Paper Source — Local services in Portland

I LOVE this store. It's impossible to leave without buying anything. It takes a tough person! Everything is adorable, they usually have a great stock of papers and envelopes and colors available, and if they don't they will call other locations. HOWEVER...the staff varies. Usually they are sweet and friendly and love to be personable. But the other day I needed help with getting some envelopes. I couldn't go upstairs because I had a stroller with an infant and toddler. So I asked at the counter if someone would be able to go up there to grab me 80 envelopes. At first there were two people behind the counter chatting, and a 'gentleman' who was VERY chatty, almost felt like he was whispering about guests or others in the store. I noticed a few times while I was browsing that he would go up to another employee and sort of whisper and look over at someone. It made me feel uneasy. Then when I went to ask them for help it was like I wasn't there. So I eventually said "excuse me? I had a question." The guy came up to me and was like "did you need something?" And I told him exactly what I needed and pointed to my stroller while explaining that I can't go up there myself or I would. He almost interrupted me and pointed at a different employee and said "she can help you. Ask her." Then went back to the conversation. I felt pushed off and like I was an annoyance. I NEVER feel that way at this store and come there often as I'm a invitation designer. I just felt very hurt by that interaction. The girl who did help me was EXACTLY the type of person I expect from there! Super sweet and very understanding! So it helped make up for the rude behavior from the previous encounter. I don't like to leave bad reviews, but as a mom with kids...it really offended me. I will still visit this location obviously...but what are reviews for if not to explain...

i went with my white friend who is a regular and had no issues, they even let him wander the store for a few minutes past closing. however, when i went with my sister, they made us feel extremely unwelcome and unwanted. i felt like i was being pressured to stop wandering around and to get out as quickly as possible when other people weren't. when we went to check out, the cashier said there was a problem with the register. another employee asked if they needed help rebooting it before their shift ended, the one with me told them "don't bother." i had cash, card, AND payment via my phone that i could have used but the cashier would only smile and say "sorry!" instead of trying to do anything. when my sister and i stepped out of line while i checked my bank account (which worked perfectly fine all day and continued to do so after visiting here), the register worked PERFECTLY for all 5 separate transactions behind us (amazing how that works!! :) guess the machine automatically knows when someone is untrustworthy and just decided to shut down for us and only us). i was so embarrassed and upset. this place is obviously only welcome to a certain type of person and it wasn't my...

I spent over $100 on champagne glass shaped confetti in 2019 for my wedding invitations and all I have to show for it is a lifetime supply of confetti and a divorce certificate.

Paper Source is my kryptonite. Sober or drunk I cannot leave here without an arm full of journals, cards I'll never send to anyone and a sense of purpose that can only be described as unhinged.

There's something amazing about a store that's just dedicated to the written word, as I type this on my stupid macbook in a stupid coffee shop (it's not stupid, it's beautiful) I realize I should be writing in my new $30 journal I just had to have last night... all right, signing off. Going to do some...