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Paperwhirl - CLOSED
Category: Event Planning & Services Cards & Stationery Shopping Arts & Crafts Cards & Stationery Shopping Flowers & Gifts Cards & Stationery Cards & Stationery [Edit]
51 Grant Ave(between Market St & Ofarrell St)
San Francisco, CA 94108
Neighbourhood: Union Square
(415) 248-5353
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
37 reviews for Paperwhirl
37 reviews in English
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Review from Jenny P.
South San Francisco, CA
8/23/2011
Excellent service, a wide variety of gift products, affordable greeting cards (impossible to find these days!) and a convenient location.
I will be returning the next time I need a little something for a special occasion! -
Review from Fannie S.
Updated - 5/9/2012
I was just lamenting about this place the other day. I used to come here all the time, when I passed it on my commute, on my walk, on my errands. But in recent years, it's been out of my way to go here.
They always had the cutest, nicest little stationery sets, picture frames, paperweights, gifts, etc. And they had a wonderful sale/clearance section too. Service was always very nice and friendly.
And I had a bit of time to spare yesterday, and noticed...their sign was gone, and the storefront where they were, it's empty.
I'm sad to know that this place is gone forever.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/21/2008
I used to be obsessed with this place...
They have great cards. The usual and then some.
They have… Read more »
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Review from Gloria H.
2/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Walked by and noticed the store is closing at this location at the end of February so they are having a sale.
Christmas items are up to 75% off and other items from 20-50% off. Besides cards, they carry a wide variety of items too so you may just find a gift for someone or yourself.
Go soon and take advantage of the sale. -
Review from Wendy H.
Updated - 3/9/2012
Boo hoo they're gone. I went by here today and everything is gone. The store was stripped down. RIP Paperwhirl! I've been a fan for almost 20 years - back when you were still at the Rincon!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/13/2007
I used to be such a Paperwhirl junkie when I worked near their previous store at the Rincon Center.… Read more »
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Review from Elena N.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I work a couple doors down from here, but this is a great place to drop by and get a cute card or just an adorable little trinket. They have a cute selection of ornaments right now since it's Christmas. I always stop by here during the holidays to see what they have to offer. This place can be a little expensive, but it's worth checking out.
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Review from Meryl Q.
San Francisco, CA
4/1/2011
i LOVE this store! I walked in just to buy "All my friends are dead" for a friend's farewell gift and I walked out with plenty other small knick knacks for myself. They had an excellent card selection. It turned out ot be a one stop shop for all my girly-girl gifting needs. Their employees are VERY accomodating. I was running to a last minute party and needed a gift and they let me use their tables, scissors, tape, etc to turn what would have been a crappily wrapped slop hastily done in my car to something that looks like I didn't rush to get. Totally saved me from looking like I had completely forgot to get something :P
LOVE it. Will come back again. -
Review from Mick A.
San Francisco, CA
3/5/2010
I continue to love this store for their selection of greeting cards, wrapping paper and ribbons (they've never let me down), but they've also got a amazing collection of scented items and fun gift items for both adults and kids. I always go into this store with one or two things in mind.....and leave with much more. I know that if I have to get a special gift for someone special I ALWAYS find something here.
Nice downtown location and very friendly staff. Special kudos to Rima who is always very helpful and makes sure I know what's new, and what I must have...! -
Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Paperwhirl can be a dangerous place - too much cute stuff! One step through the front door, and an hour flies by - thereis just SO much to look at. I really, really love this place.
I discovered them when I was looking for special envelopes for my wedding save-the-dates, and I ended up finding reasons to come back half a dozen times for everything from bridesmaid gifts to birthday cards to wedding invite envelopes. Eveything here is just so unique, artsy and totally unlike anything you'll find in chain stores. Here are some of my recent purchases:
Clutch purse made of Tootsie Pop wrappers - fabulous and super stylish!
Coin purse made of soda can tops
Stylish Thank You cards printed on ecru paper
Champagne and fuchsia-colored envelopes (special order)
The staff is really attentive and friendly, and they really know their stuff. For my special orders, they always make sure to call when my order arrives. That seems like a basic thing, but alot of stores won't bother to call you or follow up - but these guys are on top of things. Thanks, Paperwhirl, for being so awesome! -
Review from Mc Matty b.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2007
"Oooh, isn't this cute?"
