Subscription Service Round-Up

Thanks to a comment over the weekend, I’ve decided to try to round-up all the pen, paper, ink, and pencil subscription services that I know about for those readers who might be interested in participating. If you know about other services, please leave a comment and I will append this post.

Lost Crates: When Lost Crates first launched, it only offered a stationery/paper good subscription. The company has now branched off to include foodie and design crates and currently offer two stationery/paper goods “crates”, the original at $38 (+$5 shipping) per month and the petit crate at $20 (+$5 shipping) per month. They’ve done away with the quiz to customize your crate and offer a more themed approach. They do their best to create a selection of products that add up to the price of the crate. If you’re new to niche office goods, this could be a good way to get introduced to new products. (previously mentioned here)

Olive Box: This is a brand new service and they have just unveiled the contents of the first box this week so I know as much about it as you do. From the first photo, it definitely seems to lean a bit feminine with the box including a bar of fancy soap and floral cards from Rifle Paper Co. The cost for the service is $25 (+$7.95 shipping) per month. (previously mentioned here)

Rad + Hungry STMT kits: the STMT kits feature a notebook and pencil plus a bonus item from a different country each month. Also included is a print in flashy flourescent colors and a pencil testing sheet. Everything is wrapped up lovingly in kraft paper. You can subscribe for 3-, 6- or 12-months or purchase previous kits before they sell out. Prices start at $16 per month which includes US shipping. I’ve had a full year’s subscription and enjoyed this service immensely since most of the items are things I could not find locally or even through online retailers. If you’re looking for unusual office goodies at a reasonable price, this is a great option. I’ve posted some of the previous kits here, here and here.

Ink Drop: This is a fountain pen ink sample service from Goulet Pens and is another of my favorite monthly subscriptions. If you own a fountain pen this is a great way to try out lots of ink brands and colors without breaking the bank since the service costs just $10 per month in the US and $12.50 per month for international delivery. Each shipment includes five ink samples and if any of the inks strike your fancy, you get a discount on purchasing a full bottle. I’ve posted some of the ink samples I’ve received so you can get a sense of the colors and themes here, here and here.

Field Notes: Each quarter, Field Notes releases their Colors limited edition set of its classic pocket notebooks and if you join the yearly subscription, you receive two sets of the special designs for $97 plus two 3-packs of the classic kraft Field Notes, one grid and one mixed. At the end of the year, you should have received a total of ten 3-packs of memo books. (previously mentioned here)

Looking online, I’ve seen a few other services that offer greeting cards monthly but I have not been inclined to try these. Has anyone tried the services above or another service? Leave a comment to let readers know which services you love and which ones you don’t. Thanks!