Comfort Technology

[jesse_the_k]

When I'm feeling particularly lonely or blue, I gravitate toward office supplies. This started v young, when I was teaching myself calligraphy in 4th grade. Then I became fascinated Letraset (generically: dry transfer lettering) which was state-of-the-art before computer-set type.

I was not alone in this obsession.

Even though their stock is much smaller and they lack the aiglet-obsessive clerks with stained fingers, a big box of office stuff like Staples or OfficeDepot is v reassuring.

Imagine my delight when a friend sent me this 500 pencils, true art-supply porn.

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

I love office supplies too, heh. I kinda wish, for that reason, I worked at a company where they were more abundant (& less closely monitored), & not a stingy pseudo-governmental org.

Shopping for school supplies was one of my favorite things about fall when I was a kid. Even now it is a Big Decision as to what kind of planner I get for the year, f'rex (though this year I went the cheap route & am using the one my union sent me).

[jesse_the_k]

Sadly, shopping in the supply closet is almost extinct.

That's a great union gift! I use iCal because it's here, but I do miss the ritual re-order and re-fill of my Filofax. I do not miss the stunning heartbreak when I lost it, though.

[raanve]

I love office supplies, too!

It's weird how hard this is to explain to some people. It seems so basic to me.

[jesse_the_k]

Perhaps we were conditioned young — I know I experienced many happy hours inhaling goof juice and whiteout and such, with permanent brain damage the result.

(Totally perfect icon is perfect!)

[fullygoldy]

My favorite uncle worked at the post office for umpteen years and bestowed upon me the love of office supplies. He would send me packages that contained all manner of pens, pencils, rubberbands, paper clips, etc, and my mom insisted he had just cleaned out his desk and dumped them in the box but I didn't care. They were my treasures. I can waste my whole lunch break wandering around a Staples or Office Max. The newest products from Post-It and Avery are almost always swoon-worthy.

[jesse_the_k]

Post-Its! Pretty soon they'll fill a whole aisle by themselves. Why aren't there Post-It gift cards? Post-It poker decks? Post-It blank weeks so I could put my schedule on the back of my front door (and maybe be able to find it)?

I bet you share my ecstasy that one can print CD-labels on a computer!

I really do miss the old-fashioned office supply store, where you needed the expert guide to disambiguate the grades of pencil leads and which binders fit which forms and all.