The Stationers on Lordship Lane

[Miss P]

Apparently it's closing down - I asked the guy in there what was happening to the site, but he had no idea. Anyone know? I thought it was quite useful to have a proper stationers/art supply shop, but it would seem that it's not doing very well.

[pablogrande]

Strange how a shop run by a stationery Nazi doesn't do so well.

[dbboy]

So that won't be missed then, lots of muchbetter places to purchase stationary.

[Cassius]

dbboy Wrote:

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> So that won't be missed then, lots of muchbetter

> places to purchase stationary.

Locally - where? Not everyone is in the West End/City on a regular basis.

[Louisa]

Erm how about W H Smith in Rye Lane?

Louisa.

[Trump]

Pablogrande - Not sure I would go as far as your post ? But he was certainly very, very rude: All other staff - very nice ? helpful and friendly.

[dbboy]

I'm not in the West End either. As I run a business I am able to purchase direct from wholesale stationers.

[Louisa]

Or the W H Smith next to Forest Hill station... Or the independent stationer in the Village?

Louisa.

[Domitianus]

I am inclined to agree that the proprietor was his own worst enemy. I never had a problem with him personally but always got the sense that I was never more than a moment away from some sort of patronising or offensive comment. There was a little of the Basil Fawlty about his attitude in the sense that being a shop owner would be wonderful if only one didn't have to deal with riff-raff. I was in the shop once when he refused to refund a customer for some sort of faulty goods - he insisted that the chap return it to the manufacturer even though the customer quite rightly pointed out that his contract was with the shop.

[Sue]

I really liked Ralon and I always found the proprietor and all the staff very friendly and helpful.

I'm sorry it's going.

The guy is retiring. Probably glad to go if he sees that he is being called a Nazi on the East Dulwich Forum :-S

[Sue]

dbboy Wrote:

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As I run a

> business I am able to purchase direct from

> wholesale stationers.

xxxxxxx

Anyone can get stationery stuff really cheaply online

[HonaloochieB]

Louisa Wrote:

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> Erm how about W H Smith in Rye Lane?

>

> Louisa.

The last time I patronised the establishment, the range of cassettes for my Dymo label maker was poor in the extreme.

And as for the selection of Moleskin notebooks...

I made note in the Moleskin I carried at the time, that 'should I wish to label WH Smith as anything, I would not be able to do so, for the lack of Dymo label cassettes'.

An apercu that found its way to several salons, let me tell you.

[Sue]

:))

Edited to say: I believe it's Moleskine - with an e. At the end.

[HonaloochieB]

Sue Wrote:

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> :))

>

> Edited to say: I believe it's Moleskine - with an

> e. At the end.

Oh, crapping Nora.

Of course you're right, Sue.

I've just looked at my collection of notebooks containing my thoughts, reflections, feelings and receipts for the last 30 years and realised they've been recorded on Moleskin, rather than Moleskine.

How could I have been so stupid?

Buying out of a suitcase from Romford Nigel that's how.

Oh how I rue the day I met that cunning rogue who sold me a 'set of notebooks that'll keep you going for the next 50 years'.

It's just not the same now it's not Moleskine.

Louisa, I withdraw my critical remarks concerning WH Smith and will ensure that I visit tomorrow and seek out Moleskine notebooks, of which I am sure there will be a wide selection and plentiful supply.

The final record in my Moleskin notebook will be that I have litttle or no confidence that they will be any less sh!t in the supply of Dymo label cassettes.

Fondest regards to you both.

[HAL9000]

Mr Ralon has been extremely kind and generous to our voluntary org during our various campaigns for justice. He donated heavily discounted supplies and photocopies and always took a personal interest in our clients? causes.

He did so much more on a humanitarian level on behalf of some of our clients but I cannot disclose the details here for reasons of confidentiality.

I've always found him to be honourable and scrupulously honest in every respect - a perfect gentleman.

