AF-COLOR Competitors

Sakura invents, markets, and supplies the U.S. and Canada with writing instruments and art materials. The company is committed to providing safe, reliable, archival quality products that enhance self-expression, illustration and creativity, and that allow for writing on a variety of surfaces. Many of our product brands are considered icons. Cray-Pas oil pastels in the school art education market; Gelly Roll in the office products, legal, and stationery industries; Pigma Micron fine line pens in the college bookstore, scrapbook/journal writing, stationery and fine art markets, and Solid Marker in the industrial markets.

Since we first opened in 1969, alot has happened. Dharma started as a yarn store and then added dyes for Tie-Dye and then fabric paints, then T-shirts, then clothing, and on and on. We opened another store in Marin County in 1975 and closed the Berkeley store sometime after. We started mailing a catalog in the early 70's and the mail-order sales quickly overshadowed the store's and became the focus of the business. Later, in the early 90's when the internet was born, we built a rudimentary web site for Dharma which was later, and continues today, to be developed and perfected by other talented people who work here at Dharma. There are now as many as 90 people working at Dharma full or part time. Hundreds of employees have passed through on their way to other lives. Some really great people who have joined in making Dharma an honest, straight-talking company! All the folks who work at Dharma continue to this day trying to keep Dharma a Fair, Honest and Straight-Talking company. Dharma's Guiding Principles Dharma Trading Co. was started in 1969 on the principle that it's possible to be involved in business while maintaining good ethical values. This is to say that one can be successful in business while acting honestly, truthfully and fairly. Therefore, honest, truthful and fair treatment of customers, suppliers and employees is the most important goal of the company while it tries to make a profit.