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Any suggestions for cleaning the hardcover AD&D books?
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Cedgewick
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Last Visit: Jun 09, 2021

Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 9:51 am

Hello all,

I've been using 91% rubbing alcohol (you get it from the drugstore) for cleaning the hardcover AD&D books. I've noticed however that it will take a small amount of the ink off 1st printings. Last night I was cleaning a later printing monster manual and it worked fine for the flat surfaces, but at the edges it took off paint (i'm guessing the stress from turning around the edges made the paint loose there) to reveal the white underneath. What do others do to clean these books? Any tips/things to try/things to avoid?

dbartman
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2015 3:32 pm

Use Windex, or an equivalent glass cleaner for dirt, grease, oil. It can still remove a slight amount of the finish, but much less than rubbing alcohol. Use a naphtha-based product for adhesives, stickers etc., but you need to be careful with these.

Always spot check first.

cabala
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:04 pm

To quote Professor Farnsworth, "Good News Everyone!"

So I just happened to be working on this very same issue lately too. I picked up a couple near mint 1st edition AD&D books because they were dirt cheap and I could easily replace my worn copies. Problem was they had stupid stickers. Sometimes you get lucky and they just come off but not these, no way, sticker residue was horrible.

From experience I know the isopropyl alcohol or naptha type products (essentially lighter fluid) strip the paint on matte material and only really work well for sticker residue on glossy or laminated covers. My poor GURPS book. Anyways, I searched some book forums and other places and found many suggestions, but one that stuck out to me was an eraser. I didn't have the type they specifically recommended but I did have Hi-Polymer Eraser from Pentel. I figured what the hell.

It took a few minutes and I was careful at first but the residue just came right off and the underlying book and paint looks flawless. I can only find the outline of the sticker under certain lighting angles. I wish I had a before and after picture because I was stunned by the results.

I have a G1 mono module with crappy sticker residue I am going to try tonight. Hopefully same great results.

Invincible Overlord
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:51 pm

Why wouldn't you just leave the sticker on there as part of the provenance?

RPGâ€™s, D&D in particular has had a major influence in my life. Itâ€™s bonded me together with life long friends...itâ€™s that bond in life not just as friends, but in our jokes, our mannerisms, and what we find funny. Invincible Overlord

cabala
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Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 1:56 pm

Invincible Overlord wrote in Any suggestions for cleaning the hardcover AD&D books?:Why wouldn't you just leave the sticker on there as part of the provenance?

It's provenance was originally without sticker and I'm just trying to return it to that state!

Stickers on books should be punishable by DEATH (or at least a serious flogging). :evil:

Cedgewick
Active Collector

Posts: 18
Joined: May 21, 2015
Last Visit: Jun 09, 2021

Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:43 pm

cabala wrote in Any suggestions for cleaning the hardcover AD&D books?:To quote Professor Farnsworth, "Good News Everyone!"

So I just happened to be working on this very same issue lately too. I picked up a couple near mint 1st edition AD&D books because they were dirt cheap and I could easily replace my worn copies. Problem was they had stupid stickers. Sometimes you get lucky and they just come off but not these, no way, sticker residue was horrible.

From experience I know the isopropyl alcohol or naptha type products (essentially lighter fluid) strip the paint on matte material and only really work well for sticker residue on glossy or laminated covers. My poor GURPS book. Anyways, I searched some book forums and other places and found many suggestions, but one that stuck out to me was an eraser. I didn't have the type they specifically recommended but I did have Hi-Polymer Eraser from Pentel. I figured what the hell.

It took a few minutes and I was careful at first but the residue just came right off and the underlying book and paint looks flawless. I can only find the outline of the sticker under certain lighting angles. I wish I had a before and after picture because I was stunned by the results.

I have a G1 mono module with crappy sticker residue I am going to try tonight. Hopefully same great results.

this worked great for me, thanks! I used a staedtler white eraser and it took the sticker residue right off. I tried to get some kind of hard residue off elsewhere on the book with it and it did start to take the color off, so don't use too much pressure though. For the sticker residue, it worked fine with very light pressure.

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