Flat Vending Gets Artsy In Original Sticker Series

TASTE:Albino Buffalo's limited edition stickers feature artwork from local artists. Sold through flat venders, the stickers typically sell out in a short period of time.

A modest grant from a local arts institution helped fund the project at the beginning, providing money to commission artwork from a half dozen local artists and pay a local printer. The vend price per sticker is 50¢, the going rate for commercial flat vendables. Artists share in the profits (about 25% of the retail price), and get a set of their stickers.

Knight has just two machines on location, one in Fargo and another in Bemidji, MN. Because sales have been strong, he says he's now looking to expand into three more cities in the upper Midwest. "The response has been really great," said Knight. "The last series sold 75% of the stickers in the first weekend, and on average, the machine with 1,000 stickers is sold out within a month."

The flat vending art concept is gaining traction with the general public and local artists, according to Knight.

Artwork, Knight explained, is changed out twice yearly with four series from 25 regional artists already released. To launch the fourth in the series, Knight hosted an art show that included displays of the original artwork, as well as the stickers.

This is not the first time unlikely media have been used by artists. The noted painter Jean-Michel Basquiat famously sold postcards with his artwork on the streets of New York City for a few dollars apiece. Today, his paintings fetch millions of dollars at auction.

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AWARD WINNING:Albino Buffalo's Jeff Knight (l.) and graphic designer Nathanial Navratil display ADDY advertising award they won for their work on the modified bulk vender.