Sticker Shopping
all the stickers (and then some) that I got from Taipei
If you know me irl (or maybe just follow my socials), you’d know that I am an absolute stationery lover. It brings me so much joy, and I take them seriously. So whenever I travel, I try to get one or two that I can add in my stash. I probably have a little too much of them than necessary but in an effort to be a little more sustainable, I’ve shifted to using refillables (like fountain pens, notebooks via my Traveler’s Notebooks and Hobonichi Techo covers). As of writing, I think I can successfully say that I already curbed my pen hoarding habit. The other thing I want to keep in check is buying too much paper products (but maybe that’s a discussion for another time).
One thing though that caught my fancy lately would be stickers. Leaving Asia kind of cut me off from the supply of cheap AND gorgeous stickers that I could access anytime. These days, I visit my local stationery shops but the prices are often so high that it’s hard to justify most times. That’s why when I had the chance to return to Taipei last time, I was able to hoard a couple of sticker sheets. I was supposed to do a bit of stationery shop-hopping with my sister, but due to limited time, a jam-packed schedule, and also (tragically) discovering that the stationery shops1 that I love don’t exactly have a physical shop in Taipei, we had to skip it.
Anyway, this is a very random post featuring a very random topic. I can’t bring myself to use them without first sort of preserving them somewhere, so here we are. These are the stickers (and then some) that I got from Taipei:
I got all of these in various visits to different Eslite branches2, which is one of the largest bookstore chains in Taiwan, while walking around town. My visits are always punctuated by a visit to one of their branches - as it’s always guaranteed to satisfy my nerdy stationery heart (also, books).
But I digress.
I know I can always just order these online. A quick google search revealed that there’s actually quite a lot (although a bit pricier) options where I can purchase even these exact sheets here in the UK. But getting it on location will always be better, for me. I am a proponent of stationery as personal souvenirs. In this case, stickers: when I use then, I’ll be reminded of where I got them. And I know for sure that it will bring a smile to my face, reminiscing even just for a little while.
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As a little throwback, here’s younger Riza visiting their now defunct Xinyi branch (pretending to read a book written in chinese, lol) - which apparently featured a 24-hour bookstore (!!!). I spent a chunk of my day trying to walk through the shelves and absorb the sight as, during that time, it was the largest (and probably most posh) bookstore I’ve ever been to. I was able to visit their new Songshan branch this last time, which is also a 24-hour bookstore, but it wasn’t as grand sadly.
I'm such a sucker for a cute sticker sheet, and can totally relate to hoarding loads whenever I'm back in Asia! I used to pack a hardback book whenever we went home to Hong Kong, so I could keep my new additions perfectly flat. I think stationery is such a fun travel souvenir too, though, so don't beat yourself up that 'you could order them online'. Now they retain a little memory too!