Passé Office Products and Doodads

 

Amazon.com

I was talking with Ara a few weeks ago.  Somehow, we got on the subject of office products that were once popular, even necessary, that we no longer need or use.  We discussed several topics and had a few laughs (you all must know that laughing is important, maybe even the core part, of our interactions).  Ara then suggested that this might be a good topic for me to write about.  I agreed and made a mental note to do just that.

As alluded to many times before, many of the post-its I use for my mental notes have lost their stick.  This was the case with this bloggy idea and the mental note fluttered off to who knows where.  But thanks to a random Amazon ad on Facebook (Social Media Advertising Revisited) the topic was again front of mind. 

The Amazon ad was for an Alessi Chip Paper Clip Holder.  This beauty is bird made of shiny steel that is magnetized to hold the paperclips.  The list price was $62 but could be had for $54.99.  Wow, $54.99 for a paper clip holder.  I have plenty of paper clips.  I have paper clips, two sizes of them, in my desk at work and also at home. 

There is no way I would make this kind of investment for such a doodad when I cannot recall the last time I actually used a paper clip for its intended purpose.  Mostly, when I use a paper clip, I straighten one out and use it to open an inadvertently locked bathroom door or free up a clogged head of an Emer’s Glue.  I even used one to secure a toilet flap chain to the handle last year!

Amazon.com

I realized that my desks at both home and schools are laden with supplies I use a lot less than I used to.   I used to staple papers more often than I ever used paper clips.  I probably used a stapler several times a day.  These days?  I probably use on once or twice a month. For larger sheafs of papers, I loved binder clips.  I still have a large stock of them in three different sizes.  I also used to organize research and work output in binders.  I used three-ring binders, duo-tang folders, and Acco binders.  I used dividers in these binders to further organize things.  I have a three-hole punch and reinforcements in both offices.  The only time I use binders these days is for my music when I play in the University of Chicago Middle Eastern Music Ensemble.  Other than that it is all Evernote, Box.com, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, and OneDrive.

I have straight edges, a protractor, a flow-chart template, and a polygon template from the days when I used to draw my own graphics.  I know I have a compass and a slide rule somewhere in the house.  I never use these things anymore.  I used to use a straight edge or ruler all the time.  Now? Forget about it.

I have scissors and tape dispensers at both my offices.  It is the same story here.  I use them mostly to wrap gifts.  I used to use the tape, I preferred the magic variety, all the time.  I was cutting and pasting like I was in first grade.  I still do, expect it is all on my PC.

Actually, all the office supplies and doodads I have mentioned are passé because they are all geared to doing paperwork from an era of inboxes and outboxes when business was truly conducted on paper.  That is simply not the case anymore.  I use my PCs and my cell phone to do just all transactions, filing, and document creation.  For note taking, ideation, and draft work, I am still old school using my Leuchttram 1917 A5 Notebook, post-its, and, of course, my collection of pens.