When I purchased my first Filofax back in 2009, I didn't know much about binders. I
had come across Philofaxy, but didn't start to really read much until
some time later. After a bit of looking around, I managed to find a
cherry personal Classic for the great price of around £40 and starting
to use it. Sadly after about 10 months of gentle use, I returned it to
Filofax as it started to have the bubbling/cracking on the spine that
some of the Classics seem to have. It was actually a blessing in
disguise as Filofax agreed to replace it with a crimson Malden instead,
which I realised was a model I much preferred. If I was buying my first
Filofax now, I'm pretty sure that I'd get either a Kensington or a
Winchester.
Would you still purchase the same first binder if you were just starting out now?
And as always on Fridays, please feel free to discuss anything organiser related. I hope that you have a great weekend.
My first was a gifted no name or WHSmith one in pocket sizeas a kid in the early 90s. I didn't really use it.
ReplyDeleteThe first one I actually bought was a Metropol personal sized and it is still in a good condition after several years. In fact I used it from about 2012 to maybe a year and half ago. On and off I admit but it has seen a bit of use over that time. Still immaculate except for a couple of dents in it. Not bad for a faux leather.
Would I buy any of those? First one I could not find anyway as I do not know what brand it is. Both that and Metropol (the first one I bought for myself) are faux leather so I would not buy them. The metropol was from WH Smith so full price!!!! I got all my leather filofaxes for a lot less from Vinted except for one discounted Holborn personal in black I bought from Filofax on amazon. I would not buy new anymore as there are goot filofaxes on vinted if you wait for them to come up for sale.
The only new binder I might consider is the Meeplus Slimpad because Amazon doesn't do thin A5.
I’ve not used Vinted yet as I read the process could be stressful and people rude. How do you find it? Is it positive or do you grin and bear it for the end goal of a lovely Filofax?
DeleteI have bought 3 filofaxes from Viinted and all three times were really good. Sure you buy it and have to wait as the shipping gives the seller a good length of time to post it. It took at least a week to get them I think. However all the sellers I dealt with were really nice and kept be informed on all the stages and a few even contacted me to make sure I got it rather than just relying on the courier report. One asked me if I was happy with it. I gave her a good review. In fact I make the point of being nice to sellers and if they are too I always give them a good report unless they did not deserve it. So far all have.
DeleteBTW a seller also rates you as a buyer. So far I have a very good rating as a buyer and I always seem to buy from someone who has a good rating. Not deliberate just that is how it has ended up.
BTW my 12yo son / my partner have sold on Vinted and it works well for a seller. In fact once the platform tells you the money has been received it tells you that you have so many days to post it. I thinkit could be 2 weeks!! We send it out ASAP which is usually next day or same day. IME the system is pretty good as a seller and a buyer.
My son has used his profits from selling to buy stuff on Vinted too. He sells old clothes on there and while we are in a shop looking for clothes he sees the price oof £30 for a tshirt and tells us the he will just get something off Vinted. So proud. He is happy not adding to the fast fashion by buying used clothes. Got some goood deals as clothes go cheaply I think.
I can only recommend buying filofaxes on Vinted. You tend to get stuff cheaper than eBay where some vinted binders end up with a premium margin on them!! I hope I have not just been lucky and you get unlucky with a bad buyer after my postive report here!!
Thank you Paul! I’m finding eBay more and more expensive for decent leather binders and there are good and bad sellers on there too. I will take a look - not that I need a new binder, my eBay purchase history is a disaster.
DeleteI like that your son has learnt the joy of getting a bargain and is dead proud when he gets one! It’ll save him a fortune through his life. 🙂
I had no idea until fairly recently that organisers etc with the bubbling and cracking could be returned and I didn’t know it could be after 10 months. My first was a classic, I still have it cracking and all. In 2020 I bought an A4 classic folio in a sale in a lovely cream colour. It’s cracked in the same way down the spine and I kept that as I figured that’s how they are meant to look. I wouldn’t buy another though as I think it’s disappointing that they crack so quickly, I’d hardly used the folio, I just had to open it and it was done.
ReplyDeleteMy first was a NOS Pocket P5KLF, in 2020. The collection is up to 62 now, but I actually still use a secondhand Pocket P5KL...
ReplyDeleteCatching up with me rapidly!!
DeleteThat's probably not a good thing...
DeleteI still have my first one from 39 years ago. A Filofax Winchester! It hasn’t been in active use for about 20 years but may be it will see use next year
ReplyDeleteMy first was a synthetic pocket one with a zip from a brand I have no idea which. It was a gift from my parents. Actually it will be my Mum's idea she liked to buy things to "correct" me. This was to "make me more organised!
DeleteI think another year about the same time I got an electronic diary as an xmas present. This was before mobile phones and thee earlier days of PDAs I think. It had a small memory and it was like a calculator screen with IIIRC 2 small lines on it and a tiny qwerty keyboard and a flip over cover. About the size of small wallet or card holder I think. I loved it at the time as a gadgeet but I would have preferred a Psion!!
Another Xmas I got a fat, gold plated nib Sheaffer fountain pen. I loved it but the broad nib was too much for my small writing. That was a long time ago and now I would be able to tell them exactly the pen that suits me. Fine or even EF in some makes at a push a medium and never a Lamy!!!
There is a lot of talk about firsts but now you all have some experience and knowledge, what would your next or favourite binder you would want to get next.
ReplyDeleteAlso, what pen would you use with such a binder??
Do you have favourite pens for different binders in your collection? I know this is a filofax blog but what about pens or pencils? You cannot use the binders without them so what goes with what?
I tend not to use pens with mine these days but carry a little waterproof pouch from Alpkit which is perfect for about 10 pens/mechanical pencils and a Staedtle Mars eraser, althoug I usually only have 6 pens in there. Except for the Lyndhurst Mini filofax which has a Filofax barley mechanical pencil in it as it is such a small binder I did not know which pen or pencil would fit in. I figured a Filofax pen or pencil would fit ad with only the space for one pen or pencil I got the pencil as I need to be able to erase my diary entries as meetings change rather too much at work.