How well do vintage sticker sheets holds up over time?

[delta7890]

Hey folks,

I am soon receiving a DX Great Five from 1987's Hikari Sentai Maskman. The figure is mint and the decals are not applied. I'd really hate to leave them off as they do a good job of adding detail and enhancing the look of the figure. That said I have no idea how well the adhesive will have held up over time. I really don't own any vintage pieces like this, so I have no first-hand experience in this realm. Heck, I'm really wondering if there isn't some place I can turn to and have the decal sheet reproduced. Any thoughts or advice you folks might have on this would be appreciated.

For reference, here is a look at the decal sheet itself. I apologize for the small picture, but it was the only one I was able to find off-hand. As you can see, the decals are printed on a foil sheet:

[Mr. Ginrai]

If it has been stored well, they should hold up fine. Usually adhesive only dries out in conditions where there is heavy moisture (or if it's too dry). I have only ever seen this happen on one or two toys I bought, it had happened prior to my purchase.

Gloss stickers on thicker paper or vinyl stock, or foil stickers usually hold up fine. Matte or paper stickers can be susceptible to damage. It also depends on the backing behind the stickers. If the backing is Mylar, vinyl, or gloss, it should be fine, but if it's thin paper those can have issues also.

In general I would not worry with the toy you are getting. You'll be able to see any damage right away, and then if you carefully peel up a corner of a decal you should be able to tell if it still has a bit of tackiness. Do this with clean hands.

If you do apply them, make sure to go very slowly and position the stickers exactly where you need them, laying down only an edge or corner first in case you have to reposition. You don't want to put too much area down and have to worry about tearing it if you need to adjust it.