As most of you know I built a cabinet for my figures. Anyway I have just got a piece of glass cut for the front door. Trouble is its not UV protected. The company I went to had nothing that was 100% UV protected. I only went with glass as I know you can buy the film that you stick on and it protects against UV.

Question is do I put the UV film on or not?
How necessary is it?

And before anyone says I dont want to put the film on the outside window just the display glass if I do it.

There is three difeerent UV-lights: there is UV-A, UV-b and UV-C!

1. You cannot protect them to all UV light!

2. Buy a foil that protects againts UV-A and B!

3. See the truth...all your figures are doomed......besides you keep them in a dark box filled with argon !

edit:

4. UV is mostly the reactiuon starter or accelerater....so kkep the figures away from any pollution!.....Even the figures themselves harm eachother....so.....to be realist: no chance! Have fun and do what ever you want!...maybe dont do direct sunlight

Regrads

Wolff

I used UV sheets on my basement window's before and they work really well. They are kind of a pain to put up (make sure you do it with some help), but I think they help. I fully plan on using UV film on the new egress window.

I would recommend putting some sort of UV protection up. Especially if your case gets a lot of sunlight (direct or indirect). Personally, I wouldn't put it on the display glass as sometimes it can distort your view.

Ill give ya a clue:

Anybody ever saw or vistied an museum with paper or papyrus material?????

The rooms are (normally) very dark or can be lighten up for watching! The only reason for that is: THER IS NO FULL UV or LIGHT PROTECTION!

The magic word here is: lux per hour! (lux is the strenght of light...but important is: per hour)

Keep them in dark...only put the light on whne necessary!

So Ill went for a curtain.....pull it away for showing!


Thats all!

Wolff

TBH, I think people worry a little too much on these subjects. I am all for conservation and preserving but unless its sat directly in front of a window 365 days a year not much is going to happen to it.

Far more likely any "damage" by UV rays has been done by now, 30 years on .

If UV coating your windows isn't too costly then by all means do it, and get a blind for the window, but don't be worried about leaving the light on all day or stuff like that, these are meant to be enjoyed after all.

Question - are we talking about loose figures?

Priority list for worrying about UV starting with the things you really don't need to worry about:

Loose figures
Bagged figures
MOC figures
Proofs + Cromalins

Card and paper will exhibit UV damage a LOT faster than a lump of plastic, but as I said, I think you will be fine as you are. There are lots of collections sat in normal rooms with windows and light that have been happily sitting there for years and years. I don't doubt "something" is happening but storing them away in a hole in the ground is simply not the way anyone can enjoy a collection.

I used a UV protection on my collection room window as well as thick black curtains that are pretty much permenantly closed just in case.

In 5 years i have never had a bubble turn yellow.

Jay

Yes loose figures Im on about. Any MOC's etc I will store in the UV protected plastic cases if they are worth anything. Thats the main reason I get my most expensive figures graded. To try and give them that extra protecion they need.

I think from this debate I might just leave the cabinet glass as it is and enjoy them as they are!
The room where they are stored is East facing and so get some sun in the morning but not after 12 noon. The figures are mounted on a wall that is on the opossite wall to the window and so will get some sun but not direct buring sun light as if I put them in the window due to the angle of the sun into the window.