"ohhh, it's just so fuzzy, I just can't stand it"
"No Omar, I will not buy you that...put it down!"
This store is great for last minute gift ideas for folks that are generally hard to shop for. I had no problem finding the perfect gift (a silver piggy bank)
Unique selection, not the general run-of-the-mill crapola.
Nice cards too - especially for weddings!
Automatic 5 stars for offering to giftwrap my purchase. I was in retail hell for 10 plus years, and I just loathe wrapping - she made it all pretty dainty-like - loved it. Thanks giftwrap girl! -
Review from Jessica K.
Roseville, CA
3/10/2010
*clap clap clap*
This place has the greatest selection of greeting cards and gifts! I'm seriously impressed with the tasteful selection of gifts, books, paper and (gasp) Bosca wallets. I found the perfect little gift for my sister just by chance and trust me, I've been looking for a travel cup made for cold drinks and a gigantic plastic straw for months. Months. Whoever the buyer is, we most certainly see eye to eye.
The staff here is terrifically friendly and eager to suggest and give more information on the knick knacks here. I picked up a fuzzy pair of tiger slippers which are unusual 'cause most fuzzy slippers are pigs, lady bugs or cows but tigers! Oh my. The sales clerk and I shared a cute Wilma and Betty moment giggling about how adorable they were and I used all of my willpower to not purchase them. I have 3 pairs of fuzzies already (but no Snuggie thank you very much.) A girl has to keep some sort of dignity I suppose.
This would be just the store to sit down and do wedding or fancy dinner place cards and invitations. It's an upgrade from Papyrus and keeps true to unique and individual style. It's like what Hallmark wants to be and at prices Papyrus just can't beat. I found beautiful book ends which were not only a great weight and size but had a definite Rodan feel. They also had beautiful serving spoons that were inspired by foliage. Gorgeous!
Mama likes. -
Review from alexis m.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2007 1 Check-in Here
BEWARE! This place is dangerous. I dropped 50 bucks in two minutes flat. But then again, I am crazy about finding the perfect card for people. I am actually known for it as weird as that may be. There are so many cards at Paperwhirl. I have had good luck. And the staff is too sweet. Very helpful and smiley and, it is weird, they all have this glow to them. Maybe too much glue. Oh, and the store also does printing of invites, annoucements, etc.
I have to knock one star off becuase the store is a bit crammed and while you are reading cards someone is probably trying to shimmy past you. -
Review from Manabu M.
11/10/2009
I pass by this store every weekday morning to go to work.
I thought this place was only for ladies and girls but it was not.
I found a hilarious book, "Don't you hate that...." and I bought it in 20 seconds.
They also have a lot of cool Asian stuff but the most memorable experience in this store was...
When I was planning for a memorial for my late best buddy, who was a Buddhist, I needed fake clematis flowers so that his Buddha statue would be surrounded by flowers. They had what I exactly needed in the display window.
When I asked a clerk how much they were, she told me that they were not for sale and they were there just for the decoration.
I told her why I needed them and I was ready to pay for $50.00-$100.00 but she kindly sold the flowers for $30.00 after asking her manager.
At the memorial ceremony, those flowers were beautiful and graceful swaying in the sea breeze of Big Sur and I will never forget their kindness. -
Review from Kathleen B.
San Francisco, CA
12/2/2009
I LOVE this place! Somehow they always have exactly what I'm looking for!
The staff are helpful and polite and the prices aren't outrageous.
Go there! -
Review from Victor L.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2007
Paperwhirl has a large variety of items, from greeting cards to stationary, from photo frames to various gift ideas. When I am in San Francisco, Paperwhirl is the first store that I visit when I am in need of high quality greeting cards (when I am not in San Francisco, any Papyrus location will do the trick).
For those who are bored with the regular Hallmark cards, Paperwhirl will most likely satisfy your needs. However, Papyrus' cards are still my favorite. To top it off, the employees at Paperwhirl are really nice, and they seem to genuinely want to help the customers. -
Review from Nancy T.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2007
This place is full of goodies. Cute cards, candles, soft toys, gift wrapping, small gifts item you name it they got it. Staff are friendly and helpful. The only thing is that they have too many stuff for a small store space.
