25 September 2012

Free For All Tuesday No. 86

Tuesdays are your chance to ask any Filofax related questions you might have.

So fire away and we will collectively try to answer your questions or offer opinions.

48 comments:

  1. Not really a question but I have discovered (mixed up with diary pages) my Filofax Slimming Magazine Calorie Counter!! I forgot I even had one. It's full of useful information and fits perfectly in my personal size health filo. It seems to date from 1987 (I've been an organiser from a very young age lol)

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  2. Is 19mm the largest pocket size rings available from Filofax? Including the discontinued models, not just the current ones. Thanks!

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    1. I think 19mm is the largest they have ever sold in Pocket size... but I am happy to bow to someone who knows different!

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    2. Thanks, Steve. I was browsing some of the Filofax sites (.it, .de, etc...) and noticed a 23 mm rings description on a pocket Butterfly. Couldn't tell if that was a typo or not.

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  3. Not a question either, but I realized this week that I pretty much only use the diary section & financial section of my filo on a day-to-day basis! If somethings not in my diary I don't think about it. I had this idea last week to insert a flyleaf in between my week on 2 pages to stick stickies for lists, to-dos, homework, ect and its working great for me! :D I took out the to-do section as well, it was just bugging me because it wasn't getting used at all. Anyone want a BNIP pack of cotton cream to-do sheets? I have no use for them now.

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    1. I wouldn't mind having some extra to do sheets :) are they for sell or will they be a nice donation?

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    2. Just a donation! I have a personal sized pack, shoot me an email @ Jedi-jenna@hotmail.com if you'd like them. :)

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  4. I always wondered about the rings on the pocket size binders. I have had pocket size Chamelon, Finsbury, and Malden. The Malden holds more than the Finsbury and of course the Chamelon is beautiful but very small rings. I could live without my personal if the pocket had bigger rings. I am having to still use both a personal and pocket binder because i just can't see lugging my personal every.

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  5. It would appear that the Time Management diary inserts are no more - you can still order by phone but they are being discontinued. Sadly, this appears to be yet another nail in the coffin for Filofax as a serious time management tool - according to Filofax, there is no demand for the time management insers, which comes as no surprise as the inserts were always hidden away in some secretive corner of the website.

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    1. And of course they sell out every year - makes you wonder if they would sell more if they made more!

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    2. Alison.... you should be in marketing, but with a grander title than that..

      So are they going to be available for 2013?

      There are alternatives available of course (cough) Ray and Steve Enhanced TM inserts...

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    3. I've seen some 2013 TM Inserts on ebay.

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    4. Steve - I do a lot of marketing for my customers!!! FF don't deserve to sell any of them the way they tuck them away and don't promote them.

      However I won't be buying the FF TM inserts this year. Firstly I am trying to go down to a personal size (possibly FC for that extra half an inch!), secondly I'd rather print out yours and Rays even if I have to edit slightly. These FF inserts are expensive (especially if you want the weekly and daily set) and I sort of resent the fact that they are hard to get hold of - they should be a mainstream item. Also the paper is pretty poor - I am a fountain pen fan and like decent paper.

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    5. You can almost imagine this Filofax memo.. "Secret. We don't want anyone to know that Time Management inserts have been made for 2013. If you really must know, they are product code TM701351. But don't tell anyone and certainly don't put them on our website, because folk might want to buy them. We need to sell as few as possible so that we can discontinue them next year, by claiming that there is no longer any demand."

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    6. And it would be very bad if someone posted links on the interwebs and the twitters as to where you might be able to buy them from...

      http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Filofax-Professional-A5-2013-Week-Two-Pages-Dated-Diary-Pack-TM701351-/280963807728

      http://www.amazon.co.uk/Filofax-Professional-Dated-Pages-Diary/dp/B008KM952O << Currently Unavailable :(

      and elsewhere:

      https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&q=TM701351

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    7. Thanks for those links, Steve - I've just purchased the 2 pages per day insert for 2013 from eBay.

