If you walked into a hallmark, a local pharmacy, or a stationary shop back in the 1980s and 1990s, the Sandylion display the definition of childhood joy. If you were lucky to live in Canada or some parts of Latinamerica and Europe, you might have come across large acrylic displays that held massive wheels of stickers on continuous rolls. You would pull out the length you wanted, and the store clerk would cut them with scissors along the perforated lines into those perfect 2″ x 2″ squares, which collectors call “modules” or “mods.” And the best part? These weren’t only plain kromekote prints. They came in pearly, fuzzy, and prismatic varieties!
These stickers were made by Sandylion, a Canadian company founded in the 1980s that experimented with unique textures and finishes that made trading them in the schoolyard serious business. Because people kept the stickers on their backing, a massive secondary market still exists today. Adult collectors trade and sell individual vintage Sandylion mods on sites like Etsy and eBay, where rare 80s fuzzy or pearly squares can sell anywhere from $3 to upwards of $20 for a single square, depending on how rare the design is. Pets and rainbows tend to do quite well!
The Most Popular Vintage Sandylion Sticker Finishes
When it came to collecting Sandylion sticker sheets or squares, the texture and finish was everything. Collectors specifically hunted for these top tiers, which I will try my best to explain below. Basically, you had Kromekote stickers with no effects, and stickers with flocking, a pearlized layer, or a holographic finish.
Fuzzy Stickers (Flocked/Velour)
These felt like soft velvet or felt. They usually featured adorable animals like teddy bears, koalas, or little black cats. Petting the sticker in your sticker album (or your intact squares if that’s how you collected them) was half the fun! See all >
Pearl Stickers (Mother-of-Pearl / Opal)
These had a gorgeous, milky, iridescent sheen that shifted in the light. They didn’t have the harsh glare of foil; instead, they looked like polished seashells. The pearly unicorns, ballet slippers, sailboats, and pastel hearts were highly coveted. See all >
Prismatic Stickers (Sparkly)
These were the shiny, holographic ones that cracked the light into rainbows, often used for laser-style designs, frogs, and shooting stars. The effect became popular later, but Sandylion stickers were the first to do it right! And they were a sort of small revolution, if you ask me. See all >
Kromekote Stickers (Plain)
These were Sandylion’s standard glossy paper stickers. They were still cute, but definitely the “base layer” of a trading session compared to a rare fuzzy mod. Even though these stickers had no flashy effects, they are still highly collectible and beloved for their detail. See all >
Sandylion Sticker Sizes: Mod vd Maxi
MODS
Mod sticker sheets measure 2 x 2 inches. They are the smallest size available.
MAXIS
Maxi sticker sheets measure 2 x 2 inches. They are not as common as the mods.
All 80s and 90s Sandylion Stickers - A Complete List
If you have started collecting Sandylion stickers or want to identify one you had as a child, you might currently have some issues finding information. This is why I created the list below, which divides stickers into the four main groups I mentioned above. I’m only showing four of each on this page, though, so please use the buttons to see the full “inventory” of stickers for each kind.
Fuzzy Sandylion Stickers
Fuzzy Sandylion stickers had a layer of fuzz or flocking that made them quite a new and attractive option for sticker collectors. I remember spending ages touching these stickers, feeling the soft velvety surface. The effect doesn’t seem to have remained popular over the years, with “flocked” stickers now more of a retro niche product. Maybe the manufacturing process has something to do with it? See all >
Fuzzy Home Cats
Five homely looking cats. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Chickens
Four healthy chickens and two perfect eggs. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Monsters
Four very colorful friendly monsters. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Brown Koalas
Four brown koalas hugging and dancing. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Dalmatian Pups
Four probably related Dalmatian puppy dogs. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Gorillas
Five dark grey gorillas with black outlines. RARITY: Common.
Fuzzy Cats
Four white and bright pink cats with their tails happily up in the air. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Color Cats
Incredibly cute and colorful six kitties. RARITY: Very Rare.
Fuzzy Flamingos
Five adult flamingos chilling with a leg curved up in the hair. RARITY: Uncommon.
Fuzzy Butterflies
Four beautiful and colorful butterflies. RARITY: Common.
Fuzzy Unicorns
Two white unicorns with colorful hair and a castle. RARITY: Common.
