What I Check Before Ordering From a New Stationery Shop 💌

A few days ago, I was talking with one of my friends and she mentioned stationery shops I had never heard of. So I jumped on my tablet and launched an internet search, ready to throw my wallet at the screen while yelling “Take my money!”

But then I paused.

I love discovering new stationery shops (who doesn’t?), but sometimes, I get overwhelmed. There are so many! How do you know which one is worth ordering from? 😬

So I decided to put together a little personal “guide” (it’s more a thought process, really), complete with a freebie to help you (and me) contain the “new shop” energy and pick items more thoughtfully before our carts spiral out of control. 💀

Step 1 — Check the shop’s vibe 🖼️

The first step shouldn’t even be a first step (more like a prequel, I guess?) because it’s something we all do without even noticing we do it which is Check the shop’s vibe…aka fall in love with their designs. 💗 I mean, if the designs don’t appeal to you why buy them, right?

BUT here’s where the trap lies: do we see ourselves actually using their designs? Do we feel inspired when we look at their stickers, washi tapes, etc.? (I often overlook this step and run straight to the shopping cart to my budget’s dismay. 💸)

Step 2 – Vet the shop 🔍

Just like anywhere else, we have to be wary of scams and internet pitfalls. So it’s always a good idea to make sure the shop is from a trusted source.

Etsy.com? Usually safe.

TotallyUnknownStickerKingdom.biz? Maybe worth a little extra digging first. 🕵️‍♂️

(Not sure if a shop is safe? You can also use free tools like Google Safe Browsing.)

Step 3 — Consider shipping & policies 📦

Who never had the (unpleasant) surprise of carefully selecting items they love only to arrive at the cash register and see the total triple because of shipping fees? Yeah… 🤦‍♀️

To avoid that, I always scroll right to the bottom of a site and look for the link to their shipping policy. (On Etsy, it’s usually right after each item’s description, in a section called Delivery & Policies.)

I check if they ship worldwide 🌎 (especially if I know the shop isn’t in Canada), if they cover tariffs or customs, and what their return policy is.

👀 You can also glance at their estimated delivery times (usually at the top of a website or in the Delivery & policy section on Etsy), but it usually doesn’t bother me so I skip it.

❗Note that only you can set a limit to what you find acceptable as shipping fees.

Step 4 — Look at descriptions & photos 📷

Well, this goes without saying as I’m sure you’ve already done it, but look at their product photos carefully. 🧐 Did they put care into the picture quality? Are there multiple pictures showing the items under different angles or in use?

What about their descriptions? Does it mention material? Provenance? Any important information like the number of pages in a notebook or paper thickness?

👉 You should find the answer to all your questions about an item in its pictures and description.

Step 5 — Decide your first order 🛍️

Okay, so we got the boring stuff out of the way, now we shop! 🛒

The first thing I do is indulge. I mean, adding stuff to the cart doesn’t cost anything, right? So go ahead and add to your heart’s content! ✔️✔️✔️

Done adding? Are you sure? You checked every corner of the shop? ✔️ Good.

Now we click on that shopping bag or cart icon with the number “52” next to it, and we go through what’s in the cart.

This is usually when I do my “heart’s test” and figure out the items I really want. When I look at them, I usually feel a pull right in the pit of my stomach. That’s how I know which items I really want to own.

If you’re not too sure what really pulls at you, just step away from the screen and go do something else. The items you really want will pop in your mind as you’re walking around the neighborhood or doing the dishes.

Everything else goes to the wishlist. 📂

Still too many items?
No problem (especially if you’ve set a budget beforehand). Now we do the One-Of-Each game. OK, I usually order more than one of each, but the idea is to have a range of different products to get an idea of the shop’s quality (for example, some stickers, a roll of washi tape, a notepad, some sticky notes, etc.)

Keep at it until you’re within your set budget or comfortable limit and click “Place order”! (Then do a happy dance. Go ahead; no one’s looking. 💃)

Super Secret Step 6 — Track shops for next time ✍️

As I’m sure you know, there are a LOT of shops out there. Oh! If only there was a way to keep track of the ones you shopped at! (That was my best Shakespearian-drama voice by the way. 📜)

Well guess what? There is! (OK, this is starting to sound like a bad infomercial… wait, am I showing my age when I say that?)

A pastel color desk and items, and a small binder opened to a colorful page with a pen placed upon it.

I was overwhelmed with the amount of shops out there and I was near losing my mind a few times trying to remember what I bought where… 🤪

So I decided to create a shop profile page.

I just print a page per shop and fill out all the useful info about that shop. Then, I add samples of what I bought. (There’s more room on the back of the page if needed!)

And because there’s always more that I want to buy from each shop, I also print a companion wishlist and add the items I’d like to get in future orders.

If you’d like to try it too, you can download the free printable right here. 💌

(And if you enjoy stationery organization printables, I also have a larger 8-page stationery freebie available through my newsletter!)

Final Thoughts 💭

Trying a new stationery shop is honestly one of my favorite parts of the hobby. There’s something so exciting about discovering new artists, new styles, and little paper treasures. ✨

But with so many shops out there, I’ve found that slowing down a little before placing an order helps me enjoy the experience a lot more (and keeps my wallet from filing a formal complaint 💸).

I hope this all help you keep everything organized and affordable.

Happy stationery hunting! 🕵️‍♂️