To erase or not erase pencil mark in book that is the question?

Hi all
I bought a cookbook at a thrift shop and unfortunately this shop marked a page with the price, I think it is pencil.
Should I try to erase it or leave it as it is? I have never tried to do this before. Eventually I want to sell the book.
No rush, any input would be appreciated.
thanks!

 

Unless it was the original price of the book, I would be tempted to erase it.......especially if it's a lightly penciled mark.

But the book people will know best.

 

I wish thrift shops would stop doing that. If it were mine, yes, I'd lightly erase. In my experience... It will still be slightly visible, however.

Debora

 

I would erase as well, though I know some stores that practically carve the price into the book.

 

If keeping, I wouldn't mind the price staying there and wouldn't bother erasing. If selling, I would probably let the buyer decide. Be aware that I'm not a seller, though.

Sounds like you are not sure whether it is pencil or not. Be very careful if you try to remove it. You don't want to damage it.

 

Thank you all for your answers. I will take a better look at it in brighter light and see if I should or should not attempt it.
Thank you so much!

 

There are all kinds of erasers - some for very thin sheets of paper. Art supply stores will have them.

 

I bought this one recently Prismacolor Premier magic rub. Have not opened the pkg yet.
Thanks Kiko

 

At least they used pencil! It makes me crazy when thrifts mark things like pottery with a sharpie

 

Yep, me too.

 

As long as you have a good, nice and clean Art gum eraser, (unless someone knows of better!) I’d erase....try carefully, of course!!!

 

Thanks Aqui.

 

That was the comment that made me wonder whether it was pencil or not.

 

Pearls, I have always had such mixed feelings about this. Our thrift stores mark the corners of the book (inside or out) with red grease pencils! I've clipped the corner off from some of the books I'd acquired. When it's pencil, I've used the white Stafford brand plastic erasers and occasionally an art gum eraser.

Now I just try not to buy books anymore. I was a failure to "specialize" on any particular sort or line of book (like you've done with cookbooks), so I wound up with wayyy too many books overall, now donating some, and hope to donate more before the beginning of the year for the charitable tax write off.

 

I don't know if any of these ideas will work out, but there is sure a lot of them
HELP!! How to remove thrift store crayon markings, wax pencils, markers, etc??? | BoardGameGeek

 

That's a great fun read, however it seems they could be discussing paper on a board game cover with a slicker consistency than the inside page of a book. Not to say blotters and lighter fluid, etc won't work, I've used many substances with success. I've made a few worse too! And wound up garage sale-ing them!

 

Thank you for the link I will check it out.

 

I saw lots of straight paper ideas. I didn't post them because I have no way of validating them. I was trying to open up the idea that this is something that might be addressed. I would get a red grease pencil and try things on throw away pieces, if it was an constant issue for me.

 

Thanks everyone.

 

Our go-to eraser is the Staedtler Mars Plastic eraser - most effective with least abrasion. If the mark is on a corner of the page (as it usually is) you should make light strokes toward the edges, not back and forth, which can sometimes cause a wrinkle/tear in the paper if you are not careful. Even then, if the paper is fragile, you might pull off a bit of the corner.

If we intend to resell a book, we will usually attempt to remove previous prices (unless they are originally printed on the dust jacket or cover). Otherwise you get annoying customers who want to know why your price is $20 when the other price says $1.50.