Mount that Pathtag!

If you are like me, you have collected quite a few Pathtags. When you trade or buy a Pathtag, they usually come in a small cellophane pouch that is stapled on the open end.

I started putting them in a Lock & Lock for storage. This was fine when I had just a few, but, I have collected nearly a hundred of these little buggers! It's time to organize.

I looked at many options, but finally settled on products used by coin collectors. A cardboard coin holder sometimes referred to as a "flip" is an inexpensive little item that makes storing and collecting coins easy.

A "flip" comes in several sizes for just about any size coin. It is made of a cardboard shell lined with Mylar. There is a hole punched in the center a little larger than the coin you intend to display. For Pathtags, the U.S. Quarter size is just perfect. The Mylar film and punched hole creates a round window that you can view the coin or Pathtag through while protecting it from fingerprints and the elements.

I found a good source of the 2" x 2" U.S. Quarter sized flips on eBay. I bought 100 flips that come in a red storage box. Once you mount your Pathtags you can use the box as a storage container. The price including shipping was $6.95 and the seller was very prompt on shipping the flips. You can view his eBay auctions here.

One way to mount coins or Pathtags in a flip, is to center the Pathtag over the window area and fold over the flap and staple on all four sides of the flip surrounding the Pathtag. Make sure you wipe the Pathtag clean of all fingerprints before mounting. I tried this method and it works well, but the staples don't look good and they take up more space in the storage box.

A better method us to use a "permanent glue tape" dispenser to apply a layer of the sticky substance on double-sided tape without the Mylar strip. Just run a strip along all four sides between the window and the edge of the flip. Now center the Pathtag in the window and close the flap. This gives a cleaner look to the final Pathtag mount.

To finish the mounting, I write the Pathtag number on the corner. This makes it easy to file them in order and also lets you reference the Pathtag quickly.

You can keep the mounted Pathtags in the storage box that came with the flips or you can buy three ring notebook size clear vinyl sheets designed to hold the 2" x 2" flips. There are other coin collector options available to Pathtag collectors. Just remember to use the U.S. Quarter size mounting products.

I have prepared a slide show of the mounting process below. Enjoy your Pathtag with style!