What you get
DecalGirl.com offers decals for everything from cars to Nintendos. Their offerings include skins for iPod 3G, 4G, and mini, in addition to the new iPod shuffle skins. Each skin for the shuffle is composed of six pieces that cover the front, back, cap, and lanyard of the shuffle. They use a high quality adhesive-backed vinyl that is covered with a clear protective layer to increase durability. A patented adhesive is used that makes the stickers "repositionable, removable, and reusable." The skins are guaranteed not to fade, smudge, or smear. DecalGirl tells me that their skins can stay on indefinitely without leaving a residue. As I write this, they offer 23 designs to choose from and they sell for $2.99 from the DecalGirl web site. Enough of the boring stuff.

How are they?
You apply the skin simply by peeling it off the sheet and sticking onto your iPod. If you make a mistake, it's no big deal because you can easily peel it off and start again. I applied the same skin 4 times without any noticeable decrease in tackiness or wear and it never left any residue on my shuffle. Also, I never had to worry about catching air bubbles underneath it, it just didn't happen. You want to clean your shuffle first, of course, get all the french fry grease and wasabi stains off of it, so the decals can stick better.

The skin is made of a really nice material. It is very strong and yet surprisingly thin. It is very nearly tear-proof and looks like it would be water resistant as well. There is a "clear coat" on top of the first layer. This clear coat is a thin, clear layer on top of the primary color layer. The DecalGirl web site mentions that this clear layer adds a lot of durability to the skins and makes them extremely durable. I would believe that claim.

One drawback to using a skin for the shuffle is that it hides the status lights at the top of the unit. A hole would need to be made in the top piece in order to view the lights, and this would detract from aesthetics of skin design. If you really wanted to, I would think that a whole punch might be able to cut a neat hole if you so desired. But, the shuffle is certainly usable without seeing the lights so it's really a matter of taste.

In use
The only problem I experienced with these decals were slight inconsistencies in the cut edges.* One of the skins I received had a gap in the cut of about 1/8". Another skin had a slightly uneven cut along one edge. These are small flaws and can be easily rectified with the edge of scissors or a utility knife if necessary.

Due to the high quality of the material used, I think these skins would do a good job of protecting a shuffle from everyday scuffs and scratches. Let the skin take the abuse, and when it starts looking ratty or you get sick of looking at that design, simply replace it with a new one. For $3 you could buy one for every month (or week) and have something new and stylish to look at all the time. I'm quite pleased with the DecalGirl skins and I am impressed with their high quality. If this is your thing, I would recommend them. 4/5 stars.

The good: high quality vinyl material, durable, reusable, good selection of designs, inexpensive.
The not so good: Small cut line errors*, iPod status lights no longer viewable.

For more information:
DecalGirl.com

* Update: DecalGirl contacted me to say that the issue with the gap in the cut lines has been rectified. It was an equipment problem and only affected a small batch of skins. They will replace any affected skins if you contact them about the issue.