Aug 1st was Stationary Store Day and I celebrated by hitting up a couple of the 16 Los Angeles…read moreparticipating stores. 1st stop was Shorthand in HLP. Love this little shop off York. Picked up my SSD passport and received my first stamp, Bright and spacious shop with all your stationary needs. Great selection of writing/coloring utensils. I'm obsessed with pens so I had to pick one up. A plus on service, always greeted with smiling faces. Everyone was showing a little extra excitement for the SSD activities. I've been here a couple times and will keep coming back.

Amazing and unique store, Highly recommend -- this is a special store and a refreshing analog type…read morealternative to our digital world. I order online from them and they carry / curate an amazingly unique variety of products (I mostly buy pencils -- you won't find a larger variety of Japanese Camel pencils which have a unique design and amazing graphite -- everything except the 3B T-Prime version lol but that one is obscure). Thank you again and please consider opening a store in the San Diego area. (Note: this review is entirely and organically my own and not written, edited or pasted into/from any AI type software product, as you can probably tell by the grammar and punctuation mistakes)

Such a cute little boutique to shop at. I stop by here every now and then to see what they have,…read morebecause it's all things cute! I never leave the store empty handed because there's always something trendy and worth the visit! The owner is sweet and the staff is always helpful every time I come in. You should definitely drop by, it's also by the famous coffee shop Mandarin so it's a win win! I'll be coming by regularly :)

Petit Pebbles is a boutique located in Burlington Arcade. I…read morewas glad I stopped by the boutique because I always like to support small businesses. The boutique was so pleasant. They had many adorable and cute plushies, stickers, toys, beauty products, and more. The staff were so friendly and genuinely warm. If you are looking for nice gifts, this shop will be the perfect place to shop at and buy many lovely presents. I enjoyed shopping there. Definitely, I will be back.

Parchment Paper is a food-centric shop specializing in stationery, paper goods, greeting cards,…read moreculinary gifts, specialty kitchenware, children's books about cultural food, sticker sheets, candle bars (e.g. iced matcha latte), and other sundries. The shop is owned by Leah Park Fierro (the owner of Milkfarm - a cheese shop in Eagle Rock). The store also offers full-service gift wrapping with food-themed wrapping paper. [Parking]: Easy metered street parking is available with free metered parking on Sundays. [Conclusion]: Overall this is a small but very cute shop and I enjoyed my visit here. It is definitely a unique store.

OK, I've been to a lot of gift shops in Los Angeles. And I've seen a lot of the same merchandise…read moreagain and again. Themes, the same. But, this place definitely has a unique spin. Everything in this place: cards, tools, socks and stationary is food related. One table was entirely devoted to dill pickle swag! A shelf on the wall was completely reserved for butter merchandise! What? I love it! I have to say, this place was a lot of fun and would be a great place to shop for any chefs in your life. Or simply friends obsessed with food. I will definitely make a return visit.

I know this location only opened like 1-2 months ago…read more This is only a comparison to the one in the Santa Anita Mall in Arcadia. The selection is a lot bigger. The books in the front are more with pop culture and famous books that maybe considered for the "coffee table" books. Also in the front , are the stationary items, cute Knick-knacks and some blind boxes. The Japanese light novels & manga section was larger vs the Arcadia location. Plus there was surplus amount of certain mangas that are currently popular to ensure enough is in stock. In general, I find these books very decently priced. I have , in the past, asked them for a particular book if they have in stock, they'll check to see if they have it or not or will direct me to where it is in the store.

My favorite Kinokuniya due to the amount of books packed in such a tiny store, it's always clean…read moreand never feels messy despite having so much selection to look through and choose from. They always have a ton of pens imported from Japan and they even have the little sticker tag on the pen itself in Japanese. Huge fan of the Uniball Zento Pens as I draw from time to time. I know it's great to support local stores, but I do wish they were a bit more competitive with pricing, if a book is only 10% more expensive here and I'm in the area, sure I'll buy it at Kinokuniya, but when the same exact book brand new is 40% cheaper on Amazon, I can't justify the purchase. It would be cool if membership allowed for price matching. Overall, this is probably the best Japanese book/manga shop you can find aside from the Book Off in Gardena.

