Sticky goo to attach things to envelope?

January 21, 2011 12:26 PM

Any suggestions for sticky goo to stick flash drive to envelope?

I've designed a marketing packet for our library to send out to faculty. We'd like to stick flash drives (that we've put files on) onto the envelopes that are going out in a way that looks a bit nicer than a piece of tape. My director suggested maybe that goo they use to attach samples to magazines or cards. Does that exist somewhere I could walk into a store and buy it? Alternative suggestions? Thank you in advance.

posted by eleanna to Grab Bag (11 answers total)

Best answer: You want Glue Dots. They should be available at some local craft stores.
posted by specialagentwebb at 12:33 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Are you thinking of glue dots? You can pick those up in craft stores and try them out before you commit to buying a big shipment.
posted by Elsa at 12:33 PM on January 21, 2011

rubber cement may also work.
posted by mattybonez at 12:39 PM on January 21, 2011

Won't they just get stolen? I suggest putting them in the envelope, not on.
posted by dougrayrankin at 12:41 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Rubber cement will work, but it does not come off cleanly. It comes off in booger-like crumbs which is not very attractive. Go with the Glue Dots.
posted by Hylas at 12:42 PM on January 21, 2011

Best answer: Use Uglu. It is the same stuff used in packing and those magazine samples, sticks like crazy but easy to get off (high tack, low strength). We use it in our library for this type of thing.
posted by wandering_not_lost at 1:31 PM on January 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Just to be clear here: Are you mailing these envelopes to the faculty, or sending them via campus mail? Because I'm going to guess that USPS will frown on having anything attached to the outside of a mailer. Ask me at a meetup about my client who mailed envelopes full of confetti.
posted by S'Tella Fabula at 1:43 PM on January 21, 2011

Best answer: Are those glue dots the same thing as Fugitive glue? I love that stuff.
posted by derbs at 1:44 PM on January 21, 2011

Yeah, definitely check with USPS regulations before doing this. You don't want your mailings to be rejected, or worse, destroyed. Even those obnoxious mailers from car dealers with the key taped to the card are contained within an envelope.

I do know that for regular first class letters, if any part of the piece exceeds a certain thickness (I think 1/4") you'll pay much more per piece to mail it.
posted by xedrik at 5:17 PM on January 21, 2011

I have a little experience in bulk mailing and what can be sorted automatically. This isn't going to work for that, which may not mean they can't take it, but if you're counting on a bulk rate, you may not get it.

I'd take a sample of the mailing piece to your PO and simply ask if it can be mailed and what the rate would be.
posted by randomkeystrike at 8:06 PM on January 21, 2011

Response by poster: Thank you everyone! It sounds like Glue Dots or Uglu is the way to go. We're not mailing them; just handing them to faculty members or putting them directly in faculty mailboxes so the ability to go through the mail isn't a concern.
posted by eleanna at 6:43 AM on January 24, 2011