Question on lighting/fading cards and autos

[campyfan39]

All of my cards are in screwdowns displayed in custom made wooden cases. They are in a room with no windows and normally totally dark.
However, the lighting in the room is fluorecent tubes.
Is there any real danger as the light on on less than 1 hour per day?
Are there alternative bulbs etc?
Thanks

[drc]

The situation you describe sounds fine to me, even if you stick with fluorescent. With the amount of light you describe, fluorescent isn't a big concern and I wouldn't worry about it. One hour a day of light is close to nothing.

I'm most concerned with people who keep things in an office with bright lights 14 hours a day, or have them displayed in a brightly sunlight room-- the stuff sitting in direct sunlight for 8 hours ever day. And, even then, if they used UV protectant glass or holders, that would still prevent a lot of the damage. Like wearing sunscreen before going out into the Arizona sun.

Cards are a LOT more stable than autographs and photographs. Lithographs (as in Topps, T206s, Goudeys) can fade with lots of exposure, but should stay fine under normal conditions.

[FrankWakefield]

Google "uv fluorescent tube guards", or some permutation of that... there are tubes of film that will cover a normal fluorescent tube, the tube filters the uv light out.

Use special uv bulbs, or uv tubes / guards, or put the items behind uv protective glass... and minimize the light.

The light just wears out cards, photos, and autographs...