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18 May 2012

Free For All Friday No 183

Thank you for your kind words of welcome, and I'm very much looking forward to writing some more posts about my adventures in my A5 Malden.

I don't know what it is about filofaxes, but I find I'm always looking at different ones and thinking something along the lines of, "Oh, that's gorgeous. I could definitely see myself using that" and then after some time I get to, "You don't need anymore, behave yourself and stop looking at eBay/City Organiser/Filofax etc.!" It seems to happen fairly regularly, even if I've decided to keep to just the one binder. My current temptations are the imperial purple Finchley and the purple Malden. I'm not going to buy them though as I'm actually pretty content with mine, and I'm much better these days at recognising that initial desire and not taking much notice of it.

Are there any ones that you're trying to resist buying currently? As usual, please feel free to discuss anything filofax related, or ask any questions you might have.
I hope you have a lovely week end.

98 comments:

  1. Wish I could resist them, I just ordered the purple Finchley A5 and am not really sure how I'm going to even use it yet!! This will be my 3rd Filo this year!! I'm am sooo excited though, I can't wait for it to arrive and start setting it up. Maybe if I didn't look at them constantly on e-bay and Filofax I would be better off.

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  2. I've gone all out this week, buying a new binder (Success Choice, review and such pending), all new inserts for said binder, and then buying a mini Windsor on a whim on ebay! Wow! And of course, I went to the pen store today and bought inserts for the mini, plus lots of letter writing stationery. So I've done a bad job of resisting the urge!
    At any rate, after ages of resisting the temptation of the A5 size organizer, I'm pleased to finally have one! It is big, but I don't find it unwieldy, even though its got large 1.5 inch rings.

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    1. Still waiting for Mr. Cavendish, I am afraid.

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    2. Anita you have excellent timing on this topic!! I'm straining to resist buying a Success Choice binder, thanks to Josh's excellent photos and high praise of it (although I knew it would be great because I have one of their covers for bound planners and the leather is wonderful). If I bought it, I know I would love it but it would require a complete shift in size and brands of inserts. Right now I have Personal and A5 Filofaxes, but the SC binder would necessitate switching to US 5 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch paper. I feel like it's a Pandora's Box I'd better not open!

      In the meantime I'm still looking forward to June when I can finally see the upcoming A5 Compact binders. I'm wondering if they will solve my too small page size/ too big binder issue.

      Or maybe the Success Choice would do that?

      Oh that agony! ;D

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    3. @Laurie - the Success Choice binder looks fab but, if you don't want to open Pandora's box, just get a filofax binder made for you. In the same way that there are plenty of American leathermen who will make a cover for your Moleskine, those same craftsmen or women will probably be keen to cater for filofax users, if only their attention is drawn to the issue.

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    4. Neil the truth of it is I already have more than enough Filofax binders, and piles of papers and inserts for them too. If I entered into the world of a totally different binder size, I'd have to invest in all new pages and accessories too, when I already have more than I need!

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    5. @ Laurie: I'm glad it was a timely subject for you! I wrote it as I was offered a swap of a purple Finchley for my personal Malden, & was hugely tempted for a short while.
      It would be great to be able to borrow a Success binder to make sure it'll be right for you.

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  3. I have been weak lately. I fell into temptation and got pretty much all the ones i wanted. the ones I didn't get was just because I couldn't find! Thankfully! ooohhh Anita, how do you do resist all the goodies? :)

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    1. I'm glad you've managed to get the ones you wanted :)
      Mostly I resist by reminding myself of the ones I've got in the past & then returned or sold! I owned a personal raspberry Metropol for about 24 hours as I realised I'd been spoilt by the leather ones...

