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SCMP Reporter

PENCIL CASES are more than containers for pencils these days. They are also fashion statements. So are the other cute things we find on stationery.

Young Post had a look around some shops in Mongkok and Causeway Bay. And this is what we found:

They are everywhere ...

Ask any salesperson and they will tell you the same thing. Hello Kitty is still the most popular design, despite its advanced age of 26. Any stationery with Kitty on it sells well.

The reason for its continued popularity is a mystery. All the salespeople we approached were hard pressed to come up with an answer.

Winnie the Pooh, Little Twin Stars and My Melody are also favourites.

PostPet, a cute puppy that arrived on Hong Kong shelves last year, is still kicking up its pinky storm. You can find it on purses, pencil cases and handbags.

But one saleslady, who declined to be named, said that counterfeits were eating into their profits. That's why they only have a few new designs this summer. You'd better hurry and stock up!

Although not cute, MUJI is still going strong. Its shops are crowded with students eager for something nice to mark the new school year. And it seems to be the only brand loved by both boys and girls.

Tomorrow's superstar

Our future superstar is so popular that we only caught a glimpse of the very last one in the shop. It is a Japanese chicken called Piyodamari.

Strictly speaking, the tiny chicken - about three centimetres across - is not stationery. It is an accessory that most girls like to put on their schoolbags. Throughout August it was the hottest item at I Seek Cute, a small shop in Mongkok's Argyle Centre.

It is so popular that saleslady Ms Yiu has had two of her beloved chickens snatched from her bag.

And then there is Baby Duck, a Piyodamari look-alike, but Baby Duck is not quite as cute. It is a little bit bigger with a flatter mouth. Now, take away the wings and the legs, and you can imagine how Piyodamari looks.

Stars from the past

This pencil case is the size of a brick. You may say it's too bulky, but at least 15 years ago, this style was all the rage.

What made it attractive were its buttons and secret compartments where you can put your eraser, pencil sharpener and calendar. Some also contain a thermometer.

The problem with the design is that if you press them too much or too hard, the compartments won't

open. This renders the pencil case useless, together with your lovely eraser, or any other things you have put inside the compartments.

Older than the pencil case is this pencil sharpener. It was well-loved because it is also a toy. To play the game you are supposed to roll the steel pellets into the small hole in the centre of the disk. In another design you have to get the pellets to travel through a maze before they reach the goal.

The pencil sharpener is an effective distraction from lessons, and because of its more serious function, teachers have a hard time getting students to remove it from their desks. Perhaps that was another reason for its popularity.

What about the boys?

Sorry. Apart from MUJI, our survey found that the only thing teenage boys love is Minno No Tabo.If you disagree, please write to us.



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