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Flashback Friday Part 1: The 1970s
Hero Arts
Hero Arts is celebrating 45 years in business this year! What an incredible journey it has been. YOU are a wonderful part of our history, and now that our anniversary is here, we'd like to invite you to celebrate this milestone alongside us! In the next several weeks, join us for fun, contests, behind-the-scenes content, lots of giveaways, new products, and more. Let's get this party started, friends!
The start of it all? Flashback Fridays. Over the course of five Fridays, we'll be sharing the story of our five decades as a company.
The setting: Berkeley, California, mid-1970s. Let's hear about the earliest days of Hero Arts from our CEO, Aaron Leventhal:
"Hero Arts was founded in May of 1974, near the end of the school year, when my mother (Jackie) decided she would try out her hobby at local craft fairs. Early designs included funky cartoon images, irreverent messages, and drawings from friends and family, including Betty Boop, cartoon monkeys, a cow by 4 year-old Aaron, and more. Most of the stamps were handmade in our bathroom, where our vulcanizer sat, that pressed rubber. The rubber was then cut and assembled in Jackie's bedroom, before being sent out via mail or sold at fairs."
Wondering what the first catalogs looked like? Well, they were actually fold-out posters...
Here's a closer look at the inside and back of the 1978 Hero Arts product poster.
Aaron even found this photo showing an early craft show booth from the late 1970s!
If you're interested in hearing more of the Hero Arts story, grab a beverage and enjoy this interview from a few years ago, when Aaron sat down for an Online Card Classes Crafty Chat. We think you'll enjoy hearing this story directly from him!
When did you start stamping? Let us know in a comment below and we will pick one winner at random to receive a $25 Hero Arts gift card! Comment by Thursday, April 25 at 11:59pm PT and you'll be entered to win.
Tomorrow we'll begin sharing peeks from our upcoming 45th Anniversary Summer Catalog! That's right, this year's Summer Catalog is one big anniversary celebration that we can't wait to share with you.
Thank you for joining us today!
Oh I’m not sure when I first stated stamping- a friend started me when she was selling them! I think it was about 35 years ago!
Congratulations on such a successful, innovative and contributory 45 years in business … what a wonderful legacy you have created for our crafty world … here’s to the next 45! I started creating properly with stamps about six years ago … needless to say my collection has grown a little since then! Anita :)
I started stamping about 40 years ago, although at the time I had no idea about card making. I just used to stamp my envelopes to make them pretty for the people I was sending them to. I still have all those stamps, but I had to remove them from the wooden blocks because my hands don’t work so well anymore and have a hard time holding on to things. I started making cards about 2 years ago.
I did catch part of your video and now cannot locate it but wanted to tell you it was interesting to me. I loved hearing how your mother began…she was such a pioneer to the craft world. I would love to see how stamps are made etc. I think that should be a contest ( A day with Hero Arts).
One thing I must tell you I so appreciate your price points on the matching dies you are never unreasonable and that makes me happy when you can get the stamp and matching die lol. Thank you for all the beautiful stamps you bring us, embossing powders, inks and inspiration. Thanks for sharing the bathroom to make rubber stamps possible. Please tell your Mom how much we love her company and what she did for the craft world. Best wishes on your anniversary, all the best!!!
I began stamping in September 2017. I was hooked as soon as the inked stamp touched the paper! 😍