The Stationery Selection Review – November 2017

The Stationery Selection is a stationery subscription that carefully curates with famous stationery brands and zakka (misc. goods) shipped directly from Japan.

My Subscription Addiction paid for this box. (Check out our review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)

The Subscription Box: The Stationery Selection

The Cost: $34.95 a month  + shipping ($10-$13 to the US, depending on where you live)

The Products: stationery and zakka (ie misc. goods)

Ships to: Worldwide

Good to know: One-time boxes are also usually available for $36.95 + shipping.

Check out all of our The Stationery Selection reviews and more stationery reviews in the Paper and Stationery Subscription Box Directory!

Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!

You'll find an info sheet (on beautiful handmade looking paper) listing out everything in this month's box.

Classiky Brown Number Washi Tape - Retail Value $3.75

This brown washi tape comes with the numbers 1-9 on it to use in your planner. After the first set, there is another style of numbers that goes from 1-10 and then it starts to repeat the first. I don't have a lot of brown washi tape, or any really, so this is my first. It gives a kraft paper/vintage vibe and would be fun to use just as stickers (by cutting each number off) to make lists.

Kitta Seal Mojicover Animal Stickers - Retail Value $4.50

Yes! I am super into this brand and the way they package their washi tapes and stickers (aka "seals"). They come in a long clear package so you can see the design of the stickers.

The back of the package has suggestions on how to use your new stickers!

Each sheet is also perforated so you can tear them off to share or throw away once you've used them. In this pack, you receive four sheets that each have 6 colorful animal stickers including a yellow bear, green peacock, grey cat, blue bird, teal seal (hehe), and a pink bunny.

When you close the cover (like a matchbook), the peacock design is all over the outside. SO COOL!

mt Mat Gray 3mm Thin Washi Tape 3 Pack - Retail Value $5.86

Oh, heck yea! Grey is my fave color and this is a three pack of the ultra thin 3mm width washi tape. I have a few other thin washi tapes, but they have more intricate designs. These could be used for nail designs since they are so thin, or more detailed crafts! I feel so boring for loving this set so much, but they're perfect!

Nishi Shuku Forest Watermark Washi Paper Set

When I first saw these, I thought they were envelopes since I got a single stationery set of this same forest watermark design in my October Sticky Kit, but they are actually delicate sheets of paper! At least now I know that the other set by Japanese artist, Nishi Shuku! Her paper goods come up a lot in my Japanese subscriptions, often in sticker form.

In this pack, you get 25 sheets of pale white/clear watermarked paper with a forest scene that includes foxes, rabbits, and trees. I simply adore her illustrations, but this paper almost seems too special to even use! I'll have to think about who is lucky enough to receive a letter on this.

Pentel Orenz 0.3mm Mechanical Pencil - Retail Value $7.25

This super sexy mechanical pencil is one of the reasons I love The Stationery Selection! They send super high-quality goods like this $7.25 pencil that I like to pretend is my namesake (my last name is ORENich). I'm especially geeked that it's white because I love a crisp minimal writing utensil. I actually have a similar white mechanical pencil by Pentel that is my #1 fave, but this one isn't as heavy (and I like to feel some weight).

Here's a close up of the end that has a concealed eraser for when you make mistakes.

This pencil's "claim to fame" is that the lead won't break when writing. With a normal mechanical pencil, the lead will protrude from the metal nib, but with this one, the lead stays flush with the metal to "protect" it. It seems like you wouldn't be able to write since you can't see the lead sticking out, but when you write at an angle, it works. GAME CHANGER! It took me a while to understand the diagrams on this sticker and the packaging, but now I get it.

I shot it with the lead protruding so you can see how thin 0.3mm is, but when you use it, the lead will be inside that long metal nib.

Here's a writing sample!

Stálogy Editors Series 1/2 Year A5 Size Notebook - Retail Value $19.97

Another gorgeous and high-quality item in this month's box! I'm over the moon! This brand apparently makes a full year version, but this one is the half year, which is a good idea for a newbie like me.

Looking at the bright yellow band, there are instructions on the best ways to use your sleek new black notebook. It explains that it has 192 pages that prevent ink bleeding and provide enough space for six months of planning.

At the top of each 4mm x 4mm grid page, you'll notice teeny months, days of the week, and numbered days that you can highlight or underline to note the date.

There are also numbers down the left side of each page (0-24) so you can create a timeline in hours to plan your day.

I failed to get a pic of that well, but you can see it at the bottom right corner of the photo above.

I always love when Japanese products have seemingly random English words on them. Here, the phrase "What should have been, is." really makes this notebook seem like its here for serious business!!

Tombow Mono Zero Retractable Eraser - Retail Value $9.25

LOOK AT THIS SEXY ERASER! LOOK AT IT!! It is the most beautiful eraser I have ever laid my eyes upon! It's no surprise that it won a Good Design Award in 2017 as well. 😍

Its slim body is only 2.5 x 5 mm, so you can tuck it away into your pencil case without it taking up very much room.

This super thin rectangular eraser emerges from its sturdy aluminum home by clicking the top like you would any other retractable pen or pencil.

It also has a clip so you can slide it on to a sketchbook or planner for easier access.

Verdict: The Stationery Selection blew my gosh darn mind this month with the most gorgeous designed stationery goods. This box costs between $44.95 and $47.95, depending on how much shipping to your neck of the US ends up being and I received about $50.58 in retail value (not counting the washi paper I couldn't find online). This is a pricier subscription, but well worth it in my opinion because I can't easily find these items in my city and if I ordered them all separately online, I'd pay so much in shipping costs. The notebook, mechanical pencil, and eraser are by far my favorites and made me squeal with delight. 

To Wrap Up: 

Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Sadly no, you will receive the January box.

Value Breakdown: At $47.95 for this box, you're paying approximately $7.22 per item.

What is your favorite item from The Stationery Selection this month?!