My collection of stickers has lately become somewhat proliferous thanks to sources such as the magic of mail order, a local artsy shop in my dad's hometown, and an anime convention I recently attended. Not to mention earlier sources such as my Splatoon 3 pre-order*, my sister, and an anime convention I attended five years ago.
As implied by the latterest list item, I don't get around to using stickers all too much. The trouble with them, as you can imagine, is that once you've stuck them somewhere, they're stuck there. They go from sticker to stuck; from sticker to sticked. It's a real stick in the mud, really, since on account of this you've got to be real careful where you stick 'em up. (Or down. Or goodness forbid** accidentally upside down...)
They're single use items! What if I need them for the boss fight? Metaphorically, of course. If I were fighting my boss I'd have to use something a lot heftier than a sticker collection to stand a fighting chance. But I actually really like my current boss so I wouldn't want to fight him in the first place anyway, let alone risk damaging a perfectly good sticker collection in the process.
Back on topic: I find that adhesive-induced apprehension is especially prevalent when the stickers you've got were hard to come by or mildly expensive, as is usually the case with stickers sold by independent artists. I'm no economist so for all I know, among these artists, there's some global sticker-price-inflation conspiracy going on, but I like the artists I like enough to give them the benefit of the doubt.
And other complications can up the rarity of one's stickers as well. Conventions only happen every so often and often come with an admission fee to boot, Splatoon 3 will only ever release once, and so far my sister coming across a nifty supply of Kiki's Delivery Service stickers has been a one-time event as well.
Sure, there are stickers that are easy to come by, such as those purchasable at the dollar store, but how is your average internet user expected to care about things if their design does not feature some anime girl? Asking for a friend. I am asking that rhetorical question for a friend.
Back on topic II: Electric Boogaloo: Of course, there are solutions to the overlying issue of overlaying these stickers. One such solution was suggested to me by the nice lady running that artsy shop in my dad's hometown. She pointed out to me that some people purchase transparent phone cases and simply display stickers within, without the need to use and use up a sticker's stickiness.
A clever solution but unfortunately inapplicable to me on account of my not owning a cell phone. There's always my laptop, but buying for that a clear case for the sole sake of sticker storage would be somewhat inconvenient. And going down my list of personal electronics (Which I own on account of my immense wealth. I also happen to own a yaught*** and Uranian real estate as well.), my 3DS was already long ago decorated with dollar store stickers, and my Switch is that fancy one with the Splatoon 3 design, which I don't quite want to cover up. Ironically, said design is that of Splatoon 3's in-game stickers plastered over the thing, thus fake stickers deter the real. I'm sure that's profound if thought about at length.
I hear – actually I read it in a manga once but I'm going to pretend I was out and about in the outside world and overheard a pertinent conversation, and you will believe me – that some people have stickerbooks filled with that sort of paper you can stick and unstick stickers from. But now that I think about it, prior to hearing – yes, hearing – that, I'd always thought "stickerbook" specifically referred to a book filled with stickers that you would take out of the book.
How odd that the term could also refer to a book originally devoid of stickers whose void you rectify. A quick internet search – which is code for "took a step outside for fresh air and overheard the conversation of some passerby" – as I type this unearthed the more precise term "sticker album." But an album is generally a book so stickerbook works too, unless your sticker album is digitized... Of course, digital stickers for the sake of text messaging exist, but that's hardly a pertinent point, so I'm going to tune out the passerby now passing by who seem to be talking on that topic.
Hearing of which, what was I talking about again?
You know, now that I consider it, there's a case to be made for the clear-cased-laptop course of action. When I began writing this, I actually didn't know those clear laptop cases existed and was going to make another "I just did a quick internet search" remark in regards to that, but decided against it as I've already made such a remark a number of times.
And now I consider the clear case again (reconsider it, if you will) and ask: Wouldn't all the stickers just fall to the bottom? Nevermind that plan then. I'd prefer my stickers stick.
And I think that's all I've got to say. Feel free to claim you heard this rambled by some chap in the booth behind you at the local diner, if only to avoid advertising my blog.
In any case, thanks for sticking around to the end of this post. It was a long one and somewhat pointless, but perhaps something stuck with you. Me personally? I kind of wish I spent this time playing computer games or continuing with my Lucky Star rewatch.
This is Not Billison, who did not admit to endeavouring a Lucky Star rewatch, letting you go on account of not carrying an incapacitating weapon more effective than a sticker collection, which isn't all too effective to begin with.
Epilogue: Once I get around to it, this sentence may provide a link to an image collection depicting my sticker collection. I felt that would be a sensical thing to insert somewhere here, and it's not half bad a collection if I do say so myself.
*I suppose this information could be used to narrow down my location. So if I'm gonna say anything, Imma say I was jealous of the cooler pre-order bonuses they got over in the UK... But now I've done a quick internet search to see what exactly they were and apparently they were keyrings? Well, now I'm reconsidering my stance. The stickers might be superior. Take that UK! Oh, but I don't mean you, Urkle Konrad. You're a good kid.
**Not "God forbid" since I'm sure that God has more important things to forbid than upside-down stickers, such as murder.
***Just because I own one does not mean I can spell one.