The problem with pure white plastic is that it often yellows.
There are dozens and dozens of cases of plastic toys, for instance, that yellow after a while.
It's hard now to find white Sega Saturns, for instance, that haven't yellowed. (Probably has to do with heavy Japanese smoking and pollution as much as anything else.)
I've got a Gundam figure -- eZ8 -- that's turned yellow in spite of being in the original packaging, and it hasn't been exposed to heavy sunlight, either. (Nor do I smoke, either...)
As far as playing on plexi is concerned -- in answer to michaelius --, it's not that uncomfortable to play on top of.
It's easier to clean finger- and palm-prints and sweat off plexi than it would be to repair original artwork that's been worn off by repeated rubbing and exposure to sweat for sure! Plexi preserves and protects artwork very well...
Not much you can do for buttons getting scratched and their finishes dulled, though. That just happens with use. You can try to refinish them by sanding with 600grit sandpaper and then spraying with 2-3 coats of gloss (allow a few days minimum to dry if not a week or two!) but I think most players probably replace worn buttons with new copies of the same color buttons after they get worn out if they really care. Lots of people just stick with the buttons and swap out the microswatches when those go bad.
(Not much you can do with limited edition buttons, though. Stick with your original Seimitsu Pearls unless you can find a vendor that has equivalent color alternates. At least Rollies makes white Pearls for people who are desperate for replacements of the Seimitsu white Pearls!)
Microswitches are expensive enough, though (33% of the cost of a button!), that people will often throw away the whole button and just buy a whole new replacement button.
There are dozens and dozens of cases of plastic toys, for instance, that yellow after a while.
It's hard now to find white Sega Saturns, for instance, that haven't yellowed. (Probably has to do with heavy Japanese smoking and pollution as much as anything else.)
I've got a Gundam figure -- eZ8 -- that's turned yellow in spite of being in the original packaging, and it hasn't been exposed to heavy sunlight, either. (Nor do I smoke, either...)
As far as playing on plexi is concerned -- in answer to michaelius --, it's not that uncomfortable to play on top of.
It's easier to clean finger- and palm-prints and sweat off plexi than it would be to repair original artwork that's been worn off by repeated rubbing and exposure to sweat for sure! Plexi preserves and protects artwork very well...
Not much you can do for buttons getting scratched and their finishes dulled, though. That just happens with use. You can try to refinish them by sanding with 600grit sandpaper and then spraying with 2-3 coats of gloss (allow a few days minimum to dry if not a week or two!) but I think most players probably replace worn buttons with new copies of the same color buttons after they get worn out if they really care. Lots of people just stick with the buttons and swap out the microswatches when those go bad.
(Not much you can do with limited edition buttons, though. Stick with your original Seimitsu Pearls unless you can find a vendor that has equivalent color alternates. At least Rollies makes white Pearls for people who are desperate for replacements of the Seimitsu white Pearls!)
Microswitches are expensive enough, though (33% of the cost of a button!), that people will often throw away the whole button and just buy a whole new replacement button.