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  4. Oh dear, yes it is hard to resist. I started mid of March with FF and guess what, I have collected since that time 3xA5, 5xPersonal and 6xPocket size!! I really should contact a doctor ?!?! And there is still one dream: an Osterley in Personal size! And whenever I am on CO site, there are these lovely Luxe items.....The only way to avoid more impulse purchase is a)not to look on these sites and b)remember the trouble I have with the WOP or DDP or WOP+notes whenever I am changing my current FF! (i.e. yesterday I moved into my Adelphi Slimeline and had to decide whether I am changing papersize or just putting several month of the year outside??) So, folks, you have my fully understanding <3

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  5. Hi Anita - a subject close to my heart. Finchley, that one really got to me. Every morning, I would get on ebay to check for it. In a span of two months I bought 6 filofaxes (5 Finchley and 1 Finsbury). At times it got a bit more obsessive. "Oh hang on, why isn't anyone bidding on this beautiful filo, its going so cheap." And then I would end up buying it!! Two more to go - a Jade and Imperial Purple to complete the whole family and then I'll be good.

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    1. Hi filofit & I do love the Finchleys, despite never owning one.
      I don't know what size you're after, but there are some for sale on the Adspot page :)

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  6. I have 30, I just can't resist...it's madness especially as I am a one binder one life devotee! I think I may sell some, but I do love looking at them. The problem is I still can't decide what size is best for me.

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    1. I have to seriously say, unless you need the money, don't for goodness' sake part with binders out of some sense of "should" - you'll have the devil of a time finding the same one three years later, when some new thing comes into your life for which that binder would be perfect.

      I nearly let my Mini Finsbury go a couple of times ("shoulding" all over myself!) - only to find it made a perfect case for my Nokia mobile phone, complete with inserts for memo pad, important diary info, and (of course) nifty little pen!

      Perhaps I lean towards my parent's generation, where you held onto useful good-quality things on the basis you'd want them again, but I think the fast-turnover days of the late '90s & '00s, where anything you weren't using right now was derided as "clutter" are well and truly over: it's a bit undignified to always be on the prod to clear things out the minute they're no longer used daily.

      IMO that impetus came from the idea of built-in obsolescence and its twin pressure always be buying new items 24/7, even if it leads to debt and environmental destruction.

      /rant ;o)

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    2. I fully agree, unless you're short on funds or space or are completely sure that you don't like the filofax, I'd just hold onto it. Use them to hold unused and archived inserts!

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  7. I am now an owner of a red Domino A5, picked up during the last FilofaxUSA sale. (Really, I watched all those youtube videos, from Josh's to Imogen's; research, you know. Now I fear that it is too big for my needs/wants. My current is a personal red Classic. I am going to commit until the end of 2012 on the personal size, then switch over to the A5 full time for 2013. At least, that is the current thinking. But I cannot help but wonder if the A5 Malden is as awesome as claimed. And oh, I see that there is another sale over at the Filofax site. Yikes.

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    1. @ Shortie: I can also definitely say the A5 Malden is indeed awesome! 30mm rings, lies flat out of the box & I love mine in the vintage pink colour.

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    2. Oh dear. I don't need to know that. I already have 6 personal ones. But one A5. I *should* wait to see how I like the A5 Domino before I venture out to the Malden. But of course, should one just suddenly appear in my mailbox, what am I to do, but to keep it.

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  8. Hi Anita! Well, it would be lame to deny I have Filofax buying issues, when you look at my current collection ...
    I am always on the hunt for a nice bargain, and usually do find them. It does take a bit of patience! I have a "general" wishlist of Filo models in my head, and then when I encounter one, I check if the price is right. I never pay full price to be honest.
    Also, I remind myself that the binder and even the paper inserts are doing NOTHING to get my huge Todo-lists done. Me noting them down and actually DOING so, will get them done.
    The pretty binder and nice paper layout is just a little boost to my motivation to actually use it. And nothing more than that!

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    1. Jotje this is exactly the kind of reasoning that keeps my obsession under control. I usually go on the hunt for a new FF when I'm feeling disorganised. Then I step back and realise 1) searching for a new FF is a form of procrastination on the tasks that need doing, and 2) if I already own an FF and am disorganised, clearly a new one won't help (rather, it will only add one more binder to the pile that is probably on my 'declutter list'!)
      The organisers, as you say, have very little to do with our ability to perform the tasks that need doing; they're a beautiful way to help us keep ourselves on track.

