If cards are on display with lights, but not direct sunlight, will they fade or damage?
As far as I’m aware even regular incandescent light-bulbs give off a very small of UV light, whether its likely to have an effect over a long period of time is something I’m sure someone who has been in the hobby for a long time will know.
I know LED lights produce so little UV light that it won’t have any affect, as far as I’m aware.
Of course in general I’d advocate against displaying any valuable card for a lengthy period of time for obvious reasons.
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yes, even artificial light contains some UV Light that can change the color of the card, but I’d say that the energy is so small compared to sunlight that it’s negligible
This is the light source
that seems totally fine to me, maybe I’d move the card(s) that are directly under the lights, for example that Arbok, because LED lights are very punctual and can be quiet powerful on the area they shine
Love that cabinet and display.
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I personally don’t think artificial lighting will do any serious damage - but it’s definitely the go to reason people use for Albino borders… which is pretty silly. Somehow, cards in a binder were supposed to be sun damaged, but just on the borders 
Any light will cause damage over time. The degree of damage depends on exposure time and intensity. PSA cases offer no protection.
I don’t think anyone here has done a 10-year experiment under these conditions so I’m confused how anyone can say with confidence this setup won’t do damage. I personally would default on the side of caution and assume that these lights will cause damage, especially if they are on 24/7
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I would love a definitive answer for this.
I liked pfm’s Reply above.
Thanks, sad thing is I’m running out of room already. I need to find a better way to fit more cards on each shelf and still be able to see them. I only have 2 shelves dedicated to Pokemon, the other shelves will have a boxed me to Millenium Falcon, every HP booster box and a bunch of factory sealed graded video games. I might have to lower the Pokemon shelves to being just Holo only.
physics isn’t something you can “think” or “feel” about. Like I said, some of the cards that are directly under the lights should be moved or the lightsangle should be adjusted. Otherwhise we can all store our cards in a dark hole and only pull them out at night when there is moonlight.
Sun light is dangerous, but artificial lightning might fade cards over long periods of time.
I used a UV meter on the LED I have and it didn’t even register compared to the florescent tubes I tested.
Where’s the guy that tests PSA card holders in floods & fires?
We need him to try out some UV on cards.
#TheHeroWeDontDeserve
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I used to help with preservation back in the day. All light can damage especially paper. This is straight from art institute of Chicago from their preservation dept: “All light is damaging to books and the materials from which they are made, especially light containing UV rays (such as sunlight and fluorescent light). Minimize light exposure as much as possible using drapes or shades. UV filters may also be used to decrease the potential of light damage.”
And yes that includes LED. They give off a wavelength though not on the level of UV is still damaging to paper fibers. Short burst of exposure and material should be ok. But long-term over exposure could be a potential hazard for cards or other printed material.
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This might help:
Source:LED Lighting: UV, or Not UV - That Is the Question
I’d say separate the LED light source and the cards with 98~99% UV protective glass, plexi, or varnish. It should make the UV emission pretty much negligible.
That’s a really nice display setup btw.
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I’ll bet that case is windexed daily lol.
Small shower thought, what if instead of putting our cards in UV resistant cases / glass etc…
… what if we put a UV resistant barrier on the lights? I mean, it’ll take less to do that right?