Monday, May 27, 2013

It's All Over Now

Well the Stationery /Supply Side Shows are over and I have finally recovered.  The stress and strain on my body is severe and it's a miracle that I survive every year. But the effort is well worth it.  I get to meet some of the most creative people who produce beautiful, elegant, humorous, poignant cards and invitations. The level of quality always amazes me. 

Even though we do lots of business during the 3-1/2 days of standing around the best part is meeting the incredibly interesting people that attend and exhibit.  Listening to their ideas, seeing their products, finding out about their goals is inspiring and exciting.  Unfortunately most of them have the lifespan of fruit flies and are never seen again.  Why?  Because it is very difficult to capture the imagination of the public. Just because you have a great idea doesn't mean people will give you money for it. Most consumers don't bother to seek out the new and unusual.  I say that they should and support the creative process. And you will wind up with unique and beautiful items that will impress you friends.

One of the unusual things I have noticed about the people at the show is that a preponderance of them have suitably quirky names that seem to exude creativity. I have met women named Isley, Dabney, Clothilda and Genevive. The men were up there as well but not to the same extent.  I guess a cute, artsy name goes better with a girl than a guy.  I guess your name does influence your future.

At the show we had a couple of special deals and we are running them until the end of June.  If you need a new ATG dispenser we are offering the ATG-50 dispenser ($27.50 list) for $20.00 if you buy a full case of any type of ATG tape. But wait, there' more!  If you buy 2 cases of any type of ATG tape (you can mix and match) you get a FRE ATG-50.

Our other deal is for the popular ZCM-1000 electric dispenser.  This dispenser is designed for non-ATG tapes.  It automatically feeds the tape out and cuts it to a pre-cut length. This is great for putting the tape on envelopes or other pieces of paper where you want the consumer to remove the backing paper.  Normally this beauty sell for $698.00.  But until the end of June it is only $598.00.  It sounds like a lot but if you are doing serious taping it will pay for itself very quickly.

You can check out all of our products for the stationery industry at www.taperite.com.  Just click on the Supply Side tab on the left side of the screen and you are there. Any questions you can always call us at 1-800-882-7348.

Only those who see the invisible can do the impossible.  -- Bernard Lown

Thursday, May 16, 2013

It's Show Time!!

Welcome Tape-o-philes.  It's that time of year again.  Yes, time for the Supply Side Show at the Javits Center in the greatest of all cities, New York.  What is the Supply Side?  That's where you can find all of the supplies you need to create beautiful stationery, invitations or artwork using the latest in papers, foils, embellishments and TAPE!! Yes, tape.  And TAPE-RITE is the leading supplier of the specialty tapes used to create theses works of art.  Check them out at http://www.taperite.com/Supply-Side/supply-side-stationery-show.html. The Supply Side is located in the National Stationery Show.  We are stuck in the back, like a leper colony.

What amazes Doctor Tape is that most of these are created by small, independent operators, usually women, working at their dining room tables.  I speak with them every year and I have found that they all seem to have started as crafters making stuff for friends and family.  As their fame spread they all took the leap and moved into selling their wares to the general public.  This is harder than it sounds and the fact that so many have achieved success is a testament to their skill and persistence. Some of them have grown into large operations but they all know where they came from and they haven't lost their compass.

If you are in the market for fine stationery or fancy invitations I suggest seeking them out for personal service, creative design and high quality.  Especially if they are buying tape from me. 

If you are in the NYC area from 5/19 to 5/22 come on by and visit us at booth 3085.  We'd love to meet you.  And if you can't make it please check us out at www.taperite.com.

