STOP Ruining Top Loaders!! Don't use tape!

[MarinerShark]

BRAVO! I am 100% with you on this for a numer of reasons. First, efficiency- why take an extra step in a process if it is unnecessary? Second, economy- things that are more efficient are usually cheaper, and less money on shipping means more money for cards! Third, conservation- if we preserve the condition of the top loaders they will last longer and people will need fewer of them over the long run. Fourth, aesthetics- I, personally, would much rather work with clean top loaders than dirty goopy sticky ones.

Great thread!

 

[loftheb]

BRAVO! I am 100% with you on this for a numer of reasons. First, efficiency- why take an extra step in a process if it is unnecessary? Second, economy- things that are more efficient are usually cheaper, and less money on shipping means more money for cards! Third, conservation- if we preserve the condition of the top loaders they will last longer and people will need fewer of them over the long run. Fourth, aesthetics- I, personally, would much rather work with clean top loaders than dirty goopy sticky ones.

Great thread!

Gotta say as a tape user, I'd rather feel safe and secure about my cards not being able to get out of the top loader. I'm with a couple of others here that I have a dedicated box of top loaders with tape residue and just recycle those with my next trade.

As for the economy being brought in to this, there is a 3M plant right down the road from me that employs hundreds of workers making things like clear plastic tape. More tape = more jobs.

Just a thought. I don't mind with or without as long as my card(s) arrive without dings.
-Casey

 

[rangersfan1982]

If I am sending my end of a trade, don't I have the right to send it how I feel it will get there safe? Seems like it should be up to the sender to decide if they want to use tape or not. I use tape on top loaders...just a small piece to keep the cards inside because I don't want to buy the "team bags" too.

 

[Hoyt55]

If I am sending my end of a trade, don't I have the right to send it how I feel it will get there safe? Seems like it should be up to the sender to decide if they want to use tape or not. I use tape on top loaders...just a small piece to keep the cards inside because I don't want to buy the "team bags" too.

+1.

I've never had any problems using tape, I make sure the card won't stick and that it's easy to remove. I've received a couple envelopes where the cards were stuck to the top of the toploader, and you can tell instantly that they were packaged wrong.

I've never had to buy any toploaders, I've just reused the hundreds that I've gotten from other trades. I'm not sure why you insist on using brand new toploaders. You keep bringing up "cost", but it's way cheaper to just reuse old toploaders than buy new ones. I actually prefer people sending used ones to me.

Now, there is such thing as too much tape. I've literally had to tear open an envelope into pieces a few times in order to remove the card.

Too much tape, I can see. But I don't get what people have against using a single strip of tape to protect the card.

Just my thoughts.

 

[chief wahoo]

If I am sending my end of a trade, don't I have the right to send it how I feel it will get there safe? Seems like it should be up to the sender to decide if they want to use tape or not. I use tape on top loaders...just a small piece to keep the cards inside because I don't want to buy the "team bags" too.

Tape is fine so long as it's masking or painter's tape. Scotch is bad!

 

[pac_rat_76]

If it gets to me in the condition it was when it left the sender, then I could care less how it was packaged.

 

[mintman2]

Ed, I hate having to use an X-acto also. But, why use tape on the top loader at all?

Again, putting the penny sleeve upside down into the top loader prevents the card from sliding out, the penny sleeve does not slide out either.

Do a test, put a 1980's Mario Mendoza (or other common) into a penny sleeve and then upside down in a top loader. Make sure it is secure. Tighten it with one of those Allen and Ginter code card advertisemnent cards if necessary (usually isn't). Now take the topploader, hold it by the edges, shake it, turn it upside down, try and loosen the card out of it without using tape. IT WON'T BUDGE! I guarantee it!
Really, I would like to hear if someone has a drawback to my method. I have not heard one yet. I have been doing this for 3 years now and have yet to have anything less than a positive comment.

You want a downside to not using tape ? That's it right there !

When the cards are jammed so hard into the topload it can be a royal pain to get them out. I've actually damaged cards trying to get them out. Now when I receive cards like that I get out that much maligned utility/xacto knife and cut the topload itself. In my humble opinion it's much easier to pull or cut off a little piece of tape. And actually a sticky topload can be a good thing. MANY times I add a piece of tape to the outside of whatever I pack the cards in so it will stick to the inside of the envelope.

 

[chaddie84]

Why use it?

I don't mean to be a pain-in-the-patootie (Meatloaf reference for all you RHPS fans) but the question still remains...why use it? Looking for a good answer.

I've received trades in the mail with no tape on the top-loader and the card has slid out beyond the edge of the plastic (even when team-bagged in some cases), and has more than advertised wear on the top edge/corners.

The tape secures the card in the top-loader. No, it's not 100% needed in every case, but I look at it as a safety net, which when done properly adds no wear to the top-loader.

