BY KADIE TAYLOR
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Stamp has clothed the community for decades, through providing custom T-shirt options for businesses and organizations, as well as a retail storefront where people can walk in and buy artistic designs.
“We’ve been open for 25 years, so at least enough people out there, definitely lots of Auburn fans come and shop for Auburn stuff,” said owner and operator Eric Stamp. “We have consistently done shirts for, or off and on, for all of the schools, high schools, middle schools, elementary schools, churches, family reunions, businesses for [decades]. So a lot of that custom printing is consistent, and so it doesn’t totally rely on the retail, but definitely good Auburn football seasons really help.”
Through his license with Auburn University and his close proximity to the Auburn campus, Stamp said he collaborates with employees and customers to make both gameday designs and fun, original shirts for customers.
“We have a license with Auburn University to make stuff for campus groups, clubs, organizations, departments and colleges,” he said. “We also can make our own original designs, Auburn designs and some of the standard Auburn designs with their logos and marks on them, and then we make our own original designs, mostly an accumulation of my ideas and all the employees and designers and some from customers that have come up with ideas we thought were good, or good enough for the store, some artistic things and some political things that we like.”
Even after 25 years of owning the business, Stamp said he is still excited to see people wearing his products.
“I’m always flattered when I see someone who wears one of our shirts to the football game, to the basketball game or on game day, because they probably thought about that beforehand, what shirt they were going to pick and what they were going to wear, because it was game day, and it was a special day,” he said. “But I also see old shirts that we were proud of, that you see in Kroger, and people are wearing them.”
When designing shirts for events, businesses or organizations, Stamp said he enjoys the special experience of personalizing the shirts for customers.
“Some people come in with their concept for either a family reunion or a family trip or some other event, and to be able to work with them all the way from the design and the shirt style and stuff, it’s going to be special before you’ve even printed them,” he said.
Since starting his business, Stamp said the shop has evolved to accommodate the increasing prevalence of technology in business.
“Over the years, it’s evolved a little bit,” he said. “It used to be almost all in-person, sketches and pen and paper, coming back in and phone calls to come and proof your design, cameras and photographic negatives and things like that. But now mostly we direct people to email and get as much detail as we can through an email, then the office manager and our design team start to go back and forth with the options for the shirt choices and color choices, and the designers start to come up with proofs to create the design that you’ve described.”
When designing a shirt, he said customers can come in with a sketch or just an idea, and he will help them work to make the shirt a product they are happy with.
“Maybe you brought in a sketch, you sent a sketch or something, whatever your concept is, they refine it, and then you make edits until you like it, changing fonts and colors and adding elements or subtracting things,” Stamp said. “Then it comes down to the quantity of shirts, the complexity of the colors, the design and front and back. And then we come up with a price, usually the first time involves a deposit before we go to production, then we print them and let you know they’re ready, and either we deliver them, ship them or you come pick them up.”
Stamp said he grew up in a military family, and he never expected to stay in Auburn long-term, but quickly realized Auburn was the place for him.
“Southern hospitality is for real, people are nice and our community is especially nice,” he said. “I’ve been here a long time and been embraced by a bunch of different groups, and was the president of our Downtown Merchants Association for 10 years, was on the Chamber of Commerce board of directors for several years and have have been a member of several local organizations. I know people from all areas of the community and have friendships and business relationships with them.”
With more shopping options appearing online every day, Stamp said he wants to remind community members of the importance of supporting local businesses.
“[Shopping locally] is important if you think spending your money here [and it going to locals] and all my employees spending all their money [that we are making] here [will go back into the community], understanding that all of that local money goes back into [the community, through] rent, the grocery store, the city and occupational taxes and everything else like library cards, gas, restaurants and all of that stuff,” he said. “So, if you believe that local spending supports your community, then that’s why it’s important.”
Stamp is located at 115 N. College St., Auburn. For more information, visit www.stampauburn.com.
Stamp marks the community after decades of business
