removing price tags

[gurnard]

Hello all.  I have bought some comics off ebay recently (original print of Watchmen) and to my disappointment some of them have sticky price tags on, which seem to have been there for some years.  The kind of price tag you might find on your tin of beans in the supermarket.

Now the question is what is the best way to remove these without screwing up the covers?  
Anyone tried this before?  Any hints or tips before I go ripping at them with my nails?

Thanks for reading.

[Jim_Campbell]

Honestly? After all this time, I'd leave them. The paper underneath is likely to be of a different colour, and straaaange things will have happened to the gum on the back of the label.

I'd be inclined to think: with the labels on, at least they look sort of authentic. If you peel them off to discover that the black (for example) underneath is three shades darker than the surrounding cover, or for the label to come away clean but for the glue to remain on the cover, you're basically scuppered.

If you're planning on reading these, rather than storing them in a vault for re-sale, be aware that the black on those back covers comes off on your fingers incredibly easily. It's actually better to fold the cover round than to have your fingers in contact with the black outside for any length of time ...

Cheers!

Jim

[+rufus+]

Get scissors...cut around them...and you then have little preview windows too.

:-) Rufus

[Dark Jimbo]

I've had enough headaches trying to remove the labels from the backs of TPBs, with glossy, durable covers, never mind actual comic issues. I'd leave 'em.

[Rio De Fideldo]

I've found that unscented baby wipes are fantastic at removing the residue from stickers on the backs of TPBS with glossy durable covers.

They attack the adhesive and it vanishes completely.

No suggestions for normal comics. Leave them be as Jim says.

[Dark Jimbo]

Thanks Rio! I'll have to give that a go.

[Rio De Fideldo]

They really are good. They're pretty good at removing permanent marker from doors also if your two year gets their hands on such a thing.

I know from very bitter personal experience.

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

The best thing for removing the residue from stickers is a small amount of white spirits.

The worst thing i've found is when there are security stickers on then. i've learned to leave these be.

[LARF]

worst thing is those magnetic things, getting them past the bleepers in the store in bad enough but trying to take the bastards off at home - it's a chore...

[Gavin_Leahy_Block]

ya, there the ones. Ruined my copy of Leviathan.

[Noisybast]

Surgical spirit should do the trick.

[Peter Wolf]

 Bloody sticky labels especially those that set off alarms.

 Baby wipes are very good for cleaning dirty records.

[gurnard]

ok thanks for the info, I guess the consensus is to leave them.  thanks for the advice.

[Rio De Fideldo]

I used to work in a factory which put adhesive on the back of paper stock before it was sent out to the various printing companies who print the labels.

There are different types of glue which are put on these. Therefore if you have a jam jar you wouldn't want the label to come off really (Unless you're making Jam).

Price stickers on books etc should use an adhesive which comes off easily. Most of them do. Both Borders and Waterstones stickers come off relatively easily. The ones I have difficulty are the ones I think Titan slap onto American Graphic Novels which include the bar code and the price in sterling. They are just about welded on but as I say, baby wipes.

[ThryllSeekyr]

I have damaged a few prog covered removing the price tags.

I started thread about this over two years ago now.

Trying to locate it now, but I forget the title and the owrds 'PRICETAGS" aren't bringing up anything.

Unless I do this the hard way and search through all my old messages.