• Blick Art Materials

Blick Art Materials

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Overview

Blick Art Materials has a rating of 2.6 stars from 94 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Blick Art Materials most frequently mention customer service problems. Blick Art Materials ranks 62nd among Art Supplies sites.

  • Service
    29
  • Value
    29
  • Shipping
    28
  • Returns
    16
  • Quality
    27
Positive reviews (last 12 months): 0%
Positive
0
Neutral
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Negative
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How would you rate Blick Art Materials?
Top Positive Review

“Great prices, awesome customer service.”

Angela W.
3/30/23

I don't usually need customer service with Blick. The one time I did, they contacted me before I contacted them! This customer care team works very hard to quickly and efficiently correct an issue and they are pleasant while doing it. Really a treat in today's world of mediocrity.

Top Critical Review

“They charged me shipping for their mistake!”

Quantumental V.
12/30/23

This company is beyond real, I order 2 items that listed available, and I had a big order and mostly were gifts for Xmas and I was traveling so dates are imp. They ship all the items except for 2 And they fail to mention that these 2 items were on back order. I receive an email a week later saying sorry these items didn't ship. I complain, they said they made a mistake Ans didn't update their system, buy dont worry we will ship one of the items soon. Today they shipped it and charged me 15.75 $ shipping for one tube of paint that fosted 14$?! And I had free shipping with the initial order, so noni got screwed with it. I have been using this shop for a long time, but this was beyond anything I experienced with an open shop! Ill never be using their shop again! Be aware

Reviews (94)

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customer service (40)
Thumbnail of user angelaw2015
California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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March 30th, 2023
Verified purchase

I don't usually need customer service with Blick. The one time I did, they contacted me before I contacted them! This customer care team works very hard to quickly and efficiently correct an issue and they are pleasant while doing it. Really a treat in today's world of mediocrity.

Products used:
Paper, pigment, brushes, etc.

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user jamesy534
New York
1 review
3 helpful votes
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October 23rd, 2021

I've purchased artist materials from various sources for many years. I just read where Blick rated low in customer service and timely deliveries. My experience is very favorable and I have eliminated some other sources because they are not as efficient as Blick. I always receive the ordered materials in good condition and quicker than promised. This past summer I ordered items from Blick and Cheap Joe's on the same day. Blick was better than promised and Joe's was received more than a week later. Also, their colored pencils are some of the best available (I have six different brands). Hope this is helpful.

Tip for consumers:
They do what they promise

Products used:
Brushes, oil paint, stretched canvas, paint additives, colored pencils, etc.

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Value
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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you for your five star review! We appreciate your business and hope to continue providing our award winning service to you on your future orders.

Thumbnail of user debc478
Florida
1 review
2 helpful votes
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February 6th, 2022

I've been a customer of Blick Art Supplies for many years and have never been disappointed. If there's ever an issue (which is rare), they've always resolved it quickly.

I especially love the choices Blick gives you. You can always find what you need no matter what art project you're taking on.

If you're buying in bulk or not, you just can't beat the price and the quality has always been great!

Deb :)

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you so much for your review Deb! We are always happy to hear from our satisfied customers!

Thumbnail of user quantumental
Zambia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 30th, 2023

This company is beyond real, I order 2 items that listed available, and I had a big order and mostly were gifts for Xmas and I was traveling so dates are imp. They ship all the items except for 2 And they fail to mention that these 2 items were on back order.
I receive an email a week later saying sorry these items didn't ship. I complain, they said they made a mistake Ans didn't update their system, buy dont worry we will ship one of the items soon. Today they shipped it and charged me 15.75 $ shipping for one tube of paint that fosted 14$?! And I had free shipping with the initial order, so noni got screwed with it. I have been using this shop for a long time, but this was beyond anything I experienced with an open shop! Ill never be using their shop again! Be aware

Tip for consumers:
Just make sure you that u dont accept back orders, as they will end up costing you more in shipping then the item itself!

Products used:
Paint tube

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

We are very sorry for the unexpected backorder on the tube of paint. At the time your order was placed, our inventory indicated that we had enough stock to complete the order however we only had one tube instead of two. This happens very rarely, and we apologize for the inconvenience this caused. We were happy to ship the tube of paint to you as soon as it came back in stock.