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    2. I completely agree with Jotje on both points: mental list of wishlist Filos AND pretty binders to motivate doing those irksome chores/tasks. (Except that now I have my wishlist in my filofax to keep me on track with that pesky site called ebay.) (:

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  9. I feel like I have written all the previous responses above... :)

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  10. I am currently resisting the A5 Purple Malden, but no doubt once I have seen one in the flesh resistance will be futile - I have no willpower at all, hence the 38 binders that I currently have. I am giving away 3 to a friend next week, and obviously I will then be within my rights to buy 3 more :o) I have another one which may be leaving my clutches as well, my youngest boy already has a greeny pocket Domino, but he spied my pink pocket Metropol yesterday and is trying to persuade me to give it to him... it may be going his way soon :o)

    @ Shortie - the A5 Malden really is fabulous, I have the Ochre one and it is sublime :o)

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    1. Thanks to you and Anita, I am now coming up with justifications for an A4 Malden. I can already see my partner rolling her eyes...

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    2. They do the Malden in the A4? OMG!!! Where?!!!

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    3. oops I mean A5. Sorry. Now that you mentioned A4, I wonder if I *need* something in a bigger format...This can only end badly for my budget.

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    4. Phew!!! I was thinking I may have to bankrupt myself if it was available in A4 :o)

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    5. Hahaha! LJ, that was my reaction as well! :D

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  11. I look at them as long-term investments -- like shoes and bags, buy them in the best quality you can and use them for years.

    I almost convinced myself there (-:

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    1. I like your point of view, Doris!
      With the Filofaxes I have, I'll have to live 190 years to wear them all out, so I better start drinking pomegranate juice and kombucha right now! ;-)

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    2. @Vanjilla: I really wish there was a LIKE button for THAT response, LOL!!!

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    3. I'm not resisting buying any more filofaxes (or planning to buy more) - I have two persona and one A5 - since I can only use one binder at a time (and since I'm more or less settled on Personal anyway, I already have one more than I need, why would I want another? Unless, of course, I was buying them as an investment to re-sell later, which I'm not....

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    4. But Doris98, I have actually found that to be true: an LV wallet I nearly didn't buy because of the price looks as good as the day I bought it, despite getting near-daily use for 6½ years, often shoved into a pocket with keys and stuff - ditto my A5 Kendal, which, again, I nearly didn't buy because of the price.

      Just make sure to leave your bric-a-brac items to a charity you support in your will, if you don't think any family will want to inherit them, than you're spreading good fortune down to the future!

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    5. @Doris98, may I use that as one of my justifications for more Filofaxes?

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    7. @Shanananana: Fortunately, female family members share my interests (my mother is the mother of all enablers). There will be a stampede for the Filos. (:

      @Shortie: Use away!

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  12. Oh Dear, This is a terrible problem for me. I have quite the collection. I feel like I am always looking for the perfect Filofax but it eludes me. I plan to downsize but like JasJan I just can’t decide which size to stick with which is why my collection is so large. If I could stick with one size then I would sell all the others and my collection would be acceptable. What to do?

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    1. @Saffy, write down the ways in which your current Filofax/es are not quite meeting your needs, for a start. Maybe carry a notepad for a week (or use a page in the 'Fax itself) and when something's "missing," write down what it is, even if it's just a vague impression ("Not urgent enough" for example) more than a solid idea.

      If there's anything specific, like configuration of card-holder/inner pockets etc, do a bit of research on older models and then if one turns out to be perfect, set up an alert on e-Bay so you get e-mailed when someone lists one.

      If it's more a case of missing contents, trial a few DIY ones - draw them with a ruler and see how they work for a day or a week, before creating and/or printing PDFs & .docs.

      And finally, if there's nothing quite perfect that's been released so far, consider either pouncing on the Filofax website every time they do a new binder, to see if that's a match, or find out how you can improvise/hack/get custom-made, exactly what you'd like.

