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Categories: Cards & Stationery, Toy Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Harvard SquareHarvard (Red)
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sometimes I feel like buying things a well traveled, learned, stylized, 8 year old would lust over. When you feel this way: go to black ink.
Where else can my sister get a frog mug that reminds us of the mug with the ceramic frog glued to the bottom of it (a mug we would fight over at my grandma's house)? Where else can she also get a card that reads: 'hello friend' and nothing else? Where else can I obtain a huge deck of cards that I will never ever lose? There is also lots of other cool stuff to make you think for a blink of a minute- that a US shop can hold a candle to Japan.
I wish I could afford to give everyone their Christmas presents from this place. While not entirely too expensive I would just get sucked in and get half the store. I really enjoy the selection from this place. From vintage posters, lunch boxes, vases, jewelry, etc.
This place is well composed. Simple shelving holds all the knick knacks. The dark selves fade away from all the colorful things they have to offer. The back of the store has a well lit glass case for vases, teapots, and bowls- seeing this from the street calls you in.
Stop by for something to add to place or be nice a spread the love to a friend.
Best place ever for smart gifts and fun things for your apartment. Very cool and well desined things
I was a little disappointed by the lack of service, especially since I was the only person there
good for random gift items. on the other hand, it's the kind of stuff you look at and say, that's cute, but then giving it to someone is less a reflection of individual thought for them than getting a gift that shows that you're trying to be hip without having to look too hard. which in a lot cases works just fine.
This is so my kind of store. They sell pretty little things here, I think that's the best way to describe their stock. A good portion of their wears are Japanese, including the retro Bee House teapots I am now smitten with.
I fell head over heels for an artichoke dog toy, so much so I almost bought it for the dog I don't have yet. I channeled my boyfriend and put it down, but filed a mental note. There were also cute bento boxes, giant pocky, salt boxes, handmade cards, and books on art and design. It makes me kind of glad I don't live nearby because I'd be tempted to buy everything.
Unfortunately, I had just spent a bunch at Cardullo's next door, so all I bought was a ping pong ball (for the cats) from the gumball-style machine.
Magic Mini Quiz to Help You Decide Whether You Should Go to Black Ink or Funusual:
Do you prefer:
1. a. Art b. Arts & Crafts
2. a. Handmade Cards b. Hallmark
3. a. Boutiques b. QVC
4. a. Sushi b. Burgers
5. a. Myxyplyzyk b. Pylones
If you answered mostly a's, you will like Black Ink.
If you answered mostly b's and are above 45 and/or have at least one cat, you will love Funusual.
If you answered mostly b's and are below 45 and do not have a cat yet, it's not too late!
- - -
Black Ink has more artistic sense, which is not to say Funusual has any.. the direction behind Funusual seems to be to load the store with tacky crap as possible (think cartoon cat clocks where the pendulum is the cat's tail swinging). Black Ink carries pretty little things, including letterpress cards, toys, mini incense sticks, baby items, delicate glassware, etc. They also stock some great lines from Japan.
Customer service on the phone goes a long way. I called to see if they carried something. The woman that answered the phone was nasty and snappy. Um, wow... nevermind. Good thing they didn't carry it what I was looking for. I wouldn't have given this place a dime. Abit of phone ettiquette goes a long way....
this store is fun to look at, but I couldn't figure out what to actually buy. It really is just neat looking STUFF and I don't need anymore junk around my place. Metal bins for magazines, magnetic paper clips, kitchen timers, etc.
meh. I really wanted a lot, but just didn't need any of it.
I could probably spend hours in here.
They have unusual and useful trinkets, kitchen items, handmade glassware and beautiful cards. I love the artistic spin, unusual, a little funky, but not cutesy.
It is a little expensive, however, as is pretty much everything in Harvard Square. I recommend stopping by this store if you're in the area and have some time to kill.
This is such an awesome store. If I didn't have to travel on a plane I would have bought more. As it was, I bought over 10 gifts for people (and myself). Wonderful store!
This store is really cute, I like the stuff they had, but the price were ridiculous. I saw this tiny little box, plastic, possibly empty? Seriously, it was smaller than a penny, and it was like $4, but for what?!
So anyways..my point is they have a lot of neat but way overpriced things here.
This place is a must-visit when in Cambridge. Location is great - right there when you come out of the Harvard square subway station. Tons of cute and fun knick-knacks, stationery, books, games and goodies. Plus I believe it's sort of a local place, even though they have a few locations.
Give yourself a $10 limit and try to find something...give up yet?
But seriously, the rotating Museum of Useful Things in the back of the store is worth checking out by itself. Got a fantastic cat-hair-removal brush last time and love it.
It does get really crowded sometimes, but if you've just been on the subway you're used to the smell of armpits anyway.
