sorry, i have had some internet problems hence my late reply.

thanks for the suggestions, i will give the acetone a try.

although all my vinyl is in a wooden display case, the doors are glass and there is at least 5cm gap so air does go throughout it. like you said though, i rarely handle them but i know they weren't 'tacky' like this 6 or so months ago when i packed them up before going to japan.

the soap + warm water seemed to have helped alot, however the 6 smoking corps seem to have become even stickier for whatever reason. i've pretty much given up with them at this point and have no idea why they became like that.

Defintely from hot weather that will cause this. Also the type of vinyl too, prone towards the matt coated(?) or non glossy ones.

You might want to ask your grandparents if they have been spraying some kinda air freshener in the house or put one of those oil based plug ins next to the case. I have had a few pieces get sticky but never a whole case. Sounds like something airborne in the house maybe. It could also be that someone cleaned them with something they should not have while you were gone and just did not tell you.

I actually tried this today on a sticky toy, and it worked really well with no paint or toy damage. I sprayed the toy liberally with WD40 and let it sit for about 30 secs. Then I just used my fingers to rub until I could actually feel the gummy stuff coming off on my hands. wash with warm water and soap and repeat if necessary. and after some gentle washing, I'm happy to report no WD40 smell either.

I assume most of this discussion relates to newer vinyl. Would you all recommend warm water and soap with vintage vinyl too? I just received one in the mail today (vintage Bullmark) and its kind of sticky. Due to its age, I'm kind of nervous about ruining the paint job.

pretty sure vintage vinyl was painted with v-color. you shouldn't have any problems with soap and water.

Thanks!