Cardboard OCD Chapter 7 (Revised): The Trick To Stick

Back at the start of the pandemic, I wrote an OCD article about processing mail packages and printing labels.  At that time, I was printing the labels on paper and taping them to the mailers.  

I've updated the process now to use sticker labels.  And with all the set sales and TCDB trade packages that have been flowing out of here, I'm glad I did.  The trick is aligning the label as it comes from eBay or the database to the proper orientation to print out on the actual stickers.  Here is that process...

So you get your label from eBay or PayPal/ShipStation etc. and it shows on the screen like this.  (eBay labels face one way, and the others are the opposite, in my experience.)  Hit the CTRL + Print Scrn buttons to take a screenshot.

Then open your favorite graphic editor.  I still use Paint Shop Pro 4 from the early 90's.  One of these days I'll take a course in PhotoShop.  I also recommend PhotoScape X that will do the same job.  Either way, you just need some way to crop and rotate your label screenshot.  Select just around the lines and below that little code box in the corner.  I leave off the tag lines (lower left). 

 

Then rotate the image 90° to the left (or right) to stand it up. 

Then copy the label image to the clipboard.

I print labels out of Word since it's less cumbersome than the Avery program.  

Paste the label image in, select it, and right click.  Go to Size and Position...

I've found that 68% is the right proportion to make the image fit the label properly.

With the image still selected, go to Mailings > Labels in the menu bar.

Confirm that you still have it set for the right label under Options - I switch between 5168 Shipping Labels and 48160 address labels, and even though I have two different documents set up to print each one, Word in its infinite genius only keeps whatever the last setting was.  Then change to Single label and set the position of the next available sticker on your current sheet and hit Print.

That's probably overkill as far as useful procedure.  Many of you probably have a totally different way to print these out.  Let me know in the comments how you get 5168 labels to print properly without having to modify them like this.

OCD Special: Counting Cards In A Binder

Gonna break up the football listings to bring you a quick exhibition of OCD overkill.  When I counted my entire collection in late 2019, part of the labor was counting binders that either contained partial sets, or player collections or other various hordes that had to be tallied individually or at least page by page.  For some of my sets, I have the stars elsewhere, or in the case of player or oddball collections, there's no target number, so you can't just count the empty spaces and subract from the set count.

So what's the most efficient method for counting up bindered cards?  You could go through and keep adding up the number on each page, but I tend to lose track after about halfway through and have to start over...

You could write down each page's count and add them up at the end, but that's a lot of button punching...

What I found that went the fastest was to count the total number of pages in the book, multiply by the slots per page (generally 9) then subtract the empty slots to get the total. 

So flip through once really quick and get the page count, then go back and count the empty slots on each page.  Sometimes I could keep that total in my head and just recorded it in my notes, like below:

So my baseball star binder had 58 pages (with 9 slots each) minus 40 empties.  Add in the oddball sized pages toward the back (41 cards) and you get a total of 523 cards in the whole thing.

That book isn't real big, so it didn't take much to knock it out.  My other set binders were a bit more dense, so I went a little slower and tallied each empty as I was counting pages.  That way I still only had to keep track of one number as I went.  Here's the rest of that notes page:

As you can see, even in a complete set, I might have empty places.  It depends how the set is organized in the binders.  In numeric order, the only empty spaces are missing cards, but if I sorted it by teams (and put the leaders, checklists, etc. in the front), each team or group may start on a fresh page.  Or I might skip a slot or two to keep a couple cards together, like variations or the World Series subset, etc.  

So I counted total pages, and then could add up the tallies very fast.  No calculator needed.

Now in my player collections, there could be the occasional tenth card on a page (like multiple oddballs in a pocket, or a Topps Micro on top of its regular size compatriot.) So you have to skip the next empty spot and the count evens out. 

And of course, if you double bag, you multiply by 18 and count empties on both sides of the page.

Hope that saves somebody some time!

Cardboard OCD Special - Split It, Don't Rip It

I was fortunate enough to pull a Rip Card out of one box of 2021 Allen & Ginter last week.  I could never leave the inner contents unrevealed, but how to preserve the outer card and still get to the mini inside?  Watch and learn!

I've never believed in destroying cards if they are in presentable shape, even if they're 1990 Donruss or something.  And with Rip cards, I figure there has to be a way to get the mini out of the middle without tearing up the outside card.  These are thick enough that you should be able to slice the edges and keep the outer card whole, right?  But how to keep the blade aligned?