P.S. BEST selection of unique greeting cards anywhere.
A great place to find offbeat and otherwise unusual items. You're going to find random things in here that you never thought you needed, but suddenly can't live without.
Plenty of small things that make great gifts and near the back, if you're into Asian cuisine, check out the cookbooks and cookware that are very Asian inspired.
Another plus, is that this is the only store in Boston where I've found large Tintin cover posters at a reasonable price. Who doesn't love that?
A birthday card with ramen noodles on it?
Gotta have it.
I mostly come in here for the cards; I'll pick up ten at a time. They're hilarious, and I've never seen anything like it. They're usually about the same price as cards you'd buy at CVS, so there's no excuse.
As for the rest of the shop, it's a little expensive for me, but it's a good place to get a fun gift for those Secret Santa parties, or a friend at the last minute. The sales people are always friendly, not pushy.
A most-stop when I come to Harvard Square.
Black Ink is a tiny shop in Harvard Square that can best be described as an adult toy store of the non-dirty variety. There are all sorts of trinkets, baubles, knick-knacks and do-dads to be had here. Those willing and able to drop some cash will find a room full of options to relive their childhood memories or stock up on some nifty conversation pieces.
For all of the cuteness and kitsch, however, I remain unimpressed and almost always leave empty-handed. The merchandise is just too damned expensive, and the store has an almost oppressively hip vibe. The general atmosphere at Black Ink also lacks a certain something--just about everything is interesting and visually appealing, but for some strange reason the parts don't add up to a compelling shopping experience. Amid the boxes of Tiddlywinks, kewpie dolls, children's books, $10 keychains, Japanese notebooks, and bored hipster salespeople, there's a weird lack of the warmth and playfulness that I would expect from a store that so obviously aspires to be eclectic and ironic.
I did get a really cute, old-fashioned sock monkey here for less than $20 last year though, which bumps my rating from a 2.5 to a 3. On the whole, worth a gander if you're in Harvard Square and in no particular rush.
I do love this store and love browsing the unique items. This store is for things you would like but don't really need, even though I spent almost $70 the last visit. Not that it is fair to take my anger for poor customer service out on this place and not that they are particularly mean, but I do notice asking them questions seems to be bit of a put off to them. And if you truly don't know what something is they give you a sort of quizzical "your dumb" look about them. But then again that seems to be the standard for most of the Boston area.
I can't walk by here without stopping in.
I rarely buy much here, but they always have SO much to look at. a great place for quirky gifts. love the letterpress cards. the cool design stuff. cool books. astronaut ice cream? omg!
sales people are always nice here, but sometimes if its crowded the customers can be pushy - this place is tiny.
Unexpected necessities? I might beg to differ. More like so completely and utterly useless. But who the hell cares, this stuff is awesome!
I absolutely adore random knick knacks, so this store totally tickled me pink. If I had a ton of money, I'd probably end up buying most of this crap. Most of the stuff they sell are pricey, cute crap you would have never thought to create in a million years. Their cards are unique and funny though, so definitely look through those. But much to my surprise, I did find something I saw online on some random blog over a year ago.
Egg pants!! (http://www.lizkin.com)
I totally wasted $18 on a pair of freaking egg pants, I'm so ashamed. And now I have to buy brown eggs to wear the pants.
I'm glad that there are apparently enough ridiculous people like me who easily get suckered into buying this stuff and keep the store alive.
You know how, sometimes, you see something really cute and whimsical, and you think, "Oh my God, I don't need that at all, but it's so cute. Wait! I can get that for my friend!" This store is where you'll find that sort of item.
They have unique greeting cards, toys, kitchenware, and endless gadgets. I just bought some pencils that smell like sugar cookies, and a bird whistle that warbles when filled with water.
The salespeople are comfortable with people just browsing, so don't feel pressured to get anything. Just go in and enjoy yourself.
I'm taking a star off because some of the stuff is wicked expensive.
Ugh, the worst kind of place to go xmas shopping! The kind of place filled with awesome stuff that you want, but you're not really sure how to justify buying it for friends and family. Actually, i did buy something for someone, but i was tempted by much more.
i'll be back in February.
Why visit a museum when you can stop by at Black Ink? It's full of things that you never knew existed. It's just the place you want to be to get gifts for people you a) don't know enough about to get something useful or b) love so much you get them random gifts for no specific occasion.
I'm also convinced that there is some sort of Japanese influence to this store as being in their makes me feel like being a kid in Japan again. Totoro and his blob-like friends are amongst the few random items that serve no purpose other than to make you feel fuzzy inside.
Walk by and you'll be grabbed by their ever-changing window displays and floor to ceiling shelves displaying...who knows!
