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Stickers on comic books

Started by spidermanbeyond,

26 posts in this topic

spidermanbeyond

spidermanbeyond

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Posted

I have a bunch of comics my local store sold for a quarter each a while back. He stamped each book with the price stickers. When I peel them off, it leaves a slight sticky residue and you can see the rectangle square where the price sticker was. Some I was able to peel off with no residue if I peel very carefully. Should I peel these off (I have ton of these and very tedious) or just leave the sticker there. What is the grade with the sticker on the book?

 

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Gatchaman

Gatchaman

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The best way to take them off is by running a blow dryer over sticker for about a min or two. This will make sticker come off easier and leave less glue on book. To get the residue off, use a dry cloth and and slowly wipe over the surface until it takes all of the glue off. I have done this to hundreds of stickers from books I get at Half Price Books.

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Dr. Balls

Dr. Balls

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yeah,serious about the lighter fluid..learned it from an old tyme record seller.

Maybe practice on a paperback first..it does not leave watermarks i have found as it evaporates...

 

I use lighter fluid to get off adhesive, but you need to be very careful while rubbing as it breaks down the bonds of the chemicals in inks that form to each other and to the surface of the paper.

 

Hair dryer is your best bet for not potentially damaging the book.

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Tony S

Tony S

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I'd like to redirect this question some. Does anyone know how CGC considers this in grading? Comics sold at Bus Stations, airports and sometimes tourist type shops often stuck price stickers over the actual cover price. 15 cent sticker on 12 cent comics for instance.

 

This was part of the normal distribution of comcs, done routinely by specific types of stores. CGC is usually rather forgiving of defects related to production and distribution. An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

Removing the stickers is often times possible - but with really old stickers you sometimes have some staining underneath so are better off - apearance wise - leaving the sticker on.

 

Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

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FineCollector

FineCollector

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An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

A date stamp or military marking is normally not obscuring part of the familiar look of the book, and adds to a book's provenance. A sticker is an unwanted modification. What if that same newstand scratched out the price with a thick black marker instead? The newsstand at the subway station where I grew up did that for years. Novel that I know where the book came from, sad that the book is irreversibly marred.

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N/A

N/A

Posted
Posted
I'd like to redirect this question some. Does anyone know how CGC considers this in grading? Comics sold at Bus Stations, airports and sometimes tourist type shops often stuck price stickers over the actual cover price. 15 cent sticker on 12 cent comics for instance.

 

This was part of the normal distribution of comcs, done routinely by specific types of stores. CGC is usually rather forgiving of defects related to production and distribution. An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

Removing the stickers is often times possible - but with really old stickers you sometimes have some staining underneath so are better off - apearance wise - leaving the sticker on.

 

Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

 

With the sticker on you will receive a qualified grade.

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Tony S

Tony S

Posted
Posted
I'd like to redirect this question some. Does anyone know how CGC considers this in grading? Comics sold at Bus Stations, airports and sometimes tourist type shops often stuck price stickers over the actual cover price. 15 cent sticker on 12 cent comics for instance.

 

This was part of the normal distribution of comcs, done routinely by specific types of stores. CGC is usually rather forgiving of defects related to production and distribution. An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

Removing the stickers is often times possible - but with really old stickers you sometimes have some staining underneath so are better off - apearance wise - leaving the sticker on.

 

Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

 

With the sticker on you will receive a qualified grade.

 

I'm surprised. I thought the qualified grade was more common on hidden type defects that would otherwise be hard or impossible to see. Pages/coupons missing, pulled staples, that sort of thing. The only visibly obvious defect I've ever seen with a qualified grade was a high grade Amazing Fantasy 15 that had been in a three ring binder and therefore had three neat holes punched through the entire book along the spine.

 

Anyway, thank you for your answer.

 

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Dr. Balls

Dr. Balls

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Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

 

CGC views tape removal as not restoration, but I am curious to what it would view using lighter fluid to remove tape and/or stickers. Is this restorative because it's a chemical? Is it not, because it's a basic solvent to remove the tape that they view as non-restoration?

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Dr. Balls

Dr. Balls

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Also - if you remove a sticker from a book and it leaves a stain (but all adhesive is removed) how does that affect the grade?

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divad

divad

Posted
Posted
I'd like to redirect this question some. Does anyone know how CGC considers this in grading? Comics sold at Bus Stations, airports and sometimes tourist type shops often stuck price stickers over the actual cover price. 15 cent sticker on 12 cent comics for instance.

 

This was part of the normal distribution of comcs, done routinely by specific types of stores. CGC is usually rather forgiving of defects related to production and distribution. An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

Removing the stickers is often times possible - but with really old stickers you sometimes have some staining underneath so are better off - apearance wise - leaving the sticker on.

 

Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

 

Stickers are downgraded because they're fugly. :sumo:

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divad

divad

Posted
Posted
I'd like to redirect this question some. Does anyone know how CGC considers this in grading? Comics sold at Bus Stations, airports and sometimes tourist type shops often stuck price stickers over the actual cover price. 15 cent sticker on 12 cent comics for instance.

 

This was part of the normal distribution of comcs, done routinely by specific types of stores. CGC is usually rather forgiving of defects related to production and distribution. An example of "forgivenes" being the star stamp put on most comics sold on military bases. I've never seen a PX copy that appeared to be graded down for the star stamp.

 

Removing the stickers is often times possible - but with really old stickers you sometimes have some staining underneath so are better off - apearance wise - leaving the sticker on.

 

Anyone know of how CGC tends to grade this?

 

With the sticker on you will receive a qualified grade.

 

I'm not sure this is correct, will someone check the lead thread? (I'm too lazy) :grin:

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divad

divad

Posted
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I have a bunch of comics my local store sold for a quarter each a while back. He stamped each book with the price stickers. When I peel them off, it leaves a slight sticky residue and you can see the rectangle square where the price sticker was. Some I was able to peel off with no residue if I peel very carefully. Should I peel these off (I have ton of these and very tedious) or just leave the sticker there. What is the grade with the sticker on the book?

 

Seriously, all stickers are somewhat different. If all of your stickers are the same, find the best method and "stick" with it lol

 

If discoloration is involved (or suspected), you are best leaving the sticker in place, and living with it. There is nothing worse than sticker "fade" or vice versa.

 

I have had very good luck with the simplest of tools . . . my thumb. Peel the sticker off carefully as you state. For any remaining residue, just rub it off (carefully) with your thumb. As the contact bewteen your skin and the cover heats up, the residue will push off or adhere to your thumb instead of the cover. I would not suggest using a solvent on comic books, It may work on thicker, glossier stock (like a TPB, or some moderns, but I do not recommend using a solvent on CA or earlier comics.

 

Btw, some stickers will never come off . . . not no way, no how lol

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