How do I Remove a sticker????

[m117]

I just received a mint boxed copy of street fighter II which arrived with a sticker as i had expected from the auction images. What I would like to know is if there is any method to remove this sticker without damaging or tearing the box. I thought of using Goof Off, but I think it may cause discoloration on the box.

[lordnikon]

This is going to take....forever, but just start slowly inching the sticker back with your finger nail. Do not get impatient and start peeling too fast!! If you want, do not even peel at all, and just keep working the sticker at the edges with your finger nail.

Once you have the sticker off, if there is resedue on the box, you can use duct tape to lift off the remaining stickyness. If you have never done this before, then please procede with caution!! I am not responsible if you rip up your box!

You might want to take the piece of tape and work it on your palm a bit so its not so brutally sticky right away. What you want to do is take a square of duct tape and fold a quarter of it over so you can hold it in your hand. Then apply it gently to the box and then pull back on it. Eventually the duct tape will work off all of the sticky stuff and the box will be clean.

The key is to do this very very carefully. I have cleaned stickyness off of GBA boxes using this method. So it does work. However it takes some finesse to pull off.

If you do not feel comfortable using this method on cardboard then save it for some CD / DVD cases later on. Then you can get the hang of it, and are ready to graduate up to cardboard.

[m117]

Ok, so you wouldn't recommend Goof Off. I'm actually sitting here right now with a can of goof off and som q-tips ready to do surgery. Bad Idea????

[lordnikon]

I have never used any sort of goo removal stuff before. I have always used my duct tape method.

I would think using goo removal products on cardboard would certainly get rid of the goo, but would damage the cardboard in the process. Arn't goo removal products like sprays or creamy liquids? That wouldn't be very good on cardboard. It would seep in and ripple the cardboard. But that is just my guess, as I havn't actually used the stuff before on anything.

[Trebuken]

Goo Off is risky. It will almost certainly discolor the cardboard. A tiny bit on a Q-tip might help with the sticky part after you peel off the sticker, but I wouldn't put the stuff anywhere near a box. I've ruined several cartridge labels with the stuff...

Later,
Trebuken

[GrandAmChandler]

Moving this to the Restoration forum. Peeps can help there.

-GAC-

[edgeblade]

Not to bump up a week or 2 old post, but I have some info for the OP...

I have successfully used Goo Gone (available from K-mart, Ace, etc.) on NES boxes to remove stickers with no apparent side effects. Just make sure you only spray/pour on enough for the sticker and try your best not to get it on the rest of the box. I've also used this successfully on labels. In particular, one cart only copy of Bionic Commando I acquired had a huge red and white clearance type sticker on it apparently. The previous owner attempted to remove it and it was about half removed (the top layer anyways) and they shipped it to me like that. I was hesitant to take Goo Gone to it as I didn't want to ruin the label, but I said what the heck as I was keeping it for myself (not to sell it) and after about 3 or 4 paper towels and 2 or 3 applications of the Goo Gone, it worked like a charm. No noticeable residue on the cart or label from the sticker or the Goo Gone. If I were to show you the cart now, you wouldn't have even known a sticker was there.

I will not be held responsible however, if you try this method on your box and it is damaged as I have not tried it on SNES boxes, though I would assume it is safe. You can also try heating up the glue in the sticker with a hair dryer. Don't put it directly on the sticker as you will overheat the hair dryer and probably start a fire, keep it a good couple inches from the box at least. Again, I won't be held responsible if this damages it, but it can help sometimes. Hope that helps somewhat.

[Sniderman]

Yup, what the Edge-Meister said. Goo Gone works great for stickers on nearly anything. However, when spraying a liquid onto a cardboard box, just watch how porus the cardboard is. If it's a slick box, you'll probably be OK as long as you don't drench it in Goo Gone. But if it were more like paper or a brown paper bag, it'll stain it pretty badly. Put it this way, if you could get a few drops of water on it and wipe it off with ill effects, then Goo Gone will probably get rid of the sticker and residue without harming the box.

[Bassgrabber]

Uh, Sniderman? With, or withOUT ill effects?

= )

[jonjandran]

WD-40 also will get off the sticker and residue , just don't use to much that it soaks into the box.

[jajaja]

This is going to take....forever, but just start slowly inching the sticker back with your finger nail. Do not get impatient and start peeling too fast!! If you want, do not even peel at all, and just keep working the sticker at the edges with your finger nail.

Fingernailing will in most cases take damage to the box. When you try to peak with your fingernail you will leave several of small marks/dents in the box. It might not be too visible at first sight, but when you hold it under the light you will see it. I just did it myself on a NES box and after i was done i see all the marks made by my nail.

Me myself uses some bandage glue remover that i bought at the drugstore. Unfortunatly i dont know the english word for it, but it works great. There might be several of simular products so be careful. I once used one and the plastic (cleaned a NES cart) started to melt hehe.

[norkusa]

I always use a hair dryer to help peel the sticker off. The heat helps get the residue loose and gooey and makes it a lot easier to pull off. Then after that, I'll use a little dab of goof off or wd-40 to get the rest of the residue off.

[madman77]

Yea, if you fingernail it, be very careful. I removed 6 original price tags from Vectrex boxes today, obviously not the stickiest of stickers after 22+ years, but on two of them I did create the slightest indent with my fingernail. The others came off without a hitch. I'd recommend the hair dryer method to get things nice and loose and then work it off from there.