@BobbyD posted:That's the "fun" part of Zinc pest, you never know what will set it off or when it will happen. A friend had a Lionel Torpedo steamer, pre-war IIRC, that looked perfect when he purchased it around 1990. Within a year it began to expand and a few months later was reduced to crumbling pieces.
You don't want to be the last man standing with an expensive piece before it disintegrates. I used to collect 1:18 diecast autos and some of the more expensive ones had zinc rot. There were photos where you could see through the plastic window the diecast car inside crumbling to pieces even though the box was never opened.
Also, how many of us have items that we bought years ago and never opened. A rude surprise might be waiting for us! 
