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Sticking around

’80s fad returns — with a postal twist

EverythingSmells mails stickers like these to subscribers each month.

Remember the sticker craze of the 1980s?

It’s back.

Collecting stickers has seen a revival during the coronavirus pandemic — except this time, companies are using the mail to satisfy collectors’ cravings.

“At the beginning of the pandemic, people at home were feeling generally nostalgic for items sparking happiness — like stickers from their childhood — and also looking for a means of entertainment for kids at home,” said Danielle Riniker, owner of EverythingSmells.com, an online retailer that sells scratch-and-sniff and other retro-style stickers.

Social media is helping to foster the sticker boom.

Facebook is home to groups like Sticker Trading Society, while more than 800,000 Instagram posts are tagged with #stickeraddict and similar terms.

Meanwhile, several online businesses — including EverythingSmells — offer sticker subscription services.

For $15.99 a month, EverythingSmells subscribers receive nine full sheets of scratch-and-sniff stickers, plus one jumbo scented sticker. (New subscribers receive a vintage skunk sticker, too.)

Riniker said her typical customer is someone who grew up in the 1980s and is reliving their love of collecting — and sharing — stickers with others.

“Parents buying for their kids often buy two of everything — one for their kids and one for themselves,” she said.

The company, which began in 2003, experienced record sales last year — which means it’s shipping more stickers than ever to customers, according to Riniker.

“It’s really worked out. I choose USPS. No one can beat USPS rates for small businesses,” she said.