[flapjackdavey]

I really cant see how he is so unpopular with some people , I have always found him very friendly , its a shame that he is shutting up shop .a Nazi ? now come on ! you're talking nonsense :(

[Reg Smeeton]

Anyone heard of Godwin's Law? (If you haven't, look it up)

[Mark]

I know it's off topic but the second post called someone a Nazi, Godwin's Law doesn't apply here. Search the forum for some good and bad examples.

[Huguenot]

I remember being completely outfoxed by our friendly stationery Nazi once (wouldn't a stationary Nazi have been more intriguing?).

I was trying to buy a pen, and I asked if I could check it was working before I made the purchase. He said no, I had to buy it first.

Somewhat taken aback, I asked him if he was taking the piss. He was more concerned about my choice of language than the fact that he was taking the piss.

This tactical red herring left me so confused that I left the shop without the pen, feeling that it was me that had made the fatal transgression.

[HAL9000]

Most modern pens are assembled in ways that prevent the ink drying out before the pen is used for the first time.

Two examples:

1) Some pens have a sealant applied at the manufacturing stage that prevents the ink from drying out and clogging up the writing point. The seal breaks as soon as the pen is used for the first time.

2) Some pens have a tiny pressure pump that floods the writing tip with ink the first time it is used - prior to that the point is ink free and acts as a spring loaded airtight seal.

Trying out such pens destroys their seals and starts the aging process.

Ralon stocks hundreds of different writing implements: it is unreasonable to expect display samples to be available - it would cost a fortune: they would likely dry out long before customers bought enough pens of each type to justify the cost of the samples.

[paulino]

we're not talking display samples here - we're talking about a person trying out the pen before they buy it. if the pen works, they will buy it and if the seal is destroyed and the ageing process starts, then that's the new pen owner's problem.

[sillywoman]

Domitianus Wrote:

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> I was in the shop once when he refused

> to refund a customer for some sort of faulty goods

> - he insisted that the chap return it to the

> manufacturer even though the customer quite

> rightly pointed out that his contract was with the

> shop.

Oooh, that might have been me. Was it 12 years ago? I stood my ground though & threatened trading standards. He gave me the refund though he made his cowed looking lady assistant give it to me from her personal purse (!! what was that about?). Then he banned me from his shop forever. It hasn't really had a negative impact on my life, but I'm glad to see the nasty little man go finally.

[Ladymuck]

Huguenot Wrote:

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> I remember being completely outfoxed by our

> friendly stationery Nazi once (wouldn't a

> stationary Nazi have been more intriguing?).

>

> I was trying to buy a pen, and I asked if I could

> check it was working before I made the purchase.

> He said no, I had to buy it first.

>

> Somewhat taken aback, I asked him if he was taking

> the piss. He was more concerned about my choice of

> language than the fact that he was taking the

> piss.

>

> This tactical red herring left me so confused that

> I left the shop without the pen, feeling that it

> was me that had made the fatal transgression.

This amusing little anecdote made me smile - but, I suspect, for the wrong reasons. Huguenot, somehow I simply cannot imagine you ever being "outfoxed" in this way.

I wish I'd been there as you left the shop scratching your head!:))

[HAL9000]

paulino Wrote:

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> if the pen works, they will buy it

The main problem is that lots of people just want to try out pens until they find one they like. One can't force someone to buy a pen they've tried but one can easily change a pen that doesn't work - that way the shopkeeper retains control of the transaction and avoids getting ripped off.

Pen sellers are particularly vulnerable: I know of cases where a special pen (or other art supply) was purchased for a one-off job and then returned as faulty (usually deliberately broken) for a refund.

Imagine going into Sainsbury's and insisting on opening every tin and bottle before purchasing in case one doesn't like the flavour or the contents have gone off?

[Ladymuck]

HAL9000 Wrote:

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> Imagine going into Sainsbury's and insisting on

> opening every tin and bottle before purchasing in

> case one doesn't like the flavour or the contents

> have gone off?

WHY, OH WHY do you always make me laugh HAL9000! I am quite certain you didn't intend to be funny here at all. But I can see the expression on your face...and then I laugh!!

ha ha ha