-Chad

Tape is fine so long as it's masking or painter's tape. Scotch is bad!

QFT

 

[mrmopar]

I see a phrase repeated over and over..."why use it if you don't have to?". Why use a penny sleeve at all then? They cost money too, just not as much as a toploader. Of course, I am being sarcastic, as I think every card should be in a sleeve, whether it's in a toploder or just sandwiched between two rigid pieces of cardboard.

Let's assume that I start every trade with nothing but a card...

Option 1: Using a macaroni and cheese box, cereal box or other semi-rigid cardboard product (you can even use those perfectly sized plain rigid pack inserts if they buy new packs), cut out a couple squares and tape them together with the card inside. Using a penny sleeve for "scratch" protection is advised. Weight is less than or equal to a toploader, the bend protection is similar and other than a couple strips of tape and a penny sleeve, free.

Option 2; Using a recycled toploader and send it anyway you want as it's already ruined. Tape the top would be my recommendation.

Option 3: Using a new toploader, if that is your thing (some don't recycle or want to spend time cutting up cardboard), place the toploader into a team bag. Yes, this is an additional cost, but cheaper than a toploader and it protects the toploader from scratches, tape, etc. The card will not slide out either, making it a safe alternative to tape or upside down sleeves. If you have lots of recycled supplies, you probably have used team bags too.

I hate to see a perfectly good toploader wasted myself, but you can't police everyone. I have 100s, if not 1000s, of used toploaders. I can't seem to trash them, but I don't even make enough trades to keep up with getting rid of the new toploaders I get in the mail each week.

That being said, I could probably sell off a couple flat rate boxes of used toploaders to anyone who is using new and would like to save those for themselves. Feel free to make an offer...making sure to at least cover the cost of shipping, but enough to make it worth while packaging them up rather than tossing them in the trash (i.e. they won't be free).

 

[bonzomoretti]

As for the economy being brought in to this, there is a 3M plant right down the road from me that employs hundreds of workers making things like clear plastic tape. More tape = more jobs.
-Casey

There is the first good reason I've heard! Instead, I'll buy my son 2 extra Christmas presents (Cards of course) and use extras tape in wrapping...LOL!

I've never had to buy any toploaders, I've just reused the hundreds that I've gotten from other trades. I'm not sure why you insist on using brand new toploaders. You keep bringing up "cost", but it's way cheaper to just reuse old toploaders than buy new ones. I actually prefer people sending used ones to me.

It is ALWAYS about cost. After all, the post office doesn't care. If you do not use tape on toploaders and get toploaders back from traders in the mail without tape on them, you keep those for your personnal collection hence saving $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Keep using the taped top loaders for mailing purposes. There are plenty to go around.

When the cards are jammed so hard into the topload it can be a royal pain to get them out. I've actually damaged cards trying to get them out. Now when I receive cards like that I get out that much maligned utility/xacto knife and cut the topload itself. In my humble opinion it's much easier to pull or cut off a little piece of tape. And actually a sticky topload can be a good thing. MANY times I add a piece of tape to the outside of whatever I pack the cards in so it will stick to the inside of the envelope.

Common sense here people. If it is a pain to put the card IN the toploader, it will be just as hard getting it out. This is just common courtesy. If I need to put a piece of paper in the top loader to keep the card tight, I leave a tab hanging out the top so that when you pull the tab, the card comes out with the penny sleeve.

I've received trades in the mail with no tape on the top-loader and the card has slid out beyond the edge of the plastic (even when team-bagged in some cases), and has more than advertised wear on the top edge/corners.

This is ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE with my method. The penny sleeve does not slide out in any manner and therefore the edge of the card can not "break through" the bottom of the penny sleeve.

I STILL am looking for a good reason against my method (besides putting people out of business). Besides, this method is better for the environment also. How long does it take for a 1 inch piece of tape to degrade in a landfill. Go Green! Stop using tape!

 

[mrmopar]

When you buy toploaders, they are wrapped in shrinkwrap plastic, which ends up in the garbage. Not green.

The toploaders themselves are plastic and eventually will becomes waste themselves. Not green.

Penny sleeves are plastic and eventually become waste. Not green.

Cardboard can be recycled. Green.

I STILL am looking for a good reason against my method (besides putting people out of business). Besides, this method is better for the environment also. How long does it take for a 1 inch piece of tape to degrade in a landfill. Go Green! Stop using tape!

I rarely receive a package with a toploader and/or sleeve I keep. I can't stand using damaged loaders or sleeves to display my cards, so I replace them just about every time. That reminds me of a small peeve of mine that is just a personal quirk. It doesn't hurt anyone or anything, but just bothers me...why do people scan cards to show off or for trade in taped up, written on sleeves & holders???? Nothing like viewing a nice card in a yellowed, scratched top toploader with an old price tag on it!!