Other than that, for sure you won't walk out empty hand. At least I didn't. -
Review from Michael H.
Hayward, CA
11/21/2008 1 photo
Like all other stationary stores I started to obsess in this place. There were a lot of untypical things that caught my eye. But then when I tested out many of the pens they tended to be dried out.
Finally when I decided to purchase something I went up to an employee and she told me to hold on as she went to help some older customers who just came in. I was in a "whirl", that's for sure. -
Review from Emily D.
Oradell, NJ
11/19/2007
This is the place to visit when you want to find cards and invitations that have been printed by letterpress... or thermography... or die-cutting... or tea-staining... or Japanese soy screen printing... or whatever-the-hell other fancy-style methods with which I am unfamiliar. (I don't know.)
This place is nice and all, but I actually found the selection to be somewhat lacking and way expensive, and I do consider myself to be something of a "paper-phile." (Again: I don't know.)
I came here most recently in search of a cute "new baby" card, and many of them were just good-looking with blank insides. And it's not like they're cheap, either.
Their wedding invitation selection is gorgeous, but the prices well exceed "average" budgets. Understandable for SF, I guess, but Union Street Papery has equally nice stuff at more-human prices.
Expect to pay double what you'd anticipated when you walk in the door, especially on useless knick-knacks (lotion, candles, lip balms, magnets, ornaments, journals, picture frames, Le Pens) you didn't know you wanted or needed before you got here.
Speaking of which, the selection of Le Pens here is supreme and earns Paperwhirl a full three stars for me. Even though you can order them online for a fraction of the price... -
Review from Corinne R.
Menlo Park, CA
4/7/2010
I am impressed.
I came in today confused and overwhelmed about wedding invitations and Rima greeted me with so much enthusiasm that she actually made the process fun again. She offered lots of useful suggestions and sent me on my way with websites to peruse and affordable options to consider. Thanks to her guidance, what felt like an infinite process is now almost done and I am very happy with the result! -
Review from Erika G.
6/29/2007
Nobody writes notes or letters anymore. I mean hand writes! Not email or text or a phone call. Who doesn't like mail? Isn't that why we subscribe to catalogs still, so we get mail at the end of our long day. Mail - all mine, Mine Mine Mine!
So I was looking for stationary - because I am obsessed. they had Crane's and Vera Wang and some other kinds also.
Plus cards and little knick knacks too. Cute store and very friendly staff - well, one person, so I guess she is considered "staff" or maybe the owner.
But I got a cute card/envelope set in Cream and Pale Pink with "E" on it. Do you usually but the initial for your last or first name? Then I also got one set that had an orchid on it. Very pretty but not girly.
They had some cool baby shower announcements - good to know if I ever need them... someday. -
Review from T W.
Berkeley, CA
5/17/2010
We really liked this place, which my fiancée happened upon- she walks near it during her commute, and we went in; after a few visits, we came up with a really nice design that was a combination of one of their stock designs (they carry a number of lines, including Vera Wang, for example) and our own treatment, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the results.
Rima was super helpful and also very good in keeping us on schedule (esp. during the holidays). We did lots over email after we chose the design, and we let her recommend the colors for us (we gave her some ideas). We ended up using the same design and colors for other parts of our wedding (flowers, programs, seating chart). -
Review from Yohanna B.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2009
I used to go to Papyrus for my card needs.
(There were two reviews that started with "I used to..." in the first page alone, so I thought I'd make it three)
But after a while it seems like they don't really rotate their offerings very often. And the cards that I deemed elegant are now meh and blah. So off I go to Paperwhirl. I like their Recycled Greetings line, very funny bylines too!
Other knick knacks and tchotkes are cute and very girly (guys beware, your gf can potentially spend at least 45 minutes here). But they are on the pricy side. Maybe save them for a last minute gift idea. You know what I'm talking about: you completely forgot that you had to go to a birthday party and you haven't bought a gift yet. Or your best friend just found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her so you want to try to lift her spirits. Go to Paperwhirl. -
Review from Miranda M.
Oakland, CA
12/17/2010
I love this store! Great selection of cards, and several different little gift items. And the people who work here are nice, unlike Avant Card down the street.
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Review from Whitney F.
