Protecting a minifig from wear I've purchased a few of the Lego keychain minifigs. Each time I've bought a new one was to replace the previous one because it had most or all of the paint rubbed off from going in and out of pockets and whatnot. 

Here is my most recent example of the wear on my minifig keychain.


You can see that the mouth is almost completely missing.

Is there something that I can do to protect the paint and keep it from rubbing off?
This guide here (off-site backup) in the BrickJournal magazine has a section titled &quot;Step Three: Protecting Your New Figure – Application of a clear top coat&quot;. It recommends Future’s floor wax or Badger overcoats and discourages the use of nail polish due to its tendency to yellow when exposed to sunlight.
They suggest applying two layers, each dried with a hair dryer to achieve a smooth, bubble-free surface.
Admittedly, these instructions are for display models, not figures that are going to endure the wear during play or everyday carrying along several keys, but these layers can be reapplied when they are damaged and will protect the figure and its paint while the overcoat is intact.