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    8. I think their Marketing department must be staffed by ex-Army guys from the Stores section. The same guys who would tell you, when you needed to exchange an item: "Can't you see? These are the Stores. Stores are for storing. If we were meant to issue you anything, we'd be called Issues". Sigh.......

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    9. i think this really, genuinely is the last nail in the coffin for FF as a genuine Time Management tool for me. Yes, of course, the print-on-demand versions are available (and are great), but the very fact that we have to dig out (or design) these inserts in the first place jut shows that FF aren't at all interested - which is to be expected now that the Presly Gang and Phoenix are selling up. Presly has a further 30 company directorships to fall back on, so he'll be OK, along with his daughter (no comment). The brand may or may not be capable of rescue by Exaclair (if they get the chance). Exaclair's existing diary portfolio includes the excellent Quo Vadis layouts, but to all intents and purposes, FF at present are nowhere near being on the map as a serious time and task planning and management tool.

      Looks like it'll have to be TMI for me in 2013 - I want to deal with a company that's still in some way interested.....

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  6. Is there a current discount code for City Organiser?
    Helen
    Who accidentally met and fell in love with a Holborn yesterday!

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    1. Oh, did he make your heart race - is he handsome and charismatic in the flesh?

      I've never had the pleasure of stroking one I'm afraid, but I do like the layout as described by other users.

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    2. I don't think there's one at the moment, what size/type of Holborn are you interested in. I saw one there on Saturday in their sale area...

      Give them a call

      Steve

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    3. It's not a Philofaxy exclusive discount, but City Organiser are promoting a 10% code for September of "1111".

      I keep looking at that new tan A5 Flex, but am loathed to spend more on Filofax products, with their current attitudes!

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    4. Thanks for that Tim, I must have missed that. I've added that to the graphic link in the side bar.
      Steve

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    5. Argh! *ordered something before she knew about the code*

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  7. A5,wine.... Like Richard Gere in his prime.

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    1. They had an A5 Holborn Zip on the sales shelf, but I forget what colour it was, priced at £50 something....

      Your Richard Gere would be my equivalent... Felicity Kendal in her younger days!

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    2. Personally, I fall for any chap who has a crinkle factor of 10!!! Let me explain.... The crinkle factor is that moment when a chap's smile is just for you, his eyes sparkle with happiness and crinkle up around the edges whenever he laughs or smiles.A chap with a high crinkle factor and sparkling eyes has me utterly smitten!!! I am not smitten by crinkle factor in a Filofax though!!! LOL!!

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    3. There is a sales shelf??? I am excited. I have just reorganised my day trip to London from Bath tomorrow to take in a detour to CO and Have also just spotted on Google maps that there is a Daunts bookshop at the top of Bow Lane... Yipee!

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    4. @butanben
      Mmm. Tom Hardy

      Sorry. Somewhat off topic, but he has the crinkle factor for me!
      :-)

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  8. Has anyone ever seen the new Osterley colour "orange", which is now available on the CO site?

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  9. Everyone see Filofax latest post on Facebook????

    Think they might be listening!

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    1. I've just replied, pointing them here for all of our many, many requests!!!!

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    2. Would anyone mind reposting the text of said Facebook entry from Filofax? I don't 'do' Facebook (walled garden / invasion of privacy concerns) but something like this might be of general interest even among the Facebook refuseniks like myself.

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    3. "Check out our range of useful inserts at http://tiny.cc/3jhzkw– we have everything from road maps of France to handy Finance Sheets. Quick question for you - what kind of insert would you like to see to make sure you stay super organised?"

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    4. Ye Gods!!! Is Filofax's facebook page sponsored by London Fashion Week? Sad to see that "fashion" is the pre-eminent theme coming out of their website. Maybe we are in a minority, as they have 4,927 likes, and even Filofax can't have THAT many employees. Oh well. I'll stick with my vintage products, my printer and Philofaxy "Files". Steve, shouldn't you rename them "Philes" ??

