How Does One Peel A Beatles Butcher Cover?

I have a 2nd state stereo Butcher cover that I may want to peel ... the lower left-hand corner was peeled (about 4") and reglued by the previous owner ... I tried to sell it on eBay earlier this year for $400 (I suspect there were concerns about the unknown condition of the cover under the reglued portion) ... is there a site that deals with "how to peel a butcher cover"? ... it is my understanding that different glue was used by different locals ...

 

How does one peel a butcher cover? Very, very carefully...

Would steam work? Carefully applied, it would seem to be logical....

 

Contact Jim Hansen at Blue Jay Way Galleries. He is the foremost expert at peeling Butchers and can get perfect results (i.e. no tearing). He has a secret formula that dissolves the bonding agents in the glue. I don't have his number on me, but try doing a web search for his phone number. I believe his email is [email protected].

 

There was a pretty detailed description of peeling a Butcher cover in Nicholas Shaffner's The Beatles Forever book that involved covering the cover with cellophane tape to peel of the first layer, then a combination of pencil eraser and vodka, or some such drinkable alcohol, to remove the rest. You may want to track down a copy of the book for the exact instructions.

Bruce Spizer says something about how the different glues used by particular pressing plants make for different results. I can't remember which is which off hand, but it was something like East Coast covers come off easier, West Coast covers used glue so strong that the result is usually a destroyed cover. Check his Capitol album book for that info. I think there are some peeling pointers in that book as well.

Frankly though, I'd leave it covered. Every time someone peels one of those things, the unpeeled ones get scarcer.

 

All the more reason that if I found one of these things, I'd leave it covered.


A friend of mine found one years ago for twenty five cents! He did a nice peel job on it too. Somebody stuck an STP sticker on the back of it though, he never took that off of it!

 

Good article there, K-tel Chick. Thanks.

 

From the article above...

Wow.....no cracker eating when doing that job!

 

The unpeeled ones are becoming more and more desirable and valuable. I would leave it as is. In some cases they command as much as the peeled ones.

 

I repeat "Step away from the cover and drop the steamer"
Leave it alone.

 

practice on an orange.

 

Don't peel it!!!!!!

Of course, I have both a peeled and an unpeeled...

 

I would also suggest that you not peel it.

 

If you can believe this I peeled mine back when it came out. I used a steam iron with a towel. Unfortunately, both covers came off. Fortunately, the butcher cover did not rip, except for a slight corner tear, but the original cardboard was messed up. I stuck the Butcher cover on a copy of Sandy Nelsons "Beat That Drum", so I guess I devalued it quite a bit. But it looks great and I have it framed. Hey I was 14 years old, so what did I know. I bought this Beatle record, as most others, the first day it was available.

Btw, the Butcher cover ended up with more of a matte finish than a gloss finish. Hard to tell if that is because of the lame way I removed it or not. But it has more sentimental value to me than any possible monetary value, after all it was my original record.

 

I agree with the above. Don't try to do it yourself, please.

 

Thanks for all the input ... if the cover hadn't been partially peeled and reglued, I probably wouldn't consider peeling it ... the cover is also a little yellowed ... for some reason, the 2nd state covers turn up fairly regularly in the Dallas area ... I know of 2 others since I found mine ... and several others before that ... if I decide to peel it, I will get someone to do who has a track record ... all things equal, I would rather have a Butcher cover than a "common looking" 2nd state cover ...

 

Use a butcher knife or cleaver.

 

Thanks Joel.

How many of these were there?

 

hmm.. Chip, I am very concerned about your being such a neophyte at such a delicate and critical maneuver. For your own good and the sake of your obviously worthless copy of Y&T, please send it to me for a proper evaluation. I will then advise whether it is worth peeling or not. PM me for the P.O. box to which it can be mailed, at your expense.

 

...they were matte finish, not glossy...The original Promo poster was semi glossy, I had it and sold it for $100.00 in the 80's... Worth a bundle now!

 

Thanks for your concern ... check your PM ... I would be happy to send it to you ... the S&H would be only $400 ...

 

One thing I would like to add to this is that if you use too much alcohol and rub hard, you may be in danger of removing some of the printed ink, and you don't want to do that either! I've never managed to get my hands on a butcher's (they are rare down here) but if you do do it be very, very patient - do it slowly!

 

don't do it...