Fuzzy Pandas
Four lovely black and white pandas, one holding a baby panda. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Sandylion Stickers
Pearly Sandylion stickers had a layer of iridescence that produced all sorts of effects when held to the light. It’s a bit hard to explain, but I have not seen this effect properly replicated in contemporary stickers, which leads me to believe Sandylion’s line of Pearlies is, if not completely original, definitely in the vanguard of sticker innovation! See all >
Pearly Jiraffes
Four colorful and dotted jiraffes. RARITY: Common.
Pearly Cats
Four solid-colored fluffy cats. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Baby Set
Accessories related to babies and toddlers. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Dalmatian Dogs
Four colorful and dotted Dalmatian dogs. RARITY: Common.
Pearly Balloons
Three colorful hot air balloons. RARITY: Common.
Pearly Horses
Four horses in realistic and pastel colors. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Koalas
Four colorful koalas in different body positions. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Whales
Four beautiful whales in shades of blue. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Skiing Dinos
Four colorful dinosaurs skiing down a hill. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Pigs
Five pigs (two of them babies) and a bucket of corn. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Sheep
Four brightly colored sheep, two jumping. RARITY: Uncommon.
Pearly Farm Animals
Many different farm animals. RARITY: Rare.
Prismatic (aka Sparkling) Sandylion Stickers
Prismatic Sandylion stickers were shiny and holographic. They are also a little bit difficult to explain, but imagine lots of tiny triangles that sparkled in the light. This effect was replicated in future sticker lines, so they are not considered too rare by collectors today. For example, many special foil cards replicate the effect, albeit with smaller diamonds. See all >
Prism Suns and Moons
Many suns, shooting stars, and moons. RARITY: Common.
Prism Hummingbirds
Five colorful hummingbirds in flight RARITY: Uncommon.
Prism Rainbows
Six differently sized rainbows, one with clouds. RARITY: Common.
Prism Frogs
Five spotted and very colorful frogs. RARITY: Uncommon.
Prism Cats
Five pink, silver, and light blue proud cats. RARITY: Common.
Pearly Cat
A large pink cat with a border of black tiny kitties. RARITY: Uncommon.
Prism Aircraft
Different airplanes and aircraft in flight. RARITY: Common.
Prism Angels
A crown of flying little angels RARITY: Uncommon.
Prism Apples
Seven juicy red apples. RARITY: Common.
Prism Frogs
Five spotted and very colorful frogs. RARITY: Uncommon.
Prism Candy Canes
Five green, red, and white candy canes. RARITY: Common.
Pearly Carrousel Horses
Four very colorful carrousel horses. RARITY: Uncommon.
Kromekote Sandylion Stickers
Kromekote Sandylion stickers were the simplest of the collection, although still beautiful and highly sought-after today. These sticker sheets didn’t utilize any special finishes. Instead, they used a nice glossy paint that made them stand out in terms of colors and designs. Many kromekote stickers combined many tiny animaals.
Kromekote Cats
Many different cats in various positions and colors. RARITY: Common.
Kromekote Cats
Four pastel cats with darker hairs and a couple of butterflies. RARITY: Uncommon.
Kromekote Tulips
Three tulip plants with yellow and red flowers, a bird, and a butterfly. RARITY: Uncommon.
Kromekote Teddy Bears
Many different teddy bears dancing and having fun. RARITY: Uncommon.
Kromekote Stars
A collection of stars in all types of colors. RARITY: Uncommon.
The Vintage Sticker Collector Market Today
If you have old albums sitting in a parent’s attic, don’t throw them away. There is a massive, surprisingly lucrative secondary collector’s market for these right now. Here’s a rough explanation of what you might expect from different conditions:
- Sticker is Used (Stuck in an album): Still holds nostalgic value, but harder to resell. Collectors love “peelable” vintage albums where the stickers can be salvaged.
- MCM (Mint on Original Backing): Highly sought after. Single vintage Sandylion squares regularly sell on eBay and Etsy for $2 to $10+ each, depending on how rare the design is.
- Uncut Strips/Rolls: The ultimate jackpot. Complete, uncut strips or partial rolls can fetch hundreds of dollars from hardcore collectors.
Did you know? True collectors knew you never actually peeled the sticker off its backing. You used a tiny loop of scotch tape on the brown or white backing paper to mount the whole square into your sticker book. If you peeled it, it lost all its trade value!
