!!!
Thanks all. To be clear, the backup was just under the floor (though it seeped through cracks as I was stepping on it), so no goods were affected (as far as I know). They needed to rip out the floor (it's contaminated) so everything had to leave. It's kinda like moving... with a few-hour notice!
When you get a chance you really should unpack them and wrap them individually then pack them back up. You will get countless paint rubs just piling everything together like that. Just moving the box around will make everything touch and move and rub. Not worth the risk. Last time I packed I just went to the thrift store and bought all the old white 99 cent shirts I could find. They work perfectly and are pre-washed and you can just turn them inside out if they have logos or graphics.
Wow, very sorry to hear about your troubles, Oli. I am just glad that you guys spotted it on time, before it got even worse. I can well imagine the stress of a rapid pack up session, but at least you managed to get it all out of the way. Hope you get some coverage, and the floor repairs don't take overly long.
What a nightmare situation! Glad you were able to save your toys! Nice display cases by the way! I definitely second what Waterbear says! When I moved, I wrapped my toys in paper towels (i.e. the kitchen type paper towels, that come in rolls). Easy to tear off as many paper towels you needed for a particular toy, and then layer toys in a box (didn't need to tape things down). When I unpacked, I set aside the paper towels in a small box for re-use to minimize waste. p.s. hey! there's a toy that's floating up to the ceiling!