      Those are just the things I've done that helped, I don't know if they'll be useful to you. :o)

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  13. Because of money I have to resist buying them all! I wish I had a huge collection like some people :) I covet your collections

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    1. Me too, i'm trying to get debt free so i'm trying so hard to resist, i'm just going to have to wait until they go in the sale, with five children to feed I can't spend around £100 on a filofax and I do like a good bargain, i'm slowly building up a collection!!! :)

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    2. Alison, at least it's just not me~ I thought everyone had a leaning tower of filos...

      T

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  15. Right now I have a Personal Chameleon in Aqua in my shopping basket. I have been wanting one for awhile but am torn between the A5 and the personal in this color. I wouldn't carry around the A5 but would use it in my office (it would match my office decor!) as my catch all binder for things related to home management that I don't need to carry with me everyday. However, I would love to be able to pull the lovely Personal aqua ( a favorite color of mine!) out of my handbag this summer. If I were working at the present time I would buy both and also be right there with all of you on multiple purchases.

    I just noticed they added the lovely blue Finsbury to the USA site and the yellow!) I've been waiting for the blue to be available in the US. (Almost bought it from the UK site but the shipping is high though I did order my Purple Finch from UK when it was on a great sale so didn't mind paying the shipping fee!). The blue Finsbury is out of stock on our site but the color option was just added within the last day or so; I am on that site everyday and have been watching for it. I am also craving a Malden (didn't like it much online but after hearing everyone rave about it I am now obsessed about it) and also like the Aston but not overly crazy about the color options in either. I probably will get a Malden (not sure what color--maybe the grey) if they ever go on sale in the US.

    I bought my second Filofax earlier this year (a Personal Finchley in Imperial Purple) and also own a pocket Finchley in teal. I usually prefer soft, supple leathers but find that I am drawn to certain colors and will compromise on the feel of the leather for a good color. I don't have a store nearby that sells Filofax and that is frustrating. The one I frequent is about 30 miles away and they seldom have a good variety to touch and view in person. :(

    I have been swooning over Filofaxes for probably 20 years. I'm a former Franklin Covey (FC) shopper due to the convenience and availability of FC store on my way to and from work. (Which is no longer the case; FC has closed most of their stores and the closest one is now 25 miles away, though you can shop online). For the past 25 years, I too have had a binder obsession and went back and forth between several sizes of the FC never quite sure if I were a 'classic', a 'compact' or a 'monarch' or a 'pocket'! I've used them all! I gave away or sold all but one of my FC binders after not using them for quite some time. I kind of wish I had saved my collection but realistically would not use them anyway because they obviously didn't suit my needs or I would have kept them. I always gave in to the newer models thinking they would better suit my needs until after using them for a month or so realized they didn't.

    Having finally jumped into the Filofax pool I now know that won't be the case because there is no way I will ever part with my beloved Filofaxes! I do struggle with maintaining consistency with size because I love the way the Pocket feels in my hand and fits in my handbags but the Personal suits my daily needs better (size of paper) but is sometimes a bit heavy and large in certain handbags. I'm also
    drawn to the A5 for my desk--I like lots of writing space and would use it for all of our contacts and family info.

    Oh, dear, I'm addicted and spend an awful lot of time on all the Filofax blogs and sites for purchase. Right now I'm off to decide on my Chameleon purchase and check out ring size comparisons--hope I can find that info on this site!

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  16. I'm looking for a diagram that shows the various ring size options available in all sizes of Filofax (and the inch equivalents if available but if not just a visual chart comparing all the ring sizes would be great). Any suggestions?

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    1. Hi Cheryl, if you have a look at the Files page of Philofaxy, there is a document called Filofax Size Guide (2nd one from the top). This shows all the ring sizes listed by filofax size in a table. Hope that helps :)

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    2. :-o Thank you Anita!

