What effect will LED lights have if they shine on T206s?

[Snowman]

It depends on the light spectrum. uv and uv-adjacent blue light will cause more fading faster. Also, the some colors are more susceptible to fading than others. Reds and oranges will fade much faster than blues and greens for example.

Pro "card doctoring" tip - you can actually "bleach" a card's borders without using any chemicals and without removing it from its slab if you have a light box with the right light spectrum. You can also reverse toning/foxing by putting said card in a greenhouse full of plants. And no, I'm not joking.

[Rhotchkiss]

Jamie, you have nothing worth displaying.....

Other than sarcasm, I have nothing to add.

[cgjackson222]

They use LED lights in museums. I'd be more concerned with traditional artificial light fading or otherwise messing up memorabilia.

https://www.aam-us.org/2012/05/01/led-lighting/

"Unlike most other light sources used for exhibition or display, white LEDs emit no ultraviolet or infrared radiation. Ultraviolet radiation is of higher energy than visible light, so it is capable of inducing light damage at a greater rate. On the other end of the visible spectrum, LEDs radiate no infrared that can cause excessive heating and drying—a significant issue with furniture and composite structures like polychrome sculpture. Not all LED lamps are recommended for museum use, but of those that are, the LED lamp’s spectrum tends to match incandescent varieties so closely they render colors nearly identically to incandescent lamps. Thus an LED with the same color temperature as a traditional incandescent display lamp is usually a good match in color, a better choice for preservation over the long term and highly efficient."

[StraightRaceCards]

Originally Posted by cgjackson222

They use LED lights in museums. I'd be more concerned with traditional artificial light fading or otherwise messing up memorabilia.

https://www.aam-us.org/2012/05/01/led-lighting/

"Unlike most other light sources used for exhibition or display, white LEDs emit no ultraviolet or infrared radiation. Ultraviolet radiation is of higher energy than visible light, so it is capable of inducing light damage at a greater rate. On the other end of the visible spectrum, LEDs radiate no infrared that can cause excessive heating and drying—a significant issue with furniture and composite structures like polychrome sculpture. Not all LED lamps are recommended for museum use, but of those that are, the LED lamp’s spectrum tends to match incandescent varieties so closely they render colors nearly identically to incandescent lamps. Thus an LED with the same color temperature as a traditional incandescent display lamp is usually a good match in color, a better choice for preservation over the long term and highly efficient."

Agree here. I work in the lighting industry- museum/display lighting can be tricky.

A few simple things to consider if displaying cards:

1) minimizing all natural lighting exposure. This is my issue. My card room/office has so much natural light coming in through the windows, that I find it hard to justify putting in a full on card display unless I get blackout shades etc.

2) If you do light your display, make sure you use a quality LED lamp. I use a simple track system that works well and allows me to spot my displays intentionally.

3) CRI or “Color Rendering Index” is another good factor to consider. I would recommend looking for LED lamps that are 90+ CRI so the cards color renders well.

4) Color Temperature is also important, but also preferential. I prefer “warmer” color temps like 2700K or 3000K, but many museums prefer the cool 4000-5000K color temps.

Hope that helps. You should be fine with LED as long as you don’t have the lights on all the time like others have mentioned

[Cliff Bowman]

Originally Posted by Snowman

You can also reverse toning/foxing putting said card in a greenhouse full of plants. And no, I'm not joking.

I need to put my comic collection in a greenhouse for six months then.

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

I need to put my comic collection in a greenhouse for six months then.

I wonder how putting a card in a greenhouse would help get rid of foxing? And who figured this out the first time?

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

I wonder how putting a card in a greenhouse would help get rid of foxing? And who figured this out the first time?

I don't know if I'm the first person to figure it out, but I don't know of anyone else that has ever done this or tried it. I came up with the idea on my own. However, I do know that in the early days of making paper, people used to stretch large scrolls and sheets out and lay them on the grass to whiten the paper for the same reasons. That's where I got the idea from.

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by Cliff Bowman

I need to put my comic collection in a greenhouse for six months then.

You would need to remove them from any slabs for it to work. It's a result of the photosynthesis process. It deoxidizes the paper as the plants convert carbon dioxide into oxygen. Then as the oxygen releases and combines with the uv light from the sun, it reverses the toning of papers which was caused by oxidation due to the acidity of the paper stock. That's also why cards from specific sets tone more than others. The heavier the wood pulp content is in a card stock, the more acidic it will be, and the more it will tone over time.