The right station for stationery

More and more buyers flock to the shop, pushing each other to get a better look at the products. Each of them examines all the materials to find the right one for them. Meanwhile, the shopkeeper busily taps away at his calculator, calculating the net price one of the buyers has to pay. No, it is not a departmental store or even a clothing shop. It's one of the stationery shops in New Market. Surprisingly, that is the scenario for each of the stationery shops in the area. You can find almost any stationery there at a reasonable price. From artists to architects to amateur hobbyists, these shops are always the first choice when it comes to stationery. 

But first, why do we need that much stationery anyway? What is the hype? Why not just type the everyday notes on your phone, or, if we must use paper, just use something plain? Here's why. Like clothing, our stationery choices reflect our personality. In this age, where everything just keeps on getting digitalised, stationeries give us that old analogue feeling back. It makes us nostalgic and can give us a sense of control as we feel more organised. Alternatively, it could also just add a bit of individuality and colour to your work.

Modern Stationeries and ABC Stationeries especially have a large collection of different types of papers. Strong cardboard paper which can act as base for models and even much thinner versions (costing around Tk 25) are all available. These cardboard papers can be printed as well, and they cost around Tk 60. For those looking for something extraordinary, there are textured papers which have a base colour and then have designs with a few complementary colours all over, giving them a very chic look. They cost around Tk 50. The handmade papers they sell also come in different shades with prices around Tk 60. These may be slightly printed with different shapes and are perfect for making notebooks.  They also have tissue papers with prints of leaves and flowers on them, and those can be used for crafts or for decoration and cost around Tk 50. Finally there are the unconventional foam boards at Tk 120 which are usually used for making models. Other than that, there are also poster papers, offset papers, transparent sheets, glossy papers and unlike shops in the rest of Dhaka city, you can find them in a variety of colours at these shops. 

In addition to this extensive range of papers, Modern Stationeries also has a good collection of artist brushes. You can buy them in sets which cost from Tk 350 to Tk 900, or individually. Some of the brushes have strong textures while others are much softer, but all of them are of good quality. These shops also sell the bags used to keep the brushes in, which are highly popular among art students. Moreover, you can buy paints of all shades, with the smaller ones costing around Tk 100 and the larger ones at around Tk 300. For beginners, Ahmad Trading Co. may be a better option, as they have fewer customers and therefore they can give more attention to exactly what kind of things you want to buy. 

For architecture students, there are things to make grass and fields at Tk 50, and then various sizes of tiny balls to make models. They also have sticks for the structures at Tk 50, and beads at Tk 25 per packet. All the shops have different kinds of notebooks and sketchpads, and they appear in different sizes, paper quality and even colour. While some have funky shades and witty writings, others give off more of a professional vibe. Other than these there are glitter pens, sketch pencils, pens, highlighters, post-it stickers and a huge range of other materials you can choose from. 

Many of these materials will be perfect to make cards, handmade notebooks and even models for projects. These shops provide us with the opportunity to buy all that we need in one place, unlike the rest of the places in the city.

By Adiba Mahbub Proma
Photo: LS Archive/Sazzad Ibne Sayed