Price Tag Removal 1 1

[Love4Comics]

I removed price tags off a few books. Some lost color, when I removed the tag. A friend told me, I was better off leaving the tags on. He said the grade wont be affected. Is this true? 

Edited March 6 by Love4Comics

[joeypost]

Price stickers will impact the book. Best to leave things like this to professionals. 

[revat]

The grade and price will be affected by the price sticker

[comicginger1789]

The fact that you pulled the price tag off and removed colour is worse than if you had left it.

But your friend is also wrong in that a book would still be graded appropriately with a sticker/price tag on it

I have a 60s FF book with a large reduced price sticker on the cover. The sticker is old and cool and without it the book probably grades in the 8.0 range however I would assume with the sticker it probably falls 0.5-1.0 in grade points. I have avoided ripping it off because I feel that would result in terrible damage and a grade much lower (in the 4.0 range at best)

As for removing stickers, definitely leave to the pros. It is easier than you think but unless you have done a couple, you are bound to rip the book or remove colour.

[dbcn]

On 3/6/2024 at 10:16 AM, comicginger1789 said:

As for removing stickers, definitely leave to the pros

100% 

I bought a couple junker books with price stickers just to see if I could do it… the answer was a resounding ‘nope’ - color loss and damage to every book I tried.

[shadroch]

On 3/6/2024 at 8:58 AM, dbcn said:

100% 

I bought a couple junker books with price stickers just to see if I could do it… the answer was a resounding ‘nope’ - color loss and damage to every book I tried.

Keep trying. It gets easier.

[marvelmaniac]

If the book in question is a VG 4.0 or lower, the price sticker (depending on size and location) will probably not affect the grade.

If you want to know for sure, post clear pics of the outside front/rear covers, inside front/rear covers with first/last page, the spine/staples and centerfold in the...

https://boards.cgccomics.com/forum/42-hey-buddy-can-you-spare-a-grade/

[comicginger1789]

On 3/6/2024 at 10:58 AM, dbcn said:

100% 

I bought a couple junker books with price stickers just to see if I could do it… the answer was a resounding ‘nope’ - color loss and damage to every book I tried.

Depends on the sticker. You have to go really slow (or at least I do) with the peel off. I am talking agonizingly slow. And sometimes depending on the glue and such, you get a disaster but knock on wood, I have been lucky with the ones I have saved

[shadroch]

On 3/6/2024 at 11:29 AM, comicginger1789 said:

Depends on the sticker. You have to go really slow (or at least I do) with the peel off. I am talking agonizingly slow. And sometimes depending on the glue and such, you get a disaster but knock on wood, I have been lucky with the ones I have saved

You shouldn't be peeling at all. Instead of peeling off the sticker, work on dissolving the glue that keeps it on the book. I'm sure multiple videos will show you how. 

If it were an expensive book, I'd let a pro do it. 

[Love4Comics]

I had much success removing stickers. I've used a solvent to dissolve the glue. It was only a few (like 3 books out of 20) that the color was removed anywhere there was red. I would post pics but I gave the books away. Thanks for all the answers I appreciate it. 

[comicginger1789]

On 3/6/2024 at 2:03 PM, shadroch said:

You shouldn't be peeling at all. Instead of peeling off the sticker, work on dissolving the glue that keeps it on the book. I'm sure multiple videos will show you how. 

If it were an expensive book, I'd let a pro do it. 

I mean I've yet to perfect a technique that dries the glue under the sticker so that it just blows off. I do have a technique that allows the glue to not be sticky, thus when i gently peel/pull the sticker off, it does not take ink with it. Then a little clean up of the glue residue is all that is left to do. I did experiment with some chemical products for fun but those just smeared and ruined the inks.

If I had a $500+ book with such a sticker and really wanted it removed, sure I am also going to find someone better. If its a under $100, I am gonna risk it myself. My books, my risk.

Edited March 7 by comicginger1789

[dbcn]

Just saw this one pop up on MCS & it seemed relevant - it's a SW Heir to the Empire 7.5, Qualified, but no notes on the label:

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/4076906007/

The grader notes say 'sticker on cover' - but I'm not seeing it - unless the sticker is the barcode? but if that's the case wouldn't it not be Newsstand? 

 

[shadroch]

On 3/8/2024 at 7:05 AM, dbcn said:

Just saw this one pop up on MCS & it seemed relevant - it's a SW Heir to the Empire 7.5, Qualified, but no notes on the label:

https://www.cgccomics.com/certlookup/4076906007/

The grader notes say 'sticker on cover' - but I'm not seeing it - unless the sticker is the barcode? but if that's the case wouldn't it not be Newsstand? 

 

Some chains put their own UPC stickers on direct editions. Putting a UPC sticker on a direct copy gives you a direct copy with a sticker, but it doesn't transform the book into a newsstand. Placing a sticker over a newsstand, UPC causes it to be qualified. 

Edited March 8 by shadroch

[dbcn]

On 3/8/2024 at 9:56 AM, shadroch said:

but it doesn't transform the book into a newsstand

That's what I would think as well @shadroch, and yet the label clearly says 'Newsstand Edition' but there clearly isn't a barcode underneath the sticker... 

[Dick Pontoon]

On 3/8/2024 at 10:17 AM, dbcn said:

That's what I would think as well @shadroch, and yet the label clearly says 'Newsstand Edition' but there clearly isn't a barcode underneath the sticker... 

That's because its newsstand version without UPC. If you look under the sticker, you can see the UPC box. Three different covers were printed:

https://www.comics.org/issue/275076/cover/4/

[shadroch]

On 3/8/2024 at 11:24 AM, Pontoon said:

That's because its newsstand version without UPC. If you look under the sticker, you can see the UPC box. Three different covers were printed:

https://www.comics.org/issue/275076/cover/4/

So in this case, newsstand really means returnable, right?

[Dr. Balls]

I've removed a variety of price tags from books - the problem I've seen is the discoloration from the adhesive, which is dependent on how many years the price tag has been on the book. I used either a hair dryer (not a heat gun) or rubbing alcohol (which doesn't leave a stain behind when used sparingly).

I'd like to add, I've tried it on an $80 book - which is probably my value limit to what I would mess around with.