Archival tape for Mylar bags? 0

[Thiago123]

First time poster, but long time lurker taking in a lot of info from these boards in terms of storage.  I'm getting ready to hopefully invest in a few thousand mylite2s and half-backs to convert the bulk of my collection - (sent a message today to Hot Flips via their website- hope they got it, waiting to hear on some prices!).  

My question is re: tape for closing the bags.  Some people say to only use archival tape to go fully acid free.  Since there are so many scientifically minded folks here, I was wondering if that was necessary given that it would be on the outside of the mylar?  I understand the bag isn't a complete seal, but the tape isn't in direct contact with the comic (unless by snag/accident).  

There are so many preferences displayed on this board for taping solutions (Velcro dots, post it tabs, regular scotch tape, etc), that I was wondering if the acid free tape thing was more of a placebo, or if it is indeed the better choice, but just that the convenience of some of the other choices outweighs the minimal acid exposure?  Since a lot of re-bagging&boarding could be in my future, I figured I'd check with you experts on this tape question I've always had.

[Dick Pontoon]

Archival tape seems like overkill to me. Blue Painters tape or Post-Its work equally well; I'm partial to the painters tape. You don't want to use Scotch tape because it will adhere to Mylar and need to be scraped off, which in turn leaves residue. Even if you peel it very carefully, a piece is bound to stick on there at some point.

[tgun]

Glad to hear you're going mylar! I personally use archival tape with my mylars. Regular scotch tape will degrade over time and leave an awful mess. The archival tape is definitely secure and looks clean. So that's my preference. I say anything that's going to last and not deteriorate or leave residue is worth pursuing. Painter's tape would work, but for me it looks ugly and is more of a pain to rip off and stick if you're bagging a whole bunch of books at a time (which I'm always doing). Just my opinion. And on the mylar front, you should also get a price quote from E Gerber. You have to place the order over the phone but they may have a better price. I haven't looked at Hot Flips' prices in a while. Hope this helps!