I was just going to share a little tip I have. I'm okay with stickers, but would like printed pieces back. Anyways, until we get printed pieces again, we'll just have to deal with stickers. So, I do not apply them to sets, but use them in my MOCs when I need them. after I use the sticker and am done with it, I put it in my sticker book. You can get them at a dollar store I think. The ones with the special paper so you can take the stickers off and re-use them. This way, the stickers at least don't go to waste. You can re-use 'em a couple times. Any one else have any tips on dealing with stickers?

That is an excellent idea! I dont think we will ever see the return of all printed parts unfortunately.

Yea, but stickers can be applied to different things making them actually more useful!

I've made it a habit recently to not apply the stickers to sets, so that they stay in prime condition and I can use the bricks for normal purposes.

Although I haven't done it yet, if I really want to use the stickers in the future (like the Town Plan movie poster stickers), I can scan the sticker sheet and print of a new set of stickers for use on my MOCs.

Printed parts look more cool, but stickers aren't bad in my opinion, except when they go over multiple pieces.

I wish someone would one day create a small website or forum page dedicated to Lego stickers, where Lego fans would upload scans of stickers found in old Lego sets.

I agree with the earlier comment - I actually don't mind stickers, except when they go over multiple pieces - I HATE that. Makes it hard to properly deconstruct sets and sort the pieces properly. Horrible.

It would be an excellent idea for someone to set up a website hosting (good quality) scans of sticker sheets. People could then print the scans off onto sticker paper and use the stickers on their MOCs or if they want to make an authentic set out of existing pieces.

Dr. D.

Edited March 23, 200915 yr by drdavewatford

I like stickers, because I decide where to put it! Creativity on!

But I hate (like others), when stickers go over multiple pieces...

Edited March 23, 200915 yr by Lordofdragonss

My main problem with them is with age they go horrible and can peel at the edges on the bricks, even without much use.

whereas printed parts from the same era remain in much better condition. They also look much more professional and are a premium product.

I can understand some stickers, but we seem to get far too many currently. Maybe they should just get them printed in china if its too costly or they dont have enough machines in Europe.

I apply my stickers then put the spares in a box with other spares. If I ever peel them off (and recently they have become very long lived) if they come off nicely I stick them in a sticker book so I can reuse them.

I would like a few more printed parts, but by and large, I'm not opposed to having stickers. Much of the time it adds extra flair to sets, and the alternative would simply be no stickers rather than printed parts.

I usually apply all the stickers, but occasionally I don't for parts I don't otherwise have, and when I have duplicates of a set or have bought a set for parts. Even then I may apply some stickers - the Grand Prix Speed Racer set I got on sale I applied most stickers except TV screen and advertising - the latter I might apply later if I have surplus 1x2x5 white columns.

I put my stickered parts in the same sorting bin/tub as my printed parts and use them in the same way. Almost all offer possibilities for custom usage.

I do not like stickers over assemblies, but I still apply them and just keep the assembly complete (e.g. for the police station stickers over two 1x2x5 columns, I store them held together with 1x4 plates top and bottom).

I think the main reason lego doesn't print as many parts nowadays is because they only want to spend extra money to print things on parts they plan on reusing again. A lot of the stickers on my sets are batman and mars mission sets so my idea seems pretty correct. Like when batman and mars mission ended they had no use for big batman logos or mars mission stickers and I think lego knew that. After Batman ended there was no need for batman things anymore so if lego printed them it would be a loss of money on their part, but of course computers and other things we see a lot in different sets so printing them was A-ok in the Lego money budget. This is just my theory and even if printing and stickers cost the same (which I don't think they do but I could be wrong) it's much faster to just hand us a darned sticker sheet and scream "STICKIFY YOU LEGO BUYING BRAT!" then it is to print things on a piece you'll only see once. I actually love stickers in a way because even if they are a pain to put on the parts at least they are easily removed so we can use them again. For example isn't a new part in a set more useful if it isn't printed on? That way we can remove the sticker if we want to use it in something else whereas with printed parts we would be stuck with a big KRABBY PATTY sign on a cool new part which is pretty much useless.

