Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Stickers from the '70s


I bought some bananas yesterday morning, and like most supermarket bananas, they had a grower's sticker on them. It occurred to me that I hadn't paid attention to banana stickers in years. When I was a kid and kept a journal, I used to save them. I liked the typography and the colors -- the graphic design.

I got out my old journals and found my banana stickers (above) from 1979. I still kinda dig that "Yes!" sticker. Such enthusiasm!










My childhood sticker appreciation didn't end with bananas, though. My brother gave me this fierce Halloween monster, which he bought in a sticker pack from Sherry's Hallmark, a card store in north Tampa. (Now long defunct.)


And of course I saved Cracker Jack stickers, like these from 1979.


Apparently I found this Artoo-Detoo sticker while cleaning my room in 1980. Maybe I should put it on eBay?

I never imagined when I used stickers to illustrate my journal that I'd be able to share them with the world electronically, 33 years later. (And you're thrilled too, I know.) For good measure, here's the banana sticker that started this nostalgic wandering through stickerland, from yesterday's bunch of bananas:


A worthy typographic design, I'd say!

5 comments:

Elizabeth said...

I can't believe you still have these! I, too, collected stickers back in the day -- my tiny monkey head sticker was so prized that I was "roughed up" on the playground when someone wanted it. Long story. I'll tell you some day! In the meantime, thanks for jiggling the long-term memory stuff -- your collection is awesome!

The Bug said...

Yes! We have no bananas - we have no bananas today! :)

mouse (aka kimy) said...

what fun....loved looking at the old stickers and also the glimpses of your handwriting - you had excellent penmanship steve!

Lynne said...

I kind of wanted to see what you wrote in the balloon blurb next to "Artoo Detoo's" mouth. :)
Love the banana stickers!

Steve Reed said...

Lynne: It was just a balloon of Artoo Detoo noises, like "beep, toot, pop."

Kim: I wish I still had excellent penmanship. My handwriting has gone to hell as an adult.

Bug: I never even thought of that! I bet that's where the name came from.

Elizabeth: OK, you now HAVE to tell that monkey head sticker story!