Glass vs Acrylic Display Cases for Your Sports Memorabilia

You finally did it! You went to the game, met someone on your favorite team, and they signed a baseball for you. Now you want to show off your treasure. After all, it’s one of your most prized possessions, so why not show it off to friends and guests who visit your home? The question is, which type of display case would best suit your beloved baseball—a glass case or an acrylic case? 

Whether you’re displaying a hockey puck, a football helmet, a baseball bat, or even a jersey, how you choose to display your sports memorabilia is an important decision that can have an impact on whether that signature is still legible a few decades down the road.

Here’s a rundown on what to expect from glass vs acrylic, and which ones make for the best display cases.

Aesthetic Benefits of Glass vs Acrylic

When you show off your autographed sports memorabilia, it’s critical that you choose a display case whose material will immediately accentuate the object. And that’s where glass shines.

Acrylic provides the benefit of offering optical clarity. However, it also stands out for easily reflecting soft light back in a brightly lit room. Glass stands out for offering a museum-like, high-class appearance. This aesthetic property of glass makes it a classic and timeless material to use in display cases. 

Note that you can tell if a display case is made with glass vs acrylic if it features a slight green tint around the edges. While there are types of glass that lack this green tint, it’s a big giveaway that you’re probably looking at glass. Acrylic lacks this tint due to being inherently clear, which has driven some people to dye or tint acrylic to mimic glass’s matchless appearance.

Durability Characteristics of Glass vs Acrylic

Acrylic offers the benefit of being able to absorb the impact of someone knocking the display onto a hard floor, for example. In this situation, the case will be much less likely to crack. Even if it does break, its fragments are typically larger and less sharp. Acrylic is also lighter than glass, which could be a benefit if you plan on moving your case frequently. While acrylic may be difficult to break, it is not immune to damage. Acrylic is actually much easier to scratch than glass. You could potentially scratch an acrylic surface just by using the wrong material to clean it.

On the flip side, glass is going to be considerably more difficult to scratch. A case that is made from glass can withstand superficial damage in many forms and remain unaffected. In addition, glass is extremely durable and thus stands the test of time without becoming deformed. This means you can confidently store a glass display case in an area of your home where it might get bumped or jostled at times.

Protection Benefits of Glass vs Acrylic

A core benefit of glass comes down to light. Acrylic transmits a greater amount of light when compared with glass, and this can result in your memorabilia being significantly more likely to fade over time in an acrylic display case than even a standard glass case. 

Still, you can make glass cases even more sunlight resistant by adding ultraviolet-resistant coatings to them. A museum-grade coating is especially helpful because it blocks 99% of harmful outdoor and indoor ultraviolet light rays. This will go a long way in protecting those signatures. After all, there’s a reason it’s called “museum-grade.”

Maintenance of Glass vs Acrylic

With regard to maintenance, glass outshines acrylic simply because it is easier to keep clean without any risk of damage. You can simply use a household glass cleaner you’d use on your windows! These substances can damage acrylic, however. With an acrylic case, you would have to use water and mild soap or a specialty acrylic cleaning product, as well as a very soft and non-abrasive cloth, to keep the case clean and scratch-free.

Take Advantage of the Best Display Cases from Perfect Cases and Frames Today!

If you’re looking for the best sports display cases for your autographed baseball bat or that hole-in-one golf ball you’re proud of, we at Perfect Cases and Frames have both you and your memorabilia covered.

We have spent the last several decades creating high-quality glass vs acrylic cases, which makes our products truly unique in the industry. All of our glass cases can easily be customized with various levels of ultraviolet protection, engraving, and molding colors. In addition, our display cases are available in both tabletop and wall-mount options.

Note that all of our display cases are made here in the United States. In addition, we offer personalization and upgrades with our one-of-a-kind products.

Get in touch with us today to learn more about our glass cases and how they can effectively show off and protect your most highly prized possessions for generations to come.