Our policy is that we bill you only when your order ships, and that includes backorders. Backordered items are not billed until they actually ship, and there is no additional shipping charged for those backorders. As the copy of your receipt that you’ve included shows, the charge was for the tube of paint itself, plus the sales tax, and the shipping was still free. The summary shows $14.74(paint) + $1.03 (sales tax) = $15.77 and shipping =$0.00.

We hope this explanation will alleviate your concerns with the charges on your recent order, and again, we apologize for the unexpected backorder. If you have any further questions or concerns, please let us know. We are always happy to help!

Thumbnail of user karenk2407
California
5 reviews
4 helpful votes
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February 1st, 2022
Verified purchase

I've been shopping at Blick, both in-store and online, for about 4 years now. Their service is fantastic, their product lines are great, they maintain their stock, and they have just about anything that any level artist might need. What more could you ask for?!

Tip for consumers:
If you buy online, there is a price point for free shipping. Be sure you order so you are at or above that. Also, shipping takes a good 5-10 days for regular shipping, so you need to plan ahead. It’s also fun to shop in one of their retail stores, if you happen to live near one. I’ve found store employees and customer service extremely helpful in choosing the right products for my level.

Products used:
I’ve bought watercolor paints-pans, tubes, pencils, acrylics, brushes, paper, charcoal pencils, etc.

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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you for your valued business! We’re always looking for ways to improve service to our customers, and your feedback is very much appreciated!

Thumbnail of user cassandrad125
Massachusetts
1 review
3 helpful votes
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August 23rd, 2021
Verified purchase

I have been using Dick Blick for all my art supplies for 30 years. I have always been completely satisfied with everything I have ever purchased. Customer service has always been professional and helpful when needed. I had one incident with a shipment where something leaked in a boxed and ruined other items. Customer service quickly handled the situation and sent new replacement items right away. They are very dependable! I highly recommend them.

Products used:
Art supplies

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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Customers like you are the foundation of our success, and we want you to know how much we appreciate your loyalty.

Thumbnail of user kathrynb395
Tennessee
1 review
5 helpful votes
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February 1st, 2021

I have ordered supplies from Blick 5 times now. The fifth was just a day or two ago, but I've received the other four - all well within the times they listed for the shipping price I paid. (No, it's not two-day shipping, but it's quite reasonable. If you want two day shipping you pay extra like normal.) All items were in good condition, and the price I paid was as good or better than the competitors. I've recommended them to family, and they've also ordered with good experiences.

Value
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Thumbnail of user beauf6
California
1 review
6 helpful votes
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December 16th, 2017

D. Blick is a business run by people so before writing off mistakes or discrepancies, it's important to note that it can happen. Human error occurs. Having said that I've had both good and bad experiences with receiving orders. Damaged wood panels or long waits for items ordered. 100 % of the time D. Blick assumed responsibility, apologized and was helpful in fixing the problem. The way they handled these instances shows more character than the slip up, delay or faulty product. 90% of my experiences ordering from this website have been the kind where you don't need to think about it and just start using the materials immediately in the art studio. The 10% that ended with an email to customer service were always supportive and I end up walking away feeling 100% satisfied with choosing D. Blick over other websites. So thank you!

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you so much for the kind words! While we strive for 100% accuracy, we truly do appreciate the opportunity to correct any mistakes that do happen to occur. Your feedback, good or bad, is always welcome and helps us know where improvements can be made. Thank you for your business and we hope to continue to provide you with great service in the future.

Thumbnail of user alexp9
New York
107 reviews
1,121 helpful votes
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July 11th, 2011

This is a great site for art supplies! Paint, canvases, paper - whatever kind of art you do. They ship quickly and everything is packaged nicely. Even if you don't do any "art" per se, there are probably useful items for other sorts of projects too. Price wise, they're significantly cheaper than my mortar and brick art supplies store (sadly...) so although they charge tax for my state, they often run free shipping specials for a minimum so it evens out.

Otherwise, the shipping is dependent on weight/price which can get kind of expensive so it's really the most economic to order a bunch of stuff you definitely need and might need :).

