Stickers on Books: Are they really necessary?

Today's post is going to be a rant of sorts. After spending the last 20 minutes of my day trying to remove a sticker from the back of the book, I felt compelled to question why stickers are placed on books.

I mean look at this. I should not have this problem any time I buy a used book (or even some new books).

It seems to only be the book industry that has this issue. Movies and CDs are covered in plastics which allow for easier sticky removal. But books do not have this ease. Books whether they are hardcover or paperback are covered with paper. Even when the dusk jacket is glossy it still attracts all things sticky.



Why is this something that happens to countless books? Why has it become commonplace to cover a book with stickers? Whether it is a price sticker or a sticker to denote that it is use or even a discount sticker. Countless stores place what I deem unnecessary stickers on precious books.

Now I'm one of those people who obsesses with how my books look. I hate that I have series that do not match. Whether that is because of a cover change or because I have half the series in paperback and the rest in hardcover. I like my books to look nice and super awesome on my shelves. I'm sure many other bloggers and book lovers have these same thoughts. And I hate the number of books I have that have stickers on them because I'm too scared to attempt to take them off or books where I have tried to remove the sticker only to be left with stickiness.

So again I'm left questioning this choice to cover my beloved books with stickers. I do not know how many times I have been at a used bookstore where I have picked up a book in near perfect condition, only to turn it over and see multiple stickers cluttering the back. This has caused me to put back many books for fear that I would never be able to get the stickers off. And we all know that once you try, if it does not come off you are in trouble and left with a sticky, gooey mess.

Now this also raises the question of there being a better method to putting "stickers" on books. There has to be a way make stickers that are literally less sticky. Ones that will easily peel off of books. There are so many other crazy things people have invented but yet we do not have a method for putting stickers on books that makes them able to come out with out ruining the book and leaving sticky residue.

I just think there has to be a better way for bookstores and online retailers to denote price or used status of books.

Let me know what your thoughts are on this.