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    5. Hello, I'm a first time poster but keen philofaxy reader!
      I just got my first personal, it's a vintage with Made in England and real calf stamped in gold and has gold rings which I love, but they don't have filofax stamped on them. Is it me, or is that odd?
      Thanks!

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    6. Good thinking - start listening to your customers after the story has broken that you're selling the brand and company. Why am I unimpressed?

      Also unimpressed with the half-hearted attempt by Slam PR to have some of their PR cronies post positive things about the Temperley range and their fashion focus generally. check out the Twitter profiles of the posters - some of them have less than 5 followers.

      'I've got a little list', as Gilbert and Sullivan once said....

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  10. I was so pleased to see in the first post of the Finds that Letts is in talks with Excompta to be bought out. That would certainly take care of the paper problem. I would doubt they would take much interest in the binders, they are in the paper business. That is really not a concern for me, I have to big a collection of binders any way, but with them and their planning products, you would see a lot more options.

    The other major point, they are very, very interested is satisfying their customers. For those of you that follow the Quo Vadis blog, that is very evident. I think it would be a great win/win situation for both companies.

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    1. You may be right and indeed I hope so. Sadly, based on my own senior management experience of venture capitalist exits strategies, mergers and takeovers, I suspect the opposite could happen. Excompta will be seeking big synergy savings to justify their purchase. Looking at the current product ranges, there is a lot of overlap and duplication, which would suggest "opportunities" for consolidation and product rationalisation. Quo Vadis binders and Flex, for example.

      Sadly, the paper-based organiser and diary market is currently in sharp decline. Now is unlikely to be the time to see expanded product options from any large operator, although I'm sure that excellent products like Quo Vadis would become far more available in the UK. I'm not suggesting that Filofax would disappear, but maybe nothing like the current range.

      I agree that the French company certainly won't tolerate current paper quality or poor customer service!

      (I also commented on today's webfinds).

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    2. So...Tim...how would you turn a Quo Vadis diary into a decent TM tool? ;)

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    3. Hi David and Tim,
      I have no earthly idea about how you would turn Quo Vadis into a great tool, but I am sure of one thing; they would listen to suggestions, and respond to them, and if it is feasible they will produce the product you want. That is a lot more than we have now!

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  11. Hello all, wondered if anyone could help me out. I'm looking to buy a pocket size diary insert like this one: http://www.filofax.de/store/diaryrefillsdetails.asp?productId=2514
    Needs to be ruled, and equal sized boxes for each day.
    Does anyone know of anywhere in the UK I could get this from before I pay for the international shipping costs? I want them for the rest of 2012 and 2013.
    Thanks!

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  12. Post-It Labels - Do they have these in the UK? If not, I apologize. I love them. They are full sheet adhesive so they stick wonderfully well on the front of my binder for reminders or lists.

    I have these on my dashboard:
    http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/Products/Product-Catalog/?N=4294424795+5893916&rt=r3

    These on my desk:
    http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/Products/Product-Catalog/~/Post-it-Super-Sticky-Patterned-Label-Pads-2-in-x-3-in-Neon-Colors-50-Pack?N=6253269&rt=rud&x=0&y=0

    I'm coveting these:
    http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/Products/Product-Catalog/~/Post-it-Designer-I-D-Labels-Red-Apple-Diecut-2-1-in-x-2-3-in-60-Pk?N=6244224&rt=rud&x=0&y=0

    My Staples only carries a few, but I'm thinking a search is in order.

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  13. Hi everybody, being a Philofaxy reader for a long time I have never asked anything but read "free for all..." with pleasure. However, now I have encountered a sad thing with my Pocket Hampshire. I hadn't used it for a while (in favour of Personal Hamilton) and when I opened it I found that a credit card holder had glued itself to the binder. I removed it carefully but now the leather is all sticky and full of stains. Has anyone experienced something like this and know what to do to get the binder back in good condition again? Grateful for your suggestions.

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