It would be an excellent idea for someone to set up a website hosting (good quality) scans of sticker sheets. People could then print the scans off onto sticker paper and use the stickers on their MOCs or if they want to make an authentic set out of existing pieces.

The Brickfactory site has scans of stickers for many sets, in addition to the instructions.

I think the main reason lego doesn't print as many parts nowadays is because they only want to spend extra money to print things on parts they plan on reusing again. A lot of the stickers on my sets are batman and mars mission sets so my idea seems pretty correct. Like when batman and mars mission ended they had no use for big batman logos or mars mission stickers and I think lego knew that. After Batman ended there was no need for batman things anymore so if lego printed them it would be a loss of money on their part, but of course computers and other things we see a lot in different sets so printing them was A-ok in the Lego money budget.

The printing is one of many places where TLG's overall philosophy has changed to some extent in the last few years. They are all about cost cutting these days on the manufacturing side of things, instead of maximum quality at any cost as once used to be the case. If you go back even four or five years, there were a lot more printed parts (especially pieces that were unique to a set) than there are today.

I always prefer printing unless the base piece is something rare, but stickers are generally okay with me as long as they are printed on transparent paper (which is more resistant to long term damage) and don't span multiple parts. The only thing is that it can take a few minutes to align them perfectly.

Edited March 24, 200915 yr by CP5670

I like stickers, because I decide where to put it! Creativity on!

But I hate (like others), when stickers go over multiple pieces...

Same for me. I rarely put any (or all) stickers on a set when I get it, unless it's something I can use a lot, like a sign. Sometimes I will use the Lego stickers on pieces other than what they're meant to go on, so long as I know I will be OK with it.

I keep all my sticker sheets!

:skull:

My main problem with them is with age they go horrible and can peel at the edges on the bricks, even without much use.

That would however cease to be a problem if you could just open a website, browse the database, download any sticker ever made in Lego sets, and print it on a sticker paper with your home printer.

It would be fan-base website where everyone with a scanner and the original sticker sheet would upload its image, so it would certainly be free. There shouldn't be problems with copyrights since Lego makes a profit for selling bricks and not stickers, but this could be sorted out by communicating with TLG.

It's not nice at all that I am just hoping someone else will do it... I should do it myself, but unfortunately I barely have the spare time to build something nowadays, much less to open up a website+database.

-----------------------------------------

Two more personal notes from me:

1) I absolutely prefer stickers printed on a transparent sheet, so that you could use them on bricks of different colours for a different effect.

2) I dislike stickers on minifigs (but would use them to create my own custom torsos).

BTW, there is a video documentary on YouTube about Lego factories and producing bricks, in which it is said that brick decoration is a definitely more expensive process compared to brick molding. I don't know how much a decorated brick costs compared to a plain-coloured brick, but the difference much be significative enough if TLG prefers stickers. And at this point, I am glad they do...

Edited March 24, 200915 yr by Legoist

Oh my gosh i hate stickers so much!! especially white ones. i once bought a soccer set that had these advertisements all around the field(they were beautiful stickers when first applied), but because all but the Adidas(sports acc. company) advertisement were white backgrounds, they all pealed right off and got crusty after dust set on them.

the most recent A-wing set(not the one in the home one calimari set) just started peeling a little while ago. i had to remove the brick, pick at it until it came all the way off then wash it in the sink, and use a soft shirt(so it would scratch at the plastic)!! i absolutley hate stickers. if lego ever starts stickering our minifigs i will stop collecting lego.

WE WANT PRINTS BACK LEGO PLEASE WE BEG OF YOU!

if lego ever starts stickering our minifigs i will stop collecting lego.

Agreed, sorta. I will just buy old minifigs, and creator sets. But seriously, stickering the minifigs in Space Skulls and Star Justice is as far as I want it to go with minifigs. Besides, they only did that with those sets because they were limited edition Factory sets, and in my opinion, just parts sets. So I don't think we have to worry about stickers on minifigs.

Stickers are alright. While printed parts definitely look better, bricks that come with stickers can be regular bricks if you choose not to apply the sticker. Allowing parts to be reused for other things.

I'm a set purest so I just apply them and leave them on. I agree that printed pieces are the way to go, but I'm sure it comes down to cost most of the time. It's just something we'll have to get used to