MILWAUKEE — Move over Labubu. In Milwaukee, the newest collectible craze isn't a key chain. It's tiny prints.
Let me introduce you to Milwaukee's Littlest Print Shop. It's a retro-style mobile art vending machine. For just $0.50 you can get a unique piece of Milwaukee-inspired art.
“I have a weird love for vending machines. I have a love for cheap art. So I was like I can do something with this," Parker Vandehey, the creator of Milwaukee's Littlest Print Shop, said.
He makes each piece by hand. It started in September 2023, and he has already sold more than 3,000 pieces of art.
“I don’t do any of this for the money. This is just my creative passion, my creative hobby. It keeps me busy, scratches that itch in my brain for the creative side of me," Vandehey said.
The print shop has traveled to different local events, had a stint at ModGen, but for the majority of its existence the print shop has been at Ebb & Flow Design Co. in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood.
“They’ll send me messages asking what’s in stock. People have come all the way from Chicago to get prints, so it’s definitely made its mark. And people are just like so curious and excited about it," Claire Osterman, the owner of Ebb & Flow Design Co., said.
The prints change from time to time depending on the store or event. Just like Labubus, each piece of art is a mystery. You don't know which one you'll get until you open the package. One of the most popular cards is the cheese print. People have come into Ebb & Flow chanting 'cheese, cheese, cheese' in hopes that increases their odds of getting the diary-inspired print.
“People will come back with more and more and more quarters to try and get the print they’re seeking out and to just like build their collection," Osterman said.
The print shop captures a nostalgic spirit. Remember the days when you would go to the bowling alley or video store and they would have those vending machines that dispensed trading cards, stickers, or temporary tattoos? My local bowling alley had these colorful collectible rubber ninja figurines. It was a fun and cheap thing to collect. Milwaukee's Littlest Print Shop is channeling that same energy.
“Be a part of the community and kind of I don’t know put my mark on Milwaukee.”
Which is exactly what has happened. Vandehey has created a micro community of small print fans.
“I don’t know it was just never expected to sell this many, and it’s still going, so it’s hard to believe honestly," he said.
As to the future of the print shop, that's unclear. Vandehey doesn't have any grand plans. Instead, he allows the print shop to guide him. If people want it at their stores or events, he's open to those discussions.
You can follow the print shop's Instagram page for updates. If you want to buy a print, Ebb & Flow is open Monday - Friday from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. The store carries plenty of quarters for people who want prints.
Watch the story below to see more prints...
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