Crane & Co Papermakers

 

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40

Katy D.

Boston, MA

I will forever be a fan of this store. They make a truly beautiful product and maintain excellent customer service.

For anyone who wants well made and classic writing papers, invitations or thank you's, you'll have a better time at Crane's than you will at any of the other card shops in the area.

Their staff is always welcoming and helpful and willing to go the extra mile for their customers.

A must when in the Back Bay.

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Elite '08

77

306

Daniel S.

New York, NY

I really love their paper, so it really bugs me that they rarely ever have just plain stationary that I like.

No, I don't want an embossed pineapple.
No, I don't want initial envelopes.
No, I don't wan't ugly colors and pre-printed "Thank-you's" on my card.

I just want basic note paper, and envelopes with an understated, classic feel and a beautiful yet masculine liner.  Why does it take me ten hours in this place to find what I need?

Beautiful paper (it has a watermark), bad designs...but I do always end up finding something I like.

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Also, they have a pretty good engraving and invitation business going on.  I've only used them once, but I'm bumping them up a star.

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Elite '08

97

543

PC W.

Arlington, VA

This is lame but I have to yelp about Crane.  I worked there as a salesperson for 2 years part-time in high school and college.  It was a great place to work (I met some of my dearest friends there) and even a better product that we sold.  Crane's has gotten a lot hipper since I left in 2002.  It used to be uber-traditional with most papers only being available in white and ecru....getting new stationery in french blue was exciting!  Now you go in there and they have all colors of the rainbow with cute little motifs.  I remember when I worked there the motifs where either a leaf, a gold embossed pineapple or a blue sailboat.  Makes me laugh to think about how much more interesting there papers are.  The paper quality has always been there at 100% cotton.

In addition to selling boxed stationery and gifts, I also consulted on invitations (mainly wedding), business cards, change of address cards, birth announcements, etc.  That was the part I loved and miss to this day.  We would guide brides, party planners, new parents, etc on picking papers, fonts, verbiage, envelope liners, borders, motifs, print process.  It was fun and creative.  The best part was seeing the finished product.

My best advice: You have to go engraved.  I would hate when people chose thermography which is "poor man's engraving" - it uses chemicals and powders to give that raised feel of engraving.  Thermo makes invites look cheap - especially in certain fonts or motifs with lots of surface area, you can see it's bumpy texture - just hideous.  It's very insulting to the fine papers and so obvious it's not engraving.  I am very passionately opposed to thermography.  I am as much a stationery snob as I am a food snob :)

I still have so much of Crane stationery that I bought when I had an employee discount but I'll stop in there once in a blue moon to take advantage of a sale.  They have a great after xmas sale so you can stock up for the following year.

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127

Babs P.

San Francisco, CA

Crane isn't just a paper company, it's an institution. This is the first papermaker in the U.S., and they're the ones that make our money. Yes, folks, that's right, they make the good ol' greenbacks. And if we can trust them with our money, then we can surely trust them with our thank you notes and baby shower invites.

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Elite '08

94

509

Heather H.

Boston, MA

I always come to Crane for my stationary.  Classy, classy, classy.  the perfect thank you notes too.

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