Store for the Curious is owned and managed by Jon Earl of Saker Stationary – check out my blog post about Saker here:
Saker is my favourite shop in Clevedon, it’s a paper lovers’ emporium, overflowing with the most impressive supply of journals, notebooks, notelets, ring binders, paper, pencil cases, pens, pencils basically everything associated to writing and art, as well as a myriad of pictures, posters, maps, cards, books and paper related games and gifts from around the world.
Jon has transposed the essence of what makes Saker so attractive to Store for the Curious – it is a playful, eccentric space filled with an eclectic mix of unusual, edgy gifts, decorative items, furniture, art and pre-loved items that he has found on his travels.
The area at the back of the shop is being used for pop up exhibitions with upcoming artists and illustrators. The first of these showcased the work of the very talented Rosie McClay whose beautiful copper print etchings and drawings are quite spectacular. Check out Rosie’s Etsy shop here:
There has been no lull in trade since Jon opened on 20th April; last week, well outside the honey moon period was his most profitable week.
John has without doubt a talent and a reputation for sourcing and selling the finest quality merchandise for Saker and it was whilst doing this that he kept coming across other wonderful items which sadly would have looked out of in place in Saker.
Although like all of us, he was very sad to see the previous shop, 19, close its doors for the last time, it did provide him with this fabulous opportunity – the birth of Store for the Curious. Happily, we weren’t sad for long because Victoria and Becky were merely changing the format of their business. If you’d like to know the shape of their new business and all that it offers, check out ‘Create, nourish and flourish’ here:
Jon also has a reputation for supporting local artists, craftspeople and small businesses; he was one of the key players in establishing the monthly Sunday Market. Check out my blog post on the market here:
He continues to do so in Store for the Curious and it won’t therefore surprise you to hear that when he does buy from abroad he tries to support small businesses and co-operatives. One of the items that caused the biggest stir in the shop was the Tree of Life sofa which came from a small company in India that buys from small family groups.
Much as I liked that, I loved the large, brightly coloured stripy armchair which lasted just four hours before it was snapped up! And there’s another brightly coloured, velvet embroidered one in there at the moment which has caught my eye!
If you haven’t yet visited this wonderful shop, then a treat awaits you, but be sure to go there with plenty of available time. It’s very like Saker, in as far as you’ve been in the shop for half an hour, think you’ve seen everything, and go to pay, when your eye catches a whole collection that you hadn’t noticed or one small item peeking out from behind another.
All the best for the future Jon, may your success continue.