Why do schools ban things like the Trapper Keeper?
These devices can feasibly organize millions more things than a Trapper Keeper ever could. And just like the Trapper Keeper, schools and teachers love banning these things, because they think students will get distracted. Don’t believe me?
What happened to the Trapper Keeper?
The Trapper Keeper is a beacon of nostalgia, but generic branding and school rules have pushed it off to the side. Good luck finding a new one. Editor’s note: With the idea of treating my work as something of a living document, I sometimes update old Tedium issues in an effort to keep them up to date.
Where can I Sell my Old Trapper Keepers?
There is robust business in vintage Trapper Keepers on eBay, where unused binders with tags start at $150 (those in good condition are priced at $75). The Trapper conference room at ACCO Brand's Dayton, Ohio office. Photo courtesy of ACCO Brands.
What can Trapper Keepers teach us about organization?
What if all those years ago, teachers embraced Trapper Keepers as useful tools that taught students important lessons about organization—a problem that, along with mathematics, science, and spelling, is something applicable to everyday life as an adult?
Why did schools not allow Trapper Keepers?
Their size, the fact that the organizers once used velcro, and the fact that there were multiplication tables inside of them. As a result, schools would ban these beacons of efficiency because said efficiency benefits could not be trusted in the hands of 11-year-olds.
When did they stop making Trapper Keepers?
But in real life, the Trappers were wildly successful. After Mead launched the Trappers in 1978, they sold over $100 million of the folders and notebooks every year until 1996, when the sales of paper products started to noticeably decrease.
Do Trapper Keepers still exist?
Today's Trapper Keeper still packs that velcro punch, in addition to one-inch metal binder rings, a metal clip, inside storage pocket and folders. Snag one now before school is back in session! You can find the new Trapper Keeper at Mead.com, Walmart stores or Walmart.com for $10.
What replaced Trapper Keepers?
In recent years, the Trapper Keeper was replaced by a heavier duty binder with a shoulder strap for easier transport. As kids return en masse to school buildings this fall, retailers are expecting school shopping season to be more robust than last year.
Are Trapper Keepers back?
The Trapper Keeper is now a case for your iPad or Android tablet. Mead has teamed up with Kensington, a longtime case and accessory maker, to bring back its instantly recognizable designs. The '80s patterns remain intact, and older users will feel as though they've just transported back to sixth grade.
Why are they called Trapper Keepers?
The binder got its name because it was sold in combination with pocket folders designed by Mead called "Trappers", which differed from other pocket folders in that the pockets' three sides connected with the bottom, outside edge, and top (as opposed to the bottom, outside edge, and spine) of the folders.
What does trapper mean in slang?
A drug dealer; someone who sells drugs. Trapper Synonyms: Slanger, Drug dealer, Pusha, Weedman, Plug, Dopeman, Trap star, Pusha Man, Connect, Dealer, Supplier. Example sentence: “I was in the hood with my homeboy, he a trapper.”
What is inside a Trapper Keeper?
0:231:47Trapper Keeper & Accessories from Mead - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe trapper keeper is a one and a half inch three-ring binder with two interior vertical pockets andMoreThe trapper keeper is a one and a half inch three-ring binder with two interior vertical pockets and a protective flap with the snap closure to make sure everything stays trapped.
What is a Trapper Keeper called?
The Trapper Keeper evolved from PeeChees, folders with vertical pockets that were common on the West Coast but rare elsewhere in the U.S. 4. The name is actually a two-parter. The Trapper is the paper portfolio with angled pockets. The Keeper is the notebook that holds the Trapper.
How much do Trapper Keepers cost?
Compare with similar itemsThis item Trapper Keeper Binder, Retro Design, 1 Inch Binder Includes 2 Folders and Extra Pocket, Metal Rings and Spring Clip, Secure Storage, Animal, Mead School Supplies (260038CP1-ECM)Add to CartCustomer Rating4.8 out of 5 stars (549)Price$1087Sold ByAmazon.com3 more rows
Who created the Trapper Keeper?
Bryant CrutchfieldBryant Crutchfield designed the Trapper Keeper in the late '70s while working at the Mead Corporation (which was acquired by ACCO Brands in 2012). He felt kids needed a better way of organizing their schoolwork.
What is a trapper creeper?
1:064:00Seth Explains Teen Slang: Instagrandma, Trapper CreeperYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOkay this is a very helpful one especially if you're still in high school trapper creeper a trapperMoreOkay this is a very helpful one especially if you're still in high school trapper creeper a trapper creeper is someone who has a trapper keeper over their crotch to hide their boner.
What was the trapper keeper of yore?
