Top Edge Label Trial - What do you think?
Cameonut
Posts: 7,391 ✭✭✭✭✭
I have some boxes of coins that would benefit from end labels for quick(er) retrieval. I was working on another project this afternoon, and the idea hit me to try to use my P touch labeler to put labels on the top edge of the slabs. Brother makes a narrow tape at 3.5 mm or a little more than an eighth of an inch. Did one, then some more on my PCGS box of Capped Bust halves. I only put the date and Overton number on the label.
I now have a ton of free time as the governor has just issued a "stay at home" order for all of North Carolina. I plan to do my boxes of mixed denominations and dates next.
Here are some cell photos. What do you think? Sorry, this does not work well on NGC slabs as they are ridged on the top edge.
P touch labeler
Trial of labels on CBH box
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!
Comments
Good idea. Been doing it for years.
Lance.
Stickers that actually serve a useful purpose!
I have the same machine and do it with my coins too!
I'll second that, 291fifth! I, too, have been top labeling for years. It would be nice, tho, if PCGS would top label their slabs.
I prefer to be surprised.
It would be great for PCGS to just do this as part of the slab.
I agree 100%.
Yes pcgs should do it
CGC has been doing it for years with slabbed comic books
I agree. It would save a lot of wear and tear on the slabs.
That is an excellent method for quick identification of slabs in a box. I like the look - professional and useful. Cheers, RickO
I loves my P-touch. Labelling my many exonumia binders makes organizing and studying easy. Peace Roy
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Didnt SEGS used to slab their coins like this?
Dead Cat Waltz Exonumia
"Coin collecting for outcasts..."
SEGS and ANACS.
SEGS top labels are very professional looking.
They look great! I have experimented with the top labeling also. I like the newest PCGS slabs for this - the ones with the wider surface for the label.
Here are some tips for anyone who tries this.
First, develop a naming convention for consistency. Date, grade, variety, CAC, rarity, etc. Whatever feels most useful. (Mine evolved over time so it sometimes varies. One day I'll fix this.)
Second, be sure to use the proper width label tape and font size. Generally, the smaller the better. You can fit more characters into the space available and the tape's excess width will not overhang the slab edge. I/4" works best, IMO. The narrowest I've found is 9/64" and I wasn't crazy about it.
Use white label tape instead of clear. Easier to read.
Before applying the label clean and dry the top of the slab. Eyeglass cleaner or a spritz from an alcohol hand sanitizer works great. Doing this will help the label adhere.
PCGS's current slab (shoebox construction) has nice broad, smooth edges. Perfect fit. Older holders with a narrow ridge require folding the label over the edge. Here's where a clean edge is especially important.
Other TPG slabs work fine. I have no problem with NGC's textured edge. The newer ANACS slab with its tapered top edge (where the coin description is) is a little awkward. Skip it?
The label is reusable. Peel it off before submitting for a regrade and reapply it should the coin comes back "no change".
Lance.
Good suggestions Lance.
After my trial in the OP, I came to some of the same conclusions.
Black letters on white is best.
I used 9/64" wide tape - it is hard to handle with fat fingers. I'll try 1/4" next, or enlist someone with smaller fingers to put them on. Or use tweezers to handle them.
I quickly figured out that longer labels work better. I was putting 5 spaces between dates - will probably up that to 10.
I printed multiple dates at once so as not to waste tape at the beginning and end of each individual label. I think I got about 6 labels until the display ran out of capacity.
The wider tape ought to work better on NGC slabs.
I need to figure a better way to get the labels more centered on the top. I can deal with a little variance, but not as much as on the trial.
“In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock." - Thomas Jefferson
My digital cameo album 1950-64 Cameos - take a look!