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  17. My two Filos are fantastic. A5 and Personal Maldens (both Ochre). It is hard to part with them, now -- if I purchased more, I fathom myself cheating on them. Go figure. A5 is for writing projects, and Personal in combination with iPhone, are my Everything. I would consider another purchase in the event 'just the right' green hue made a showing, in 'just the right' style.

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  18. Can we talk pens?

    I'd love a nice fountain pen, but I've a ton of regular filofax paper and inserts and my diary insert is virtual tissuepaper.

    Is there a *nice* ballpoint?

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    1. Can you define "nice" a bit better - for example, I like enamlled ballpoints from Sea Gems or Past Times, or Parker's vintage gold-plated, but that kind of look might make you want to scream!

      Is it functionality (eg, different colours, erasable) or ink-flow, or barrel design you care most about - and what are your parameters for those things?

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    2. Yes, good question! Ink flow, and nice to hold would be priorities, though lovely looking is definitely a bonus.

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    3. Ha! Remembered the cultpens.com site Steve pointed me to weeks back.

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    4. Hi I.H.! I have fountain pens and also a lot of filofax notepaper, and I know there are a lot of complaints about the paper being terrible for use with fountain pens, but actually it depends on which ink you use. My favourite ink is by Diamine and is called Registrar's ink. It is a nice blue/black, which gets darker as it dries. It's an iron gall ink which means it is really tough- when it dries it is absolutely waterproof, and because of the iron content very rarely bleeds through paper! I have used it on my filofax notepaper and it works perfectly! You have to rinse your pen out and let it dry overnight everytime you refill so the iron content doesn't ruin the insides of your pen, but that's easy to do with a running tap, and it's bottled ink so you need a converter in your pen. But it's cheap ink, and is absolutely brilliant! It's my favourite! So don't be afraid of fountain pens in your filo, if you have the right ink!!

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    5. Ooh, sounds good but a little complicated! I'll look into it. Can you use that in any fountain pen?

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    6. It also helps when you use a finer nib. My usual oblique broad nibs are useless on Filofax paper, but I have a medium nib on one pen (which is actually a rather fine medium if you know what I mean!) which is absolutely find on the filofax paper and doesn't bleed through too much. My preferred ink is Mont Blanc - I just love their range of colorus!

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    7. Yes, as long as you have a converter!! @Alison- good point, the wider the nib, the wetter the line= most bleed through!

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  19. "I want some more of that good stuff - no, not the plain white, not the smooth, the really strong GOOD stuff you sold me before, you said you didn't have much but look - I've got MONEEE!

    Just give me a packet, okay two packets, that will do, yeah I can make two packets last then I'm going to start on the lighter stuff, I'll probably have used it all by Monday but I don't care - just give me the really NICE stuff and let me get the hell home and USE it!!!"

    ~ Me today at the local stationery emporium, buying A4 textured beige parchment card, to make some more DIY Filofax dividers.

    While I may have elaborated for dramatic effect there, that IS pretty much how the conversation went, and those were most CERTAINLY the thoughts in my mind!! ^_^

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  20. Small business idea for someone who is interested - start a Filofax rental club. For a monthly fee, let users "rent" Filofaxes, much like Netflix does with DVD's here in the states. You get a filo in the mail, then when you send it back you get a new one in the mail. Of course you could pay more per month to have more than one Filo at a time.

    That way people who like the joy of a new Filofaxes could always have a different binder.

    Even if you didn't do it as a business, I bet you could get a group of people together and each buy a binder, and then swap them around every few months. It increases the number of binders you get to try, but decreases the number you need to purchase.

    Of course - what would you do found the perfect binder and then had to swap it with someone else?

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    1. I've totally copied my friend, she got a Finsbury, I got a Finsbury, she got a Kendal... you can work it out!

      Kind of sad - same thing for mobile phones, though she's become a smart-phoner now, anyway my point was that (to paraphrase Silence of the Lambs) in order to covet something, we must first see it and be able to imagine owning it...

      This felt relevant when I started typing, but has sadly wandered off-track - sorry!