So I found that an old Donruss puzzle piece is about half the thickness of a Rip card.  This should make a good base.

• Lay both the Rip card and the puzzle card on a flat surface. 
• Place a razor blade on the puzzle card so the end only protrudes about half an inch or less.  You don't want to cut any farther into the Rip card than you have to.  
• Push the Rip card up against the puzzle card.  
• Hold down the blade firmly in one hand while guiding the Rip card along the edge - sorta like running a board through a table saw. 

• Repeat for the two short edges

This should split the Rip card enough to get to the mini inside.

 And your Rip card is still in presentable condition!

I got a metal Manny Machado in mine.  (Say that 3x fast).  There are apparently only three of each metal mini.  It's the Mini Exclusives Extended Metal #386. 

Here's a better look at the finish on the metal. 

Backs are white.

Anyway, hope that helps you preserve your Rip cards and not slice up your fingers!

PayPal Shipping Tutorial

For all your basic mailing needs, PayPal Multi-Order shipping is really all you need.  The Post Office site is OK, and I think the rates are the same, but this way, the payment is more streamlined and it just works well for the most part.

I have a bookmark for the shipping site.  It is https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_bulk-ship  They call it "multi-order shipping", but it's not linked directly from the PayPal home page.  It may ask you to set up your From address and choose the default payment method.  It's been so long ago I don't remember if I did that or if it just takes it from your regular registered information.  In some of the help functions, it says multi-order shipping is for business accounts, but I've never registered as a business that I remember, or if I did, I probably just called my "company" Collective Mind or something.  That company name doesn't show up anywhere.

So hopefully, after logging into PayPal, you get to the shipping screen.

Click on the Create Shipment button on the right side.

Your address should show up in the Seller Address box.  (I'm obscuring all the addresses for security).  I typically fill in the "Order Number" box with the recipient's name and maybe a bit about what I'm sending.  Like "FujiGinters" or "NOwlDodgers" etc.

Scroll down and fill in the Recipient's name, street address, city, state, and zip code.  If you click in a box and don't put anything in there, it will turn red and nag you.  I keep blogger addresses in a Notepad file and my other trading group distributes a Word document with mailing info for all the members.  So when I go to mail, I copy the address and either paste it into a blank Notepad, or just have it ready.  Then I can copy and paste some of the pieces into this form.  Usually it's the street address, since they can be complicated.  Then click on the Continue button.

Next is the shipping method.  The default is never what I am using.  For a normal bubble mailer, you want First Class of course.  Heavier white boxes will need Priority, but you can switch later if a flat rate box ends up being cheaper.  Options for signature and extra insurance (above the included $50) are here.

Switch the first box to First Class Mail and the second one will convert to the proper choices.  Bubble mailers go under Package/Thick Envelope.

In the case of a Priority box, the options change to Package Weight and Dimensions.  Any fractions of an ounce must be entered as the next full ounce (2.3 oz = 3 etc.).  Dimensions only have to be whole inches.  Standard white boxes are 4" wide and 3" high and whatever length.

Scroll down for the other options, and then click on Create Shipment.

The circle will spin, and then you'll see this screen.  You can enter more packages and repeat the above steps by clicking Create New Shipment.  Or if that's all you have, then click Done.

That puts you back to the initial shipping screen with your entered shipment(s) now showing.  If you want to change anything, now is the time.  Click the Edit link at the far right for the shipment you want to change.  This is where you can change to flat rate boxes to see if it's cheaper.  You'll have to re-enter the weight and dimensions if you go back to straight Priority.  When it's all set, click Review and Pay.

Here you have some options on payment method (if you have more than one set up in PayPal already.)  And you can set the mailing date.  I don't usually get my packages out until the next day, so I set the date accordingly.  Don't imagine it makes that much difference.  Click on Pay when you're ready.

Your account is charged.  Click on Done.  Now it's time to print your new label.

Back to the shipping screen.  The tracking number shows for each shipment.  You might want to copy this for later pasting into an email or trading site.  Click on Print (#) shipping labels.

The label opens as a .pdf file in a new tab or window and gives two buttons.  The first prints a test page so you can verify how the label will come out before you officially print it.  If you know that is set, then click on Print label (# page).

