I don't come here that often but when I want to buy my husband a nice card, they have more of a selection. Big props to Rhonda who is so sweet and funny. Keep up the great work Rhonda! read more

Stop buying cards at grocery stores! The Hallmark store makes buying cards a fun experience vs an obligation. Better selection, fun gifts and great people. It feels nostalgic and shopping there is enjoyable. read more

Went in to buy a few cards & with their extensive selection, realized I could plan ahead for the next 6 months of birthdays, holidays, & special occasions. They offer other gifts & I ended up spending nearly an hour browsing & buying. The clerks were very friendly & gave me great recommendations for tea shops, as I purchased a few of their decorative loose leaf, tea mugs & items. read more

Can I just say that this Hallmark store is doing it right? I love Hallmark cards and stationary and gifts and ornaments but this store just does it right! It is always perfectly organized. The customer service is amazing. Even when I'm being a grumpy B, they are so nice and helpful. I see some tenured employees here and new faces. Jessica is the current manager and she is leading the pack. I am happy to spend my money here! read more

Today I was going to the Post Office at the back of the Hallmark store - when I walked in, the Christmas ornaments were on display, so I thought, why not and started to gather our annual family ornaments, one associate came over and said, "they are not for sale yet." there was no sign, but I started to put them back...then Stacey came over, game changer. She was so kind and helpful, (by the way I am a HUGE Hallmark shopper) she offered to take a list of ALL of the ornaments I wanted in excess of 20, told me she would gather them and have them ready for me to pick up when they went on sale. It made my day, her attitude was wonderful, she did not act "put out," she even offered to show me a few items that she thought I may like - and I did! Thank you Stacey, you are an asset to all of Hallmark, I hope that you are recognized as a very valuable and special associate. read more

This is one of my favorite and happy the location is close. The selection of cards, gifts, clothing and accessories for myself is fun. The staff is always friendly and helpful. read more

We've been shopping here for 10 years, but never again. This store/franchise owner has decided to add a 4% "surcharge" to all purchases. Not just credit card purchases, but ALL purchases. Price gauging at it's worst. Consumers need to take a stand against these unscrupulous stores and restaurants. read more

I had to give this 5 stars because I've been going to the La Costa Hallmark http://www.yelp.com/biz/pattis-hallmark-cards-and-gifts-and-party-and-collctbls-carlsbad#hrid:TChgTdu6WtoggrNf307xmA for the past few years and every time I go there, I always walk out of there swearing off the place. The employees are unfriendly, the inventory is sparse and the store is much smaller. It looks as if they're going out of business. Really, it does. So when I was in need of a few birthday cards, I decided to give this Hallmark store a try. It was immediately obvious that this is NOT the same case with this Hallmark. Polar opposite! As we immediately walked in, we knew this was superior to Patti's Hallmark in La Costa. For one, we were actually greeted when we walked in even though there were folks swarming around everywhere. We went in for a few birthday and anniversary cards so we didn't think that we would need a basket. It turns out, we ended up having more in our hands than we expected. A sales associate came by after she noticed we were struggling to shop and keep all of our items in our hand. She kindly asked if we wanted to leave the items at the counter while I shopped which I happily accepted. When we were finished, the cashier remembered that we had items put aside and went to immediately grab them. All cashiers and sales associates were just so friendly and helpful. It was an overall pleasant shopping experience where you were not lost in all the chaos - great service still a priority. Hats off to this Hallmark store. You guys rock and you will now our go-to Hallmark moving forward. read more

Elam's Hallmark Shop - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Encinitas, California

The store seemed well laid out and had the usual Hallmark trinkets, ornaments and cards. My only real comment about this store is the nick-nack section which seemed to be the focus as the cards were shoved into the back corner and were not even a 1/4 of the store's shelves. While I understand that cards themselves are probably not a big source of revenue, isn't that what "Hallmark" is all about? The staff were very friendly and ensured good customer service, even though they were busy! The store was clean and the shelves seemed to be in order! read more

