Recommends

mstrigg

Joined 7 years ago

The Best Art Store Around!!. I have gone to Swains for over 20 years. I still have an Art Center Discount card from 1984 they STILL honor. They have added scrapbooking and other stuff but I still love their selection.

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emcfranen

Joined 8 years ago

Nice selection, lousy customer service. Swains has a large variety of art supplies and other items. They are slightly on the pricy side, but I don't mind paying a bit more for one stop shopping. I think I'm going to shop elsewhere from now on, however, because of the repeatedly indifferent, rude, dismissive customer service. I work hard for my money, I don't want a best friend, but I'd like a smile and a thank you.

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taliknight

Joined 8 years ago

Pricey but great selection. If you're looking for art supplies and live in the Valley (near Encino), then this is the closest place I've found with TONS of variety. They have a big sale 1x or 2x's a year and you can get GREAT deals. One of my fave places to browse. I haven't had any problems with customer service in all the times I've been in there.

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bbagel

Joined 11 years ago

Decent but not great. Swains is an okay art store. The main reason I don't shop there regularly is due to the price. However, if you can overlook that factor, it is a great store. It is located in a convenient space (in the Vons mall on Glendale Blvd.), plenty of free parking, and carries a decent amount of art supplies. I especially like their journals and photo albums, as well as their selection of pens, paint materials, paper, and sketch pads. Their rubber stamping selection is pitiful. Swains is more of an "art" store rather than a "crafts" store. For more reasonble prices, try Joann's or Michael's, both of which have locations in Glendale and Pasadena.

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anekab

Joined 11 years ago

Great Store but could be better. Swain's is a good place to buy select items. They have a great selection of greeting cards/calendars and art books. Their art supplies can sometimes be a little sketchy (no pun intended), especially the art pens/markers. They've all been tested so much, it can be difficult to find a decent one to actually buy. They have a good selection of basic art supplies, but if you're looking for more advanced materials try the ArtStore in Pasadena. The staff here can be helpful and aloof at the same time...odd, yes but true. Price-wise, their craft supplies can be a tad expensive.