School supplies Shop or street stall? A price comparison
Episode date: Length: 1 min 59 s
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On his second school supplies tour, the Mukhtar compared stationery shops with street stalls: which is cheaper, and does the quality differ?
The short answer
In September 2025 sellers said a young child's full kit could cost from 100 new Syrian pounds (10,000 old, about $0.9) to 1,000 new pounds (100,000 old, about $8.7), depending on brands. A notebook on a stall was 5 to 6 new pounds and a sketchbook 30 to 50.
On a street stall a notebook was 5 to 6 new pounds. Shops charge more because they pay rent and costs, one seller said.
How much is a sketchbook?
Sketchbooks were 30 to 50 new pounds; Canson pads were the most requested.
What does a young child's kit cost?
One seller said it can be done for 10,000 or for 100,000 old pounds, that is 100 to 1,000 new pounds. The gap is brand and quality: some good pens were about 5 new pounds, some erasers about 30.
Tip before you buy
Compare a few places. Stalls are cheaper for notebooks and simple tools; shops have more choice and brands.
Questions people ask
Are street stalls cheaper than stationery shops?
For notebooks and simple tools, yes: a notebook was 5 to 6 new pounds on a stall in September 2025. Shops price in their rent.
What does a child's school kit cost in Syria?
About $0.9 to $8.7 (100 to 1,000 new Syrian pounds) depending on brands, sellers said in September 2025.
How much is a sketchbook in Damascus?
30 to 50 new pounds in September 2025.
We ask sellers in the market and record every price with its date, in US dollars and new Syrian pounds. How we work
The Mukhtar Al Souq team: produced by Ahmad Nahas (the show on his site) · written by Ahmad Nahas, Mazen Shbib, Ranim Shabani and Dania Halbouni · edited by Abdulrahman Al-Nassar and Abdulrahman Mulla · graphics by Wael Fayyad
The truth from the market, for the people