Reading Jim's post regarding his opinions on how things should be has enlightened me a bit. I personally don't care for the exposed bar and clamp showing under the levers but I am definitely geared toward aesthetics. Jim is a real rider and so more into pure function, perhaps. Either approach is worthy, IMO.
I use Newbaum's now because of the 5 or 6 extra inches they provide, which makes covering the band clamp with a short piece of cloth easy, with still enough tape to fully wrap the bars.

I also find this issue regarding bike shop stickers interesting. A bike shop sticker would be one of the first things I would remove, and yet, I am interested in a bike's history too. I guess it depends on the sticker. Recently, in my smug indignation, I wrote to the Pro's Closet concerning a vintage Motobecane frame set they had on auction. There, on the seat tube, was a brand new "Pro's Closet" sticker. On a 35 year old frame. I told them I thought it was tacky. They wrote back to tell me "all bike shops do that". I suppose so, and I presume it is removable. But I think most bike shop stickers are merely advertising. I guess if I ran in to an early 60's bike with a sticker from Tommy Avenia's shop on it I might leave it. Some do have their classic charm.