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Spotlight On: Eastern Sierra Stickers ‘N’ Stuff

TM RushNovember 19, 2024

1,632 4 minutes read

Spotlight On: Eastern Sierra Stickers ‘N’ Stuff

As part of our ongoing series, we are interviewing people of interest in the area who are having a positive impact on our community.

This time, we reached out to Mike Foley from Eastern Sierra Stickers ‘N’ Stuff!

What inspired you to start Eastern Sierra Stickers ‘N’ Stuff and how did you end up in Lone Pine?

We started Eastern Sierra Stickers ‘N’ Stuff because there was an obvious need and demand for a good variety of stickers in the shops throughout this region. In all of our travels, we collected stickers from the various places we’ve been and noticed that a lot of other travelers were doing the same. Stickers are a great and inexpensive way to commemorate that 14er you summited or favorite campground or river you fished, trail you hiked. People love stickers! So we eventually bought a large format printer and created a bunch of cool sticker designs during the Covid lockdown era. Today, we are supplying shops up & down 395 with the coolest stickers this side of the Sierra and they’re selling like vinyl hotcakes! One day, after years of remote off the grid living down in Death Valley we decided it was time to move to the big city. And so here we are right at home in Lone Pine, California.

What types of products do you offer, and what makes them unique?

We have stickers for everyone and there are hundreds to choose from. Our sticker designs put out good vibes, kind of a retro feel. But what makes them unique isn’t just the artwork or the bright colors. It’s the locations that make them stick out. We create designs of Eastern Sierra hot spots as well as lots of not so known off the beaten path locations that our competitors won’t make. In our shop, we have the opportunity to talk directly to hikers, travelers, campers, off-roaders. People from all walks of life who love stickers and the Eastern Sierra. They tell us exactly what they want, what they would like to see in sticker designs and we make ’em. And that is a big part of what makes our products unique.

What are some of your best-selling stickers or items, and what makes them popular?

Our stickers are available in stores from Pearsonville along southern 395 clear on up into the Tahoe region. We have a variety of best sellers that sell best in particular locations. For example: here in Lone Pine, it is certain Mount Whitney and Alabama Hills stickers that usually sell best. We have a ton of designs that represent various sections of the Eastern Sierra which are for sale in stores in those sections. Each shop has its own top selling stickers. But overall, it is our 395 sign border with a colorful Sierra landscape inside that sells best. It seems to be the vibrant colors, hand drawn artwork and big batch of recognizable Eastern Sierra scenes that make our stickers so popular.

How has your business evolved since it first opened?

It was simply just a spark of an idea down in Death Valley years back. In the beginning, there were a couple of cartoon characters and an idea of National Park coloring books. Eventually we migrated up into Keeler, across the street from its sister ghost town Cerro Gordo and created those books. They’re available at the Furnace Creek General Store and at Panamint Springs Resort. Soon after, books evolved into stickers with a side business in vinyl printing here in Lone Pine. We started this venture from scratch in a shack back in ’19 with a small printer, scissors, a handful of designs and two LP stores to sell them. Then Covid reared its ugly head and business ground to a halt. So, during that down time we developed more sticker designs, drafted a business plan, acquired a commercial printer/cutter and came out the other side of the Covid era ready to roll. Then we sprouted into one of the fastest growing small businesses in this neck of the Eastern Sierra woods and the evolution continues. I can’t wait to see what’s next.

Can you share any memorable customer stories or experiences?

Living in a ramshackle old house out in Keeler, I was given my first paying graphic art gig since moving to California. Kathleen, former head of the Lone Pine Chamber of Commerce and long time LP local, stopped by our place early one morning. She praised the cartoons I drew tacked up on a cracked wall, gave two thumbs up for the coloring book art we were working on, became a fan of our stuff, and then took the cartoon I created for her and with a smile on her face, hit the road back to Lone Pine. She has been a huge supporter and mentor of Wild About Productions since before we started making stickers. She hooked us up with the shop we’re in today. We’ve met lots of great people in our shop and while on the road delivering stickers. Lots of memorable experiences and a million more to be had.