Founded in 1894 the way I hear it is Vroman's is this is the oldest bookstore in Los Angeles. It's…read moredefinitely also one of the most famous along with The Last Bookstore in DTLA. One fantastic thing about this place is the immense size and varied selection that they have. In front they have a really nice café that serves drinks and food followed by many rows of books and strewn merch all around and in the back, they even have a really nice stationary section that has many great pens and notebooks to choose from. They also have a second floor that was having an author visit as a guest speaker for a Q&A so it was extremely busy. Most of the second floor, though is for young readers. They don't have a dedicated parking lot so it will be metered street parking which is the only downside. The whole staff was very friendly and helpful. Inside is also really clean and I just loved all of the options. I ended up grabbing a few books on math and business and was really happy with what I found. I would highly recommend to any bibliophile.

I feel like this is one of the last great private book stores left. It's so large and right on…read moreColorado Blvd, perfect location to shop and eat. The books are plenty and the gifts and children's floor are spectacular. I come here often and will continue to do so

Welp... in case you haven't notice I am on a planner/notebook/journal kick of late…read more We had some time to kill after the game and decided to walk our way down to this shop. They are on the expensive side but it's a super special spot for gift buying. They have some unique Japanese coloring books that I might have to return for. Also those darn lighters that look like cameras OMG so different. Service was professional and non evasive too. Respectfully Reviewed.

Thalia & Hazel are my favorite associates when I go to Top Drawer in Old Town Pasadena. They both…read moreare diligent, friendly and most importantly, competent. The store itself is full of color and always brightens my mood when I step into the very cool store. The vibe here is very special and surprisingly calming. Everything seems to be exactly placed in a zen like manner. You'll see what I mean.... They got glasses, pens, flasks, lighters, totes, leather goods and all the things a sophisticated man of the new millennium like me can ask for! I try not to go and visit too much as I can't seem to help myself and always leave with something when I visit! But I never regret it. See you here!

The owners are very nice and helpful…read more Their stickers are very cute. I love Mari's Tik Toks! I call her Super Star every time I go in. (Because she is)

The Stkr Store is a Filipino family-run small business that focuses on cute and creative custom…read morestickers as well as some stationery items and greeting cards. [Parking]: Easy and free designated parking for the plaza and our party had no issue finding an available spot on Saturday afternoon. [Products]: Most of the stickers are original artwork with only a few anime IPs (less than 1/8 of all stickers). I thought their LA County stickers (including some cities from San Bernardino County) for each city were pretty neat. The shop also has some decent Japanese-brand notebooks, toolboxes, pens, etc. Customers can also make their own through the website by uploading their own images (minimum order of 50 stickers). [Conclusion]: The store is not everyone's cup of tea, but for the right target customers this is an amazing store.

This has become my favorite stop to get funny, cool, and just better greeting cards than other…read moreplaces. I was fortunate enough to work briefly in the area last year and found this shop on my lunch walk. So many cool gifts, jewelry, etc. I love small shops with unique gifts like this that rotate artists, etc. Kind of hidden on the back streets of old town Pasadena. From now on, I'll always stop by and check if there's (at least) a new card to add to my collection. Don't forget to ask about their "secret stash" of additional cards, too.

The Retreat shop on Holly Street is the second of this small chain: the first is located in South…read morePasadena on Mission. The location is wonderful. Many people who shop in Old Town Pasadena focus on the stores easily accessible from the main street, Colorado. However, some of the shops off the main drag, such as the ones on Holly Street, are unique and fascinating. The two Retreats do share merchandise in common. You will find a bevy of delightful greeting cards, jewelry and candles at both. However, I would strongly encourage you to visit both shops, because each has some items that you won't find at the other location. It was at this shop that I first saw the owner's, Diane, artwork on display. She's made a significant collection of gorgeous, shimmering mandalas. I remember the first time I saw them a couple year ago and I was quite impressed. Since then, you will see more of her mandalas at both Retreat locations, as well as some of the pieces that evolved from her work with these pieces of sacred geometry. Like the other Retreat, this is an excellent gift shop. My stationary drawer is positively overflowing with cards I've bough here. I love shopping at Retreat because I always find something, small or large, that's just right for a friend of mine. Whenever I look through the cards that I've found here I get excited for the right time to send a particular card to a particular friend or family member. It is very easy to find something for any budget. I've found so many fun trinkets, amusing coasters and clever devices to have around the house. And all of these things were around twenty dollars or less. The jewelry, of course, is going to be a bit more pricey, but I feel you are definitely paying for quality. The staff on duty have always been nothing but helpful and friendly. I always enjoy chatting with whoever is minding the store at the moment. Definitely recommend.