I am not 100% sure, but I always presumed that people who left marketing stickers on their stereos, TVs, refrigerators, cars, washing machines, computers, etc. were… well, morons. When I walk into someone’s abode and see stickers on all of their electronic and electric gadgets I find myself making an almost instantaneous negative judgement. Generally people are prejudiced over silly things, like race or religion, or both. I find those prejudices mundane. A preponderance of stickers, or lack thereof, now that’s something that immediately tells you the quality of your host and if it’s worth your time to keep their company.
I realize that my prejudice might have blinded me to the true qualities of these people. People who exhibit this behavior certainly can’t all be morons, right. Therefore, what percentage of people who leave stickers on their gadgets are morons, what percentage are rednecks, and what percentage just have no taste?
I don’t generally even notice unless it interferes in some way with the functionality or there is some other pragmatic concern. It would never occur to me to wonder how it looks, but then just by saying something like that it’s pretty obvious that I’m uhh, “eccentric.”
I leave stickers on if they tell me the brand and the type or make number. I’m not going to remember that, and I might need the info when I have to look up some defect or bring it in for repairs.
Although I think it’s odd to leave stickers on things you’ve purchased I have to say that your reaction to it is far, far weirder. Honestly it makes you seem a bit on the cuckoo bananas side that you are questioning if people are rednecks or have no taste because of a fairly harmless quirk.
It’s also pretty funny that you honestly believe this is something you can get a factual answer for and so you put it in this forum instead of just getting opinions and putting it in the IMHO forum.
I appreciate starting my day with a giggle so thanks.
Sometimes it seems like manufacturers use barnacle-based adhesives to make sure that the sticker stays on forever. Thus, trying to take the sticker off results in a gross, sticky, or scratched patch on the surface of the appliance. I know I left the yellow Energy Rating stickers on our washer and dryer for that reason.
Marketing stickers not sticky notes. Sticky notes are very useful for reminding you to take a bath, etc.. However, most people don’t need to be continuously reminded to purchase something they have already purchased. The point of marketing stickers is to impress upon the consumer the reason they need that gadget and why it’s better than the other gadgets. After it’s been purchased, and the “fight” for the consumers money won, it’s bizarre to see them brandished about; as if the new owner might make a commission convincing one of their friends to buy the same gadgets.
So, there is a legitimate question here, and a search for fact. I am seeing a lot of defensive comments which leads me to believe that I might have touched on a sensitive topic. If the board moderators feel this question does not belong here then I apologize and I am sure it will be moved or removed.
I’m looking at the sticker on the side of my wireless router right now. It has the model number, wireless network key and AT&T customer service number on it. There’s also a sticker on my compter modem that I never removed; can’t see it because it’s against the wall. Ditto with the energy rating sticker on my fridge.
I do, however, remove those little stickers on some apples apples before eating them. Banana peel stickers, I leave on. Stickers on the lens of glasses, off.
I think it’s bizarre to conclude that people who leave stickers on things are “morons.” I don’t think I’ve ever in my life paid attention to that.
Some have useful information, and I tend to leave them on. Some are obvious marketing, and I tend to take them off. But often, its not clear which of those two it falls into.
Often, the adhesive is MUCH stronger than I expected it to be, and it looks like hell when part of it has been peeled off and the rest refuses to budge. Even worse is when the paper tears. In many of these cases, it would have looked even better if I just left it on.
Most confusing, though, is the plain plastic covering, apparently there to prevent scratches. Many of these are invisible, and I’m not even aware of them for days or years. When the plastic goes past the edge of the object, that makes it visible, and also provides a place to grasp and pull. But often, it is cut exactly to size, making it both difficult to see and difficult to remove.
I work in a school, and one of the teachers had a problem with one of the new whiteboards. She was very careful not to use regular markers, only the “dry erase” ones. But no matter how hard we rubbed with the eraser, we could not get the writing totally erased, even after applying the proper cleaning fluid. Finally, after a few days, I realized that the installers had neglected to remove the thin plastic film covering the entire board, and this is what we were writing on. All I needed to do was to peel off that film, and the dry-erase marks were very easy to erase.
I thought this was a pitting of retailers who put giant sale stickers on book covers. Assholes.
Also, stickers on glassware. Must they use superglue?
As for stickers on electronics and appliances, I don’t think I have any left on any of mine. Everything came with a manual, which is where I’d go to get the model number and stuff if I needed it for repairs.
Again, I am talking about “Marketing Stickers” not stickers with serial numbers or model numbers which are not marketing devices. Maybe you have never witnessed this but there is a breed of people who feel that marketing stickers plastered on the front of their all-in-one stereo equipment, or the glass of their TV set adds prestige, maintains value and enhances the quality.
I left the stickers on Wonderboy because he’d feel naked without them. My kids told me not to peel the official MLB sticker off of a baseball cap because it’s cool to leave them on now, but I didn’t listen and peeled the sticker off and stuck it on Wonderboy.
I was wiping off the area around the stove controls and thought I had gouged a hole in the surface itself. I was very relieved to realize it still had the plastic over the whole thing. I’ve still left it on because for the most part it is intact and clean. And years from now I can take it off and the surface will seem like new.
You mean like the one on my pc that says “Designed for: Microsoft Windows XP”, or “intel – Pentium 4 HT inside!”, or the one on the back of my car that says “Jones Brothers Chevrolet”? They are all in the same category: I hate them, but they’re near impossible to remove cleanly.
Oh, the clear protective films - now that’s a hot-button item! My sister in law is convinced that leaving that stuff on the face of her washing machine’s control panel and on the front of her DVD player will “keep them nice” for all eternity, even though the edges of the film are starting to curl and hold dust. Hmmm…her washing machine suffered a terminal breakdown last weekend. This may be a good “teachable moment” to let her know that the film did not do anything to preserve the machine.
How about the little stickers on crystal? AFAIK, it seems to be an Italian* custom to leave those little “LEAD CRYSTAL POLAND” or whatever tags on the bottom of one’s fine crystal items.
While not married to the Mob, I am married into an Italian family, and they all leave those little stickers on. I think they look silly, but there are far more important things in life to get stired up about.