Washington, DC
1/17/2008
After a trip to Antrhopologie, Papyrus, Borders and a few other stationary-ish stores there seemed to be no 2008 Agenda books left in San Francisco, but of course I had to look no farther than my own backyard (aka..the shop next door to where I work) and they had plenty! And I love it! I didn't know January 17 would be too late for a 2008 planner..
I have also found perfect birthday cards, a present for the kid I babysit for, a Christmas gift for my Nana (a cool nutcracker dressed up like a gingerbread man) and many more things I wish I could buy.
Totally worth a drop in! -
Review from Nicole C.
Union City, CA
7/3/2008
Every time I walk by this store, I HAVE to go in. The workers are always helpful, I just went in today and after I purchased my items, gifts for some people, they offered to wrap them for me, at no charge! They have a variety of things fit for anyone and the cutest cards ever.
Definitely a place to shop when looking for a gift for the person who has everything. -
Review from Wakako U.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2009
Very nice aprons that allows me look a like a little lady cook instead of a big bbq grill master.
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Review from Andrea U.
Los Angeles, CA
9/18/2008
I can't think of any other comparable card shops in the immediate area (not keen on Walgreens or Avant Card). A good place to find stationery and last-minute gifts. The staff is very helpful and friendly too. I didn't find the same level of craftwork in the greeting cards as I would at Lola of North Beach, but they still have a very solid selection.
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Review from Tamar N.
Astoria, NY
11/24/2006
Very helpful staff. Great selection of cards, etc.
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Review from Fern D.
Los Angeles, CA
2/21/2008
I'm a sucker for stationery stores, and I can spend a good hour just reading cards and browsing through all the knicknacks. Cute and cool stuff. Nice folks behind the counter too.
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Review from Cristian M.
San Francisco, CA
6/23/2009
I love this place, the cards are unique and really love supporting local, versus Papyrus... also Papyrus has a lot tacky cards, and this place has more tasteful and/or hip witty cards.
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Review from Britney K.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/26/2010 1 Check-in Here
I like this store a lot, they always have a ton of cute knickknacks, cards, you name it they have it. But because of the volume of cute crap, I wander...for a long time. And on more than one occasion I've been followed by their staff in a way that made me feel like I was a 12 year old trying to steal something rather than someone about to spend way too much money for overpriced trinkets. Not cool!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/17/2009
I love paperwhirl! Whenever I need a card or a cute little gift I stop by here and they have it all!… Read more »
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Review from Sarah B.
San Francisco, CA
1/2/2007
I was in a bit of a bad mood when I went into this store, but the excellent service here "turned my frown upside down." Kindly acting as though they were oblivious to the fact that I was a total grumpasaurus (some might use a word that starts with a "B" and ends in "iatch"), the women working here went out of their way to help me find what I was looking for, even calling another store to have something delivered same day. Aside from the gracious service, the store offers a very nice selection of letterpress stationary, handbags, and other cute gift items.
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Review from Grace L.
Mountain View, CA
6/16/2010
Very helpful. I needed to find nice stationery for my wedding and the staff was very knowlegeable without being pushy or snotty. The prices are reasonable, and they have really nice stuff. I would have benefitted from more selection, so I gave them 4 stars. I would recommend!
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Review from Alfonzo J.
San Mateo, CA
12/15/2009
OUTSTANDING customer service! The employees were very sincere when it came to helping me find what I needed...enough said =)
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Review from derek l.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2010 1 Check-in Here
Love this place. They make the best of a little space with a lot of unique gifts. And the Downtown location is easy to get to. Go by and tell them I sent you !
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Review from Jill k.
3/26/2006
stationery and hobo bags in one store? oh, my checkbook's in TROUBLE!
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Review from charlotte s.
Oakland, CA
8/26/2006
i love these kinds of shops!
stationery, gift ideas, wrapping paper, photo albums and frames, little random stuff, ribbons, greeting cards, supplies for making your own cards, gift bags, baby gifts....
need more of these places everywhere! -
Review from becky a.
San Francisco, CA
10/15/2009
This is the BEST card store downtown. Friendly knowledgeable staff, great selection and competitive prices... I go here to get all my cards, I've always enjoyed the neat selection of various items... If you are in a crunch to find a unique gift this is the one stop shop! I love this place!!!
