Is scotch tape a bad choice to tape a toploader?

[texansrangerfan73]

I prefer not getting a toploader that is taped with scotch tape as it is a pain to remove & most of the time it leaves a residue unlike masking tape which is easier to remove & doesn't really leave any residue.

[Spiderpool]

Did you see the scan of the card I provided? I don't use much tape.

If people used the amount of tape I do, why would you need to remove it? No removal means no residue.

I understand removing it if the tape goes halfway down the case or something but to remove the little amount I use doesn't make sense.

Well I have to remove the tape to get the card out to examine it to ensure its quality before I add it into my collection. Nothing worse than dirty finger smudges and surface scratches. And unfortunately, there are far too many dirty collectors out there who are crooks and scammers and they will try to pull a fast one on you. Plus it will have to go into one of my penny sleeves and my top-loaders because all my penny sleeves and top-loaders must match!

Your picture is a fine example of how to do it for your personal collection if that is what suits you. But for me, I would never want that top-loader in my personal collection once scotch tape hits it. It would just drive me nuts and keep me up all night.

And to add to my previous post, upon further recollection, the UD mailed 2001-02 Ice cards were simply the card in the faux flimsy plastic top-loader. The cards were not put in penny sleeves prior to being sloppily placed in the top-loaders. A simple penny sleeve probably would have prevented the scotch tape smudge from being on the card. But that is surely too much to ask of UD.

[BrownBullhead]

I hate handling my cards and prefer to keep my cards secure. This is why I use scotch tape. I typically only use enough scotch tape to cover a small area of the toploader, but never enough that obscures the view of the card. Example:

Attachment 160073

If I receive a card that has an over-taped toploader, I carefully remove the soft sleeve from the loader and place it in a clean one. No big deal for me. Plus, I have a different use for toploaders that have tape residue. I reuse them as they are great for sending hidden cash (I put it between two common cards, tape them together, place it in a toploader and tape that. Then I put it in a team bag and place it in a bubble mailer. I then send it with tracked shipping to ensure the person gets it).

I usually put the individual loaders into individual team bags and seal the flap front-to-back - front view of card remains un-obscured and also adds extra protection from humidity and dust/debris. Loader remains "mint" and easy enough to open the bag seal if you need to get at the card.

[BrownBullhead]

Kind of "pinch" the centre of the opening of the loader to more or less "snug" the card/sleeve deep inside the loader. Then tape front-to-back with your preferred tape while the pinch remains in effect and now the card stays deep down inside and no risk of the 'edge' of the card sliding upward and touching the tape adhesive. For extra paranoid, put the above inside a sealable team bag.

[Leafsman]

Kind of "pinch" the centre of the opening of the loader to more or less "snug" the card/sleeve deep inside the loader. Then tape front-to-back with your preferred tape while the pinch remains in effect and now the card stays deep down inside and no risk of the 'edge' of the card sliding upward and touching the tape adhesive. For extra paranoid, put the above inside a sealable team bag.

This is what I do!

[alex l]

Just use blue painters tape

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Sports Card Forum mobile app

[Leafsman]

Just use blue painters tape

Sent from my SM-N910T3 using Sports Card Forum mobile app

What's the point of posting something? Nobody f*n reads!!

Alex, I cannot use painters tape.

I posted this twice in this thread, but I'll post it here for you again:

I live in a rural area.

The nearest commercial hub, which has a Wal-mart, two shopping malls, a couple of dollar stores, and a hardware store, is 71 kilometers (44 miles) away. I'm not spending $30 on gasoline just to buy painter's tape. That's nonsensical. I can get 3-5 decent rolls of scotch tape in my local supermarket which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) away for that. For someone like me who is on a fixed income, saving money is important.

[doniceage]

What's the point of posting something? Nobody f*n reads!!

Alex, I cannot use painters tape.

I posted this twice in this thread, but I'll post it here for you again:

I live in a rural area.

The nearest commercial hub, which has a Wal-mart, two shopping malls, a couple of dollar stores, and a hardware store, is 71 kilometers (44 miles) away. I'm not spending $30 on gasoline just to buy painter's tape. That's nonsensical. I can get 3-5 decent rolls of scotch tape in my local supermarket which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) away for that. For someone like me who is on a fixed income, saving money is important.

Perhaps you will get some people sending you some Blue Painters tape for the Holidays.

DON

[Orion291]

The use of Scotch tape is a pet peeve of mine. Makes the top loader useless. I like it when people use painters tape and I use the same when I ship cards.


Sent from my iPhone using SportsCardForum

[Drunken Monkey]

What's the point of posting something? Nobody f*n reads!!

Alex, I cannot use painters tape.

I posted this twice in this thread, but I'll post it here for you again:

I live in a rural area.

The nearest commercial hub, which has a Wal-mart, two shopping malls, a couple of dollar stores, and a hardware store, is 71 kilometers (44 miles) away. I'm not spending $30 on gasoline just to buy painter's tape. That's nonsensical. I can get 3-5 decent rolls of scotch tape in my local supermarket which is 10 kilometers (6 miles) away for that. For someone like me who is on a fixed income, saving money is important.

I think this thread is veering away from the original question which was is using scotch tape bad because it damages the card.

If done correctly scotch taping the top loader should not damage the card. However, it does pretty much ruin the top loader for reuse (even if only using a small amount of tape, there's always some residue left behind). My personal preference is to use painters tape so that the top loader remains in pristine condition if the tape is removed. If I get a card in a top loader that has been taped with scotch tape, either the scotch tape remains where it is (and I can't take the card out to inspect it) or the top loader then gets reused if I'm sending out a lower value card to someone (if it's a high value card, it deserves the high value treatment of a pristine top loader or one touch). But again, it is just my personal preference NOT because scotch tape damages the card.