To sticker or not to sticker...

[Wolfboy]

I don't even have the original cases for any of my instruments - some disintegrated with road use and got upgraded to something stronger, others just weren't to my liking for one reason or another - so even if I were planning on ever selling any of the instruments, which I'm not, any resale value the original cases might add would be a moot point. (I've never quite understood the whole "original case" thing anyway, to be honest - a case is just a case as far as I'm concerned, not part of the instrument. The original case may be a nice piece of history, but a different one may offer better protection, and protecting the instrument's all I care about.)

Anyway, the case I have now for my Gibson A has a sticker from Full Moon Farm that says "Please forgive me, I was raised by wolves." People know it's mine.

[catmandu2]

I was raised by wolves.

Me too

[joni24]

... I've decided to cover the sides with autographs. So far I have Chris Thile, Sierra Hull, Ashby Frank, and Shawn Lane....

Hey, Justus, it was great meeting you at JV. That's an excellent idea to collect autographs on your case. Do you carry a special pen or marker for that purpose? My case is bumpy on the outside so I'm not sure how well signatures would show up, but now you've got me curious!

[D C Blood]

Three cases, none original or valuable as such. each has a "SON!!!!!!!" and a Mandolin Cafe sticker...

[Justus True Waldron]

For my case I just have black and red sharpies, and I alternate them every signature. My case is tweed though, so those colors show up really well (Marty Macica likes using tweed cases for his instruments because they stand out a little in the sea of black, I personally am a fan). If you have a black case all hope is not lost, however... being somewhat of a closet artist as well I have a lot of experience with writing on things and I think a fine tipped paint marker would work well for a case, rough or not. Silver might look nice on black but you can get pretty much any color from an art store... Finer would probably be better so you don't end up and a paint smudge by accident!

[bmac]

The best case for an expensive mandolin is one which looks like it fell off the back of a pickup truck into a pile of dog do-do.

A photographer friend of mine kept his very expensive still camera in a really ratty surplus army shoulder bag along with his half eaten sandwich. No self respecting thief would even want to touch it much less put his hand inside it.

Were I a thief I would look for a really sturdy, expensive lookihg case, thinking that if the case looked that strong and expensive,,, it must have something really valuable inside.

[journeybear]

There's a guy whose band van is painted to be a diaper service. No one is going to break into that!

[WaveRay]

When I got my 71 D-18, the case was stinky inside. So, I needed a new case until the original one aired out. (still hasn't after two years) The case I bought is cheap as a yugo and I thought the stickers would make it last longer. So far, so good.

I noticed my wife had a bunch of stickers out that she had in a drawer. The case to her new mandolin is smooth and glossy finished. I think she's thinking........

[Eddie Sheehy]

Stickers are great for covering Brand Names on cases like Michael Kelly, Gold Tone, Morgan Monroe, Fender when you have an $8,000 mandolin inside... probably better to leave them uncovered to deter thieves... j/k

[JLewis]

that sounds like trading mandolin futures. Might have something there ...

Exactly what I was thinking.

[Rodney Riley]

Welcome to the Cafe JLewis. Brought a girl back to Illinois when she graduated from Conroe High. She's still here Her folks and 2 sisters are still there in and around Conroe.

[Kheath]

JLewis welcome from your neighbor, we will have to get together.............Kevin