Holy grail of markers!!

Because I can't be trusted, I rarely permit myself to visit art stores. But with art class starting Thursday and some mysterious items on the required materials list ("fat stick," you say?), it seemed a little trip to paradise was on order. First I tried Michael's, judiciously making my way afoot with baby in jogging stroller as if the calories burned off by my run could offset the drain on my wallet. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the "Biggie Sketch Pad" is no longer to be had at Michaels, which meant Lia was going to Wallacks. 

Wallacks was where I had wanted to go anyway. Correction: Wallacks is where I want to go. Present tense. Like, all the time. Since I would rather buy art supplies than use them (who doesn't prefer potential over effort?).

I left the house late Friday night and arrived at the Nepean store at 8:20 pm. With 40 minutes til close, I couldn't possibly do too much damage. 

September 16, 2012

People love to tell me that I underestimate myself. Well, what do you know. I CAN blow 200$ in 40 minutes half an hour! Because what did I see, friends, after diligently filling my order of willow charcoal (various sizes), paper and 3-inch bulldog clips, as I came around the corner of the ink & marker aisle?

I actually said, out loud, "My God, it's the holy grail," to the aproned clerk at my side. Judging by how often he checked up on me after that, I think I might've freaked him out. 

A forlorn, quite dusty display case of Staedtler Mars Graphic 3000 duo markers! Forgotten at the end of a utility shelf! Many of them were in the wrong slots and most slots were empty but as is often the case, the BEST colours were all there. (Why don't people like grey, brown and cream? Am I the only person out there who draws trees and people with markers? I don't think so.) 

Sniff :(
Why, Staedtler, why?

I wish I knew why these beautiful markers were discontinued. On second thought, maybe it has to do with the total market dominance of comic-book style products. Or maybe it's their unweildiness under the scan that does it. What surviveth not online, surviveth not.

So I bought 36 of them at $3.75 a pop. 

I would've bought more, but when I asked them (twice) to name a price for the whole box, they ignored me. I think they thought I was joking. 

And so now you know why I won't be going back to the art store til next spring. Hey, at least I put back all the Copic markers I'd picked out... For now ;)