Minutus cantorum, minutus ballorum, minutus carborata descendum pantorum.
(A little song, a little dance, a little seltzer down your pants) -- Funeral for Chuckles, Mary Tyler Moore Show

Friday, May 10, 2013

Been There, Done That

Doctor Tape is a creature of habit and one of his favorite habits is going to Wo Hop at 17 Mott St in Chinatown.  The one in New York. Down the stairs. I think there may be a Wo Hop in every Chinatown on Earth.  In fact there is a place called Wo Hop City at 15 Mott St.  I went there once because the line for the true Wo Hop was soooo long I didn't want to wait and it scarred me for life. .Just like skydiving, never again. Anthony Bourdain (Mr Uber cool) once filmed a segment at Hop Kee which is at 21 Mott Street.  I am convinced that Hop Kee exists solely to take the overflow from Wo Hop. Wo Hop is open 24/7 so if you want to make sure you avoid the lines go at 3AM.  Unless its New Year's.  Then it doesn't matter.

99% of the time I go with my best friend Marc. We have been going to Wo Hop for 39 years. I have known Marc since we were 12. We met at summer camp. We immediately became struck on each other as if we had used really strong double-coated tape  And remember for all of your tape needs visit us at www.taperite.com. Hey, it is a tape column.

Anyway we went tonight in Marc's new used car. Marc buys lots of used cars. Don't get the wrong idea, it's a 2002 AMG55 convertible. A worthy vehicle for transporting Doctor Tape to his favorite restaurant.The drive in was like all the stars aligned.  There was no traffic, Marc drove under control (Marc always drives) and we got a spot half a block from the place. We leapt out and ran into a group of guys also going to Wo Hop.  Three were from out of town and one was a native.  They were a little lost because 17 Mott is all the way south, almost to the Bowery and the New Yorka had only been there late at night.  When he was drunk. And he didn't remember how far down it was.

We got to the stairs and there was NO LINE.  At 7:45PM there was NO LINE.  I can't stress how rare an occurrence this is. Wo Hop only seats 46 people. We rushed in and there were open tables.  Another sign from above.  What a great night!! Our favorite waiters were working (Raymond and Feng) and we had a great meal. While we were eating we noticed that a line had formed and there were maybe 20 people waiting for a table.  Could it get any better?  Actually no.  Turns out we didn't read the parking signs correctly and we got a $65.00 ticket.  The worst part is its not the first time we did this.  Oh well, I guess that's a habit I have to kick.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge" -- Albert Einstein

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Tamper Tape Makes It Evident

With all of the unrest in the world today many companies and governmental agencies are turning to tamper evident tapes for help in preventing and identifying tampering with shipments, documents and equipment. There are many types of tape (and labels) that provide visible evidence of tampering.  They can't prevent it but you will be aware of it. TAPE-RITE offers a complete line of products to help you with compliance in this area.  Check it out here: http://www.taperite.com/Showcase/tamper-evident-tapes.html

The most basic type is printed tape either with a pattern or a logo.  Available as gummed tape or plastic tape these products provide a low cost solution to provide a minimal level of tamper evidence. They also serve as an easy way to identify shipments.

For small packages or retail items the package opening can be sealed with a self-destructing labels.  These labels can't be peeled off in one piece making them almost impossible to replace. Another type of tamper evident label will leave behind a pattern (dots, checkerboard, etc.) and then it can't be replaced because the adhesive loses it stick. These labels can be further customized with logos or other information. This provides a very high level of package security.

There are also case sealing tapes that have the same characteristics.  They are available in small rolls for hand held dispensers or long length rolls for automatic case sealers.  These tapes can be custom printed with logos and serial numbers.  The serial numbers change every 9 inches and allow you to record the numbers on each case giving you the highest level of evidence.

Recently we worked with a Fortune 500 company that builds large equipment in Mexico.  They were told by Homeland Security that they had to make these truck-sized thingies tamper-evident so that people or contraband couldn't be smuggled in them.  After shrink wrapping the units they used custom printed tape to create a seal between equipment, shrink wrap and pallet providing clear evidence if it was tampered with.

If tamper evidence is a concern of yours give us a call at 1-800-882-7348 or e-mail sales@taperite.com