My World Cup Soccer playfield looks pretty good. But I noticed that I can feel the edges of the inserts when I was cleaning it. I'm worried about future damage, even though it is a home use pin. I have considered clear coating it, but I'm new to doing that. I've been considering getting a new playfield since I've done playfield swaps before. However, I was at the Houston Arcade Expo last weekend and noticed the WCS as well as a few other games had a playfield protector. I didn't even realize at first they had protectors on. Once I started really examining them I could see some wear and scratches, but nothing unsightly. But it got me thinking.....

Is the playfield protector a nice long term option? Will it hold up and stay nice or does it mark up pretty easily? I'm not against a playfield swap on my WCS, but I have other projects in the works that need more attention. So is a playfield protector worth the time and effort or should I just hold out for a playfield swap?