For some strange reason I have always had an affinity for stationary and one of the biggest drives of this love is my obsession with Post-It notes! Literally I have hundreds of Post-It’s in my possession. Whenever I am in a store like Target or Office Max I have to check out all the different shapes and sizes of the Post-It notes that they have, just in case I’m missing something from my collection. I even have a Post-It products hanging in my office, such as my favorite Post-It Calendar that keeps my day and week organized!

There are other articles out there on Post-It Notes, many people love them, but how many can say that they even receive them for Christmas? If you don’t love Post-It Notes then I hope that after reading this article you will start your own collection. First, a little on the origin of Post-It Notes.

How It All Began

Art Fry, while in practicing with his church choir became annoyed with a bookmark in his hymnal that would not stay together. While in search of a new bookmark that wouldn’t fall apart, a product that a colleague of his, Dr. Spencer Silver, developed caught his attention. This product was an adhesive substance that was strong enough to stick to surfaces and left no residue after removal! So, Fry took some of this adhesive and stuck it along the edge of a ling strip of paper which solved his bookmark problem.

Fry realized that his book mark could be used for other things, such as leaving a note on a file. These “bookmarks” became popular with co-workers and was a new way for them to communicate with each other. The company Fry was working for, 3M Corporation came up with the name Post-It Notes and began mass production in the late 1970’s.

Post-It Notes Now

Post-It Notes have come a long way since the original “bookmark” creation. Now they come in all different shapes and sizes. From small bookmarks to giant poster boards. You can use them in the traditional way, just to leave notes and create reminders for yourself, or you can go all out and create extravagant murals, or use them to help you land a new job!

There are even digital versions of Post-It Notes! They come in handy when researching for articles (like this one).

You can even decorate your house with Post-It Notes. Entertain your children. Play pranks on co-works, and cover their office in them! If you’re like me, you can even start a collection. How do you Post-It?