So I opened my M1Go Shodai Goji Maquette (see the Showroom) to display this beauty but realized then that the feet are somehow not really straight, like slighly bent inside. How can I fix that without damaging it? Hair dryer?
Yes you can blow dry it til it gets very soft then stand it with something propped in between the legs to hold space until it keeps the new position.
Hey JL, you can use either a hair dryer - +'s = good for a really quick fix, but -'s =have to be a little more careful with some toys because of high heat/drying, and is localised to one spot; or soak in hot water - +'s = good as it is less damaging I think to the vinyl/paint, and is more uniform -'s as it's slower, and you have to be a little careful with getting water getting inside. Key thing is to find something which you can use to 'hold' the parts you are warming up in place while it cools, so that the vinyl can set in the new position. Sometimes you might need to repeat the procedure a few times to get it just the way you want it, but it is certainly doable with most toys.
Any suggestions on toys that want to lean forward? I'll blow dry the ankles and lean em back, but it seems that after a couple days they start to tip forward again. My only display solutions so far have been rolling up tiny pieces of tape and sticking them under the front of their feet.
Museum putty also works well https://www.amazon.com/Quakehold-99111-Collectors-Museum-Putty/dp/B000FJU290
Second the museum putty. Seems to not interact w/ vinyl toys, but it will leave a mark on an unfinished wood shelf. As you see in Grace's post, it is also good for displaying ceramic praying children on a slope.
Possibly you aren't going hot enough. When my toys have a lean I hit them with a heat gun. I used a hair dryer in the past but it doesn't really cut it. When it's hot enough you don't need to move or position the legs, they will remember the mold-shape, and they won't re-distort. It does need to get hot though, like literally smoking. It's scary, and go too far and the vinyl will burn, so watch out for that.
Standing issues will remain, unfortunately. I prefer blow dryers over heat guns, as they won’t burn the vinyl. I’ve heated toys enough that they squeeze into the palm of my hand, and they still eventually go back to their original tilt over time. Sometimes figures are just pulled like that and get stuck as such.
They are stretched when they are pulled, but with enough heat they can return to the memory shape of the mold. I have a couple of Astro-mu toys that wouldn't stand, and I would use the hairdryer on them every few months. I thought I'd risk the heat-gun and they have been standing fine for a few years now. Still, safer to use museum putty!
In the U.K. we have BluTack (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu_Tack) which sounds very similar to Museum Putty and is what I’ve used.
@mondocoyote I’ve yet to run into a toy with an inherent leaning issue that fully returned to original mold shape. That’s gotta be nice/lucky. I have a handful that when I heat them up, substantially, they have to be shifted and held in place while the vinyl cools down for them to stand. Getting them hot enough to the point that it’ll blister my skin if held too long, they just sit at the leaning position if nothing else is done.
I have used tape on numerous occasions for photo sessions, as many vintage toys (especially 'Popy'-style minis and poly toys with big plastic seams, have non-level feet and or weight imbalances with their arms 'n torsos. Shelf-wise, I don't usually do too much, maybe a couple strategic leanings or propping between other vintage fellers (what can I say, my shelf is crowded ). For long term I think I would second Grace's suggestion. I think there are a lot of different putties/sticky-tack/Blutack you can use, but just be careful about what they might contain if it is something you are planning to leave there (or forget about) for years. I presume the museum putty (from name alone, otherwise I have no basis) is formulated to be more safe, but as has been noted with the wood, these sorts of materials can affect other surfaces after prolonged contact. They can leach things, melt, get dried out, etc., all potentially leading to some interactions with the toys. It'd be rare, and would be barely noticeable (especially if it is just a small dot on the underside, which is all you would need), but do just be aware of it.