The rubbery stuff on guitar stands can react badly with the finish on your guitar. I've got a Strat that has suffered this fate after leaving the guitar on a stand for 6 months in a beach town. The mix of the rubber and the salt air just ate away at the body and neck finish. As a result, I started pulling that rubber crap off of my stands and draping a terry cloth towel or rag (clean, of course) over the places that contacted the guitar.
Nowadays, my wife sews little terry cloth "stand condoms" that I slide over the bare metal of the stand. Never travel without protection, boys!
