Valhalla Cards & Gifts

Love this store so much and I’ve been shopping here for years now! As someone mentioned, no, their card selection is not filled with sex and fart jokes and that’s why I like it. Some are witty and clever, but many (especially around the holidays) are ornamental and hand-​crafted and I get compliments every year on the cards I hand out! They’re very unique and their bulk ones are great too (even a small selection of MoMA cards).
Great place for small gifts or stocking stuffers with a selection of mugs, books, magnets, stationary, toys and trinkets.
And a big nod to the customer service! Seems to have always been the same girl every time I go, and she’s a delight to chat with. Even allowed me to stay a couple minutes past close to finish up my order.
Great place!

This has been my go-​to card store for years and the best part is that every time I go in to stock up there are always new products to explore. I know the owners from around town and they are wonderful people. Their store is such an asset to West Queen West and nice alternative to the chain stores creeping their way west from downtown.

I went to this store based on reviews I read and how they were to have this vast selection of cards. I was disappointed as I did not think they had a lot to choose from in terms of funny, rude or sexy cards. They did have a lot of the nice standard boring cards as well as blank cards. I for one prefer cards that are sarcastic on the outside with a great punchline on the inside. I didn’t think their selection of Moleskin notebooks was that great either.
Also, the staff just sat behind the counter and never said hello or asked if you needed help.

I’ve been meaning to post this since the fall of 2011 (!) — I just want to say how impressed I was with the customer service I received last September 20. I’d bought a present for my husband’s birthday that day from the Australian Boot Company across the street and needed both a card and wrapping paper to go with it.
Not only did I find the perfect card and paper at Valhalla, but the employee at the cash register offered to wrap the gift for me – even though I hadn’t bought the gift from her shop. She took care with the package and the end result looked lovely. (She even offered some ribbon free of charge.)
When people go the extra mile like that, compliments should be posted. I’m just sorry it took me almost a year!

Cute little card store with a good range of funny/​unique cards

A very fun store with a great selection of ‘not the usual’ cards. Lots of different gift items too at reasonable prices. I picked up eerie origami today as a gift for someone. Lots of notebooks and cute little kids party accessories. I always find something fun and interesting here. A bonus– dogs are welcome in the store.

This is more a card and gift shop than a stationary store.
They have a decent selection of cards. If you buy a lot of cards it is great because they have a frequent card buyer thing where you get a stamp and eventually you get a free card.
The staff is friendly but often times they seem bored.

This store is great. The next party I’m having I’m going to come here for vintage postcards to make into invitations. There’s a great colour selection of stationary with some off-​beat selections also. I almost bought the Take-​out Menu organizer but alas, it seems that someone had dropped the last one in stock and it was a little worse for wear.
If you’re looking for a card or gift that’s a little different, check this place out.

I love this store! My friends are all over the place right now & I’m really into sending postcards, & Valhalla has some of the grooviest. Mostly vintage/​specialty postcards AND as far as I can remember all the postcards were only $ 1.50. For whatever reason my favourites are the ones from the japanese sushi line (yeah, postcards with different types of sushi on each one). They also have unique little gifts/​stationary but I was in a rush so I didn’t get a chance to look at everything– I will DEF. be back to stockpile on postcards. The only problem is parking– when I originally went I bought a parking ticket (only like 2 $/​hour) & everything was fine. When I went to go back not only was the store closed (*tear, like most queen street stores its not open super late) BUT I also got a parking ticket (like actual parking-​officer ticket) for like $ 40 even though I paid for parking and it was during the designated time of day (apparently I was over some line?) Bottom line is the parking officers there are TERRIBLE (ie– i parked at 7:10&the ticket was issued at 7:11 so the officer could have just told me to move instead of giving me a ticket.) In any case if you are a postcard junky like me you should go!

Here’s what happened the first and only time I’ve been to Valhalla:
Two weeks ago. Walking down Queen in some sort of rush. Walk by Valhalla. Stop. Walk backwards and into front door. Explode.
Pause for recomposure.
Pick the Moleskin city guides I’ve been searching the city for (every other place has Toronto, but this spot has EVERY OPTION). Spot some of the funniest cards I’ve ever seen (example: two drawings of a stick bird. The first one says «This is me.» The second says «This is also me.» WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!? Who cares, I bought it). Picked out 5 cards in 2 minutes. Left in a mad rush because I was forced.
I WILL BE BACK. Their card and book selection is unique and phenomenal.

I have been browsing a lot of stationery shops these days, and I fear they are all starting to look kind of the same. This one is pretty cool, though. A little less on the self-​conscious quirkiness (which, don’t get me wrong, I have no problems with– though it can get a little played out), and containing some pretty cool books and cards and the us’ (short for «usual»). A Mickey Mouse file folder told me they weren’t trying too hard, and I listened.
It has a laid-​back vibe, and it didn’t (ie. did) help that the sun was shining and the Breeders were playing on the stereo. And that I happened to know the person working behind the counter (total coincidence). She drew my attention to the really cool and unique postcards that they had displayed in many, many rows at the front of the store, highlighting specific Canadian cultural moments and icons. Yeah, those were radder than most things. Check it out, will ya. For your country.

It was such a weight off to find a card and gift shop that wasn’t Hallmark. I have nothing against that particular company that creates gift cards, but I always like to support smaller shops. You also find that, especially with card shops, the smaller the shop, the edgier the merchandise. Not needing to worry a mass audience, the selection can turn towards more of niche crowd with a smaller selection of cards for seasonal and year-​round occasions that run from the pleasing to the provocative. There are some cards that you’d want to purchase a frame for, yet others you’d want to hide in a brown-​paper bag and hope Gramma really doesn’t understand what it means.
Gifts are sold as well with some gift books and smaller toys and collectibles on offer. Wrapping paper and gift bags are also abundant. The cash register area always has one of the funnier cards of the day that more often than not force a giggle, and the nick-​knacks that are on display usually result in an impulse buy. Who can resist a Frida Kahlo finger puppet? I finally got to use my 10-​stamped loyalty card and got a free birthday card. I’ve never felt prouder.

Not only does this place carry all sorts of cards, but it also carries cute wallets, a variety of stationary, and other really fun gifts. I bought one of my favorite wallets from there and would definitely go back for other designs. Items aren’t too pricey, so that’s an extra plus.

For gift givers seeking more exciting and less predicable fare than what Hallmark has to offer, step into Valhalla. They offer a solid collection of funny, poetic and uniquely-​designed cards that you definitely won’t find anywhere else. Plus, I could spend all day in this store just giggling over their wall of tongue-​in-​cheek postcards.
Make your way into the back of the store and you’ll find tons of beautiful gift bags, wrapping paper and a huge quantity of Moleskin notebooks in sizes and colours to suit any taste! I only ever buy my cards at this great Queen West location and I recommend you do, too! They also have a frequent buyer’s card — a great bonus for those who find themselves shopping here as much as I do!