Well, no more. I refuse to use those nasty, ruined top loaders anymore.
It may cost me a little more money in the long run, but I just won't be a part of this nastiness anymore. If and when I receive a top loader with tape on it, I'm tossing it in the trash.
I borrowed this image from Judson over at My Cardboard Habit. It doesn't have to be an unruly wad of tape like the first picture. This top loader has one piece of tape on it and it's ruined. Ruined I say!!
There is a simple and fairly inexpensive way to solve the problem and I think most of you know it.
That's right. Blue painter's tape. It comes in a variety of sizes and probably even different brands. It peels right off top loaders without leaving any of that sticky residue. Painter's tape should be every trading blogger's best friend. I don't know how you guys and gals feel, but I'd like to see every old tape residue covered top loader retired by the end of 2014.
Feel free to use your nasty top loaders to mail cards to me. That way I'll know they're getting tossed instead of recycled!
I will admit to using tape-defiled toploaders as packing material for shipments, because I sure as heck won't use them to display cards in. I do at least use painter's tape on anything I send out, though, so I'm not adding to the number of scotch-taped toploaders. I'm just not reducing the number either.
ReplyDeleteI used them to protect a block of cards...two taped to the outside.
DeletePreach on, brother!
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I thought you pulled a Rendon auto. I would be lying if I said that I didn't get excited about the prospect of acquiring it.
Sorry. Didn't mean to get your hopes up!
DeleteBravo.
ReplyDeleteSometimes taped toploaders can be salvaged and saved with a little patience and some goo-gone, usually not. Mostly as you say they are ruined RUINED.
The first time I ever got a taped toploader in the mail I screamed, well not literally just mentally, I might have cursed up a storm out loud though.
I'm not going to that much trouble. I may save up a stack and post a video of me destroying them.
DeleteDon't forget pull-tabs! Always gotta make pull-tabs! http://baseballcardbreakdown.blogspot.com/2013/08/pull-tab-awareness-week-spread-word-guys.html
ReplyDeleteAs for tape-spackled top loaders, I'll usually try to peel/scratch it off.. which is a challenge for me because I bite my nails way down. Occasionally it'll come off good as new. Sometimes it'll also take a little Goo Gone to get rid of the residue. But often, yep, just gotta chuck 'em.
Love the pulltab idea, but I would still do it with painter's tape.
DeleteI throw out Scotch tape-gunked top loaders already. So there's some work you don't have to do.
ReplyDeleteBless you my friend.
DeleteHa I'm guity of recycling. But I only use those old crappy taped up top loaders as protection to large stacks of cards. I will say this as an ebay seller I don't put scotch tape on my top loaders. There's and easier way, team bags
ReplyDeleteThat's the way I used them too, but no more. I'll spring for a couple of ungunky (is that a word) top loaders.
DeleteWeird conincidence: I started throwing away taped-addled top loaders just yesterday.
ReplyDeleteThe timing of this post is impeccable.
Excellent!
DeleteI think top loaders and plastic sleeves in general are unnecessary. A few dings in a PWE never hurt anyone and adds character to a card.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly disagree. I'm not averse to my vintage having some character, but if I buy something off Ebay, it needs to be shipped securely and get to me unharmed. That said, I started following you!
DeleteMy early nominee for post of 2014.
ReplyDeleteI use the blue tape religiously, but I still send out gunked up top loaders... I can't help but recycle.
Post of the year! Sweet, I can rest on my laurels now. Now to find my laurels. I've been recycling those nasty things forever, but I'm not going to do it anymore.
DeleteI just started using the painting tape this year and it's a ton better than using those nasty/sticky ones
ReplyDeleteWell done my young padawan.
DeleteBaseball cards are expensive here, and supplies are even worse - for example, those 500 count boxes that run 50-75 cents in the States cost about 200 yen ($2) here. So I have to recycle the tape-covered top loaders if I want to use one. And I then just use the scotch tape I already have to tape them up. But, I try to just protect larger groups of cards by using team bags (or, actually, the closest thing to team bags I could find here at a reasonable price) and putting extra cards on the outside. Once I discovered painters tape in the States, though, I started using that there.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I didn't think of the international problem. Ryan, send me your current address!
DeleteI have so many extra top loaders that I can afford to throw away the taped up ones. Only keep a few for protecting bagged stacks. Have used masking tape (the pale yellow version of the blue stuff) for years.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a dime for all the frustrating minutes clawing at "frag-tape", I'd be rich.
Preach!