Mockingbird Paperie

I work in customer service and let me tell you i have had my fair share of horrible experiences. I left a message at the store looking for a tokyo milk perfume which i have not been able to find at ANY stores in ithaca. The owner text me and said they were closed for the holidays (it was Christmas time!) but that they would check for it and get back to me. They did, the owner stayed in contact with me this whole time! today is Feb 13! My busy schedule and crazy life didn’t allow me to get there any sooner unfortunately .I am going there today to pick up 3 bottles of the perfume and i couldn’t be happier with my experience. I Love the store, the owner and the awesome genuine customer service! Please visit the store, they are a great local business that i want to be around forever!!!

Having lived in and near cities where French spelling is used more to impress — no where I was raised, of course — I told myself not to have any expectations while googling the directions to Mockingbird Paperie.
As I approached the store front and peered through the windows before going in, I was almost instantly relieved. I saw nothing but paper and the dark wood upon and from which a select but varied range of products were placed or hung. Finally, a US-​based small business that knows how to use foreign vernacular (Hyperbolic? It’s debatable.).
I wanted special wrapping paper for a birthday gift and was politely shown several stands of quality sheets, hanging so heavy that you could see the thickness without needing to feel it for proof. The ones which caught my eye had hues that could’ve been from Norman Rockwell’s palette (Can a color be rich but muted at the same time?) and patterns that you might’ve chosen to wallpaper a room from the 1940s. So pretty.
I ended up getting a cute little gift bag and white tissue paper. There wasn’t a wide selection to choose from, but when you’re able to find something «just right» you’re in a store with a buyer who knows what’s hot, what’s not, and what’s classic. But true to the name, and as I was reminded, Mockingbird Paperie puts paper first, so there was a reason why I was able to find the best gift bag for my needs among a small inventory.
Warning to green shoppers with cloth bags: You will be tested. I went in with my raggedy Trader Joe’s tote but couldn’t resist walking out with the paper shopping bag, a painted floral print of blended blues, purples, and neutrals.
I’m glad this store is so close. I was pressed for time, so I couldn’t browse today, but it’s a shop I’d where I’d love to spend a bit of free time to get a good look at everything.

A «paperie» may seem quaint and old-​fashioned, but for the nerdy among us (and I know there are more than a few), this is a wonderful haven full of exotic prints, textures, and devices.
From classic Japanese writing paper to fabulously hip (ster) postcard collections with artwork by McSweeny’s and cutting-​edge contemporary print houses, Mockingbird has it all. Clever wrapping paper (sold by the sheet), decadent journals and idea-​books, wax sealing stamps, invitations, letter-​press stationery sets, and much more all await your perusal.
Situated on the popular Ithaca Commons, this is a lovely store for browsing – with that perfect mix of historic and timely interior design that compels you to linger, touch, and circle back through several times, always catching something you missed the first time. (Seriously – put some extra time on your parking meter if you even suspect this is your kind of store.)
I will absolutely be back – and everyone I know should expect to start receiving hip (ster) postcards from me in the next few days.