How do safely remove stickers from record labels?

I think I might have read about this in Goldmine or Discoveries but I can't remember now - how do you remove stickers (address labels) from a record label without damaging the label? I've scraped most of the actual sticker off but there is a lot of adhesive residue leftover.

 

Look for a product called Goo Gone. Smells like orange oil, but it takes stickers perfectly off of all kinds of surfaces. Just be careful.

Works best on album covers. I've only used it twice on labels, and it worked with some care.

 

What kind of a store might sell this? I'm in Massachusetts also so maybe you know of a local chain that carries Goo Gone.

 

Don't recommend it on record labels [as should you get it on the vinyl you're screwed], but for LP jackets and the like I've been using lighter fluid for years. Let the fluid dissolve the gummed underside of the sticker for about a minute, peel the sticker off and with a little fluid on a towel gently wipe away any residue.

 

Office Depot sells it.

mud-

 

Christmas Tree Shops, Ocean State Job Lot sometimes too.

 

If I may, I've been using UnDu for years with great results. You can purchase this at any Ace or True Value hardware store. Even Office Max or Office Depot probably sells it. UnDu has never let me down, it works on labels, album covers etc. I highly recommend it.

 

Yes. This is what I use too. My wife, an artist, told me about it. here in the bay area, I get it at Beverly's Fabrics. Locations in San Jose, Daly City and San Luis Obispo (not in bay area).

 

Lighter fluid is what we in the used record business use.

 

Does it work only on paper? I bought a collection of about 500 45's,everyone of them has those damn plastic Dynolabels on BOTH SIDES!! Can't peel 'em off... As for those little number stickers or address labels,I usually just wet 'em a little.That usually does the trick...

 

There's no perfect removal for Dynolabels, they always leave some tearing behind. What works best is a heatgun, but you can't use that on vinyl . On an lp cover, make sure the record has been removed first.

 

Joe and Peter, have you used it on stickers on the actual vinyl? Occasionally the sticker ends up on the deadwax. Does it seem non-destructive to the vinyl?

Thanks for locations Peter.

 

Use lighter fluid (AKA Naptha, which is a combination of different solvents). The advantages are that it will soften/remove most gums, and that it will not soften/ruin plastics/vinyl. A LOT of the other solvents out there (e.g. Goo Gone) will ruin plastic/vinyl. Obviously, that's a no no for records.

Kwad

 

My mother was a commercial artist, and used to lay out pages by pasting everything on with rubber cement. The rubber cement thinner (under the Bestine brand name) was what she used to pull up photos and other things she'd put down on a page that she needed to move. She also used it around the house to remove anything sticky. It worked well, got rid of residue, and evaported fast. I still remember that smell 30 years later. One reason it worked well was because it could remove something like a photo without damaging it at all, and the rapid evaporation kept the photo from getting any kind of water-like stains on it.

I used Goo Gone once, and only once, to remove a particularly nasty price sticker (what WAS that shop thinking??) from my Ventures' Christmas Album CD. It turned the clear jewel box plastic into a cloudy, rough mess where I'd tried to loosen the sticker and wipe off the Goo Gone before it did any more damage. Surprised me how FAST it ate away at it!

 

UnDu does not at all work like Goo Gone. I have used UnDu on plastic clear jewel cases with very good results.

 

I've done my fair share of taking stickers off of labels with this product. I've never come across a sticker on the label and dead wax. If I did, I'd use the product with confidence. Besides, it's dead wax, there's no musically information there anyways, so I would not sweat it. If you are real concerned about it, try it out on a record you don't care about and see what happens! I find the product indispensable! JMHO!

 

Me too, since I like to live dangerously. Remember no smoking!!!

 

Thanks guys!

 

Ronsonol lighter fluid rocks!

 

Reviving this old thread...peter and Joe Koz, I have just purchased Un Du to remove some price stickers from a few 60s 45s that I recently won in auction.
Based on your personal experience with the product, is there anything that you would tell me before I start using it, or is it simple enough following the directions? Any practised tricks you stumbled across when you used it?
Thanks...

 

Cheaper but don't use it if the sleeve has a glossy finish as will ruin it: take one of those kitchen paper towels or pads or whatever you call them in the US, the one you use for cleaning everything in the kitchen, including your hands.
Put a piece of one of those paper pads on top of sticker label. Heat the iron, yes, the one you use to iron your shirts, almost to top temperature (cotton). When is hot, make some passes over the LP sleeve with the paper pad on top, given them some try, it will most likely peel off by itself.

 

...late to the thread but here is my question: Why do some record stores, which purport to be selling a good product to their customers - many of whom are vinyl collectors - knowingly put price stickers on the LABEL of a record in the first place? Does this not depreciate its value before the vinyl even leaves the premises? Let's say there is a pristine record that comes into the store. It is then determined by whomever upon inspection to be worth a fair market price and is going to sell for $49.99. Employee in the record store then slaps a price sticker ON THE LABEL (in addition to a barcode/price sticker on the plastic sleeve AND the jacket). So if one purchases it, you've spent $49.99 plus tax on a record that was in better condition BEFORE the person put a sticker on the record label. Moreover, you have to spend a few minutes trying to remove it AFTER you've bought it, and hope the label remains intact. HOW does this make sense? I can't follow the logic. I understand putting barcode stickers/price stickers on outer plastic sleeves - even jackets/covers but on the record label? It just seems stupid and/or careless.

 

You're not kidding? I have two UK 1st pressing Beatles albums- Revolver and Help! that have a sticker with someone's name on them. For Help! I tried just lightly scraping and it came off pretty well but I'm afraid a little of the label underneath came off. Now though the biggest problem is a bunch of sticky goo. That's what I need to remove now...I'm going to leave Revolver alone until I figure out the very best way...

Thanks!

 

I had a dea!er tell me they put price stickers on both jacket and label to prevent customers from trying to switch out records in their stores. Evidently some people were trying to swap the better records into cheaper priced jackets so this was his solution....

 

Okay...so I used the lighter fluid and it DID remove the sticky residue. Unfortunately, I peeled the sticker before I used the fluid so a few small pieces of the label did come up and the lighter fluid obviously did nothing to fix that. I am thinking I should have put the fluid on BEFORE I peeled it and it probably would have been smooth. There is of course discoloration but I think it looks better than a white sticker...so now I'm torn about trying this on my copy of Revolver. If I did, I would apply it first, wait a minute and then remove the sticker. This reminds me of my 2nd state Butcher debate...to peel or not to peel? Damn you Julia!! (the name on the sticker).

Any other feedback?