At Tremont Paint in the 1970’s, my father’s paint store, masking tape came in a multitude of varieties. Such as inch, inch-and-a-half and two-inch!
At that time, glue from masking tape was expected to ruin paint jobs. Painting trim was a tape-less “slow and steady” process because if you taped it, it would often lead to damage from the glue.
But with a new glue developed for Post-It’s!, 3M altered shelves of paint stores nationwide by offering “Blue” Scotch Masking tape. Number 2090, or “Long Mask!”
Then came countless other specialty-use tapes. As the size of our 3M tape displays grew, so did our profits! The white tape from my father’s day often sold for less than $1.00 per roll. Premium tapes from 3M which sold for double or triple that price, became a paint dealers best friend.
As we added tapes, I got introduced to other 3M products: respirators at first. The products from THE manufacturer from Minnesota were so impressive to me in their quality, packaging, and follow-up that I bought stock in the company. Which I owned, with an outstanding return, for over 20-years!
Only selling it, to pay my ex-wife’s legal bills.
But despite the sad ending, to me 3M has always been the trusted brand.
Trust Leads to Pain
When my fiancée Gaetana and I, Guy, moved to Stamford two-years ago I was put in charge of hanging the pictures.
By a woman who regrets that decision!
To a renter, the need to hang more than one picture is officially a project. So I put on my tool belt and made a trip to Karp’s Ace hardware.
“But why use a tool when a tape from 3M will hang my pictures?“ asks my inner-renter.
I went for the variety pack of the “Command” brand “damage-free” picture hangers.
Made by 3M.
True to the company’s word, when my box-framed Didi Gregorious (game worn!) jersey hit the floor, the wall was remarkably, free from damage.
As we stood assessing the damage Guy had no need to say “I told you to use a nail!” But she did tell me that. And so I had to take the hit.
A bruise I was forced to bear by 3M!
Repeat this event again a few weeks later when her favorite print and frame came crashing to the floor damaging the frame, the moulding and door stopper below.
The Command strip did leave the wall mar-free which I think keeps the 3M packaging honest. But I’m starting to feel like it’s on a technicality.
Trust Fades Fast
One day last week, at 3 AM, Guy lost patience with Command strips and the man who commands them. It happened at exactly the moment my diploma from the University of Maryland hit the floor in my office, damaging the frame.
And her nights sleep.
All the walls are damaged now. By the nails used to re-hang each piece.
