How to Store Figure and Funko Boxes

How to Store Figure Boxes

Last reviewed 17 September 2026

Store figure boxes flattened, dry, off the floor and out of direct contact with the figures themselves — cardboard is mildly acidic and moulded trays can imprint paint over time. In Indian conditions humidity is the real threat rather than dust, so a sealed container with silica gel beats an open shelf, and anything stored at floor level is at risk during monsoon.

Flatten or keep assembled?

Flatten, for almost everyone. An assembled box takes several times the volume and gains nothing, and a carefully flattened box in good condition can be reassembled when you need it. Open the glued seams gently rather than tearing them, and keep the inner tray flat alongside it.

The exception is a sealed Funko you are holding as an investment. Opening it is the single largest reduction in value you can perform in one action, so those stay assembled, sealed and in a protector.

Where to store them

Off the floor. Monsoon water ingress and floor-level humidity are the two things that ruin stored cardboard.
In a sealed plastic box or bag rather than open on a shelf, with a few silica gel sachets. Refresh or replace the sachets each year.
Flat, not on edge. Boxes stored upright bow, and a bowed box will not sit square when reassembled.
Away from sunlight, which yellows a Funko window in storage exactly as it does on display.
Not inside the display cabinet with the figures — see below.

Why boxes should not touch the figure

Two reasons. Cardboard and the printing on it are mildly acidic, and prolonged direct contact with painted PVC can mark it. And moulded plastic trays press against the figure at a few specific points; under sustained heat those points can imprint or dull the paint.

This is why a figure that has sat in its tray in a hot cupboard for three years sometimes comes out with a faint mark across a thigh or a shoulder. If you are storing a figure long term rather than displaying it, wrap it in acid-free tissue and store it beside its tray rather than inside it.

What box condition is actually worth

Format	How much the box matters
Funko Pop	A great deal. Corner sharpness, window clarity and creasing are graded, and stickers only exist on the box.
Retail scale figure	Moderately. Buyers expect the box, and a damaged one reduces the price, but grading is far less exacting than for Pops.
Prize figure	Little. The packaging is light and nobody grades it; the figure is what is being bought.
Nendoroid / figma	Little for value, but keep the tray — it holds the small parts, and those are not sold separately.

How to Store Figure Boxes — frequently asked questions

Should I flatten figure boxes or keep them assembled?⌄

Flatten them — the volume saving is large and a carefully flattened box can be reassembled later. Open the glued seams gently rather than tearing. The exception is a sealed Funko held as an investment, which should stay sealed and protected.

How do I stop stored boxes getting damaged in monsoon?⌄

Keep them off the floor, flat, and in a sealed plastic container or bag with silica gel sachets that you replace annually. Floor-level humidity and water ingress are what actually ruin stored cardboard in Indian conditions — not dust.

Can I store a figure inside its original box long term?⌄

Better not to. Cardboard is mildly acidic and moulded trays press on a few specific points, so under sustained heat they can mark or dull paint. For long-term storage, wrap the figure in acid-free tissue and keep it beside the tray rather than inside it.

Does keeping the box increase resale value?⌄

Substantially for Funko Pops, where box condition is graded and the stickers live on the box. Moderately for retail scale figures. Barely for prize figures. For Nendoroids the box adds little value but the tray is worth keeping because it holds parts that are not sold separately.