Invaluable Educational Experience What a masterclass in customer relations! I visited Sarnoff with a $250 budget seeking a quality ballpoint pen for daily professional use, and the staff provided exactly the guidance I needed. Their response to my needs, budget, and requirements was artfully pretentious. The combination of casual dismissiveness and practiced condescension when I expressed interest in their luxury pen selection? Remarkable. It takes real skill to make someone feel simultaneously invisible and judged. If I had a pen, I'd have taken earnest notes on their methods. I'm genuinely grateful for this experience. It crystallized my understanding of what I value in a retailer and motivated me to find exactly that elsewhere. Thanks to their tutelage in what customer service shouldn't be, I discovered the perfect pen (a LAMY 2000, ballpoint) from a different small business, one that sadly never learned to efficiently dispatch proles like myself. The pen is magnificent, the service I ultimately received was exemplary, and I have Sarnoff to thank for the educational journey that led me there. Sometimes the most valuable lessons come from the most unexpected teachers. Would I recommend Sarnoff? Absolutely! They're a perfect illustration of how not to treat customers, and provided you've the foresight to bring a pen, you can write your very own cautionary tale. Thanks, Sarnoff! read more

Sarnoff Art Materials - Lamy 2000, Taxus, Ballpoint Pen - Framing Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

I went in to get a birthday present for my daughter. I was at a total loss of what to buy since I am a fiber artist and my daughter does painting. Mr. Sarnoff help me pick the perfectly amazing birthday gift. His amazing daughter wrapped the gift so it was "so pretty and fancy". This is the perfect store to get the adult child in your life a gift. Also next door there are fabulous earrings, jewelry, and other gifts. This is why I love to support locally owned businesses. read more

I had a wonderful experience today at Sarnoff. I needed to replace a mat that had been damaged. I expected to have to place an order and come back. I walked out in 10 minutes with exactly what I needed for much less than I had expected to spend. Both gentlemen were so helpful. Highly recommend! read more

I love these types of art stores because they have what the large chain, hobby stores don't have. There's more variety in brands and sometimes foreign supplies. I'm always looking for unique sketchbooks with leather binding or thick watercolor paper, or even teeny tiny sketchbooks. Not many of those here. The typical brands are here. They have a large area in the back where I think they do custom framing and paper cutting which is definitely a plus! There's a lot of brush choices but it can get a little pricey. And when you don't see price tags, you never know how high it'll be. There's price tags for some things, but the majority of stock didn't have visible price tags. read more

Sarnoff Artist Materials is a decent-ish art store if you're in a pinch and need something right away. It's pricey otherwise, and they might not have what you're looking for in stock. When school is in session, their stock is really good. When school isn't in session, however, it can be hit or miss. Be prepared for that. But when they're stocked up, they have a decent variety of stuff, but not great. You can get the basics, and for some stuff, a little bit more. I thought their brush section was pitiful, and the brushes were marked up about 35%. They have a decent selection of paint, but again, the prices are high. I liked that they have pastel pencils, and I bought a couple, but the stock was low. And while those were overpriced as well, they're only like $2 each so a few cents didn't make a difference when I only bought a small amount of them. I wish they had basic colors like white and a light yellow in stock, though. The staff was cold and not really interested in helping, which I found odd. But no matter, I didn't need help. The item I went in looking for they didn't have, which is a bit odd because it's a basic brush for acrylics and oils, and they didn't have one for either. It would have been way more than I was willing to pay for it anyway I'm guessing. I will say though, they carry good quality items. You won't find much cheap junk here. They mostly carry Golden for acrylic and Winsor & Newton for oils. They also have some Silver brushes, which make me drool because they're wonderful acrylic brushes. They're the only art store in town that stocks Silver (at a huge mark up, though). I probably won't return to this store, but if someone I know was interested in a local art store, I might send them there to try their luck (with a warning about the pricing). read more

Ordered a mat for a charcoal drawing, I was promised a mat with mat board for $25 and left the frame. Picked up few days later, finger prints on the mat, took apart frame and found no mat board. Very disappointed. read more

This is a mixed review. As a brick and mortar store I'm sure they're fine, but go ahead and avoid any online sales. They aren't set up for it and don't know what they're doing. I used PayPal to pay about $40 for a local artist's how-to DVD. I got an email right away saying, basically, "you gave us money for something." That's it. A few days went by, no shipping notice, no item, and I sent an email asking about a time frame. No response. I called the store. "Call back on Monday; the guy that does that isn't here." I will update this review as things develop...but honestly guys, if you can't handle online sales, don't do it. If I acted this way I'd lose my business. read more

Pros - great service and large selection Cons - bit pricey on most supplies (especially paper), inventory was quite low (on my visit) First it's good to know there are three main art supply stores in Tucson - Sarnoff Artist Materials, Arizona Art Supply, and Posner's Art Store. Sarnoff and Posner's are very similar in layout, selection, price, and both have a distinctive... dirty/arty vibe. That is they both look well worn in a cozy well-lived-in way. Arizona Art Supply has been, in my opinion, slightly better on price and the store is kept a bit cleaner. Since art stores cater to all kinds of artists, I'll mention that I'm mostly interested in graphite/charcoal drawing - no paints, pastels, crayons, etc. In other words, my review is really only covering about 20% of the store. For the supplies I needed, Sarnoff was sadly a bit understocked on my visit. Many of the graphite and charcoal slots were empty. As my skills increases, I often like to go "back to basics" and try out other products. My recent trip was aimed at getting a variety of charcoal pencils - different colors, brands, hardnesses. I did purchase 8 but I would have gotten at least 8 others had they been in stock. Overall - good experience and the owner was there to offer some helpful tips on mechanical pencils that they carry. I'll probably stop in again in a month or so to check on the inventory - or I might swing by one of the other art stores. That is, I'd be hard pressed to recommend one over the others. read more

