Editor's Letters Features

Nothing truly stays the same, or at least not for very long. When I became a stationery market editor in 1997, the industry had one official trade show — National Stationery Show (NSS) — held every May in Manhattan at Javits Center. For four fantastic days, our community literally took over.

Stationery booths filled the entire main floor, plus three neverending rows downstairs. It was, quite simply, paper nerd heaven. What I wouldn’t give to walk it with 2025 eyes!

Upstairs was filled with big names with mammoth booths buzzing with staffers and buyers — think William Arthur, Envelopments and Mrs. Grossman’s — to say nothing of the once-massive imprintable industry (anyone remember Colors By Design, for example?). Downstairs, meanwhile, was filled with smaller makers, though we weren’t calling them that then. Each booth was a glimpse into a private, artisanal world, and more imaginative stationery formats like self-sealing letters, scented papers and undated birthday calendars abounded. It’s hard to believe it all exists now only in memories.

The digital age changed how we communicate, so the industry had to reconfigure too. NSS said farewell to spring to be co-located with NY NOW in February 2020 before being absorbed into its larger gift and lifestyle section at its summer and winter markets. *Noted, spearheaded by the Greeting Card Association (GCA), first came to life as an indie market in Brooklyn in 2019. While it was scheduled for spring 2020 in San Francisco, it was hardly the only event moved to screens that year!

Post-COVID, *Noted went on to enjoy three picturesque years at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Center before moving slightly east, co-locating with Las Vegas Market last summer. Then, in September, NY NOW announced a renewed partnership with the GCA. Thus, *Noted will have a dedicated pavilion on the NY NOW winter market floor Feb. 1-3.

If this history lesson seems dizzying, well, that’s because it is. I haven’t even mentioned Faire or the consumer stationery fests popping up! Happily, the generation who grew up with smart phones have discovered the wonders of the tactile and the offline, breathing fresh life into our medium. Who knows where they will take it?

So while letters have been written and notes taken since time immemorial, surviving in the 21st-century stationery space demands flexibility and an open mind. Old approaches are just that: old. The function of my editorial, then, is always to spotlight how the wind is blowing — and keep everyone firmly on the path until the next big community gathering. I very much hope to see you there!

Until next issue,