Thumbnail of user scottl1467
Texas
1 review
5 helpful votes
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January 19th, 2022
Verified purchase

Bought a 3 64-1/2" W x 1 yd Medium-Weight Primed Cotton Canvas. When I got them it was one roll that I had to try and cut it which I didn't not want to do. I paid extra for 3 of the smaller canvas's so they would be uniform in size. When I called they said it was in the fine print somewhere that if you buy more than one it will come in one roll that you need to cut. I showed them the item and it's says nothing about that. They refused to acknowledge this and refused to make it right or make it clear on the product page so this does not happen to others. Very bad customer service and I will not be buying supplies from them anymore. 4

Tip for consumers:
Make sure you call and confirm all the details they don't display on the product page.

Products used:
Blick Medium-Weight Primed Cotton Canvas Rolls - 64.5" x per yard, Acrylic Primed

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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

We are so sorry for the frustration you experienced on your last order. We don’t want you to be disappointed though, and I see our Customer Care team has already offered to send a prepaid shipping label to cover the return shipping if you would prefer to send the canvas back for a full refund rather than cut it yourself, and we will also send you an additional coupon for $10 off of your next order.
We did also want to let you know that we haven't refused to make it clear on the product page, because the information already exists as part of the main product description, and is not in fine print nor hidden anywhere. There certainly would be no advantage to us to not make descriptions and details as clear and accessible as possible, and we frequently do update, correct details or add additional information to our product pages based on customer feedback.
All of our canvas pages that have this shipping note are set up the same way. Our product pages are set up so that when there are multiple items sold on the same page, the main product page is the primary source of information for all items listed on that page. SKU detail pages are reached by clicking on the individual item numbers listed under the main description and typically only have additional information that pertains only to that item SKU, if there is any, such as sets contents, model or color number or other pertinent specs.
The image you have shared is the SKU detail page for the specific canvas that you ordered, showing the red arrows with the words "Back to...", directing back to the main product page.
Here is the complete description from the main product page for the canvas that you had ordered.
- Double blade-coated with acrylic primer, Blick’s medium weight (7 oz) 100% cotton duck canvas is ideal for painting with oils, acrylics, or alkyds. Its primed weight is 12 oz. Order the canvas by the yard or by the roll.
- Shipping Notes for Canvas Sold by the Yard — All primed canvas will come on a roll.
- Ordering Canvas Sold by the Yard - Please note that the longest continuous length will be based on inventory availability and may come in multiple pieces. If you would like to place an order with specific cutting instructions, please call or email us at 1-800-828-4548 or orders@$#*! blick.com.

We do appreciate your business and hope you will give us another try!

Thumbnail of user bethd63
Delaware
2 reviews
5 helpful votes
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February 19th, 2020

I have never had a problem with Blick. I love the store in Philly, but it's too far. I don't get up that way often.
They have shipped many order's for me. Prompt service every time. No problem's what so ever. I just placed an order this morning.
Plus, I am positive Blick's product's are not counterfeit. So this is why I order off of them every time.

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you for the 5 star review and for your business! You can feel confident when purchasing from Blick that you are getting genuine supplies since we buy direct from the manufacturers and authorized dealers only.

Thumbnail of user benjaminp101
New York
3 reviews
6 helpful votes
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November 7th, 2019

I've been ordering art supplies from Blick for over 20 years and I'm sure I will be for another 20 (and then some!). They carry all of the top brands as well as a ton of others so I can almost always find exactly what I need for all of my projects. Every once in a while when I have a problem, their top-notch customer service team sorts it out right away so I've always walked away happy and ready to place my next order.

Tip for consumers:
Plan on spending $35 to get free shipping...it is definitely worth it.

Products used:
I really like using Blick brand products when they are available. Excellent quality and excellent value!

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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you so much for your 5 star review! We truly appreciate your business and look forward to serving you again and again!

Thumbnail of user bonnier373
Virginia
1 review
1 helpful vote
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February 1st, 2022

I've received good service each time I've ordered from Dick Blick. Great prices too. The site is marked clearly when something is back ordered so you can chose to order it and wait or just get something else.

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Our sincere thanks for your valued business. We appreciate having you as our customer and look forward to serving you again!

Thumbnail of user christinea314
Missouri
1 review
16 helpful votes
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May 15th, 2020

I ordered about $500 worth of merchandise and even contacted them to ensure my payment would go through. Due to their incompetence, the charge to Pay Pal did not go through (although used 7 time with 7 other companies thereafter) and they demanded payment through a "collection notice". Really? Perhaps if they were not incompetent in the first place, no such demand would have been needed. Waited 10 minutes on hold to get payment to them. Had to finally write a check. What a complete waste of my time.

