Trading with scotch tape

[rmadams]

Ive never taped a top loader shut...and never received a complaint of a card getting damaged. I have damaged cards however trying to peel tape off a top loader.

[Wickabee]

On one hand, the tape can be annoying, especially if overdone.
On the other hand, I've had cards fall out of toplaoders when tape wasn't used.
Back to the first hand, they crap up the toploaders which can never be used for display again.
Over to the second hand, I've actually had traders get mad for my using a team bag with no tape on the toploader.
On the first hand, I've had to spend time getting tape off a card while trying to leave no residue.

Ultimately, I don't know. I just don't know.

[MattDMC]

From my experience with tape if you use it you get yelled at for ruining a case and causing a hassle to removing it while on the other hand I've been yelled at for not using tape.

Your damned if you do damned if you don't. At the end of the day I think people just like to find something to complain about.

[Captain Habtastic]

I always use team bags but if I get taped up top loaders I put them in a pile and use them on cards I send out if i can. A lot of people should just use painters tape that's works the best. I also think actual scotch tape the frosted kind of tape not the clear isn't bad the clear tape leaves sticky residue . But I guess if the trader only has tape to use I would like them to use itsted of having the card slide out and damage it.

I re-use any taped up toploaders aswell. I use team bags but I also use the frosted scotch tape, I figure you can never be to careful.

Usually the first thing I do when I receive cards through the mail, is take it out of the old toploader (whether it's covered in tape or not) and put the cards in a fresh one.

[littlea61580]

Like many posters have mentioned there are positive and negatives to using tape to secure cards. I try to avoid it when possible but sometimes it's necessary. Ultimately, we are trading/buying the cards, not the toploaders so I don't expect the card to be delivered in a perfect toploader. I only expect that the card gets delivered to me undamaged.

[stankskunk]

When I started trading I used regular clear tape because I didn't know any other way. I started receiving some trades with painter's tape, and started doing the same.

I agree its a bummer when regular tape leaves residue, but as long as we're doing our part and the cards are coming and going without damage, I think that's what we should be aiming for. I've never complained about tape-y toploaders as long as the card is damage-free.

Others may start to use the residue-free tape if they're receiving trades with it and noticing the benefits, but there should be no bad feelings toward anyone who doesn't.

[centrehice]

I could card less, as long as the card is fine.

We trade cards, not unsticky toploaders. If sticky toploaders bug you, make sure you never get married, you'll kill yourself.

[Yipper]

I think of the top loader (the ones I use in a trade) as something to transport the cards in.

I use tape so that it doesn't slide out. I have no problem or issues with it especially when the card slides around. With the thicker cards in particular, those things never stay in the top loader and they are guaranteed to slide inside and out. The penny sleeve doesn't hold the card when it is such a big card and it is damaged easily.

Best solution is tape and if you like folded edges.

I re-use the top loaders I get for my traders, if you want a clean spotless one for your PC, just buy a new set of them.

Cut tape the off with an Exacto knife. Don't peel and leave the tap on. Half the top loaders I get are re-used ones.

Damaging a 10 cent holder or getting a new one is way better that a damaged edge of any card cause most, if not all cards are worth more than that 10 cents.


I mean, doesn't that card you just traded for worth a brand new, spotless top loader. Just re-use it for another trade so you don't have to buy new ones for those.

[rmadams]

centrehice...point taken.

But its not so much the toploaders. Those I can reuse, I have my own for my cards. Its getting the cards out, and getting the toploaders apart when tape is overused. I guess that was my beef.

[centrehice]

I totally understand.

About 3 months ago, I completely lost a card. Looked for 3 weeks, then realized that it had Scotch-Taped itself to the next Toploader in the box. As both cards and toploaders were thin to begin with, it gave the impression that it was only one card.

I was fuming, when I went to pull them apart, they were so stuck together than I pulled until my own fist cranked myself in the nose. Lol

Damn that hurt.