What to Inspect at 12 Months
Surface finish: run your fingertip across the smoothest areas of the figure. The hand-finished surface should still feel the same as it did when new — slightly satin, no tackiness or stickiness. Any surface change usually traces back to a contaminant (cleaning product residue, oil from frequent touching) rather than material degradation.
Colour: compare the colourway to photos from when you first received it. Under normal indoor conditions with no direct sunlight exposure, PLA colour holds well. If you notice any fade or yellowing, that usually indicates UV exposure (a window-facing location getting direct sun for part of the day).
Base and structure: flip the figure gently and check the base for any stress cracks, particularly at thin sections. Normal display use produces no structural changes. Cracks indicate the figure was dropped or experienced significant impact.
Cleaning an Aged Surface
Dust: a clean, dry microfibre cloth or a soft artist's brush removes accumulated dust without touching the surface with bare fingers (which leave oils). Work from top to bottom so dust falls rather than being redistributed.
Stubborn marks: a cloth barely dampened with clean water (no cleaning products) for light smudges. Let air dry before returning to the display. Do not use isopropyl alcohol, acetone, or any solvent-based cleaner — these attack the PLA surface.
Fingerprints: a microfibre cloth on a dry surface usually removes these. If the figure has been handled frequently, a single light pass with a barely-damp cloth, then immediate dry buffing with a second cloth.
When to Worry (and When Not To)
Yellowing at 12 months: check for UV exposure. If the figure has been near a window with direct afternoon sun, this is the cause. Move it to a position with only indirect natural light. The existing yellowing won't reverse, but it won't progress once the UV source is removed.
Dust inside seams or fine detail: normal accumulation in crevices over a year. A soft brush (like a clean paintbrush or makeup brush) gets into tight areas that a cloth can't reach.
Loss of display quality without obvious cause: contact us with photos. Genuine material issues in our production process are something we want to know about and handle.