What types of light bulbs aren't harmful to plastic?
 

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Hi Katamayan,

All plastic degrades over time, and all forms of light - natural AND artificial - contribute to the process, but your main enemies are heat and ultraviolet (e.g., sunlight). Generally speaking, if your primary goal is preservation, then you literally want to keep your collection in the dark as much as possible.

The worst bulbs are the old traditional heat-emitting "incandescent" type, but CFL and LED can bleed color and depolymerize the plastic just as fast if they are a) bright, b) in close proximity, and c) left on for extended periods.

Understand: your collection is not going to last forever. Everything from soft goods to the most solid components will break down over time. If long life is your goal, consider storing your favorite items in airtight plastic tubs with those little oxygen-absorbing packets (available online).

My priority is enjoyment, so I take things out and leave 'em out, and turn the lights on when I feel like it, and if the color starts to fade or something gets brittle and falls apart, well, that's the nature of things: at least I got my money's worth. Rgds