We’re looking forward to exhibiting at the upcoming International Personalization & Awards Expo, February 7-10, 2023 in sunny Las Vegas! This is the first Expo since 2020, so it should be a great show. This is your chance to see all that has been going on in the Personalization and Marking industries over the past couple of years. Be sure to come by our booth (#736) and say hello, we are looking forward to seeing you again and reconnecting with the industry as a whole.
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Recently, I was streaming a show on vintage car restoration, and it got me thinking. The show featured 3 different types of restorers. The first one specialized in traditional restoration projects, restoring a car back to its original state. Each part is meticulously replaced with a new version of the original equipment. Once they were done with the car, it was exactly as it was on the day it rolled off the assembly line decades earlier.
Next up was a car builder, who took a different approach. Their concept was to restore the car to its (more or less) original appearance but with all new modern parts: tires, rims, motor, disc brakes, power steering, A/C, airbags, GPS, etc. These cars are sometimes known as resto-mods. The end result is a vehicle with the original charm and appearance of a classic car but with all the modern amenities.
The final car builder was a hot rod/custom shop. When they finish a car, it has all the mechanical parts updated and replaced. Still, the vehicle’s outer appearance remains as-is: no new paint and very little bodywork, if any. This approach allows the vehicle to remain “original” with the original patina, paint, and maybe even a few rough spots.
All 3 of these shops offer different approaches and ideas on restoring an automobile and what the result should be. Bill’s Backyard Classics breaks down these approaches. Which one is your favorite? Do we sometimes discount and dismiss older ideas in our relentless push for the newest, greatest thing?
In our industry, many businesses are looking to purchase a rubber stamp that is laser-cut to produce a clean, sharp image. Then there are the businesses that prefer the “old school” traditional rubber stamp and ink pad approach. These people prefer the appearance of the impression, desiring a more rustic and aged look. Coffee shops, book stores, and many other retailers use these stamps for branding bags and gift certificates, among other uses. Then there are the companies that want a rugged stamp that can achieve repetitive marking with no added frills.
As we step further into the future, we find that some past techniques and tools do not necessarily need to be improved upon because if they are, the desired end-effect would be lost. We will encounter countless new innovations and products, most of which make our lives better, but every now and then, it’s hard to beat a time-honored and proven product. The Xstamper family of stamps is a bit of both. From traditional stamps to self-inkers to the world’s greatest Xstamper pre-inked stamp, our products remain as innovative as they are proven.
Shachihata Xstamper 