Mrs. Grossman’s Paper Company

Found one of their flyers at the Charles Schulz museum last summer and decided to make a trip here on our stay-​cation. My sweet husband didn’t balk as he knew I love stickers. I am an avid vintage sticker collector and seller so I wanted to see how they came to be. Mrs. Grossman is one of the very few that have survived since the popularity in the 80’s. Scrapbooking in the 90’s has helped them survive as they are perfect for scenery vs. other stickers.
Anyway, I must say I was a little disappointed especially for the $ 7 fee per person. Reservations are required as it is quite small. There is a small store you can go and buy stickers if you want too. First you watch a 5 min video about their operations and quite frankly that was better than the tour itself. I wanted to really see it in action like you do at Jelly Belly factory but hardly anything was moving. We did get some free stickers along the way. Then you get a pack of stickers to make a scene in the store and the tour is done. The stickers in the pack made no sense to make a scene though… Fire engine and jelly beans? hmnn. Oh and it is really hot in the factory so dress cool.
I would have liked to to have seen a sticker being made from beginning to end but I did not. The highlight was the decades board of how the stickers have progressed. Being a collector, I will say Mrs. G’s stickers were poorly made and most of mine from the early 80’s have massive adhesive seepage and lifting off the backings with a tap. Prisms have changed as well and the «sparkle» paper they use is inferior to those of the past.
I am glad they have survived but nothing is like it used to be. For new kids its cool but for serious collectors like me, a disappointment.

I was unsure about this tour only because of some of the reviews I read about. Plus, the hubby kept saying, «We’re paying how much for a sticker tour?» I grew up only using these stickers when they only had the bear and heart, so I was really curious. The tour was $ 7/​adults and $ 5/​kids. We were taken into a room to see a short video and then toured the facility where photo taking is very limited. Our tour guide was 18, had just finished high school and he was exceptional! He really made the tour fun and thoroughly enjoyable. There were lots of stickers given out along the way which I liked. I mean, that’s why we’re here because we like their stickers.
It was also interesting to find out Mrs. Grossman’s son has now started making wine labels which are also made here under the name of Paragon Labels. So you get to see a little of how that’s done too.

Wonderful educational place to bring kids. Not only do they see how stickers are made but they get to take a few home also. Reservations are required for the factory tour, which is about an hour. It’s great to support local and women-​owned businesses!

This place is heaven for a scrapbooker, kid, card maker, etc! The tour is by reservation only Monday-​thursday and they explain the whole process from start to finish. You get free sheets of stickers on the tour and then at the end, they give out a little project bag. The store has a ton of sticker options for purchases, sales, and if you spend $ 30, they take $ 7 off. Its excellent. I love coming here on vacations to the state of CA!

Stopped here with family and really enjoyed the stickers. An employee allowed us to go into the factory to view the older stickers displayed on the wall even though we weren’t there for a tour. Wow, I remembered so many of the stickers from childhood and it was really kind of the employee to let us go inside. The stickers for sale in the «company store» were really fun and there were price ranges for everyone. I would definitely come back for a tour.

Stickers. Lots of them. These aren’t your typical kawaii stickers but pure Americana, scrapbooking, card making goodness. I grew up with the familiar stickers on a roll at a local stationary store as kid being very careful not to tear too many sheets because it will cost you!
This is the place where Mrs. Grossman stickers are created and stickers can be bought at the attach store. I took my two little girls there for a tour of their factory. TIP #1-​call to make reservations. If you don’t have one you can’t do the tour. TIP #2-​it smells like hair coloring products. High ammonia smell. Sensitive nose start mouth breathing! TIP #3– you get a lot of stickers throughout the tour. The tour in itself is informative and relatively short, especially good for two kids under 6. TIP #4– try to get your kid to help pass out stickers, they get an extra sheet as a treat! TIP #5– more stickers at the end of the tour! A baggie of stickers and scenery to get your creative juices flowing. TIP #6– get the «grab bag» which is really a box. For $ 3.99 you get $ 10 worth of stickers. OMG! You get A LOT of stickers! Just get those and leave! Last bit-​the tour is not free.
It was cool to see how it all began, where it is today and how it is made. My girls were happy, I’m happy.
(FYI-​written by my wife)

The tour at Mrs. Grossman’s is a trip down memory lane for anyone who, like me, was an avid sticker collector as a kid. The 50-​minute tour includes several stops at various areas in the factory where rolls and strips of stickers, many of which have been retired, are displayed.
You’ll learn about the various machines and processes that are required in the sticker-​making business. Explanations are thorough enough so that adults and big kids are actually learning something, but brief and fun enough that little ones won’t lose interest. Plus, you’ll receive generous sticker samples at each stop, and a whole bag of them at the very end to construct your own sticker art project.
Check out the Mrs. Grossman’s website for info on tour times and making reservations, which are required.