 A third tab opens with the print screen as well as a separate printing dialog that comes from Windows.  For #00 and #000 size bubble mailers, I will go into my printer preferences and set the scaling to 85%.  That prints the label clearly, but in a size that fits flat on that small of a package.  Otherwise, just click OK to print as is.

Close those two tabs/windows and you're done!  You can log out of PayPal.

Cardboard OCD Chapter 7b: PWE Is Good For Me

I like to try to mix up my posts, but I spent yesterday getting a haircut (!), calling to set up and upgrade to my internet service, and filing and shredding about five years of bills and papers.  So here's the next mail tutorial back-to-back.  My readership numbers have been down to about 40 lately, but the bots come out in full force when you title something with "Cardboard", so that last post is at 193 or something crazy.  Anyway, on with the show!

Last time, I went through my bubble mailer packing technique.  Today, you'll see how I do Plain White Envelopes.

The way I do it, I need a few custom supplies - slightly wider penny sleeves, semi-rigid envelopes, and mailing labels.  Plus the right stamps.

We'll start by packing up the cards.

I generally don't get more than 10 cards in a PWE.  Some senders that use the "Sheet Strip Special" as I call it (one row of a plastic page in an envelope), might get more, but they're not quite as securely packed as mine.  Just my opinion.

So here are both halves of the batch in their sleeves and tucked in the particular size Card Savers.  I'm not sure what the designation is for this size (CS2 maybe?), but there's a bigger size that won't work.  I have tons of these sitting around.  If you'd like a few dozen or so, let me know.  I'll send 'em out gratis.  Don't forget your painter's tape over the openings if you suspect these will shift.  Most of the time, they're tight enough going in that I'm pretty sure they won't move.

The size is important, because they fit exactly in the envelopes that I use.  They're 6½" x 4½" and rigid enough to stand up a lot better than paper, but thin enough so they don't add weight.  I got 400 of them in 2017 for 10¢ each and I'm not running low yet.

I got this template from a post office that I used to frequent all the time near my old office.  Comes in handy to make sure my envelopes aren't over the thickness limit.

This is the current "regular letter + non-machinable" stamp I've been using.  (55¢ + 15 = 70¢)

This is the current one.  Same value.

This is what the 15¢ additional ounce stamp looks like in 2020.  Add one of these to a regular Forever stamp and you've got the same as the butterfly stamps.  Use one of these with the butterfly if your non-machinable envelope is also heavier than a single ounce.

You guys know how to write or print labels for sender and recipient addresses, so there's no need to show that in detail.  I have return address labels with my blog title, trading groups and other general sports logos that I can use depending on who I'm sending to.

Cardboard OCD Chapter 7: Wrap It Up, I'll Tape It

A while back there were packaging tutorials and the annual posts about pull tabs and the proper kind of tape to use when shipping cards.  I finally remembered to take pictures while packing up a few shipments, so I figured I'd throw my 2¢ in.

So you've got your cards to send out sealed up in team bags and nestled in a bubble mailer.  Your note is written and inserted.  They are ready to go.

The mailer is sealed, but there isn't any tape on it yet.  Go ahead and weigh it up.  (A decent postal scale is about $20).

Create your mailing label online.  I use PayPal, and will document that process in another post.  (Should be easy - I write computer directions for a living after all.)  Print 'em out - to scale if necessary - I will print my label at 75% size to put on a #000 envelope instead of wrapping it around both sides.

Cut your label down to size.  I got this paper cutter for less than $10 at Hobby Lobby.  I've seen people leave the little PayPal logo at the bottom of the label.  I cut it off.  I don't advertise for anybody.

Now the label is ready for attachement.  Unless I'm recycling a mailer, I put the label on the back.  That way you seal the package with the label and leave the front clean for future use.

Here's my little taping trick.  Stretch your packaging tape just beyond the width of the label.

It's a bit too wide to use the whole piece on one side of the label.  Before you apply the tape, tear it in half lengthwise.  Decent packaging tape will tear this way easily.

Apply each half to the ends of the label.

Repeat for the long side.

I've done it so much, I can leave the second half stuck to me while I apply the first half piece.

And it's almost ready...

I like to put a couple short pieces on the sides of the envelope flap just to make sure it stays closed and discourages snooping.

We'll send it out with this video that I'm always reminded of when I hear "wrap it up".

Next time: PWE's if you please...