Has anyone successfully "de-frosted" an AFA encased MOC figure?

[MikeMcFive]

Just got an AFA encased Star Wars carded figure and I see some "frosting" on one leg.
Totally bummed because I paid full retail value for it and this frosting was not pointed out. But many members here insist that placing the frosted figure in direct sunlight for 30 minutes cures the frosting and it dissipates. My question is:

Has anyone successfully done this trick, specifically...
Will the additional encasement of the carded figure in an AFA case be problematic? (I worry about it becoming like a greenhouse in there and warping the high graded piece)
Most of the positive removal by way of sunlight stories does not mention their figures encased in thick acrylic
Since this frosting was not pointed out, should I not mess with a fix it and pursue less risky refund process?

This is my first attempt at re-starting my vintage star wars collecting in 15 years so I'm pretty green about the modern SW collector ins and outs, any input welcome! Thanks!

 

[AndyDavies]

Is it a later release? I did it once with a POTF Imperial Gunner. It worked but when I checked on it about 12 months later the bubble had started to tint. Could have been a storage issue but I doubt the exposure to sunlight helped.

Just wanted to add... did the frosting not show up on the pics you received before purchasing the item? Contact the seller and see if you can come to an agreement. If they're worth they're salt they will offer a refund.

-Andy

 

[ronsalvatore]

It's the light heat that makes the frosting go away. So you want it to be a little greenhouse-y. When I've used this method to get rid of frosting, the figures have been in Star Cases. Don't see why an acrylic case would change things. In general, putting it under a regular incandescent light for a bit shouldn't hurt it. Just keep your eye on it.

 

[toyman941]

forgive me for asking but what is frosting, is it some form of film build up. just curious because from what I have been reading up on, sealed figures can create future issues. I was seriously thinking about preserving them with afa grading however the more I read the more I find I need to keep on with my research. no matter what we do, sooner or later the plastic will break down and there are some precautions we can do to slow the process down however this cant be done if the figure is sealed.

 

[DoctorKenner]

Frosting occurs when the polymers in the PVC of the figure begin to break down, causing crystalline deposits to form on the surface of the figure. This looks like white dust.

 

[MikeMcFive]

I just sent it back to seller, light trick didn't work, seller is being cool about returning it...These minute crystals were not visible on pics...I now ask about these tiny crystals before I buy anything online...most sellers don't know what I'm talking about, but hey, I knew nothing about it before I started collecting again.

And thanks for all the tips and advice, everyone here seems genuinely friendly ( a few years back I swear I stumbled on this rebelscum site and randomly came across a thread that was some kind of screaming match by a belligerent dude, as a result I avoided this site for a year or so, ha!...or maybe I confused a different site with some other Star Wars site, anyway it scared me from all SW sites for a while)

I look forward to posting happy finds very soon!

 

[MikeMcFive]

It was an 80 AFA graded 1979 card, a real beaut otherwise...

Is it a later release? I did it once with a POTF Imperial Gunner. It worked but when I checked on it about 12 months later the bubble had started to tint. Could have been a storage issue but I doubt the exposure to sunlight helped.

Just wanted to add... did the frosting not show up on the pics you received before purchasing the item? Contact the seller and see if you can come to an agreement. If they're worth they're salt they will offer a refund.

-Andy

 

[DoctorKenner]

Which figure?