Stickers! Why the stickers?!

Why do used book stores use the stickiest tags they can find?
I picked up a first edition Hunt for Red October in excellent condition for $10. From what I understand, the book is worth quite a bit. The store didn't know what they had. But of course they have sticker on the dust cover that has to be one of the stickiest glues on the back.
Anyone know how to get it off without damaging the dust cover?

That depends on what material the dust jacket is made from.

There's a group called Book Care and Repair here on LT, and there's probably a thread about this very subject.

I've forgotten how to create a link, but if you screen-scrape what I have below, past it the browser bar (or whatever it's called), and Bob's your uncle.

http://www.librarything.com/groups/bookcareandrepair

Edited to add: Wow! the link was created automatically. Thanks, Tim & Co.

>1 Freebird451:

It's to prevent people from putting the "50¢" sticker on the $10 book.

I find that lighter fluid works pretty well to dissolve the glue.

My daughter said to use a cooking oil.

I share your frustration! To remove stickers, I use something called a "heat gun" which is just a super hot blow dryer. You can get one that's good for crafting and removing stickers for under $15.

One local bookstore has since closed, but I had decided to ask them to remove the stickers without damaging the book if they wanted me to buy it. BTW this was NOT a used book store.

And don't get me started on stickers on fruit.

>8 MrAndrew:
Stickers on apples and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and stickers on mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my least favorite things.

>9 anglemark:

What! You don't like whiskers on kittens? Philistine!

I discovered last week that stickers DO have an appropriate place to reside. Preparing a banana for my 2 year old grand, I was informed the Dole sticker belonged on her belly. It stayed there all day like a good little sticker.

... I thought it was anvils on kittens...

and Vivaldi's four seasons tied up with strings.

>10 lilithcat: I should have spent more time on subverting that one ...

>7 MarthaJeanne: wow what a great idea! I think I'll start doing that, hehe

At least in the U.S. I've found stickers can be carefully worked off of a book just by using your fingernails and gently scraping along the sticker edges gradually working towards the center. Once the main sticker is off there will be residue (sticky) and for that I take an old rag with a drop or two of Goo Gone and then rub the sticky area. Once the sticky is removed I wipe the area with a dry cloth. I haven't had any problems with this method.