Fans of Paperchase's flagship stores in London and Manchester might be surprised by the size of…read moretheir Brighton branch. The small square footage means there's no room for the gorgeous range of pastels, paints and art paper the shop specialises in. Instead, there's a small selection of cool and quirky diaries, travel journals, stationary and giftware at the back of the store and a large selection of fab greeting cards at the front. The stock isn't as unique as in Malarkey in the North Laines but there's still a great range of birthday, good luck, get well and condolences cards as well as seasonal ranges like Christmas, Halloween and Valentines. Personally, I'm a big fan of the Bikini range they stock with 50s and 60s pin-up girls and boys covered in glitter.

I'd never heard of Paperchase before this afternoon, but I appear to be in the minority. The store…read morewas swarming with people who must have known the wealth of Christmas decorations, cards, and gift wrap that were going to be on sale. Prices were pretty decent - I picked out a really nice 'tree topper' for £4.50. Of course, the shop isn't always centred on Christmas supplies. They have a huge selection of notebooks, loose paper, pens, fancy mechanical pencils, art supplies, day planners, journals...everything to do with paper. I also saw some office décor - picture frames, small clocks and paperweights. I'll definitely remember this shop when I need more school supplies and the Christmas rush is over.

Situated in a busy parade and area of shops this well stocked store offers you just about…read moreeverything you require in the stationery line. A reliable stockist of Collins products, which I use They are agents for Staples, Webster Pens, and other art material suppliers Particularly, they have an excellent range of cards for variuos occasions, and at fair prices. Parking can be a bit hectic but there is small car park behind Iceland on the South side, but don't go over TWO hours.

I like this card shop because it is good value and sells a great selection of cards, wrapping…read morepaper, bows and gifts. You can find a card for any occasion at a really good price. The only problem is the layout. The aisles are so skinny that you can't get through with a pram and there is always queues so it can put you off going.

Card Factory is a lovely shop for special occasions. The one thing that I hate about this shop…read morethough is there is no room..I have to go in there first thing in the morning as I have a toddler and it is a nightmare trying to manouvre the buggy!!! If they sorted this out it would get top marks.

Looking for a place to stock up on Halloween cards?…read more Head for Malarkey where you'll find hundreds of cool and kitsch greeting cards for every occasion. Since the shop is in Brighton you'd expect a bit of slap and tickle and the stock doesn't disapoint as it ranges from the fun to the filthy. They also sell rude and colourful wrapping paper and daft presents like comedy voodoo dolls, water-pistols and party games. Anyone need a selection of plastic moustaches?

A friend and I were searching for some wacky posters, prints or other such bedroom accessories to…read moreenliven the walls of his new home, when we came across Malarkey, a crazy little avant-garde store in the North Laines area. This place is littered with an insane collection of items ranging from the useful, to the amusing, to the downright vulgar. You'll find comical postcards, greeting cards, wrapping paper, toys for cats, and gift bags, as well as somewhat less essential novelty items, like a 'Do it yourself cure for erectile dysfunction', or a £15 'Nose shower gel dispenser', which, like it sounds, is basically a giant nose, that dispenses shower gel. I thought Malarkey was a really fun store and we had a great time riffling through the treasure-trove assortment of items on display. It's certainly worth visiting if you want to relieve a bit of stress, just fancy a laugh, or want to get something a little different for a friend.

always full of great bargains. cheap kids books and a good supply of arts materials. i just bought…read moresome relaly cheap canvases for the kids to paint up for their dad. comics and gifts are always reasonably priced as well. staff are friendly and its nice and spacious

Artifax is a card and stationery shop in the heart of Broadwater…read more As well as selling a large selection of cards they also sell stationery and provide a number of services including faxing, t-shirt printing and personalised products. When I was in urgent need to send a fax back to the USA they were there and helped me to do it without any issues. Whilst I like to browse this store I do find the prices to be quite high and I find it very rare that I find anything that suits my requirements.

The best card shop in town. And if you need a little silly gift, to go with your card, this is your…read moreplace. I love it!

Alas, Graffiti is not a store devoted to street art and spraypaint…read more It's actually a tiny stationary store that specialises in cute, cool and tasteful greeting cards, wrapping paper, journals and memo pads. They have cards with neat illustrations, black and white photos and neon signage as well as more traditional flowers, landscapes and cute hula hula girls. My personal favourite, is the kitsch range of knitted Marilyn, Elvis and James Dean cards. Oh and the naked gal in the martini glass of course!

I used to really enjoy making my own cards and I never ever bought them- it just felt so impersonal…read moreand such a waste of money. That was back when I had time for leisurely arts and crafts days. These days, I inhabit a different world and subsequently I suddenly love a good card shop! I especially like a card shop with a proper selection. There's something really satisfying about taking your time to peruse the shelves and take in the full selection. I know most people don't take great pains over the selection of a birthday card, but since I no longer have the energy to make my own but still want a personal touch, I am really particular about it. Graffiti is great for my purposes because it seems to specialize in pretty, arty cards with floral designs and illustrations of birds etc. on the front. Just my cup of tea. They also have a variety of art cards, which use prints and designs from collections at the V&A among other galleries. If you're not after a flowery, girly card- don't worry, there's plenty of others to choose from. They also sell lovely printed wrapping paper and although the prices make me flinch, I usually can't resist! All round, a much more interesting and tasteful selection of cards and stationary than you're likely to find at Clinton's!