Stationary Subscription Reviews
Because I love pens (and I am a little bit insane) I think I've tried every stationary subscription service on the planet at this point. So I thought I would write a little bit of a round up for those equally obsessed with good pens!
1. Cloth & Paper
The Cloth & Paper subscription is definitely the most expensive one I've tried (though they have their separate perspiration box, if you just want to try new writing utensils). Though it's more expensive, at around 40 dollars, if you can swing it it is certainly worth it. Most boxes come with around 5 items and they are all very high quality. If you are more interested in "deskscapes" than pens and notebooks, this is a good option. And it has a very glamorous vibe. In the last box I received, I got a cute, high quality sketchbook, a to-do list pad, a high quality note pad on 12 pt yardstick with cold foil lettering, a very nice grown up pen, and a gold foil inspirational card. Everything came well packaged and felt quality.
2. Scribe Delivery.
If you just love a really good pen, be it your favorite pic or a fancy fountain, this is the service for you. These guys know stationary SO well. They also have specials like their summer journaling set or fountain pen month. You can usually count on 4-5 products, unless it includes something extra pricey like fountain pen month. I have gotten tons of high quality notebooks from Scribe themselves, Rhodia, field notes, etc. It's a great option if you a write a lot and are much more interested in the implements than a pretty desk set up. Bonus, they have just set up a special service just for teachers.
3. Rad and Hungry
This might be my favorite option. Rad and Hungry sources "lo-fi goods from around the world." This means that you won't be getting glamorous gold foil notebooks, but instead the standard issue composition book from Italy or Romania. The number of products in a package can vary pretty dramatically, but i have LOVED everything I've received and it's neat to know you really can't easily get it somewhere else. They also sometimes do grab bags/closet clean outs where you can get a ton of supplies for 20 dollars. The only downside is that they don't have a monthly option, so you have to pay for 3 months up front, which comes to about 70 bucks. It's a lot all at once, which is why I haven't kept it up, but it's really fun.
4. Desk Glam
Desk Glam recently went on hiatus, but it's a cutesy version of Cloth and Paper. Lots of brights and pastels and overly girly. Little notebooks and paper clips. This would be great for someone with taste in bright colors, but could be just as good for a middle school aged girl who loves to write and draw!
5. Happy Mail has also gone on hiatus, though you can now stock up past kits. A Beautiful Mess promises that it will be back better than ever, so I am anxiously awaiting. I subscribed to Happy Mail for two full years before quitting in favor of Scribe. This is for someone primarily interested in cards and letter writing, as that makes up the vast majority of the products. They do often throw in a notepad, stickers, set of washi, or a fun pen, though it's not guaranteed. Every month does come with a print, often with a cutesy quote of some sort. I've really only kept a few of these (0ne that featured a Mary Oliver quote and one that says rise and shine, which is perfect for the bathroom). It's overwhelmingly girly and punny, but PERFECT if you write tons of letters. Plus, it's definitely the most affordable option on this list.
For right now, I've decided to stick with Scribe Delivery, though Rad and Hungry can often be super fun. I might throw in a Penspiration box this month and add to this review! Happy writing.