Great cards and gifts. Employee's are very helpful! It is a beautiful store. I like the Carmel Valley store as well. Carmel Valley also has a US Post office which is very nice. read more

The card selection here is wonderful, as expected. I came in for Mother's Day cards after visiting Walgreens and not being able to find a single grandma card. Elam's Hallmark had so many great Mother's Day cards it was hard to pick one! The store is pretty large, but surprisingly only about 30% of it is cards. The staff seemed nice although I didn't have much interaction with them outside of the checkout process. The prices are the same as what you would pay anywhere else for a Hallmark card and you just can't beat their great selection. With that being said, I will be back to Elam's Hallmark for all of my greeting card needs. read more

I came to this Hallmark because they seem to be coming extinct! It was a bit far from Oceanside but I was not disappointed at all. They have a HUGE selection of everything! Love love it friendly staff and will be coming back. read more

I just came from the following store and had the following experience: I bought two of the itty bittys (teeny cute stuffed animals of popular characters) there for my son and daughter and as I was paying my son realized there was a small rip in the seam on the back of his doll and so I handed it to the cashier and pointed it out and had my son go back and get another, undamaged, one. The first thing the cashier did was to blame my son, saying "It probably happened when he ripped the tag off." even though the tag had been on the toy's hand and the rip was on the back waist of the toy. I pointed that out to her and she seemed very flustered and said she would need to fill out some kind of damage form and said I would need to wait while she went to the back room to retrieve this form. ??????????? I worked in retail for many, many years - in management most of that time - and can't for the life of me imagine why she thinks the customer needs to be there to participate in the filling out of a damage form. I hadn't damaged the item and nor had my son. I wasn't returning the damaged item - I merely noticed the damage as I stood at the register to pay for it. Her reaction should have been, "Oh sure - just go grab another!" and that's it. I did not wait for her to return from the back room with the form - I left with my children. This was the first we'd ever seen the itty bittys and my kids thought they were adorable and I probably would have gone back to buy others - for their Easter baskets or for other gifts - but I can tell you now I will not be setting foot in that store again. It was really a ridiculous situation, very poorly and unprofessionally handled and frankly rude. read more

I'm just wondering why the Internet says Elam Hallmark in Encinitas closes at 8 but when I came down here they closed at 7:30! Really somebody can't update the Internet with the correct hours of operation? Or are they just lazy and need to leave that extra half an hour. Guess they rather give their business to somebody else that sales cards....Barnes and Noble, Paper Source, the grocery store. Lame! read more

I have been a customer at this Hallmark store for years and have said, many times, that the manager of this store - Kathleen - is the best manager I have ever known in all of my shopping experiences. Her attention to customer service far surpasses anyone, anytime, anywhere. This past week, I had occasion to go there - twice - and Kathleen went above and beyond my expecations and did something that was truly a gift to me and to students with whom I work at college campuses. It wasn't necessary for her to do that - but she did...in the midst of her store's busiest time of year (and the store was busy). I have gone to other Hallmark locations - some were fair, some were good - but none compare to Elam's. I cannot say enough about the store, its merchandise, or Kathleen's commitment to excellence. Every store should have a "Kathleen"! Thank you so, so much.....Nancy Rhodes read more

I love this store! When I'm searching for a special gift I go here first. I like the variety of choices and the staff is amazing. I'd have to imagine that not a single person ever leaves Elam's unhappy. The ladies that work there are super sweet and make you feel good. Great store with the best customer service. read more

They have the most beautiful ornaments here for Christmas. We always buy at least one here each year, and the ornaments are always different, always seeing something new and even more over the top than the previous year. This store is very dog friendly and the staff showered my small dog with treats and attention. Thank you encinitas hallmark!! read more

They are the only place in town that sells Crabtree & Evelyn, which is the only reason I went there. The women aren't the friendliest and they charge about $7 more for the lotion the. The actual store or Nordstrom, I'll be sure to buy online from now on. Even with shipping it's cheaper to go online. read more