I really, really love the sticker factory! I’ve been on the tour easily 10 times. It is my FAVORITE factory tour! However, on a recent visit I was disappointed in the new sticker store. It was tiny, things were mis-​marked and in the wrong place and the selection was meager. I use to LOVE their sticker store, full of both new and discounted items. I felt so deflated as I walked around the tiny room (which was also relocated) searching for something interesting to buy. Also, the gal working the front desk seemed over worked and stressed out. I’m sure there is much more to her job than selling stickers, but be nice to me! Your stress isn’t my fault. I will think long and hard before returning… the nostalgia for me is gone.

MAKE RESERVATIONS for tour!!!
I am rating this with 3 stars because of my previous good experiences. This tour is high on my list. However, we’ve lived out of state for awhile and even after a 15 minute phone conversation prior to my visit… I was never told we needed reservations so we were turned away after making the long drive there. BUMMER. The cashier/​greeter was a little snide with a, «It’s ON our website and we published it in the paper.» (Nice, but CLEARLY I missed it or I wouldn’t be standing here with my disappointed kiddos.)
Anyway… if the tour is the same as it was years ago, it’s well worth the time. Just be SURE to make reservations, after all, it’s on their website AND in the paper. ;)

I will take my family here time and time again. This place is how businesses should be run. They are the only sticker factory in the USA that doesnt outsource printing. They employ locals, they keep their money in the USA, they recycle EVERYTHING and there are bargain stickers and FREE stickers when you take the factory tour.
It does smell strongly of chemicals, namely ammonia, so if youre sensitive, dont go. But WOWWEEEEE what a great bargain family activity!!! I love this place.

My girls love factory tours. They went to their first in Hawaii when my oldest was 3 and my youngest was 1. Last summer while we were touring the Jelly Belly Factory we heard about Mrs. Grossman’s Sticker Factory. My girls have asked me almost nonstop to go since they found out about it. So we went.
First off you need to know that reservations are required. There is a $ 3 cover price for anyone over 3.
The tour starts off with a free set of stickers (normally of Angus the «spokes dog», but they were out of them this trip) followed by a video. In my opinion the video was a tad long and having Angus the spokes dog narrate it was odd. The video was my only complaint. Once the video was over there was a short question and answer session. The prize for answering correctly was, of course, stickers!
Finally we got to go and see the production floor. On the way out the door we got more stickers. Unlike the Jelly Belly Factory, at Mrs. Grossman’s we got to walk down on the actual production floor. We got to see the dye machines, the laser cutter, the rollers, the quality check points, the storage area and the pigment room. Through out the tour there are many opportunities to get more stickers.
The tour ends with the opportunity to create a project with, yes more, stickers! After completing the projects we wandered around the Factory Store and selected all kinds of sticker paraphernalia! We even got my older daughter’s goody bag stuff for her birthday party in a couple of months.
Mr. Grossman’s Sticker Factory Tour was great! It was so worth the 2 hour and 45 min. drive. If I lived closer not only would we visit more often I would actually consider applying for a part time job. Bringing my Siberian Husky, Bela, to work with me would be fantastic!

I recently got into scrap booking and after spends 10’s of dollars on letter stickers at other stores, I decided I should run by Mrs Grossman’s to see what they have to offer.
Of course they had all sorts of letter stickers for like 50 cents a pack on the clearance kiosk. Figures!
Mrs Grossman’s has always been my favorite place for stickers. I like to take the kids I babysit for over there for their awesome little tour led by Angie, an amazing Mrs. Grossman’s employee who recognizes me every time I come and is always so incredibly friendly and helpful.
Plus, just hanging out in the store is cool too. You can pick your stickers off their rolls or just get the packs like you see in the stores.
I even got an old envelope filled with my Grandmother’s old scrapbooking stuff from Tennessee and you know what kind of stickers were in it? Mrs. Grossman’s! Stickers that were like 15 years old and still were sticky enough to use! Pretty cool how their stickers are all around the country!
Be sure to get reservations for the tour if you’re going when school is out, it gets crazy busy!!!
Also pick up one of their $ 2 grab bag boxes, you end up getting a big variety of stickers for a very low cost.

I used to purchase Mrs. Grossman’s stickers as a kid so going here for a field trip made the little kid in me excited! I iiked the tour, it’s real cool how you can see the history behind her company, check out the facilities and get a chance to get free stickers! Walking around I loved the fact some employees are allowed to bring their dogs! I haven’t gone to the warehouse sale, but from other Unilocalers seems to be something worth driving out for!

My 1^st sticker warehouse sale. Loved it. Got mostly rolls of stickers: $ 3/​roll. Stocked up for class projects, bday & Christmas goodie bags (for 80 children) Lots of sticker fans. Lines snaking everywhere. Effiecient system @ Mrs. Grossman’s; out in 30 minutes. Extremely pleased. Spent $ 65, saved $$.

