Collecting Fruit Wrappers and Stickers

Kate’s Collecting Tips

“You have to struggle with many of the newer plastic fruit stickers. They stick to the fruit very well but look out for ones with little unsticky ends, which were probably invented specially for Collectors like us, as they enable an easy peel without damaging the sticker.”

Collecting fruit stickers and wrappers is an easy to do, fun, enjoyable and rewarding hobby. There are an inestimable number of Sticker designs from all over the World, whilst most fruit Wrappers come from Italy and Spain.

Today, it may seem that beautiful and interesting wrappings are vanishing but so often shops remove these decorative wrappers before displaying the fruit!

It is possible by asking fruit retailers and sometimes wholesalers, to put aside fruit with stickers and wrappers as they come in especially for you. By getting to know your regular fruiterer you can create a beautiful collection and enjoy healthy eating at the same time.

Many fine graphic artists are being unaccountably neglected as their works are damaged or discarded. This can result in your collections becoming more rare than you might imagine. For young collectors, banana fruit stickers are some of the easiest to collect …. as they peel off in an easy manner and there’s more banana stickers than any other fruit stickers in the world.

Like early postage stamps, it can be exciting to study the new issues, and who knows, they may become the ‘collectors’ pieces of the future. They seem to have done so in the United States, and elswhere, with adults having pride of place in their wallets for new examples!

Try to collect undamaged stickers and wrappers – those without tears or marks arising from the fruit or other liquids.

When ironing your fruit wrappers always iron on the wrong side (not the printed side) and be careful to choose the coolest heat setting on the iron that is necessary to smooth your wrapping.

Don’t iron self adhesive stickers on the right or wrong side! Remember, patience is vital as there may not be another example like the one you have collected! Oh yeah, and be sure to use an old tea towel or a piece of old cotton material like a sheet, douvet, pillow case or perhaps a T-shirt, so that you don’t damage the family ironing board.

If you don’t need a sticker you have collected on a fruit, make sure you peel off the sticker so it can be put into your plastic recycling bin. It was much easier when stickers were paper as they could be left on the fruit peel when put in the kitchen compost.

Presentation Hint:
I was sent a totally fantastic “COLLECTION” of wrappers from the opium orangenpapiermuseum in Germany and they were mounted onto stiff A4 paper with their overlapping edges folded around the back and fastened. It’s a great system to keep your collection in good order from a great orange paper museum.

Some wrappers from the 1930 Wallis Collection: