Sticker Planet celebrates 25 years with blowout bash
Sticker Planet, every child’s favorite sticker store in Los Angeles, located at The Original Farmers Market, celebrated its 25th anniversary in October with a festive celebration for the entire community.
Adults and children listened to 90’s music, devoured anniversary cake, created bookmarks and doorknob hangers, enjoyed ice cream and soda from Bennett’s Ice Cream, and entered drawings for sticker goodies and collectible sticker tins signed by sticker legend Andrea Grossman.
The nostalgic anniversary bash, which included donated items from their manufacturers, also served as a fundraiser for the Golden West Chapter of the ALS Association. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the items sold during the anniversary celebration went to the Golden West Chapter, in honor of Sticker Planet co-founder Bernie Kraft.
Twenty-five years is an impressive span for any business, let alone an unlikely one — a sticker store that specializes in sticker books, wall stickers, temporary tattoos, sticker grab bags and more.
“My parents were planning to open a rubber stamp store several decades ago, because that was the popular hobby at the time,” says Hilary Kraft, daughter of founders Bernie and Selma Kraft, who now co-runs the store with her brother, Richard. “They went to a trade show one day and saw Andrea Grossman’s booth. She had a bunch of rolls of stickers, and my dad was captivated by all of those rolls. He had a vision and decided to stock his rubber stamp store with rolls and rolls of stickers.”
Sure enough, the stickers outsold the rubber stamps, and Sticker Planet’s road to success was born.
Hilary and Richard now run the store after Bernie passed away in 2003 from ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Their mother, Selma, remains active in the store, creating personalized placemats and other items.
“We were drawn into the business by the fun and the pleasure people get from the store,” says Hilary. “We are a family of two generations serving customers for two generations.”
To stay current, Richard and Hilary attend dozens of trade shows each year and are always thinking of new ideas and products for the shelves. They update and rotate their inventory, adding laser cut stickers, 3D stickers, character-themed stickers and more.
“The coolest thing is that we get people coming into the store who shopped here as children, and they are now bringing their own children here,” says Richard.
In addition to children, daily store patrons include party planners, scrapbookers, and people who love to create their own Christmas cards and wedding or baby shower invitations.
“We get a nice combination of tourists as well as locals who pay weekly visits,” says Richard. “And this has always been the first place that children learn to budget. Their parents give them a specific amount of money, and it teaches them how to spend their money to make it go further.”
Twenty-five years in, and the little-store-that-could shows no signs of slowing down.
“I was in the store one day and a mother came in with her 4-year-old son,” remembers Hilary. “He looked around and said ‘this store just keeps getting newer and newer!’ That was the best!”
For more information about Sticker Planet or the ALS Association, go to stickerplanetla.com and webgw.alsa.org.
Category: People