10. When Everyone Had a Sticker Collection
Whether it was sparkling or scratch-and-sniff, in primary school a sticker collection served as a status symbol. Lisa Frank liked you more the more stickers you had. Of course, let’s not overlook the trading whereby these objects became a literal currency, so much so that children would start whispering and negotiating to get their preferred sticker before the conclusion of the school day.
Should you have grown up in the 1990s or earlier, you most likely had a sticker collection. Stated otherwise, a massive binder loaded with glittering, dazzling stickers. These collections reflected our identities, interests, and social status in the complicated realm of childhood politics, not only mere decorations. Recall the excitement of removing a particularly rare or beautiful sticker, carefully determining where to put it on your album? The pain of deciding whether to store a sticker for something special or use it? Sticker collections taught us about value, scarcity, and trade—a course in economics. Children bartering for expensive Lisa Frank unicorns or holographic aliens turned the playground into a hive of activity. Not to mention the several types: puffable stickers, glitter stickers, scratch-and-sniff, and the much-needed teacher award stickers. Every one had worth and attraction. Gathering and arranging stickers also gave us lessons in aesthetics and classification. Some set their binders in order of color, others in terms of theme, producing little pieces of art. Although many people have replaced digital collections for real ones, nothing can quite match the tactile delight and pride of turning pages of well chosen stickers, each with unique memories and narrative.
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