Thumbnail of user kimberlys669
Maryland
2 reviews
16 helpful votes
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May 17th, 2020

Placed an order for in stock items May 8. As of 5/16 the order had not shipped. No answer or explanation from customer service why this order is taking so long. I'm very unlikely to order again from Blick as a result.

Thumbnail of user christinew1435
Arizona
1 review
0 helpful votes
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June 10th, 2022

My art materials arrived in well-packed, perfect condition. They do take great care in how they package their materials. This was a concern I had because I ordered several rather large pads of paper, plus other items. I am very satisfied with the condition and quality of all of the items from Blick. I have ordered from them before, and I will do it again.

Tip for consumers:
Shipping is free if your purchase meets the qualifying dollar amout.

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

That's so great to hear! We are always here to serve and help our customers!

Thumbnail of user californial1
California
5 reviews
5 helpful votes
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August 25th, 2018

I use this site as a supplier monthly. Shipments have always been timely and well packaged. The supplies I receive have always been quality materials. On occasion there will be an issue with an order. I have received prompt, quick service and resolution. Because of their strong customer service, Blick has become my main supplier. I highly recommend them.

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Thank you very much for the five star review! We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you again.

Thumbnail of user triciap180
Georgia
1 review
0 helpful votes
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August 8th, 2022

I paint with acrylics and I order all of my paints from Blick - I love the Utrecht brand they carry. The paints are carefully packaged to arrive safely. Only one shipment has had a problem and Blick made it right immediately. I have ordered our easels (a joy to use); canvases; paints, glass palettes and other supplies. I have always been impressed with the value received for the cost of the products. Thank you Blick for allowing me to paint during lockdown. Thank you for excellent customer service.

Tip for consumers:
I think the pint jars of paint are a better value than the tubes and easier to use.

Products used:
Easels, canvases, paints, palettes, palette knives, brushes

Service
Value
Shipping
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Thumbnail of user roberts7733
Maine
1 review
0 helpful votes
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October 20th, 2022

I am completely satisfied with the powdered pigment that I bought and received recently. The quality, price, and delivery were all quite satisfactory, but I have a problem with the packaging and over use of materials, especially plastics. I suspect that the vinyl bottle and powdered contents could be dropped from a helicopter without damage. But the over sized packaging with plastic wrapping would protect a dozen eggs! Given our environmental challenges, we could do far more to control waste in packaging.

Products used:
powdered pigment.

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user robertm1526
Michigan
1 review
12 helpful votes
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July 15th, 2019

For eleven day now, I've been trying to post a negative review of the Blair pastel fixative that I bought from Blick's, that ruined several drawings. Each time I click "post review" a flag appears that says an error has occurred and to try again later. I wonder if I'd have the same problem if I were posting a positive review. Just a question but I know what I think.

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Hello Robert,

We are very sorry to hear that you are running into this issue when trying to submit your product review. If you have an ad blocker app or extension enabled on your browser, that may cause the issue you describe. Because the product reviews on our website are hosted by PowerReviews, which is a separate Consumer Engagement company, some ad blockers mistake the review form as an advertisement and block the submission. Please try allowing our site to be an exception to your ad blocker and see if that will solve the issue.

If not though, please contact us directly at Info@$#*! blick.com and we will be happy to assist you further with the review submission. Our product specialists would also be happy to assist with possibly figuring out if the fixative was defective or just not the right product for your application, and what alternative options there may be that might work out better for you. If you view the existing reviews on our website, it should be very apparent that any truthful review is welcome, negative as well as positive.

If you find this information useful, we hope that you might consider updating your review!

Thumbnail of user amberb16
Illinois
5 reviews
10 helpful votes
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March 24th, 2014

I ordered about 500+ dollars worth of paint and one of the half gallon bottles had swelled and leaked. Somewhere in transit the shipping folks wrapped it in cellophane and sent it on its way to my house. Why oh why? Anyway. I called dick blick and they sent me a new bottle of paint right away and did not want the other bottle shipped back. Saved me a lot of hassle. Thank you.