The Trapper Keeper of yore did something really interesting for an organizer: it was hip. Years before Nike proved that cool kids love inanimate objects that could be used as status symbols, Mead’s Trapper Keeper was already there, with an easy way to express one’s personality and style in the classroom.
What was the predecessor of the trapper keeper called?
Perhaps as a nod to its budding technology business, one of the Trapper Keeper’s predecessors in the 1970s was called the Mead Data Center, and it had nothing to do with databases. These days, the modern equivalent of the Trapper Keeper may in fact be the tablet and the smartphone.
Why would schools ban beacons of efficiency?
As a result, schools would ban these beacons of efficiency because said efficiency benefits could not be trusted in the hands of 11-year-olds.
Why do kids get super-political about the strangest things?
They get super-political about the strangest things, because kids tend to get hung up about stupid things and those stupid things tend to affect what happens in the classroom. And that leads to common things getting banned.
What is the significance of the trapper keeper?
In a sense, the Trapper Keeper became one of the few influential designs that represented the ideas, needs, and impressions of the masses. Kids like Fred were part of a creative committee that helped generate one of the most enduring organizational products of all time.
When were trapper keepers made?
Launched in 1978 by Mead (now part of ACCO Brands), Trapper Keeper notebooks were a departure from the sterile, generic supplies that populated school lockers and desks. Brightly colored three-ring binders held folders called Trappers and closed with a satisfying button snap.
How many cards were returned to the Trapper Keeper?
Kids who purchased the organizer—which Crutchfield called the Trapper Keeper—found a slip that promised them a free binder if they mailed in their comments. Approximately 1500 cards were returned.
Who made the trapper keepers?
The company also made a deal with Lisa Frank and put her designs on Trappers and Trapper Keepers, and licensed iconic characters like Garfield and Sonic the Hedgehog for the binders. Even Lamborghini got in on the action, granting its blessing to put some of its cars on the Trapper Keeper.
Was the trapper keeper accident?
In fact, Crutchfield was just looking for the next back-to-school item, and he did it the old-fashioned way—through market research. " [The Trapper Keeper] was no accident," he tells Mental Floss. "It was the most scientific and pragmatically planned product ever in that industry.". In a sense, the Trapper Keeper became one ...
Is Lamborghini on the trap keeper?
Even Lamborghini got in on the action, granting its blessing to put some of its cars on the Trapper Keeper. Of course, anything as popular as the Trapper Keeper will almost inevitably face a backlash—but in this case, the backlash didn’t come from students.
Did Trapper Keeper change the snap?
In its third year on store shelves, Trapper Keeper sales were still going strong. It was at that point that Mead made a design change, replac ing the metal snap with Velcro. Crutchfield created a prototype for that, too, and pulled it out of his attic for his conversation with Mental Floss.
What game character is on the cover of Trapper Keepers?
Some Trapper Keepers, like the ones with the Nintendo game character Sonic the Hedgehog on the cover, have even become highly prized collectibles. Trapper Keepers may bring back fond memories for people who were kids in the 1980s, but they still don't do much for teachers.
Do trapper keepers make students less organized?
"The kids with Trapper Keepers tend to throw the papers in and don't organiz e. They can't find anything," said Janice Kopp, a sixth-grade English teacher at Chevy Chase Elementary School.
Situation Analysis
Testing The Market
- With his product named, and a prototype created (the “Trapper Keeper” logo stuck on in press-on-type, and the design—soccer players—held on with tape), Crutchfield went to the next step: more focus group testing. He and other Mead representatives went to schools with the Trappers and Trapper Keeper, talking to students and teachers to get feedback. He also looked for input a littl…
Going National with The Trapper Keeper
- The company decided to roll out Trappers and Trapper Keepers nationally in the summer of 1981. To prep, Mead created a prime-time network television campaign—a pretty unusual thing for a school supply. They also ran ads in print featuring Mrs. Willard, a 9th grade teacher from Wellington, Kansas, who had recommended the Trapper Keeper to her students during the produ…
Growing and Changing
- In its third year on store shelves, Trapper Keeper sales were still going strong. It was at that point that Mead made a design change, replacing the metal snap with Velcro. Crutchfield created a prototype for that, too, and pulled it out of his attic for his conversation with Mental Floss. “The only difference is that it’s got Velcro stuck on there, and it’s dusty!” he says. The cover design wa…
The Trapper Keeper's Legacy
- So why, exactly, do people still love the Trapper Keeper, many decades after they last had one? For Bartlett, it all boils down to what the Trapper Keeper allowed kids to do—and he's not talking about keeping organized. “It was fun to be able to show your personality through the binder that you had,” Bartlett says. “You don’t really remember a notebook or the pens and pencils you used…