因為我之前有在網路上預訂到免費的門票，剛好天氣不錯，於是，就找幾個朋友，去文具展看看，在路上，我就發現，人們都往展場的方向走，看來，去逛展的人應該不少，如同呼應我的推測，展場的人潮果然不少。
一抬頭就看到販賣日本郵票的攤位，對於它，我算是蠻熟悉的，常常在文創類展覽都可以看到，我對於收集日本郵票沒興趣，但是該攤位常常人滿為患，有一家抽盲盒的店家，日式或美式的盒裝玩具把整個攤位佔得滿滿的，而想試試看手氣的人，倒是不少，其中有隔出一大區域，給文創類攤位陳列商品，各式文創小物，讓人看得流連忘返，我看到有些手作玩家，直接和店家交流手作心得，並交換聯絡方式，這真像是一種另類的交流會啊！
人潮帶來錢潮，想要知道，不出去展場，是否有美食吃嗎？當然有，除了二樓的美食街之外，展場內就有數輛餐車及美食攤位，說實話，這些攤位賣的食物，也有些創意，不論是食物的名字很特別，或是食物的擺盤很華麗、或是攤位背後的故事等，例如，有家叫吃草的妞的攤商，它主打東部原住民食材，擺盤很豪邁大方，真是蠻特別的，不過，價錢我覺得稍高，然而，這些美食攤位讓逛展的來客，不需要再花個半個鐘頭，來來回回找午餐吃，就看各位覺得值不值得啦。
其實，文具展是我蠻喜歡看的展覽，不是因為我喜歡收集文具，而是我之前有在文具展上，撈到不少便宜又好看的文具，像是自動鉛筆，正常的話價錢會落在五十到一百元台幣之間，但在這類展覽，可以找到低到五元台幣的自動鉛筆，我沒想到，價錢居然可以便宜到這樣的地步，可以想像，廠商的利潤有多少，當然，便宜沒好貨，便宜貨品的品質，倒也不用太期待，當然，除了便宜的文具之外，也常常看到各式新穎的文創產品，總是好玩又有趣，我個人覺得，是個可以一來再來的地方。
Since I had booked free tickets online earlier and the weather was nice, I decided to invite a few friends to check out the stationery expo. On the way there, I noticed a lot of people heading in the same direction, so I figured the event must be pretty popular. And sure enough, when we arrived, the place was packed.
The first thing that caught my eye was a booth selling Japanese stamps. I’ve seen it at many creative and cultural exhibitions before, so I was pretty familiar with it. I’m not into collecting Japanese stamps, but their booth is always crowded. Nearby, there was a store selling blind box toys—both Japanese and American-style ones—completely filling up the stall. A lot of people were trying their luck. One section was set up just for creative goods, displaying all kinds of unique and interesting stationery items. It was the kind of place where you could easily get lost just browsing. I even saw some craft enthusiasts chatting with the shop owners, exchanging tips, and swapping contact info—it almost felt like a mini networking event for creative minds.
Where there are crowds, there’s money to be made. So, was there food inside the venue? Of course! Besides the food court on the second floor, there were also food trucks and snack stalls inside the expo itself. Honestly, some of the food they sold was pretty creative—not just in terms of unique names or fancy presentation, but also the stories behind the brands. For example, there was a vendor called "Grass-Eating Girl" that focused on Indigenous ingredients from eastern Taiwan, and their plating was super bold and generous. Pretty interesting, though I did think the prices were a bit high. Still, these food options saved visitors from having to waste half an hour wandering around looking for lunch—it just depends on whether you think it’s worth it.
I actually really enjoy stationery expos—not because I collect stationery, but because I’ve managed to score some really good deals in the past. Take mechanical pencils, for example. Normally, they cost between 50 to 100 NTD, but at these events, I’ve found them for as low as 5 NTD. I was shocked at how cheap they could get—it really makes you wonder how much profit the manufacturers usually make. Of course, cheap doesn’t always mean high quality, so I wouldn’t expect too much from the super low-priced stuff. But aside from the budget finds, there are always tons of fun and innovative creative products, which makes these expos really exciting to explore. It’s definitely a place worth visiting again!
