TravelingbeebryantRN & Flicks_withNick

Hello readers, friends, and fellow travelers,

I know… I never followed through with updating you all on the Emporium madness. Fortunately, life has been wonderfully busy between enjoying Maine’s beautiful summer weather, spending time with family and friends, and, of course, getting swept up in all the Emporium excitement. Even though I’m a little late, I couldn’t let the moment pass without sharing what made this event so special. Also, good news, you still have three days!

While Ana Inciardi launched the very first Mini Print Vending Machine in the winter of 2022, it’s only in the past few years that collecting these tiny works of art has grown into something much bigger. Today, more than 200 uniquely stocked vending machines are scattered across the country, with four years’ worth of prints in circulation. What began as a fun, quirky idea has evolved into a passionate collecting community.

This week, that community descended on Portland, Maine, for the Mini Print Emporium. Fans traveled across state lines—some even across the country—to trade, hunt for elusive prints, and celebrate the artist behind it all. It’s incredible to think that this entire phenomenon started with a simple idea: turning art into laundry money.

At this point, some of you are probably wondering, What’s the big deal? What exactly are these mini prints?

Let me introduce you. Let me help you get obsessed…

Each print measures roughly 2½ by 3½ inches and is created using a risograph printing technique that gives every piece its own unique charm. The collection spans everything from colorful fruits and vegetables to iconic New York City landmarks and pop culture references, all printed on crisp white cardstock. Every design feels both nostalgic and refreshingly modern.

The beauty of collecting is that it’s surprisingly accessible. An original print costs just $1 from one of Ana’s vending machines. However, for collectors who don’t live near one of the machines—especially those outside major cities—finding certain prints can become a challenge, making trades, special events, and the Emporium even more exciting.

Collectors display their finds in all kinds of ways. Some carefully organize them in binders like Pokémon cards, while others frame them or create gallery walls. Personally, I love tucking them throughout my home, where each one brings a little burst of color and a memory of where I found it.

If I had to compare them to anything, I’d call them the ultimate Pokémon cards for adults—except instead of chasing holographics, we’re chasing tiny pieces of art.

I attended the emporium on opening day. In my last blog, I talked about sitting having a bagel at forage, awaiting for the emporium to open… To my surprise, I should have started getting in line at 11 am and not 11:30. The line was definitely the worst during the first day.

We live relatively close to the emporium ( lucky i know), so I can tell you the line, definitely improved throughout the whole week. The amount of excitement that the line had was incredible. I just find it so nice that a community of people bond over small pieces of art. I will admit… I am happy for what Ana did to the community. I feel like she brought the community together and invited people in to enjoy it. I feel like this helped support local businesses and helped our tourist season a lot. 

Ok, Ok, Ok, Ana is incredible… I know. Let’s talk a little bit more about the emporium. After getting through the line, you enter the emporium which is located at Oxbow Brewing Company. When you are enter, you are greeted by the friendly faces of Ana’s crew. They had a ton of merch when you first entered!

 

I will admit, I bought a few items… I couldn’t help myself.I love a good t- shirt for work and I also bought the cutest hat! I will say, i love the material/fit of her new hats. I bought a hat at grand central terminal market last year and I like this new hat a lot more!

After you temp yourself with all the merch, you can purchase 40 tokens ($20.00). Each print is worth two tokens. She had twenty different machines with repeat prints, 70 new prints, and some OOC prints. You read that right, 70 new prints. Does Ana sleep?!

Along with tokens, she offered mystery packs: coastal Maine, classic, and produce. I ended up buying all three by the end of the emporium! I will do a video on what was in my mystery packs! I will say that the produce and Coastal maine packs were worth it… the classic, not so much!

The first day of the emporium, Ana didn’t have any limits on any of the machines. This made it more free for all, but later in the week, she started making some limits of the machines. This made it disappointing for some collectors, but at the same time, it made things more reasonable and also made it so everyone got to enjoy all the machines. 

Along with the merch and machines, she had to “ take one leave one” wall, a guestbook, and also a map that people placed where they were from. It’s so cool seeing people from all over gathering for artwork! I loved this idea. It was nice to be able to do some in person trading, with no pressure. I am definitely a trader online on the Facebook groups, but I really enjoyed this addition to the emporium!

Ana couldn’t just leave the fun at the emporium… She made a scavenger hunt. Very similar to the World Cup scavenger hunt in New York! My friend Sam came up the Friday after and we did the scavenger hunt. My next blog will talk about our game plan for the scavenger hunt to utilize your time wisely!

Stay tuned for future blogs covering our scavenger hunt at the Incardi Emporium. To keep up with all things travel, nursing, and Flicks with Nick movie reviews, be sure to follow us on Instagram and subscribe to the blog. 

Instagram: @travelingbeebryantrn