To Stick Or Not To Stick...

[rriggs]

As most sets now come with stickers rather than printed bricks what are people's thoughts on actually using the stickers?

With my most recent sets I have not put the stickers on the bricks because they do not last and become tatty too easy but obviously, the trade off is that the sets dod not look quite finished in some cases.

What do other people do?

Cheers

Rog

[The Rancor]

Stickers DO provide possibility for much more increased detail.

No Stickers allow for more MOCing with the parts.

It's a win-win situation really all the time.

Put the stickers on only if it's necessary to increase the aesthetics of the model.

[5150 Lego]

I reffer printed peices, as they last alot longer, and you don't have to take teduis time to put on stickers. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to stickers, so mine have to be nice and straight. So that takes even more time away. (the ferrari Scudiera trucks was one of the wort, (Couldn't bielve that even the mini fig torso's were stickers!) along with every racers set.

But i have to admit, stickers, or printed, it really adds to the realism of the set and gives them that bit more of detail.

I generally never take my sets apart, just add on, so using the pieces for mocing really don't conern me, but i can see were having stickers vs. printed pieces would have an advantage. Maybe this(Along with price) is why TLC has mainly stickers instead of printed pieces.

[Skipper 24]

I like printed pieces because there is no chance of the design peeling off and the design doesn't usually ware off. But I liked the see through stickers with the designs on like the ones that came with Dino 2010/ Dino Attack.

[Karto]

It may be sound strange but Ive always prefered stickers.

For the sets I build, I try to always put them in place. I think the choice depends a lot of the way you're handling the parts as stated above. If you're more into MOCs, it would probably be better not to use them.

Edited July 13, 2008 by Karto

[CP5670]

I decide whether to use stickers based on their material and color, as well as what they're placed on. White paper stickers with white, red or blue components seem to peel off and crumble automatically after one or two years from UV exposure, so I generally do not use these stickers (unless it's a really good one, in which case I cover it up with clear tape after putting it on). White paper stickers in other colors and stickers printed on clear paper don't suffer from this and last much longer, so I usually put those on.

My favorite kind are logo and control panel stickers, so I almost always use them. On the other hand, I usually don't apply stickers to transparent windscreens and rare parts in general, and hardly ever use anything that spans multiple parts.

Speaking of stickers by the way, I want to try printing out some custom decals using the vector logos in another thread around here. Is there any noob-friendly guide on how to do this? I would be interested to know if there's any specific decal paper that's good to use, and how to cut them to the right shape and size for Lego pieces.

[JimBee]

Burn the sticker sheets! They are always a pain to put on, I can never get them straight. Also, when you peel a sticker off of a piece, it could damage the piece or sticker.

[Siegfried]

I rarely put stickers on now as it limits MOCs. But sometimes I put them on if I think I could re-use the stickered piece of if I think it's essential.

Speaking of stickers by the way, I want to try printing out some custom decals using the vector logos in another thread around here. Is there any noob-friendly guide on how to do this? I would be interested to know if there's any specific decal paper that's good to use, and how to cut them to the right shape and size for Lego pieces.

The best I could find was here.

[Eilif]

Very few sets stay built on my wall for more than a few months, so I don't put stickers on unless I really think they will be usefull later (e.g. certain controls, numerical markings, and license plates), or really look super duper cool. (I'm a sucker for the egyptian and Mayan stickers in the indy sets) I do save my stickers, however in case they may be usefull for a later MOC.

Even Town Plan didn't get any stickers except for license plates, the pump logos, the "newspaper" and the "C-I-N-E-M-A" which were first put on 2x2 tiles and then added to the marquee.

[darkrebellion]

I am more about display than MOCing so I always put all the stickers but I need to admit I prefer the printed pieces because the stickers start to peeling off with the time . With this, a strange case that happens to me. My third set was the old AT-TE (It is still alive in my shelf fortunately) and I just put the stickers and everything went well but when my parents gave me the old RGS for my birthday I just put the stickers and like a year later they are all peel and now I need to buy a 40 bucks sticker sheet for it (I am so completist). The strange part is that I buy the AT-TE before the RGS and the stickers of the first are very good even now them continue stick perfect and the RGS ones peeled just a year later .

Edited July 14, 2008 by darkrebellion

[AFOL SF]

When I first started buying/collecting Lego sets in the early 90s, I would use the stickers - place them where it belongs. By late 90s and early 2000s, I stopped doing that because them stickers seems to peel easily, especially if the model is left in direct sunlight. But now I'm back to using the stickers again as it adds more realism to the set.

