The Art of Displaying Decals

In the recent post about Doug Hanson’s sweet custom el Tigre, reader Auggie commented on the decals affixed to Doug’s tool cab.

That got me thinking about decals and the places that some of us place them.

The decals we have and/or display are a glimpse into our lives. They reflect our hobbies and ourselves. I love decals, especially those that are connected to the sports I love.

I’ve sort-of collected decals (and patches) since I was a kid and I have a pile of snowmobile, moto and bicycle-related ones that I prize greatly. But the problem with this collection is that it’s contained in a handful of file-folders, so I don’t look at them very often. Above are just a couple of those file-folders.

However there are a few exceptions… locations that have gotten plastered with extra decals over period of years and which now serve as something of a gallery. Like Doug and Auggie, one of my display galleries is a common shop surface: the old, extra refrigerator.

There’s no real rhyme or reason to the types of decals or the placement, especially once my kids started adding their own.

When I was a kid back in the 1980s I raced BMX bikes. This was my toolbox from that period. I love how the decals immediately take my mind back 30 years, with vivid recollections of the products from many of these companies.

Coolers are another nice display surface.

When left the employ of Snow Week & Snow Goer magazine back in 1991, the two things I brought home on my last day of work were my Rollodex and the garbage can from my office, the latter because it had a nice collection of decals. I still can’t get myself to dispose of the thing.

Still, I need to figure out a way to display all the other decals I’ve collected, because the ones in the file folders are the true gems. Maybe in poster-sized collections that hang on the wall like art? I’m sure my wife would love a few of those in the living room.

She’s already thrilled with the first prototype Y-pipe from the 800 H.O. engine that graces our kitchen area (it was donated by Arctic Cat to the SHOF raffle this year, for which I was the highest bidder).

Obviously I’m only one of thousands of people who display their decals on tool boxes, refrigerators and the like. Here’s Auggie’s tool chest.

Here’s Arctic Cat stylist Corey Friesen and the fridge in the corner of the Arctic Cat styling shop.

Kirk Hibbert could use a few more decals for his shop tool chest. I’ll be sure to add some more the next time I’m there.

If anyone wants to share a photo of their decal display, click on the “Contact Us” link at the bottom of this page and attach the image. I’ll add it to this story.

And if you want to add an ArcticInsider decal to your collection, send an email via the “Contact Us” along with your name and address. I’d be happy to send you the latest iteration.

Thanks for reading.

UPDATED with others’ submissions:

Above two images from Charlie Plueddeman, who I want to publicly thank for writing this comment above, “And if a sticker is too cool, I’m reluctant to stick it on anything. So it stays in the box.” and then proceeds to send me a photo of his computer featuring an ArcticInsider decal. Thanks, Charlie?!

Snow Goer feature editor Dave Wells submitted this shot of his file cabinet, noting: “Like most guys, I have most of my decals and patches stored away in a beer box and some plastic bags. However, I do have a very old (early 1970’s) Nero Arctic Cat letter pad cover that is decorated front and back with old sled racing decals including one with Gilles Villeneuve and a bunch of period Cat racing decals among others. I still use it at some snowmobile events. I’ve given the same treatment to a couple of clip boards that I also still use.

“I also have snowmobile-related magnets on my office file cabinet, which is another good display option.”

From s.t.i.c.s.9: “The first shot is of my Dad’s former basement refrigerator. 1958-2012 R.I.F.H. (rest in fridge heaven). My brother and I adorned it with stickers throughout the 70’s until about ’82. The door is now hanging in my brother’s garage.”

From s.t.i.c.s.9: “This is the toolbox lid in my garage. There is quite a collection of stickers and business cards that have accumulated over the years.”

From s.t.i.c.s.9: “Finally… my 30 year old creeper. It was refurbished last summer and I decorated it with some of my collection. This is NOT the preferred way to go about plastering an item with stickers. The legal method is to apply the various decals over an extended period of time, preferably several decades.”

From the Jeff & Jeremiah Johnson collection.

From the Jeff & Jeremiah Johnson collection.

Yet another beauty from Jeff and Jeremiah.

A special thanks to Ken Gardner, who sent me these awesome decals from the 1970s. Seriously, I love the humor that someone at Cat displayed with this concept.