I am relatively new to trading tapes and have so far done some very successful and fun trades. I'd just like to make a post for some other newbies with contributions from "old timers" on some etiquette for tape trading. I'd like to start it out with...

1. Use NEW never used NEW tapes not tapes that have been sitting in your tape cabinet collecting dust bunnies for the past 10 years. It's kind of frustrating to open a package and see old tapes. (Hopefull this situation is being remedied!).

Anyone else?

I totally agree with that.

2) Never use the labels they give you to label a tape and don't break off the black tab. Unless, of course, it's a master tape, then that doesn't really matter. But you should also always use a post it note, or insert a piece of paper with what is on that tape. I've found it very handy and I do it all the time for my trades.

Anyone else? I have more, but I thought I'd let others pop in and add their 2 cents first.

But you should also always use a post it note, or insert a piece of paper with what is on that tape.


Thats about annoying when you dont get a label,those are the same people that will send used tapes.

I would think then I woudln't get a label at all and I want tapes with labels.

I label my tapes that I send out - like if I am taping FRIENDS for someone I will write FRIENDS on the outside label and the episode numbers on the inside label.

I'd definitely rather have labels.

OH my! I don't trade much, but I used to always break off the black tab when I was done with a tape.
I did this because I didn't want someone to pop in a tape to watch and accidentally hit record and ruin their new tape. I would include a note that said it could be covered with a piece of tape if it needed to be recorded over - but I never imagined anyone wanting to record over
something they had been really wanting.

Then again, the tapes I do are often first generation, too, so maybe it is appropriate. I had never heard that it was a no-no for other tapes though, now i kinda feel bad.

Another thing is to let a person know if an episode of a certain show is missing ANYTHING, whether it be the theme, the end credits, etc. I trade Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. After the end credits of most episodes, they have a "stinger" (a small clip from a movie). A lot of people who are fans of this show are picky about these sorts to things, including me. I have several episodes missing a stinger (the people didn't tell me, since they didn't mind missing them). Whenever I trade episodes of any show, I always let them know what's missing.

That's some good advice. Post It notes are high cost through an easier route is scotch tape scratch paper to the front, or write on the back of the label that came with the tape, or easy to remove sticker on the write protect tab.

An example of a good description can be found at my website under the animation and live action pages. Feel free to browse but please don't copy the format for your website if you have one or going to build one.

http://secretdefender.sifen7.com

Originally posted by Will and Grace Rox
I would think then I woudln't get a label at all and I want tapes with labels.

I label my tapes that I send out - like if I am taping FRIENDS for someone I will write FRIENDS on the outside label and the episode numbers on the inside label.

I'd definitely rather have labels. That's generally what I do, as well. I write the name of the program in the front and the episode names in the inside, along with the buyer/trader's name. Then I'll add a post-it note with my e-mail address on it.

I also break off the black tab for the same reasons mentioned above.

Anyways, back on topic::

3) BE KIND, PLEASE REWIND!

4) Try to record in SP mode, where audio/video footage is at it's best.

5) No LDK video cassettes, please. :barf:

No RCA video cassettes, please

What's wrong with RCA? I use them and don't have problems with them.

I think everyone has their brand preferences, though. I won't use Sony because I get a horrible squealing on screen from them.

Originally posted by TV Favorites


What's wrong with RCA? I use them and don't have problems with them.

I think everyone has their brand preferences, though. I won't use Sony because I get a horrible squealing on screen from them. Sorry, I didn't mean RCA, I meant LDK. :blush:

Whew! I'm glad there is nothing wrong with RCA. If it was, I'd be in trouble now!

I could be wrong, but my interpretation of "don't use the labels, use a post-it note" was not to imply the labels should be omitted altogether but to leave them blank for the recipient of the tape to fill out theirselves in their own way. Some people might use different colored markers to categorize their tapes, or something like that, so they would prefer if the label came blank with a post-it note describing what's on the tape. I don't want to speak for Shawn lol cuz I could be totally off, but that's how I understood that statement upon reading it. Ever get a tape that looked like the person who wrote the label was riding a roller coaster at the same time? :lol:

Originally posted by RollerGirl
I could be wrong, but my interpretation of "don't use the labels, use a post-it note" was not to imply the labels should be omitted altogether but to leave them blank for the recipient of the tape to fill out theirselves in their own way. Some people might use different colored markers to categorize their tapes, or something like that, so they would prefer if the label came blank with a post-it note describing what's on the tape. I don't want to speak for Shawn lol cuz I could be totally off, but that's how I understood that statement upon reading it. Ever get a tape that looked like the person who wrote the label was riding a roller coaster at the same time? :lol:

Thank you! That is exactly what I was implying. Maybe I wasn't clear enough in my first statement?

Originally posted by DetectiveGriffin
OH my! I don't trade much, but I used to always break off the black tab when I was done with a tape.
I did this because I didn't want someone to pop in a tape to watch and accidentally hit record and ruin their new tape. I would include a note that said it could be covered with a piece of tape if it needed to be recorded over - but I never imagined anyone wanting to record over
something they had been really wanting.

Then again, the tapes I do are often first generation, too, so maybe it is appropriate. I had never heard that it was a no-no for other tapes though, now i kinda feel bad.



Sounds like you didn't need to be involved in a tape trade because you are supposed to buy NEW BLANK TAPES!!

Where exactly in that post do you see that the poster doesn't use new tapes?

Originally posted by Will and Grace Rox
Where exactly in that post do you see that the poster doesn't use new tapes?


well maybe i read it wrong-i thought the poster said that they use tapes they already have and just take the tab off.

No, she said she removes the tab after she makes a tape on a new tape for a trade.

I have another one!

Don't send a label-less COVERLESS tape as a trade! Sometimes I buy the plastic cases to put tapes in if I don't have covers for them but that is for my own reasons (why I don't have a cover for it). I don't want to open up an envelope and see a tape without a cover, without a label. It makes me think that the taper was too lazy to correctly package my tape AND it makes me think I got a used tape :(

Reply to e mails that traders send. Even if they don't have anything you want, It's good to let them know instead of leaving them hanging. I don't know if it's plain rudeness or lack of maturity.

Originally posted by Eddie Corbett
Reply to e mails that traders send. Even if they don't have anything you want, It's good to let them know instead of leaving them hanging. I don't know if it's plain rudeness or lack of maturity. Bravo! :clap:

I hate it when I have to hunt down everyone who has agreed to trade, but then changes their minds and don't tell me about it. :rolleyes: