When was your first time?
I mean, when was the first time Filofax entered your consciousness? Before you ever considered buying one.
I first saw a Filofax display—a freestanding wooden rack—in a shop that sold high-quality women's clothing and accessories. It was the early 1980s, and apparently this was the latest accessory. I was fascinated by all the different leaves, and wondered who would need to carry around all that information, in a beautiful leather binder, no less.
Well, me, apparently, since I went back to the store a few weeks later looking for a serious way to organize my life.
As always on Friday, feel free to discuss anything related to ring-bound organizers.
For me - and very many others - it was Time Manager (TMI) rather than Filofax (which was regarded in some quarters as “yuppy” and a bit pretentious!). My boss attended a two day TMI course and came back full of ideas as to how his new organiser would sharpen focus. My company wouldn’t pay for me to go (I was only a junior manager), so I bought the package (without the two days training) and self taught the principles - most of which I still use today!
ReplyDeleteI did exactly the same around 1981. I was a new junior manager and I knew I needed help - this sort of help. I finally attended the course in the early 90s but I'd attended the early evening open sessions which ran in the middle of the two day courses religiously every 6 months in London before that.
DeleteDifficult to pin down an exact moment, but possibly on display at a branch of Osbornes stationers in Birmingham in 1981 or 1982. I couldn’t afford one!
ReplyDeleteOsbornes still have one shop in Birmingham at Harborne - a rarity these days.
Great question!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, my parents' accountant was a lovely guy that would always spend some time with me before he left. Mum would tell him off that he would get his suit dirty, as he'd be on the floor playing with me. I remember one time, he showed me some drawings that he had done in his well-worn dark green Filofax for his daughter. I was fascinated by all the notes & the lovely drawings.
Thank you as I'd completely forgotten this memory!
First permanent full time job, post degree, first Filofax in 1986, a brown personal sized one. Sorry, I don't know the name. It was bought by me at Harold Hockey a stationers in Bristol. I have a hopeless memory and had double booked myself in the past, pre Filofax.Later on in a different job, we were all made to use a specific diary/planner by Levinger, plus a wirebound teacher planner. It just did not work for me as well as ring bound did. That is the problem wonderful for the decision makers, to impose a planning system,but is not always workable for each individual. The wirebound pages quickly became worn and detached and thus scruffy through regular use and carrying in my large bags. I thus used to be ashamed when having to show it to inspectors especially!!! I am so grateful to discover Philofaxy, finding a new creative and functional hobby, as well as making so many friends through the planner community. I have now discovered A6 size and have planner peace in the paper footprint of A5 or A6. I treated myself to an A5 William Hannah notebook whilst in hospital and a care home for physio rehab. I have so many medical appointments to track nowadays so it is much used, as my planner stash is not kept here, but at home Jane. xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteI don't have any precise memory of it, but in thinking back through my bio, it was probably when I started using fountain pens.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I heard of Fahrney's and subscribed to their catalog, most likely after seeing an ad in a magazine. This would have been late '80s, very early '90s.
My guess is that being on their mailing list, led to me getting a catalog from Filofax. (They were also a stockist for Filofax, so maybe I requested their catalog.) I *do* remember drooling over their catalogs. And as soon as I was able to scrape the money together, I bought a brown pocket Windsor that I still adore.
DIGRESSION: My Windsor doesn't have a Quality Control Code so I assume that would have been 1990-ish. That meshes with my memories of carrying it in grad school, which I finished in May 1991. (I remain puzzled/ obsessed with the fact everyone says Windsor didn't come along until 1993. Also, the pocket setup is nothing like the Windsor in the '93 UK catalog. Have they ever "tested" new models in the US?)
Today, it houses my TBR list.
From a very distant memory now. Sometime in about 1986, I recall reading about Filofax organisers in one of the UK Sunday papers and how they had become very popular with business people in London. I was interested to know a bit more and I happened to pass a shop in London that had a large display of organisers and inserts. I was also able to pick up a catalogue and price list.... and then it was hopeless trying to resist!
ReplyDeleteI got my Filofax Winchester as a Christmas present, it was my first and I still have it to this day....
As a kid, growing up in the Netherlands, Succes Agenda was a brand that could be bought in every warehouse. Unfortunately it was too expensive for me. This fascination lead me, 40 years later, to Filofax. Succes Agenda does still exist but is a German brand nowadays. The paper is worse than Filofax uses and the binders are not my taste. I use a binder from Earthwork Journals: if I could afford it, I would buy a Filofax Original in black, personal size.
ReplyDeleteMy first introduction to ring bound planners was the Franklin Covey classic size when I entered technical college around 2008 I bought it second hand. Since then I have tried Daytimer and Filofax in half letter and personal sizes. Currently, I am dabbling in Japanese ring bound systems Plotter and Raymay in the A5 size. The A5 size is the sweet spot for me. I thought I would like 30 mm rings but it seems too bulky and harder to carry around so I am currently using an A5 20mm binder from Raymay that contains Plotter refills (fountain pen friendly) and I think I have found a perfect combination.
ReplyDeleteAround 1969. I was about 14 and the curate at our church had one. It took another 12 years for me to get on the bus.......
ReplyDeleteSome time around 1989 Ulster Bank (now leaving the Irish market) offered one for any student who opened an account and put £10 or so in it. So I did and I've been using them ever since.
ReplyDelete