Be prepared to hold a tight grip on your wallet, lest you find yourself picking up every single thing that you clearly "need" and cannot live without. The perfect combo of ironic, smart, kitch, useful, useless, japanimation, baby gear and grown up goodies.
The perfect place to come find a present when you're at an otherwise loss for inspiration.
I could spend all day in this little store. One word sums this place up: neat. I guess most of there things are a little useless and overpriced. There are so many nifty things on the shelves that I'm not even sure what some of them due, but I want them!
There is one thing they have that really want to try one day. They have a canner and for $5 they can place your gift or whatever you want in a can and seal it. Interesting gift wrap and the opportunity to open a gift with a can opener.
Since I apparently think I matter... I don;t really find it necessary to have more than ten reviews for Black Ink. It's a visit worth for your first trip to Harvard Square. It's across the street from the Curious George Store. It has tall shelves of cutesy not so useful gifts. Whoop. Dee. Doo.
I can't find any other reason to really go in there ..well except for the best thing to ever have been created. The small mini photo travel book with pictures of every everday item possible.. so instead of learning the language.. you can instead point at your goal and go UHH UHH when you go to foreign lands. Also the gift wrapping patterns hanging behind the counter are worth the purchase.
The same people run the Museum Of Useful Things so I guess that makes this the Museum Of Useless Things.
It's a spot-on-assessment - a kind of arty, female, hip version of Brookstone. A shop to look for gifts when you have no clue, no ideas and enough money to justify not going on Etsy or making something yourself.
The store itself is beautiful and contains a lot of beautiful things that people will love to receive but probably will soon forget. Is that really a bad thing in our consumer society? Maybe. Don't be too much of a grinch though - it's a good place for expensive stocking-fillers and they have excellent cards and giftwrap.
Observation: the other Yelp reviews for here are pretty negative from guys, and pretty positive from girls. I guess we shop in different ways,
This review is based solely on adorableness. Can you just review something for being adorable?
::checks rule book::
There's nothing against, so I sticking to it! This store is ADORABLE. Pretty much filled with neat knickknacks and cute little non-sense presents for people. I always go in here when I am in the square, but have yet to buy something!
Everything is neatly arranged, the staff is somewhat invisible and the prices (from what I have picked up) are not too pricey.
I stumbled in here on a whim after a quick run to Chameleon and Lush. My car was parked like 10 blocks away on Hawthorne Street, and I was only now just coming back from my mental break. Anxiety attacks all around, one for you, and you, and you and YOU! Drinks a warm glass of milk, pops xanex.
For some reason, I thought they might sell cute cards or stationary here for Valentines Day. I wasn't planning on buying any, as I usually make my own and was really just looking for some inspiration. No cards in sight, although I did see a really cute animal shaped lunchbox, a cute book about tales of cherished stuffed animals, sushi kits, and lo! Little Japanese erasers! Perfect! I purchased one shaped as a slice of cake, 2 hamtarros, and one a chocolate frosted donut. Completely useless, but perfect for the goody bag I am preparing to craft. What goody bag is complete without erasers that just smear the graphite over the paper while they're little legs and heads dangle off at their joints? NONE!
I love stores that carry stuff that only I want to buy. Japanese stickers? Check. Large rubberbands shaped like cats? Double Check. Mah Jong tile key chain? Triple Check.
Black Ink is full of totally cool items perfect for last minute gift buying or for just treating yourself to something fun and unusual. I could easily drop 100 bucks in this store on any given day. It's dangerous.
Only downside? It's super tiny. Too many people in there just browsing and in the way. Especially bad in the summer during peak touristy times.
I love this place. It's the mecca of cutesy, kinda expensive stuff that I don't really need, but sure is fun to buy as gifts, or to consider for myself if I am bored and have too much money. Hmmm......what's on my unfrugal shopping list that I could buy here? $28 dog shampoo? Check! Magic 8 Ball? Check! Lots of very specific and not really practical dishes? CHECK!
They do have some handy stuff like good travel maps, sanitizing hand wipes, book, cards, and lots of great gifts like handmade (but expensive) jewelry.
Wait a minute...which store am I in? Museum of Useful Things, or Black Ink?
Either one, I don't need to drop that much money for something I'd use once during a gimmicky dinner party, then throw away.
Quirky little shops that sell novelty items can either suck really badly or be really awesome.
There's a middle ground too, I guess, and Black Ink is sort of on the awesome side of that middle ground. Here's why:
* When you go in there, you feel like a little kid in a shop where the shelves reach the ceiling. This mixture of both nostalgia and creepiness even each other out
* a lot of the items are totally boneheaded and impractical, yet a lot of the items are really nifty. my memory sucks at retaining impractical boneheaded stuff (drinking games and doorstoppers and stuff), but some of the awesome stuff includes a papercraft skeleton, video game wrapping paper, and fashionable umbrellas that make you feel like you're in Animal Crossing (now available for the Nintendo Gamecube and DS)
* its cramped in there.