 

[bonzomoretti]

MrMopar, I agree. I don't use toploaders that often either. I just hate getting them and having to use an X-acto knife to open them to get to a card. Sometimes 10 times in 1 trade.
I actually am recycling Christmas cards that my company had left over from the past Holiday. I place the card in a top loader, then a team bag, tape the bag to the inside of the greeting card. Only $.45 to send up to 4 cards this way (2 cards stacked side by side in 2 penny sleeves). The Christmas card supplies plenty of support for the card to go through the mail.

I'd love to hear of "greener" ways for penny sleeve alternatives....[/

 

[lprimus]

I reuse the taped ones for trades I'm sending out. MY PC goes into brand new toploaders that I have.

I know I'm guilty of putting tape on the toploaders, buy my main concern is getting the cards to people safely and without damage. That's why I reuse toploaders that have already been taped.


Jason

 

[Hoyt55]

I reuse the taped ones for trades I'm sending out. MY PC goes into brand new toploaders that I have.

I know I'm guilty of putting tape on the toploaders, buy my main concern is getting the cards to people safely and without damage. That's why I reuse toploaders that have already been taped.


Jason

I'm the same way. The ones with tape on them are always reused for mailing out my trades. Anything for my PC goes in unmarked and clean toploaders. They just look a lot better.

In my experience, tape is the best method to securely keep the card in the toploader. You never know when one will slide out without some sort of protection.

But is using an exactoknife that much of a hassle? It takes five seconds.

True, the little pull tabs I put on my cards are easier, but I don't mind at all having to remove a piece of tape with an exactoknife.

After all, it's the card inside the toploader that really matters.

 

[r5-grnd-pndr]

The majority of the taped top loaders that I get are used to sandwich lots in team bags which have to be taped. I have no problem with people doing this because it's just more protection for the cards.

Your method is great for a couple cards in top loaders, but what's your method for a lot in a team bag?

 

[jwj20]

I'm not trying to be cynical, but Bonzo is essentially the only person who has managed to get a card to me safely without using tape with a top loader and sleeve only and I fully believed it was luck. As for the inverted sleeve tactic, I've seen it done 5 times in my history and 3 of the times the cards ended up damaged because the end slid out a small fraction and the bubble mailer didn't protect the border of the card. So it really irks me to not have a card fully protected.

I always use scotch tape and I put them in a buddy tab format which rarely leaves the gunk on there. I'm sure after enough re-use times it will build up. But my goal of using top loaders are to send cards, not to keep top loaders. I didn't trade for the top loaders. So I re-use the top loaders for trading purposes.

Those excess amount of penny sleeves will degrade far slower than the tape, so I'm not worried about the tape. Plus all that tape is not going to have a significant effect on the green aspect. The effect based on scotch tape is less than a fraction of a percent than the standard distribution of non-disposable diapers.

What does grate me is the use of packing tape. That really destroys the top loader.

I will always use tape but make it easy to remove and leave as little effect as possible. I'd rather be 99+% effective than 40%, in my personal experiences.

 

[NYMets6986]

MrMopar, I agree. I don't use toploaders that often either. I just hate getting them and having to use an X-acto knife to open them to get to a card. Sometimes 10 times in 1 trade.
I actually am recycling Christmas cards that my company had left over from the past Holiday. I place the card in a top loader, then a team bag, tape the bag to the inside of the greeting card. Only $.45 to send up to 4 cards this way (2 cards stacked side by side in 2 penny sleeves). The Christmas card supplies plenty of support for the card to go through the mail.

I'd love to hear of "greener" ways for penny sleeve alternatives....[/

Oh yeah. Thanks for the Christmas card I received two days ago haha.

 

[lep1010]

I sandwich the cards I send in between two white thick cardboards (the ones used to try and trick packsearchers ... then tape ... yes TAPE it secured (I have my local cardshop save me all of the cardboard pieces from people that rip wax) - I try to not overdue the tape but its not my main concern as i'm trading/selling the card, not what it comes in ... my concern is that you get the card(s) in the best condition possible

 

[valediction]

Why use it?

I don't mean to be a pain-in-the-patootie (Meatloaf reference for all you RHPS fans) but the question still remains...why use it? Looking for a good answer.

You can play the 'keep costs down' game with any aspect of trading.
Why use ANYTHING? It's a personal choice. If you're looking to cut cost, you can save money hand writing the addresses with a ball point pen instead of printing it out on the computer, you can walk/ride your bike to the post office instead of driving, etc etc. (the walking/biking vs driving alone would save you MUCH more than the tape would) In all the cards I've had shipped in 'sticky' toploaders, I've had zero damaged because of the residue. To be honest, it's just not that big of an issue to me.

 

[theplasticman]

LOL. I'm a little surprised people are that riled up about it. Oh well.

I use new supplies...
a. Penny sleeve
b. Top loader
c. Team bag

Most stuff I ship in a 300/400 count box. Never have issues.