Am I the only one that likes "stickers" ? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 04:54:11 am
content: Watching some posts on vintage equipment, discussions frequently come up on how to remove stickers. But I like them because they give the piece of equipment a sense of history. No one has ever said they will not remove their stickers. So am I an odd ball?Sort of like a show on Antique Roadshow. Someone had a big piece of furniture and the appraiser said there was good news and bad news. The good news it was worth $15,000. The bad news was if the owner had not removed the finish, it would have been worth $100,000.So if I look at something on eBay, stickers get my attention.Also does anyone remove stickers with the idea of re-selling them?thanks

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 05:04:04 am
content: Nope! I tend not to leave the stickers on when I am going through, cleaning up, repainting, whatever needs to be done. But I do love to see them when I get the instrument, and I do keep them if from somewhere interesting (a power supply I have is still proudly sporting its National Bureau of Standards - what NIST used to be - badge).In general I do not think Random Asset Tag #552779 and Pile of Crusty Cal Stickers from 1988 add much, but some of them are pretty cool.

author: fivefish
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 05:48:29 am
content: I tend to remove stickers, and try to "restore" the equipment to as "brand new" look as much as I can.Really clean up any greasy, sticky, dirt-embedded spots.An expired cal sticker is legally useless.An equipment showing XYZ company, asset# sticker makes it look like I stole the equipment.I may have some exception to these rules...say... a NASA sticker, or Bell Labs, or some well known company.or maybe a "property of Jim Williams, or Steve Woz" or something like that.But haven't encountered those.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 05:52:38 am
content: I read the title as Snickers.I do like a snickers bar

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 06:04:48 am
content: QuoteDid you just get this? I recently saw something with this sticker and lost it

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 07:03:20 am
content: I tend to remove dodgy labels which clearly users have stuck on the machines, or clean off marker pen with a bit of IPA. If it's a professionally printed asset label, I'll generally leave them on if they are on the rear of the chassis or some other inconspicuous location. More often than not, leaving labels on will cause discolouration (especially in old plastics) if they are ever removed. You'll see where the label used to be while the rest of the plastic has discoloured with age and exposure to UV light. I prefer to keep the outer casing as original and uniform as possible and if it means removing a label, so be it.I think a near original computer will retain far more value than ones with non-original labels.That said, there are always exceptions. If they are from Government Departments or other "special" locations, I'll leave identifying labels on. For example, if I ever got a bit of gear from the Parkes Radio Telescope that was used for the Moon Landing, I'll leave it as is ;-)

author: crispy_tofu
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 08:46:59 am
content: I like stickers when they're not peeling off and collecting gunk on the exposed adhesiveAlso, snickers are nice.There are people who sell stickers (e.g. case badges), but I don't think this is what the thread's about.

author: c4757p
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 02:11:34 pm
content: Quote from: ez24 on October 13, 2015, 06:04:48 amNope, had it for a while now. It's a Power Designs 1570 high voltage power supply.BravoV - yup, no way would I take off the Tek "tested by" labels.

author: steve30
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 04:47:37 pm
content: I'd leave them on if they were interesting or useful (as long as they are neat and tidy). I have sometimes removed labels from items, then stuck them to a piece of paper to file away, rather than chucking them.I'd get rid of them though if they are messy or uninteresting.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 13, 2015, 10:25:14 pm
content: Depends where the sticker is from and whether it's obscuring interesting or useful things on the device. Inventory stickers from well-known or interesting companies is always cool to keep. As you said, ez, it's a bit of the history of the device. Miscellaneous stickers or those that aren't interesting usually get pulled off my vintage equipment. Some units are just riddled with labels.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:15:51 am
content: I seem to be with most here in that if it's an interesting sticker/label and in good condition and not obscuring half the panel, I'll normally leave it in place. For instance, I just got a pair of HP 3440As from a surplus place in CA. Both were formerly owned by Bendix, and sport small metal asset tags indicating this heritage that are in good condition. They will stay in place when I clean them up. They also have tags on the rear panels showing their delivery date (8/65); those I plan to preserve as well simply because I think they're pretty cool.-Pat

author: Deathwish
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:30:36 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on October 13, 2015, 09:01:13 amdidnt Roy Wood dress funny , wear make up and sing about xmas a lot ?.