      I know there are businesses who rent designer handbags, but they usually run into four-figure prices, but I would think your idea might be a fun thing for a group of friends to set up - WARNING, if a Mrs Marchand ever tries to join, she's a terrible packrat and hates giving back even ratty old library books, so ban her at once, and call Interpol! (That's me, btw!)

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    2. I'd be very tempted by a filo swapping ring (that sounds kinda seedy - do you reckon it involves car keys...?) - anyway... my only concern would be trusting them to the various postal services round the world...

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    3. @Shanananana I love that you paraphrased Silence of the Lambs on Philofaxy!

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  21. For me, it is the A5 Malden in purple...I really, really want one, but the US Filofax site doesn't carry purple Maldens at all yet, and when they do get some (mid June I've been told) they won't be stocking the A5 in purple. I have considered ordering one from the UK Filofax site, but shipping from the UK to California is prohibitive..I do however love my Imperial Purple Personal Finchley so will content myself with that!

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    1. A purple lover after my own heart. I have the purple Finchley too and I agree about the purple Malden...its sure is pretty! I ordered my purple Finch from the UK website but it was half off or something like that so I bit the bullet and paid the shipping fee as I was worried I'd never find another one. I have eyed several on the UK site I wanted but trying to be patient till they are offered on the US website.

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  22. The only one I must resist buying is the personal Malden ochre. Apart from the fact that I so don't need any more filos, I struggle to use the personal size. It's just that the ochre is so lovely. I have it in mini and A5. Oddly enough the A5 scratches REALLY easily but the mini sits in my bag every day and sits patiently alongside the strange assortment of objects I carry around with me and doesn't seem to scratch at all (famous last words..). I have just realised that I have never considered it in pocket size. Do they do it in pocket size..must look.... why have I never considered it in pocket size? I'm just off to look on the filofax site - they are generally too expensive for me to buy from there so little danger of a purchase.

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  23. Hmmm they do. must be because the A5 scratches so easily I thought the pocket wouldn't be up to serving as a wallet.

    Oh thank you SO much Anita. Now instead of resisting one I am resisting two!

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    1. I'm so sorry, Sydney... I think we're generally terrific enablers due to our enthusiasm for our filos :)

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    2. "Sisterhood of the Traveling Filos" !

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  24. This post has made me laugh. So many people with ridiculously large Filofax collections and all struggling to avoid further impulse purchases. I AM NOT ALONE! ;-)

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  25. HI, I have the Imperial Purple Finchely. I really enjoy it. Be Well!

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    1. I've just ordered the pocket imperial purple finchley today at a bargain price, ordered a few different filofax's and sent them back, because i've not found one I love so i'm hoping this will be it!!

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  26. My husband couldn't believe that there was a website dedicated to people who like/love Filofaxes. I showed him:D

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    1. Haha, mine neither, so glad I came across it :)

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  27. We all understand your issue, Anita !

    I've recently resisted buying an A5 filofax for work :)

    I've always used the personal format, and I *LIKE* it, *A LOT* ! It's small enough to be carried in my bag, yet big enough so that I can write things down, and so on.

    So recently, I've brought my old "College" Filofax to work (its blue color is the same as our corporate blue !) but I find it's too small for the notes I have to take, and so on. And if I need to add paper or print and cut and punch additional custom inserts, I have to bring it home with me.

    Therefore, I thought A5 might do the trick. But I felt it wouldn't work at... work, because of the cutting/folding I would have to do if I wanted to file/add anything in it.

    So in the end, I took a spare pink A4 2-ring binder we had lying around in my office, loaded it with lots of inserts I have printed on A4 paper, and I have set it up GTD-like; as this regular office binder is really *thick* (10cm wide), I have also put my "general references" sheets at the end of the binder, sorted with A-Z tabs.

    It's a total win.

    And that way, it's easy as a breeze : filing, writing, I can take whatever paper, write anything on it, file anything without any hassle !