Thumbnail of user candyl35
Florida
2 reviews
17 helpful votes
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July 9th, 2019

I have been a Blick customer for years, but lately I avoid them if at all possible. Between their slow processing time (2 - 3 days) and terrible shipping (FedEx DumbPost) service, I've pretty much had it with them. I live in Florida and it takes, on average, 9 days to receive my order. Sure I could spend another $3 on the "upgraded" shipping, but even then my order doesn't arrive in a timely manner.

On top of that, when you check out, your cart says that your items are "in stock and reserved" This is a load of bs. I ordered 2 of one item and am only being shipped one despite the "in stock" message.
I prefer Jerry's Artarama, but sadly they do not carry some of the things I need. I suppose I will continue to deal with Blick's lousy shipping and processing time whenever I need specific things

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Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M. – Blick Art Materials Rep

Hello Candy,

Thank you your orders, and for this feedback. We are very concerned to hear about this, however we are always glad to know when there are issues so we can fix them. Unfortunately, we are having trouble finding the orders that you are describing. We were able to locate only one account for you; we checked through the orders on that account back to 2017 and found that except for the most recent order, all of your orders were packed and shipped out the same day that the order was placed, and tracking records show them as delivered within 3 business days. Regarding your most recent order placed on July 4, we do apologize for the delay that resulted from the holiday, as we are closed on most major holidays to allow our associates to spend the time with their families. Additionally, though you received free shipping on all of the orders we checked, you had elected to add the $3 upgrade to FedEx Home delivery to all but this most recent order, which did increase the expected delivery time for this order by a couple of days versus without the upgrade.

Also, we were not able to find any back orders on any of these recent orders. If you are missing items from any of your orders, please contact us immediately so we can reship or refund them. While we hope this never occurs, it can occasionally and we are always happy for the opportunity to make it right.

If you have another account that we did not see with orders that you have experienced delays or other issues on, please let me know so I can investigate further. Thank you again- we want our customers to have the best possible experience when ordering with us, so always appreciate being made aware of any issues you may encounter!

Thumbnail of user madgew4
California
1 review
3 helpful votes
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February 5th, 2021

After spending over an hour and two separate phone calls to customer service trying to order 4 items for curbside delivery, I gave up. After ordering, it was impossible for me to keep my order in the "curbside delivery" mode. I spoke to a lovely woman who tried to help, but did not seem to know the website well enough to direct me - was reading from a script. I asked to place the order with her to be forwarded to the store, but she did not have permission to do so. The website for ordering in this manner is klunky and the directions given in the instructional video are unclear. I won't be purchasing from Blick until it is safe to shop in stores once again or the shipping time is drastically decreased. PS - I then went to the Amazon site and ordered my items for delivery tomorrow (no shipping fee with prime) in a total of 2 minutes.

Thumbnail of user seganh
California
1 review
0 helpful votes
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December 24th, 2022
Verified purchase

I ordered a tube of paint and a set of paintbrushes for a christmas gift on black friday. I had it sent to my home while I was away in school so that I could wrap it when I arrived for the holidays. When I opened the box, I had received the correct tube of paint, but instead of my $50 paint brush set, got a $3 acrylic marker. There was also no return slip, receipt, or order slip in the box.

I called my local store for help and they said they couldn't do anything for me. They gave me a customer service number to call which left me on hold for 15 minutes before I was told that I had to call a different number. I asked them if they would be open for me to talk to them and they assured me twice they would be open. I called and the the center had already closed.

I usually love Blick, so I'm disappointed with the rabbit hole they've put me in, and I now don't have a gift for my mother.

Service
Value
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Thumbnail of user eved29
California
2 reviews
2 helpful votes
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January 29th, 2023

Dick Blick on line is the only place that I can find Caran d'Ache oil pastels by the stick. I order quite a few when I order, so l probably only order once a year and I forget that their site is not shopper friendly. I go through and work out an order, and I put the quantity in what I think is my cart, then when I am ready to check out, there is nothing in the cart. Very frustrating. Then if I try to see if the if the item is in the cart, the site assumes that this is your whole order and won't take you back to the list. Check out what they have on line, but don't try to place an order through the web page, you will go crazy. Call your order in..

Products used:
Artist material, oil pastels

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Value
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Inspiring artists with the artistic tools to reach their full creative potential.

Business History

It all started with a single pen in 1911. For over 100 years, our commitment to quality, service, and excellence has shaped BLICK into who we are today.

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user annettem12
Annette M.

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