[legotrainfan]

Either I don't use the stickers at all or I only use some of them. I only put some of the stickers on my 4512. They won't keep in place forever, so why using them anyway. On the other hand, some models simply look better when you use the stickers. This is tue for the Santa Fe engine, for instance, but I have bought 2 additional stickers sheets for 10020 in case the stickers don't keep on the model anymore. So I have some fresh stickers within grasp. And I also struggly to put stickers correctly on the model. My hands are never calm enough to do that with ease.

[The Cobra]

Since I'm not into MOCing (except on LDD), I use all of them stickers.

[MoonCheese]

As a kid I'd always put the stickers on, but now many of them are ugly and peeling off (particularly the ones that were originally affixed to more than one brick).

[F0NIX]

Since I'm mostly into moc's I like the stickers since I can either take them off after use or I can choose not to use them at all. I always build new sets once, and if the stickers are nice I use them once, take a few picture and then the model is taken apart and sorted. But just in the last years I am able to take off the stickers after use and put them back on their sticker-sheet. Well, sometimes I just throw them away after use, I know some here does not like that at all

I even trow away building instructions if I have duplicates.... but I NEVER trow away LEGO bricks, even if I have duplicates

Edited July 14, 2008 by F0NIX

[CP5670]

As far as MOCs go, I find many stickers to be quite useful, especially generic, multipurpose stickers like license plates, numbers or control panels. The Cosmic Enforcer model in my Brickshelf account uses several tiles with computer panel stickers from the Technic 8839 Supply Ship. I'm also using an unused mirror sticker from the 8458 set (supposed to be for the alternate model) as a large overhead screen in my current project.

The best I could find was here.

Thanks, that has some useful information. I'll try getting their 5 pack of decals and see if I can get my printer to produce anything good with it.

[bamaker]

I've been purchasing LEGO for nearly ten years and I have yet to place a sticker on any LEGO brick. I usually put together each set, placing the sticker sheet just inside the front cover of the instruction booklet. There it stays ... forever. I do not want the hassle of having to square & place a sticker onto the bricks so I just ignore the sticker sheets. Some folks may think this results in a bare looking model, but I'm able to overlook items like blank control panels.

(I just bought the Agents Mobile Command Center, and I'm hoping that the control center doesn't look too blank once it's finished.)

[Norro]

I only put on a sticker when it covers a common piece and I really like the sticker. That's pretty much it. I do keep the stickers I don't use though. In case I ever want to use them elsewhere...

God Bless,

Nathan

[Erdbeereis]

I put the sticker on only if its a piece that I know I probably can find easily somewhere else and if I think it improves the look of the set.

Otherwise I leave them off. Although some stickers can be very useful, for example I used a sticker behind a window pane to make a T.V. for my new house that I built.

[Hewman]

Although I'm not a fan of stickers at all, I always stick them on, but what I do is make sure I buy a spare set for a few years down the track when they inevitable go a bit ordinary. You'd be surprised how cheap and plentiful most sticker sheets on bricklink are if you buy them not long after the set comes out.

[Svelte]

Although I'm not a fan of stickers at all, I always stick them on, but what I do is make sure I buy a spare set for a few years down the track when they inevitable go a bit ordinary. You'd be surprised how cheap and plentiful most sticker sheets on bricklink are if you buy them not long after the set comes out.

Good idea. I've done that too. The other thing people do is scan them 1:1 so if need be, they can print them off later.

To answer the topic question, I usually apply them if I think they (a) add to the set (b) I'm not planning to use that piece in something else. Eg I usually don't bother with Mars Mission sets, but I put all the stickers on Town Plan because they added an extra level of detail to the set, especially the cinema.

I hate stickers over cockpit pieces though, and never apply them there if I can help it.

It would also be nice to if an extra sticker sheet came with the new Republic Gunship, which included the panel detailing at the front of the ship, but without the awful monkey-thing all over it That's just me, though.

[Section8]

I sticker everything that makes the set look better. Up until recently, this has been every set I own (I have a lot of town sets so a lot of stickers!). I have yet to sticker the newest city cement truck, as I could find uses for those large blue parts. Most of my stickers are in decent shape, although they rarely saw direct sunlight and I was careful to separate the stickered pieces when mixing and storing sets. The sticker that I have that is in the worst shape is on on the side of the 4011 Cabin Cruiser which I used to put in water. Oddly, my 4010 Police Boat still has its stickers in good shape. I think application of stickers over multiple parts or curved parts is not conductive to sticker preservation.

[Cardinal Brick]

I like stickers, I always apply them to models which will remain built and most of the other ones. I was thought about putting some extra covering on them but if you store them properly and are careful it shouldn't get to tatty.

[iamded]

If I want to keep the model intact, the sticker's go on. If I want the parts only, the stickers don't go on. Simple as that.

~Peace