    Unless I had all my Filofax-accessories and spare paper in a drawer, I would never be able to make a Filo work in the office. And also, I would never be able to have any work done : I would always play with the filofax and its settings, whereas now, it's so plain and simple I just... have to work ! :)

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  28. I'm in the process of getting creative with my A5, not happy with the thin dividers that came with it so i'm making my own with my scrapbooking stash, can't wait until it's all finished, at least i'm making use of my scrapbooking supplies which have been sat there for years waiting to be used. I hope ff bring out some better quality inserts. Why can't their paper be as good as the flex paper? :)

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  29. Oh my. I can only say I agree with almost every post in this thread and that I really miss any sort of "like" button... although I suspect that every post would have hundreds of "likes" if such a button existed... :D

    I'm currently trying to talk myself out of buying "the Affair", a personal ochre malden and a personal Osterly, but I don't think I'll be able to resist. (Or should I say "I don't want to resist"?)

    Another thing that hit me today is how much my obsession with filofaxes has grown over the years. I was booking tickets on the BA website today for my London visit (sadly, I'm missing the meet-up as it is exam weeks T_T) and the total came up to... about £213. For three tickets. I felt almost offended and thought the price was high (one of the tickets cost £100). But when I went to write down the flight numbers in my filofax I realised that I have spent well over £400 on filofaxes alone in a time-span of two months, and that I would gladly spend £375 on ONE filofax if I could just find a way to justify the purchase! O_O

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  30. I must be the oddball of the group for I own ONE Filofax, an A5 Cuban in black. It is the perfect organizer and suits my needs and expectations very well. II do have intentions to purchase an A5 purple Malden but it is a Christmas present for my beloved wife.

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    1. You're not that odd :o) - I also feel like I already have the perfect Filofax binders for my home/personal life, office, and handbag (that last one being lightweight nylon with tube & A-Z maps, various info, and contact info), and won't be looking to upgrade or replace those - in fact I very much hope they'll all last me a lifetime, because I love them about as much as I'm capable of loving an inanimate object.

      And the only reason I use more than one 'Fax is because trying to cram in everything from my accounts to recipes to hobby info in one place wouldn't satisfy the way I like to organise my life, I would be concerned about losing it outside the house, and stuff that's actual data I need to keep in those areas wouldn't leave room for diary inserts & notepaper, if I had them all in say a 30MM binder.

      That said, I was pretty much a one-binder person myself until I fell in love with the Kendal A5 from seeing my friend's and also seeing how well they took being battered about on display in a shop, and decided to use that as a stay-home binder for personal stuff, allowing me to thin out my work 'Fax.

      I'm mostly only tempted by new inserts that I think will tweak one of them to be more efficient or just more pleasing to look at, DIY ones ideally, or if some area of my life kind of branched out and I thought a new binder would be useful to it, then I'd go for that, but my basics are in place and while I enjoy looking at new models, it's not with a view to replacing my existing set-up.

      So you're not alone!

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  31. Oh my....I'm among friends here...I am constantly struggling to not buy yet another Filo. And now that I've been reading responses to today's post, and noticing that people have 20, 30 plus binders, I start to feel my strength disappear. After all, I only have about 7. And you lovely people on Philofaxy have successfully helped me to now obsess over the Holborn! I WANT a Holborn...badly! A beautiful brown one in Personal...and heck, why not an A5? And might the Pocket work as a wallet??? Hmmm. Right now a big concern of mine is whether or not there are still ring problems with this binder. Has anyone purchased a Holborn recently that had issues with the rings (and vice versa)?

    And lastly, is the Holborn really that fantastic? I haven't been able to see one in person but I'm very intrigued by the type of leather and all the pockets. I'm a sucker for pockets!!! Would love to hear your opinion.

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    1. Oops, and I forgot about the Kendal! Holborn or Kendal?! getting weaker and weaker by the minute!

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    2. I don't have a Kendal so I can't compare, but my Holborn is my favorite of my Filofaxes because of its buttery smooth leather. I just love to touch and handle it! And yes all the pockets are nice for tucking things into.