Stickers galore! Especially the warehouse sticker sale. It was almost worth the wait in line… ok it was. It’s so crowded, you should get there early to get your pick of stickers.
If you don’t make the warehouse sale, the tour is a lot of fun for the whole family. My daughter even had a birthday party there. The perfect place to get your sticker fix.

I went here for the annual warehouse sticker sale! This is the one day a year that they put a bunch of their stickers on display on shelves in the warehouse, hand you a box, set you free, and charge $ 3 for rolls and .25-.75 for sheets of stickers.
Its pretty crazy inside and you do have to be slightly pushy to see and grab all that you want. We got there 45 mins after opening and didnt have to wait in line to get in, but do be prepared to wait for a long time to pay your bill.
Honestly, I was a little underwhelmed about the whole thing. But I know many others very overwhelmed. Ive been collecting and using Mrs Grossman’s stickers for years so I already owned many of the ones on sale. Additionally, I was just expecting more variety and more to dig through.
That being said I still had a good time and we bought $ 125 of stickers that is worth retail $ 500 easily. I did see a lot of new things and got a great deal.
After the sale we went up to the store and were able to peek into the other rooms that have every sicker ever designed on display in a time line design. We didn’t see Angus or his son Beau.
Join their newsletter on the website to find out when the next sale is.
I cant wait to go back and take the official tour and meet Angus and Beau.

Sorry Eric S that you feel so inclined to give this place 1 star… did you even go here? It’s the companies own business on what they spend their money on, and I’m all for gay marriage, but what ever. I think it would be great to get some custom stickers made from here that have NO ON 8 on them… that would be sweet…
I went on the tour with my friend, she mentioned it, i kinda scoffed at the idea of touring a sticker company, but now having gone, I want to work there. First of all, you get free stickers when you go on the tour (which is short and not that great) but there is a 20min video you watch first which is where you are introduced to ANGUS! He is like the best little video tour guide ever (i have a thing for dogs, check out my review of benson)! This place lets you bring your dogs to work with you. I was totally won over by that.
When you finish your tour they take you but upstairs and give you yet more stickers, this time, you can make a post card, and if you want, you can put it in the mail box for Angus. Mine was a unicorn pooping out butterflies, with a cat riding on the unicorn on a saddle, and a saddle on the car with a turtle riding it. It was pretty much the most amazing sticker post card ever.
The company sticker store has some great deals on retired stickers, unfortunately they were out of the classic muscle car stickers. So sad.
I definitely think this is a great place to bring kids… even if all the kids are over 21 years of age.

We missed the tour due to bad planning on our part. But the stickers are just great! I’ve never seen so many stickers any time. They also have ideas put up near sticker panels, which give great ideas on how and where to use these stickers.
Make it a point to go, if you are in the area.

When I was a tween I collected stickers. Had albums of them. Traded them. The sticker museum was cool because I saw many of the stickers I remember having in my album!
We had SO mcuh fun here! My almost 5 year old is already plotting her next trip here! She has been stickering EVERYTHING in sight since we went there!
We walked in & my daughter saw the sticker store, ran in and began jumping up and down. The store had to wait until the end, though.
So it costs $ 3 each, but they give you so many free stickers that it’s worth it. The tour begins with a video about how the company got started. The video is too long. Let’s face it, we don’t need to see the accounting department. The video does do a great job of describing how stickers are made so that when you tour the factory floor you know what you’re looking at.
The factory itself is very clean and not as loud as I expected, though the presses weren’t running when we were there (Friday) so that is probably different on other days. There is a strong amonia smell that gave me a bit of a headache. When we return I will probably avoid the press room & meet the tour in the recycling area to avoid the smell.
At the end of the tour everyone gets a postcard and bunches of stickers to put on it. We had lots of fun doing that and they are waiting to be mailed to grandparents. Afterwards everyone heads to the store because you get a $ 3 off coupon when you purchase the $ 3 tour ticket. So we bought stickers for our daughter’s birthday party, but the best deal were the grab bags! $ 1.95 for $ 10 worth of stickers!
We will go back. Not sure when. It’s a long drive from where we live, but I’m sure we can come up with some excuse to visit Petalum and then visit here again!

Mrs. Grossman’s factory is located up Northern CA. They used to offer free tours of their factory and at the end you get a bag of stickers. Now they charge $ 3/​person for everyone 3 years and up. This is still a great place to visit with kids during the summer. You get to see how stickers are made and they have a factory store.
I bought a grab bag full of stickers for $ 1.50 and it was filled with nice stickers (no crap like grab bags usually have). There’s also a discount table where you can browse. Otherwise, the majority of the stickers are regular priced.