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Above Ground Art Supplies
Category: Shopping Arts & Crafts Art Supplies Art Supplies [Edit]
74 McCaul StToronto, ON M5T 3K2
Neighbourhood: Downtown Core
(416) 591-1601
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:30 am - 7:30 pm
Sat 10 am - 6 pm
Sun 12 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
7 reviews for Above Ground Art Supplies
6 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa K.
Toronto, ON
9/7/2010
If you attend/ed OCAD, like I did, you've frequented Aboveground Art Supplies. Because it's a two-minute walk and you had a deadline 10 minutes ago and they stock just about anything with your curriculum in mind. They also have a 10% discount for you, if you remember to bring your student ID card.
The service is hit and miss. The tall gentleman who usually mans the paper stock upstairs is very knowledgeable and helpful. The younger employees are likely students or recent grads, so some of them can be very friendly and helpful while others are just assholes (really) who hate their lives and hate you, too. Oh well.
Like I said, Aboveground caters to OCAD students, so they carry a wide range of products as diverse as the programs/courses there: painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, bookbinding, colour theory, and so on. Pretty much the entire paper and foam core selection there is acid-free/archival quality. You'll find a huge selection of graphite, coloured pencils, markers, pens, paintbrushes as well as safety equipment (dust and filtered masks, rubber gloves) and a decent selection of spray paints, glues and a bevy of tapes. In the back on the first floor, you'll find easels, canvas (pre-stretched and loose, sold by the length), stretchers and palettes.
As far as pricing goes, Aboveground's prices are comparable to Curry's (you'll have to do some comparison shopping and keep a tab on their sales, because often one is cheaper than the other) and a little more expensive in certain cases than Gwartzman's supplies.
All in all, a pretty solid art supply store. -
Review from Vivek S.
Updated - 7/22/2010 5 Check-ins Here
Just enjoyed a hilarious encounter with an uber-enthusiastic clerk at the Aboveground counter. He carried on a steady patter like a radio DJ, with a booming ALLRIGHTY-THEN kind of voice. When he mentioned how beautiful it was outside, he actually looked wistfully out the window as though considering the sheer Wonderousness of It All in a fell swoop. He meant it. And when he slid the debit console my way, he offered, "here are some buttons for your technological pleasure," and then mime-pulled the receipt out of the machine. I was dying.
Anyway, the point of this update was simple to state that they have Buckyballs at Aboveground now. BUCKY BALLS. $25, but still.Listed in: Feeling Crafty, Art Attack
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/19/2009
My crippling addiction to art supplies is not helped by my proximity to Above Ground Art Supplies.… Read more »
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Review from harriot r.
8/26/2010
it is true Above Ground has a lot of art supplies. But most of the people who work there are apparently either clueless or rude arrogant idiots. If you need to talk to someone in management about making a simple larger bulk order. They just can't deal..they get bitchy and overwhelmed..Who knew the art supply biz was so stressful? Their loss. Their boss would flip if he knew how much business his employees just cost him!
If you are a student or hobbyist this place is probably fine for you. If you are a professional artist , go somewhere else. what a bunch of jerks! -
Review from Jimi S.
ON
11/23/2008 1 photo
This is torontos Pearl Paint. it is a 3 story house turned into a huge art store. i bought a bunch of graphic design related equipment and tools like markers, rulers, gouache, pencil crayons, pencils, french curves and a few more. their inventory is vast because of their size and probably because of their proximity to the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD).
I spent a good two hours there. you might very well be able to make your purchasing decisions more quickly, but I was experimenting with markers, pens and pencils, and asked a few questions from the helpful and knowledgeable staff. there was nothing i couldnt find there. they had a large choice for many many things. the only thing that didnt register well is that there was no membership which entitled you to a discount. I have been to other art stores in the city where i can get up to about 20 percent sometimes just because im on their mailing list. there are only discounts here if you are a teacher or student. they also have a random deal going on that if a star or some indicator shows while your purchase is being made you have the chance to win it for free. hey, maybe itll happen one day, but id rather have the discount. i will still go back as i need to nonetheless. -
Review from vanessa v.
8/7/2008
only go here when ocad isn't in session. i stopped in a few times during the summer and thought prices were generally OK, but then had a huge shock when classes started up and there was a 1hr line that wrapped around the store. it dies down after the first few weeks, but there is *always* a line while there are classes in session.
if you have the time for a little walk, gwartzman's is cheaper and friendlier, but aboveground is more widely stocked if you don't mind the wait
obviously, they have a student discount so don't forget to show your card -
Review from Wayne S.
Toronto, ON
6/15/2010
widest selection in Toronto, though of course, not a patch on big US stores. prices higher than Gwartzman's, sometimes even higher than Curry's, and many of the floor staff appear more interested in socializing than being helpful. distressing lack of product knowledge and experience.
if they didn't carry Gamblin, i'd have little reason to go back.
UPDATE: DeSerres carries Gamblin now, at the same price as AG.
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