*
yeah, i ran out of talking points. I guess, after writing this, I'm a little on the fence about black ink. I probably could find sweet but pointless gifts there for about 30% of the people i would normally buy gifts for. And as a guy who sucks at buying gifts, that's a pretty good percentage.
You know that money you got from nanna for good grades or you saved up for your big trip to the "city", this is a likely place to spend it. First of all, I am an enthusiastic person in general, without be the cheer leader type. If I find something that amuses me, I go with it. A few years ago it was gnomes based on my childhood ownership of a book about them and the childhood thought they existed. The outcome of my expression of this amusement is a small army of small figurines in gnome or gnome-like form. Several are from Black Ink.
The staff is not friendly, the place is filled with people who will not buy (leading to the friendly staff issue), but overall it serves its purpose as a place you may find amusement or just nothing appealing.
'unexpected necessities' is the perfect way to describe this place. Before walking in, you never knew that you needed these things.
But you do.
Fun unique gifts. It's not cheap, but some of the things are really useful. Others, like the baby book about nesting dolls is unnecessary but a perfect gift for my pregnant cousin who loves nesting dolls.
The store is stylish and well-presented. I found so many things that I need to go back to buy.
Wonderful store! A great mix of eclectic items ranging from Japanese stationery to giant rubber bands.
They have a lot of things that you don't need, but suddenly feel the need to buy.
Cool but pricey stuff. Stepping inside makes you feel like an instantly hip design expert.
The greeting card island in the middle has amazingly beautiful, somewhat unique pieces. Little works of art to send to your loved ones in the mail. My favorite thing was the set of elk/deer antler cards. Just the various antler silhouettes stamped in yellow. But they were $20 for like, 6 cards, so I didn't buy them.
The sister store in Beacon Hill is exactly the same, if a tiny bit smaller than this already tiny store.
For those of you in SF, this place reminds me of Wishbone minus the clothing and heavier on the office supplies and office toys. They carry stylish cards and gift wrap but also lots of little knick knacks that make great stocking stuffers or hostess gifts. They carry Cram Cram products and I bet they have Thomas Paul melamine plates (okay, it's a guess - one that I can't check up on easily).
I could spend an hour in here looking through the bins of letter sets and notebooks, not to mention the toys that would appeal to all ages. Visiting their website, I found out that they also own the Museum of Useful Things. The items in the store are functional but cute. Example - I bought a plastic Hostess cupcake holder. Useful? Well, it could be useful but I wouldn't call it something that most people need.
I wish I had been there for the appearance of the Giant Pocky. Is Giant Pocky useful? Yes, but once again, it's whimsical at the same time.
I am a sucker for shops that sell lots of little, cool things- ok I'll say it, chotskies. I admit it. However, Black Ink's chotskies are not the ceramic dolphins and tribal masks which cover every square inch of my mom's house- yeah it's pretty awful. They actually have cool things at Black Ink- even if a bit overpriced.
It's a great place for unique presents. I got a friend a book that analyzes your handwriting and acts as a journal for example. They have neat wallets, jewelry, mugs, sock monkeys, travel bags.... Def. a fun place to just look around if you are in Harvard Sq. with some time to kill.
This place reminds me sooo much of the Bay area that I can't help but go in ALL the time to poke around. I do buy a lot of things here. I love their cards, wrapping paper, just cuz gifts and on. It may appear that a lot of items here are "useless" as some other reviewers have stated, but it's definatly worth checking out. I've picked up a few things that are well utilized. If you are an impulsive buyer, be cautious. This place would be a danger zone.
Now that I ave discussed the content of the store a bit, the sales people are good. Friendly and helpful but not overwhelming. Generally the will leave you alone until you ask for help.
I love going to Black Ink just to look at all of the unusual trinkets; their inventory is changed fairly frequently, and many of their items are Japanese. The store has everything from children's toys to kitchen utensils and stationery. Although I visit the store fairly often, I rarely buy anything, as everything is pretty outrageously overpriced. It's definitely worth a trip, however, because just seeing what they have is a treat.
Black Ink is a great little store. There are tons of gifts & knickknacks crammed into a small space that is always teeming with shoppers. I especially like Black Ink's selection of quirky letterpress cards and stationery. They have great housewares, books, and children's games as well.
For Bostonians, there's also a branch in Beacon Hill!
Neighborhood: Beacon Hill
Category: Cards & Stationery
Neighborhood: Porter Square
Category: Toy Stores
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Toy Stores
Neighborhood: Harvard Square
Category: Toy Stores
Boston, MA
Category: Home Decor
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