StickerYou’s Andrew Witkin On Top-Notch Stickers & Having The World’s Largest Sticker Store

Based in Toronto, Canada, StickerYou Inc. aims to provide the best platform in the world to create custom products that make what matters “stick.” The company produces high-quality custom stickers, labels, decals, iron-ons, temporary tattoos and more. But the kicker is that StickerYou has proprietary die-cut technology to help you create and order your products exactly as you need them in any quantity — as little as one individual item — in any size and shape you may ever need.

StickerYou was founded in 2008 by Andrew Witkin, who was inspired during a walk on Los Angeles’ Manhattan Beach when he noticed how stickers played a huge role in the local scene and culture but realized how expensive it was for individuals to create awesome die-cut stickers themselves. I had the pleasure of doing Q&A with Witkin himself about the past, present and future of StickerYou.

More on StickerYou can be found online by visiting www.stickeryou.com.

How and when did you first really become aware of stickers? Was it through punk or underground culture?

Andrew Witkin: It was actually L.A. sticker culture that made me aware of stickers and the huge potential they have for expression of any kind. I was on a business trip to LA, and took some time to wander around Manhattan Beach. That’s when I saw them — they were everywhere. On benches, doors, walls. On skateboards and on vehicles. Stickers were such a visceral presence, it was really striking.

The sticker art culture of L.A. really started with skateboard culture in the 1970s, when Dogtown Skates began producing art for boards and the scene really took off from there. When I returned to Toronto, I looked into customizing stickers and found that the prices were outrageous. That’s when the idea for StickerYou was born.

To you, what makes StickerYou’s wares better than other companies’ swag?

Andrew Witkin: Our stickers, labels and temporary tattoos are top-quality, and you can customize just one, or as many as you like. This might not seem like a big deal, but in the industry there are always minimum orders, so the ability to order just one of something is truly unique. You can use your own art and images, upload them to our stickermaker, add text, change the size, customize them and then we print them for you.

When in the process of starting StickerYou did you come up with the idea of being the world’s largest sticker retail store?

Andrew Witkin: We came up with the idea in 2018, after a few years of running StickerYou as an e-comm company. We wanted to have a retail space where we could show people the vast creative potential of stickers and how they can help them reach their goals, whether they be personal expression or business. We wanted to create something unique that people would love and would be inspired by. And that’s how “the World’s Largest Sticker Store” began.

Can anyone just come into your store? It’s not appointment-only?

Andrew Witkin: Anyone and everyone is welcome at the store! We’ve designed it so that there is something for everyone. We have ready-made stickers for sale created by artists around the world through our artists’ program, we have a custom experience center where we show people the myriad uses of stickers and the science behind the stick, and a permanent sticker history museum and art exhibition that has sticker art from artists like Shepard Fairey of Obey Giant and Matthew Hoffman, who created the “You Are Beautiful” campaign, along with thousands of handmade stickers from artists around the world.

Any exclusives or different offerings for someone who comes into the store?

Andrew Witkin: We’ve always got something going on for people who come into the store — you’ll have to come in to find out what it is!

Any famous clients of StickerYou you can publicly brag about?

Andrew Witkin: In addition to the incredible sticker designs we process for our customers, we’ve collaborated with Frankie Grande and Fifth and Ninth for swag that Frankie designed for a party in New York City, and have also worked with the San Francisco Opera for stickers for an activation for their production of Hansel and Gretel.

Is there a StickerYou accomplishment you are most proud of?

Andrew Witkin: There are many, but I think meeting a random person who mentions they know about StickerYou and loved getting their custom stickers from us is one of the most fulfilling moments that makes each day worth it!

What’s coming up for StickerYou in 2020?

Andrew Witkin: We have a new holographic die-cut sticker coming out very soon that is super-cool. The combination of a reflective surface along with design and die-cut vinyl can make for a sticker that really pops. From different angles you see slightly different hues.

When not busy with StickerYou, where does your free time usually go?

Andrew Witkin: When not spending time with my kids I would say hockey (I’m Canadian), hiking/biking (local or when part of traveling), music and reading are some of the bigger leisure pursuits.

What was the last concert you attended for fun?

Andrew Witkin: I went to Smashing Pumpkins in August in Toronto. That was a terrific show — I had not quite appreciated just how good a guitarist Billy Corgan is.

Finally, Andrew, any last words for the kids?

Andrew Witkin: Keep it authentic — it’s what makes everyone unique.

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Tags: Andrew Witkin, Billy Corgan, Canada, DIY, smashing pumpkins, Stickers, StickerYou, Toronto

About the Author

Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."