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I had an interesting idea the other night and I've since been testing it out with good success.

PVA mold release.

People who do fiberglass or carbon fiber work may be familiar with this thin green liquid, but I haven't heard of anyone using it for 3D printing surface adhesion before. A thin layer, applied with a small brush dries very quickly to the glass plate, and ABS appears to stick well to it. I haven't tried it with a spray bottle yet, but that would make application even easier. Because it's applied in such a thin liquid layer, the end result is a very smooth finish on your final product.

But the real benefit to PVA mold release is the cleanup. It is water soluble, and cleans up very easily with a damp rag.

It's also a lot cheaper than glue stick. An 8-ounce bottle can be had for less than $10 and you will likely use very little of it with each print.

I was hoping that a few other people that might have PVA mold release on hand would be willing to test this out for themselves and tell me what you think...

Well, after a number of tests, I have to conclude that it isn't going to be a usable substitute. While it is easy to apply, and easy to cleanup, it definitely doesn't have the adhesion to do the really small jobs.

Oh well...

It's too bad it doesn't work as well as you'd hoped. But good on you for updating us about the results of your trials anyways.

I agree with Xenocrates, thanks for informing us about the outcome, it's how we all learn.

ABS juice for big and small parts ABS and PLA - works every time and very easy to clean.
I just spray a bit of water after it is cold down and all the ABS juice will pill up like a nylon.