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Hi everyone,
I have just started selling shoes (I found some Ferragamos on Christmas Eve at the thrift store!), and I need your expert advice on removing those pesky prices that the thrift stores mark on the shoes.I have done some research and am more confused now than before 🙂
Some people use Goo Gone. Some people say Goo Gone (or Goof off) is the devil and leaves marks.Some suggest Magic Erasers. And others say Magic Erasers ruin shoes because they are basically bleach.
Some people say to use a black marker and color in the price with a black box (I am not kidding).
Needless to say I am scared to try any of these, but would really like those pesky prices to be gone.
I really appreciate any advice you can give. I currently have black marker, silver marker, blue marker and red marker to contend with.
Happy Holidays everyone and Happy Selling 🙂
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I’ve used the magic eraser before and it works on leather soles and rubber. I didn’t find it to be overly harmful to the shoes. Just don’t rub too hard. My thrift uses a silver marker which is annoying, but I understand why it is done. I think you can try a few methods to see what you like and think works best. I doubt you will ever have a consensus on what to use.
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Hi,
I was just able to get a sticker off of a leather glove with this method:
I use packing tape to pull off the paper part of the sticker. I put the tape over the sticker and press really hard over the sticker area. Then pull the tape off, like a band aid, fast. Sometimes you have to do this several times to get most of the paper off.
Once I’ve gotten as much of the paper off as possible, then the glue is exposed. Old English lemon polish works for removing glue on most surfaces I’ve tried. Just put a little on a cotton ball and carefully scrub the glue area until it’s gone.
This didn’t leave a mark on the black glove but I agree with your idea of trying it out on other shoes first to make sure nothing bad happens.
This method also works great on electronics. I had a ton of sticker residue on my mac laptop before I sold it. Once I did the above method, it looked like a new computer.
This method is also cheaper than goo gone or magic eraser. I’ve had this same bottle of lemon oil for years.
Thanks for this forum and videos, it’s really helping me learn eBay!
Tracy
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I’ve used a number of methods. Most often, as long as the area of the sole that the marks are on aren’t worn, I find I’m able to use a very slightly damp cloth, and my thumbnail and slowly scratch/smudge the marks off.
I’ve also used a Sharpie. The secret here is to do little spots at a time. Mark over part of the existing mark, and try to wipe the Sharpie off while it’s still wet. Might take two or three attempts, but it seems to work in many cases.
My third and final method is generally used when the marks have been made on more worn/porus parts of the soles, and that’s just to black the area out neatly with a Sharpie. Not elegant, but it works.
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If it’s on the sole I have actually left it. Here’s my philosophy (I have a philosophy on used shoes?), if I’m buying super expensive shoes for a fraction of the retail price I don’t care if there’s a 4 on the sole. Magic Erasers are bleach? That just doesn’t seem right. But they are magic.
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Magic erasers are melamine foam, not bleach. It is effectively a 2000+ grit highly pliable sandpaper that can get into microgrooves. Magic Eraser is a miracle worker in the pinball restoration community – it allows you to restore vintage playfields that have horrible “swirl mark” damage. I also use them all the time to clean scuff marks off of toys I sell on ebay.
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Thanks everyone for your help!
I feel much better about the Magic Erasers now. I was always told that they were made of bleach but apparently not 🙂
I use them to clean my bathtubs and it does a great job.
I will test it out on some shoes today and see how it goes.Thanks again everyone!
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Yes they are man made abrasive piece of melamine foam. But not completely chemical free because of the formula that is used to actually make the resin into a softer material. melamine is also what is used for the “plastic counter top laminate material” and also some dinner ware as in “Melamine Non=Breakable plastic plates”.
But in any case below is a more detailed look at “Magic Erasers” and how they are made in sort of layman’s terms.
Grease splatters in the kitchen, crayon streaks on the freshly painted wall, scummy rings in the bathtub—these fouls are powerless against the cleaning strength of Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Since hitting the market more than a decade ago, the erasers have rounded up a consumer base that swears by the magic. But the secret behind the material that makes up the scrubbers, melamine foam—the same stuff that’s widely used as an acoustic insulator in recording studios—is less magic and more simple chemistry.
Melamine
On its own, melamine is just an organic base in the form of white crystals. But when combined with other compounds, it can transform into a plush foam—the Magic Eraser—with a sandpaper-like microscopic texture. You can use it to scrub off sticky dirt and scum from all kinds of surfaces; just avoid using it on delicate or glossy exteriors. Melamine’s high nitrogen content also makes it a useful flame retardant and fertilizer. In 2008, Chinese fraudsters used melamine to make milk and infant formula appear to have a higher protein content, killing six babies and making nearly 300,000 others sick. Two of the perpetrators were executed.
Formaldehyde
This stuff is best known as the smelly liquid that’s used to preserve dead animals for decades and possibly forever. By itself, formaldehyde can be dangerous and sometimes lethal—irritating the skin, corroding internal tissue, and even causing cancer. But if you mix it with melamine, the result is a tough resin in which those toxic effects are neutralized. High tensile strength makes the resin a suitable material for dinnerÂware and countertops. Force gas bubbles to form in the resin during the manufacturing process and you end up with Mr. Clean’s melamine foam.
Sodium Bisulfite
Alone, this stuff has antimicrobial properties; it’s excellent as a preservative for winemaking. Here, it can help boost resin production, but it’s best used sparingly—sulfite-modified foams are less stable and can emit formaldehyde under certain conditions.
Water
Procter & Gamble says the key to the Magic Eraser’s stain-fighting properties is in its “water-activated microscrubbers.” But there’s nothing water-activated about it—the eraser can be used dry as well as wet, with little difference in the result. Water likely makes it easier for dirt to cling to the eraser, though—the same way you might wet a paper towel before wiping down a wall or table.
We too use Magic Erasers to clean off certain stains and dirt but only on surfaces that don’t scratch. They will and do leave a “dulled” / scratched surface due to the abrasive nature. In the bathroom it is OK on ceramic tile or glass but be very careful on plastic, fiberglass and highly polished metal chromed surfaces.
I think I remember an old TV slogan..something like …. “Better Living Through Chemistry!”
Mike at MDC Galleries in Atlanta
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I wanted to share an update after using the magic eraser…
Success on removing marks!
Retro Treasures WV, you were right about the scratching. I used the magic eraser on a pair of worn Etienne Aigners and it took the leather off along with the marks on the sole. But the leather was already scuffed on the bottom so it kinda matches (silver lining) 🙂
The Ferragamos look brand spanking new tough! They have some sort of coating over the sole so the marks came right off. Yay!
Thanks to everyone for your advice!
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The problem is the thrift stores. On certain shoes soles you will not remove the mark without also taking color away from the sole. In other words, you can’t bring it back to the way it was before they marked on them. These stores should be using price stickers instead of markers that destroy the merchandise. Think about how the markings may reduce the value of the item before you purchase it.
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For price stickers, the Scotty Peeler really has been worth buying. I’m going to try the Magic Eraser, but in the past I’ve used rubbing alcohol for written prices with mixed results. I keep two bottles of black and nude (leather) colored nail polish to paint on the bottom if all else fails.
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