      It's a worthy splurge if you're so inclined! (Not to ENABLE or anything!!) ;D

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    3. I don't have a Kendal either, but I do have the A5 Holborn Zip - love it, love it, love it. You should totally get Holborns :o)

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    4. Oh my!!! I was unsupervised last night and did a bad deed....I splurged not only on a Personal but also on a Pocket Kendal from P&L. But now reading your replies, Laurie and LJ, I feel like I need to get the Holborn too! Am I completely NUTS???

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    5. I have found a local store with a Holborn that will match P&L price! Okay...please talk some sense into me...be brutally honest...should I get it???

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    7. Warning! Brutally honest enabling ahead! ;)

      I have both the brown Holborn personal and the brown Kendal personal. I LOVE my Mr. "Charles" Holborn. The Holborn actually has the perfect pocket/card slot/zip-pocket set-up for me! The leather is so soft and smooth. I have, however, seen Holborns with different kinds of leather quality that ranges from smooth/luxurious to a slightly crinkled/dryer kind of leather (much like the Malden's famous "smooth" or "more creased" variations). I have one of the higher-end smooth leather ones. It still looks new, even after almost five months of solid use and it doesn't scratch.

      I much prefer the Holborn leather to the Malden. Where the Malden's leather is soft, but still somewhat plasticky, the Holborn leather is AMAZING and smells fantastic.

      I have three Holborns (all in brown): A5, personal and slimline. None of them have ring problems. I bought them all in January. I've used the peronal (Charles) the most, but there are absolutely no problems at all with the rings. I think it might have been an early batch that had faulty rings?

      The Kendal is how I have always imagined "hard/sturdy" leather filofaxes to be. It scratches easily but, unlike so many other planners, it only looks better and you can rub it out if you hate scratches. :) I don't like the interior set-up as much, but the leather more than compensates for that.

      So if I would do a short "five category top-list" this would be it:

      Leather (smoother variant): Holborn
      Leather (harder/rougher variant): Kendal
      Interior design: Holborn
      Exterior design: The Affair/Osterly
      Pen loop(s): Holborn/Domino

      /end excited rant

      So, yes! Get a Holborn! It's well worth it! <3

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    8. @ DEM - you know you're only asking us so that you have someone else to blame for getting another Filofax :o) Do it!!! Yay!!!

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    9. LJ, wow, you are dead on!!! Your comment made me laugh! Thanks!

      Yu, thank you for all that info! Excited rant, indeed! Has sealed the deal for me! If you have three Holborn's they are obviously worthy of my obsession and I should just put myself out of my misery! I'll call it a belated Mother's Day gift to myself and I even get to blame the three of you: Yu, LJ, and Laurie! [laughing], for enabling me!

      Seriously though, thank you all for your helpful comments. I appreciate it! I'm 10 minutes away from the store. My hands on my wallet! It's "Go Time"!

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    10. Run Forrest Run!!! Before someone else gets it!!! :o)

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    11. I've got one wicked little smile right now AND a beautiful black Holborn to go with it!!! Woohoo!

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    12. Congratulations!!! So glad we could all be of assistance to help you realise that the Holborn was a NEED :o)

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    13. Yes, thank you! You are so right, it was a NEED!

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    14. Now, after reading this I need one as well. As an investment, of course.

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    15. I have an A5 Holborn zipped - I LOVE it .the rings are just fine, the leather is amazing, the pockets are fab, the zipper is functional. ..... a little more enabling...

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  33. I'm sorry... my computer got stuck in some sort of loop and thought it funny to double (triple?) post... >.<;

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  34. I do have one other yearning right now after looking at some vintage Filofaxes on Flicker. I wish one of the really soft buttery leather ones would be offered in a traditional tan color. Sounds boring, I know, because I really do love brights but I'm yearning for a soft, buttery, old school tan like what I've always called a 'British' tan...rich, lovely, traditional color to match an Italian leather tan bag I have. Fingers crossed they may offer something like this in the future.

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