This art store is excellent and customer service oriented. If they don't have something you need, they will order it for you. They are very helpful with advice and options with respect to products and services. read more

The layout of this store is......crowded. They have a TON of supplies and a large variety of paper, but the spacing and layout of everything makes you feel like you're in a labrynth. If you're clausterphobic, good luck. I came to Sarnoff in need of some fine-tip pens and the employee was able to help me right away, but they didn't have a huge selection. Luckily they did have what I needed, but I would have appreciated more options. The owner of the store rang me up and was really nice, it just looks like he doesn't really care about the appearance of the store or the product. They did have a set of those scented Magic Markers, though. That was pretty awesome. read more

For me, someone who lives on the eastside, it was a big numbers game to if I was going to go to Micheal's or Joann's or if it was worth it to drive to Sarnoff's and use my student discount. ( From what I recall I just had to say I was student and I often had my student id ready and they didn't care.) If you are an art student go here! They are familiar with what the professors like and want. You can tell them you're in x's class and they will say that x likes their students to have this and this. They were very helpful when I was just starting out and I was unfamiliar with some of the items. read more

ok selection. miserable attitude. the guy at the front desk looks like he could care less if you live or die. well guess what Mr. Sarnoff, there are other art stores in town and they don't treat their customers with such disdain. won't be returning. why spend my money at a place that treats customers as if they weren't there. dig up a smile, rude, i mean dude. read more

I have been to this place a good number of times in search of good quality art supplies needed for my school and personal projects. Every time I visited, the staff were super helpful and friendly. I received student discounts every time I bought something. It's nice to have a local based art supply store with friendly staff, rather than feeding into big mass retailers like Jo-Ann and Michael's. read more

This is a nice little art shop with a decent selection and friendly staff. It makes good use of its space: there's a decent amount of choice for most supplies, yet you can still move around without being in constant fear of wrecking something. So that's nice. While selection and price are pretty average to slightly better than average, I think where this place shines is its staff. I've had nothing but good experiences here. Last time I was in I was in the midst of beginning calligraphy. The guy there showed me my choices and, when I asked about paper, gave me a folder full of samples at no charge. Talk about knowing how to build customer loyalty. Unless you live on the far side of town, this place is definitely worth checking out. read more

This place sells the good stuff, It is clearly a small locally owned business. The staff was super helpful, they cary decent products and have a good selection. Are they the cheapest.. no, but they did give me a discount. Do they have the widest selection... no, but they do have quality products at fair prices. Arizona art supply on oracle has better prices and more selection, but doesn't have the same vibe. This is the type of place to check for stuff first, then look elsewhere. Parking can be a bit dicey. read more

The store is cute and quaint and I used to shop here all the time for art supplies for my art classes. Their selection and prices are also decent. This is one of the few "mom and pop" stores I've been to that actually has excellent customer service. Every time I was in there the people working were helpful, answered my questions, and helped me find what I was looking for. I don't remember the employees being rude and I was there multiple times over a few years-- for me being nice and helpful to your customers is very important. If I ever get back into painting and drawing, I will definitely stop back in here. It's a good central location too. read more

lots of cool stuff in this store!! it's an artists' dream come true. someone could probably spend hours and hours in there picking out all the stuff they'd want for projects. the reason i went was for sakura gelly roll pens! they're a "mega" dealer here in tucson. ^_^ the staff seemed nice and kept asking if i was doing okay and if they could help me find anything. will definitely keep them in mind the next time we're doing something artsy and need supplies. read more

They have anything an artist can dream of. I was looking for calligraphy pens. The gentlemen behind the counter assisted me to get a beginner pen to practice with. He didn't try to sell me the most expensive one. Really appreciated that. read more

If you want arts and crafts supplies, Michael's probably has what you're looking for. But, if you want reasonably-priced, well-stocked, professional-quality artist supplies, no one in Tucson beats Sarnoff's. They pack a lot into a moderate space, and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. read more

Always helpful and the owner is amazing! I needed some paint in a hurry and he had it to me in two days! That is what I call amazing customer service!!!! read more

They had want I needed, but the person who helped me was more interested in making wise cracks at my expense than actually helping me. They're in the neighborhood, but given the expense and the reception, I'll drive farther next time. read more

I've had every thing from drawings to thickly woven fabrics, small and wall sized, framed here as well as repairs to frame supports repaired. Always very friendly service people who add their expertise to accomplish fantastic outcomes of projects. A very positive and creative place to do business. Total satisfaction. read more

The best art store in town. Professionals and students go here regularly, and they give a student discount. Very helpfull staff and a huge selection. I highly recomend. read more

The staff at this store are not as kind as other art stores in town. When I was purchasing some supplies the cashier made it seem like I was inconveniencing him. The parking was not easy either. I would not recommend this art store, they seem like they have higher prices then other locally owned art supply stores as well. read more

Sarnoff is a fantastic place to get really great quality materials...and even more so, I love it because the people who work there are exceedingly kind and generous with their time and insight. They are genuinely interested to know what you are working on, and how they can be of assistance. I am grateful for what they do! Thanks for being in Tucson :) read more