author: joeqsmith
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:37:26 am
content: Most I cleaned off but my old LeCroy DSO was from the USAF and has a metal tag glued on. I have an old HP RF generator from the USN that the tag was riveted on. My old microscope came from RCA with a metal tag as well. These all stay as part of the equipments history.

author: JoeB83
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:44:05 am
content: Quote from: Deathwish on October 14, 2015, 04:30:36 amEd Wood? Even if no, still just as odd.......https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Wood

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 04:17:07 pm
content: Quote from: joeqsmith on October 14, 2015, 04:37:26 amHow about post pictures of them? thanks

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 14, 2015, 05:03:31 pm
content: Quote from: ez24 on October 14, 2015, 04:17:07 pmYeah, time to turn the thread into "Photos of your interesting and historical test equipment stickers".

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 12:55:55 am
content: Quote from: bitseeker on October 14, 2015, 05:03:31 pmDone - thankshttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/photos-of-your-interesting-and-historical-test-equipment-stickers/

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 01:31:04 am
content: Thanks, ez.Joeqsmith and Cubdriver, you're on. Share photos of your stickers athttps://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/photos-of-your-interesting-and-historical-test-equipment-stickers/

author: MadTux
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 02:30:05 am
content: I mostly remove stickers on the outside because they make old gear look messy and used. A few of my Tek7000 (7B10 in pic) plugins came from Los Alamos. I found it funny, because that made me wondering what kind of nukes or other exotic devices were designed/tested by them, so I left the stickers.Other stuff came from IBM (HP 215A pulse generator), Motorola (HP 3457A and a few HP 165xx LA cards), HP Boise (wrecked/parted HP 8568B, the one below that Tek 7B10 in pic) and the USAF (HP 8662A, probably for radar testing). Removed these stickers however since they didn't really add historic value IMO.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 03:28:04 am
content: Yeah, I'd be inclined to check that Tek with a Geiger counter.

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 05:16:21 am
content: Quote from: bitseeker on October 15, 2015, 01:31:04 amI'll go later and see if I can get some decent shots of the Bendix tags. The meters are presently buried downstairs.-Pat

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2015, 10:26:32 pm
content: Great. Thanks, Pat.

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2015, 01:08:00 am
content: I've had some interesting stickers too, but the best ones I can't show because I actually did st... um... creatively liberate from imminent destruction. Lets just say that Echelon really does exist. Or did, back in the 1990s. Presumably it's renamed and much more evil these days.One I can show that I like, was on a HP 8182A data analyzer. These were used for IC parameter testing in IC fabs. This one had an Advanced Micro Devices asset tag. It was an ebay purchase from the USA, and I liked AMD (back when I was designing stuff, and AMD existed.)This was the closest I came to leaving a sticker on for historical interest. But no... removed it.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2015, 01:13:39 am
content: If only the folks who affix these stickers had some style.*sigh*

author: TerraHertz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2015, 01:21:38 am
content: Quote from: bitseeker on October 16, 2015, 01:13:39 amIf only the jerks who get the job of *removing* asset inventory stickers each year before a new one is applied, had any care at all about not damaging the equipment face. And the skill to do it right. How many ebay items have we all seen where the instrument face has been ruined by careless sticker removal?

author: Cubdriver
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 16, 2015, 02:09:01 am
content: Quote from: TerraHertz on October 16, 2015, 01:21:38 amSo wait - are you suggesting that using a hammer and cold chisel is NOT the optimal way to remove them?!?As purchased from eBuy.-Pat

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2015, 07:15:18 pm
content: Quote from: Cubdriver on October 16, 2015, 02:09:01 amI know, right?!

author: slateraptor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2015, 12:08:27 am
content: This thread gives me serious anxiety.Ihatestickers...with a bleeding heart OCD passion.

author: bitseeker
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 17, 2015, 03:30:19 am
content: Quote from: slateraptor on October 17, 2015, 12:08:27 amNo problem. I like to keep some things pristine. Nothing wrong with that.Definitely don't look at this thread,https://www.eevblog.com/forum/testgear/photos-of-your-interesting-and-historical-test-equipment-stickers/, though. Might give you more anxiety.