NOOB mistake ...... $35 lesson learned, probably worth it.

[mackenzie999]

Common mistake, we've all done it once. Here's my worst tape pull:

 

[rjrjr]

Common mistake, we've all done it once. Here's my worst tape pull:

 

 

[StudioGhibli-migration]

haha ^ nice one

 

 

 

 

 

- anyway soooooo glad (but not happy) that I am not the only one to have done this.

 

 

[joeypost]

The first thing I do when I get any books in is take the tape off. I don't even chance it.

[JazzMan]

I still remember that Showcase 4 tape pull.

[mackenzie999]

Scotch makes removable tape, which is what I use on bagged books. Comes in a blue dispenser. Haven't had any accidents with it, but it seems like it would be survivable.

[BlowUpTheMoon]

Here's my tape pull story.

 

A couple of months ago I was at a show where I had prearranged for a dealer to show me a HG book I was very interested in buying. Five minutes into the show, I am at the dealer's booth. He excitedly retrieves the book.

 

The book is in a comic bag that is sticky on the flap. As the dealer is removing the book, the front cover gets stuck to the sticky part of the flap.

 

For the next three or four minutes I watch this dealer proceed to ruin a four figure book by creating a tape pull. Excruciating to see. I'm cringing.

 

What does the dealer do after ruing a HG, expensive book? Puts the book away and moves on.

[the blob]

I've done this to some expensive books, but thankfully the tape always came off ok on those.

 

I have skkrewed up some less valuable books this way

 

You'd think i would have learned my lesson and always take the tape off completely, which i do about 90% of the time

[Wally's Comics]

The first thing I do when I get any books in is take the tape off. I don't even chance it.

 

I usually do this, unless I am really tired...

 

I had a bonehead moment happen because I forgot I already took the tape off...

I grabbed it and the book slipped right out of the bag and board with the spine spiking the floor...

 

It took a 9.4 BA and made it 9.0 in an instant.

 

 

 

So since then I created a formula, where i have a certain spot in my office

that I remove the tape and have the new bag and board ready to slip it into ASAP

So I don't forget the bag is tapeless.

 

 

Live and learn...

 

 

[DR.X]

I remove all tape on any book that I keep. I put post it notes on everything, but if you do use tape, completely remove it frome the bag before removing the book.

 

 

[vaillant]

haha ^ nice one

 

- anyway soooooo glad (but not happy) that I am not the only one to have done this.

 

I can totally sympatize here, SG – Fantastic Four #67 used to be my favorite book (now, after a long scrutiny, it‘s #65). Anyway, it’s among my favorites ever, and I have become a professional in damaging copies.

 

This was my original copy. I quite loved it, but one unealthy day I said to myself: I have to find a perfect copy of this book, with white cover, perfect nice centering, and the best printed interiors I can find.

 

 

So I embarked in a quest which started the worst possible way: the nicest copy I was able to find at an early stage was a VF but had delicate cover paper. To "fix" the corners which were a bit blunted I happily removed a fragment from the top right corner. I felt awful, and went back to my copy.

While I opened it, the bottom staple detached. In a pair of minutes I damaged two books for about a $120-130 value.

 

Then, it became a personal quest, but now I have (more or less) learned my lesson: stay put when you are looking at your copies, no matter the defects!

 

My current keeper is a F+/FVF I bought from crassus (thanks Robert!) which although not high grade is the nicest copy I found so far.

 

 

My highest grade is a deslabbed 9.2 which I’m not crazy about and will sell to make millions when they make a movie about Warlock (not that I care):

 

 

BTW, my solution to the tape problem is similar to Octobers': I make a small fold on each piece of matte transparent tape before applying it, and by using Mylite2 bags it’s virtually impossible to incur in the dreaded "tape pulls".

 

This is my FF#7 (thanks Kristopher!), bought already with the pull (so I don’t have to do it myself).

 

[Comicopolis]

Tape is the Devil.

[vaillant]

Tape is the Devil.

 

I have made a good deal of damage even without tape. In fact, I am a specialist in damaging books by "fixing spine rolls" or "fixing miswraps" or "flattening creases".

Never attempt that on books with fragile paper (even worse if slightly brittle)…

[Flatliner1313]

I tried to press a copy of X-Force #9 in a Waffle Iron.

Partly because of curiosity, and partly because

that book.

The results were not encouraging.

 

[Sqeggs]

I remove all tape on any book that I keep. I put post it notes on everything, but if you do use tape, completely remove it frome the bag before removing the book.

 

 

 

I've been doing this for a while, too. Works fine.

[StudioGhibli-migration]

I remove all tape on any book that I keep. I put post it notes on everything, but if you do use tape, completely remove it frome the bag before removing the book.

 

 

 

 

very very nice idea , thank you very much for sharing !

 

 

[Moetown]

I use these and love 'em:

 

Tape Option

 

(note the removable part). They are easy to use, apply, remove, repeat, etc... and doesn't 'stick' as permanently as traditional tape.

[Balham's Finest]

Scotch Low Adhesive Tape (not Magic Tape) is the option for me. I've experimented on beaters and it doesn't tape pull even if it does get stuck on.

[DeliBebek]

It's intriguing that so many of us insist on doing the same thing without realizing how insistent we are. We tape the flap over the back side of the comic, on the side that is backed by the backing board. If we taped the flap over the front side of the comic, it would be easy to remove and re-insert both comic and board with the comic having the board between it and the tape the whole time.

 

And yet, we choose any option other than putting the flap on the front. I admit, I'm as guilty as anyone. It just feels wrong to have the flap in front, so I remove tape completely before reaching in for the comic.

[Balham's Finest]

It's not that it feels wrong so much as the fact that it makes the front of the comic, ususally the part that people want to look at, look bad!