
Trapper Keeper
Trapper Keeper is a brand of loose-leaf binder created by Mead. Popular with students in the United States, Canada and parts of Latin America from the 1970s to the 1990s, it featured sliding plastic rings, folders, and pockets to keep schoolwork and papers, and a wrap around flap …
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What are Trapper Keepers?
Jun 22, 2020 · Do kids still use Trapper Keepers? Trapper Keepers still exist, but in the early 80's, they were the thing. Trappers are folders with vertical pockets, so the papers you store in them don't fall out when you're carrying them. Trapper Keepers are binders that hold Trappers.
Why do schools ban things like the Trapper Keeper?
Mar 27, 2022 · Trapper Keepers still exist, but in the early 80's, they were the thing. Trappers are folders with vertical pockets, so the papers you store in them don't fall out when you're carrying them. Trapper Keepers are binders that hold Trappers. While there are no specific district-wide policies prohibiting Trapper Keepers, many teachers have banned them.
How much does a trapper cost?
Jul 09, 2021 · Trapper Keepers Are Back & School Just Got Totally Radical. By Karly Wood July 9, 2021. Kids don’t normally look forward to heading back to school, but now parents have an ace up their sleeve. The Trapper Keepers you know and love are making a comeback! Despite teachers loathing the constant opening and closing of your velcro binder, kids clamored over the 80’s …
When did the Trapper Keeper Designer Series start?
Apr 10, 2020 · Trapper Keepers still exist, but in the early 80's, they were the thing. Trappers are folders with vertical pockets, so the papers you store in them don't fall out when you're carrying them. Trapper Keepers are binders that hold Trappers.

Do people still use Trapper Keepers?
Trapper Keepers still exist, but in the early 80's, they were the thing. Trappers are folders with vertical pockets, so the papers you store in them don't fall out when you're carrying them. Trapper Keepers are binders that hold Trappers.Aug 25, 2015
Why can't kids have 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.Aug 28, 2018
What replaced Trapper Keeper?
Today, you can find vintage editions on eBay for prices as high as $300. In recent years, the Trapper Keeper was replaced by a heavier duty binder with a shoulder strap for easier transport.Jul 13, 2021
Are Trapper Keepers making a comeback?
This iconic school supply from the 80s and 90s is back! This school season, Trapper Keepers are back in seven new designs with today's retro fashion trends, according to a press release. It features an inside storage pocket, a metal clip and a secure Velcro closure.Jul 13, 2021
Why is it called a Trapper Keeper?
Design history 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.
How do you use a Trapper Keeper?
0:311:47Trapper 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.
How much is an original Trapper Keeper worth?
who sells vintage school supplies and clothing on her Etsy store, said that Trapper Keepers with rare designs, like selections from the psychedelic Designer Series or hard-to-find Lisa Frank editions, can go for as much as $250, though on average they go for $80.May 31, 2018
What year is Trapper Keeper?
The trapper keeper was officially rolled out nationally in 1981. After the release, the creators quickly realized it wasn't only appealing to school kids. Adults from all over the country were buying them to stay organized as well, and demand only rose.Aug 10, 2021
What year did the Trapper Keeper come out?
1978Launched in 1978 by the Mead Corporation (which was acquired by ACCO Brands in 2012), Trapper Keeper notebooks are brightly colored three-ring binders that hold folders called Trappers and close with a flap.Sep 25, 2013
How do I organize my Trapper Keeper?
0:061:15Trapper Keeper 2-inch Binder from Mead - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWithout having to open the binder rings. The interior also has two side pockets and a small meshesMoreWithout having to open the binder rings. The interior also has two side pockets and a small meshes of her pocket for holding pens pencils.
What are case it binders made of?
This zipper binder comes with a shoulder strap so you can easily move around hands-free, making it an ideal accessory for your on-the-move lifestyle. There's even an easy-hold handle on the spine. Made of stiff and durable Kraft board and covered with dobby, your binder is designed to stand up to heavy use.Mar 4, 2022
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.
Where was the Mead commercial filmed?
Prior to the test, Crutchfield wrote a commercial and flew from Dayton, Ohio—where Mead (and now ACCO) was based—to Manhattan, where he hired three actors and filmed the clip for a mere $5000 in just three hours. He was short on cash, so it had to get done—but getting it done wasn't easy. One actor in particular was having a tough time. “It was very straightforward—the kid had a notebook in his arms, and his papers fell out [when a cute girl came over],” Crutchfield says. “We were about 20 minutes away from when the camera goes off [when] he finally got it. I said ‘Wrap!’ and that was it.”
What was the role of Crutchfield?
As director of New Ventures at Mead, part of Crutchfield’s job was to identify trends in the marketplace. In 1972, Crutchfield’s analysis, conducted with someone at Harvard, showed there would be more students per classroom in the coming years. Those students were taking more classes, and had smaller lockers.
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 ...
Why are trapper keepers banned?
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.
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.
Do trapper keepers still exist?
Trapper Keepers still exist, but in the early 80’s, they were the thing. Trappers are folders with vertical pockets, so the papers you store in them don’t fall out when you’re carrying them. Trapper Keepers are binders that hold Trappers.
What ever happened to Trapper Keepers?
Though it became less popular after the mid-1990s, the Trapper Keeper has remained an important part of Mead’s back-to-school line of products—though it has undergone some modifications. “The main change is that we went away from PVC, as most health-conscious companies are trying to do,” Bartlett says.
When did they stop making Trapper Keepers?
After more than a decade of reigning supreme in school supplies, the trapper keeper fell out of style in the late ’90s.
What is a trapper in slang?
Trapper, a slang term for a person who partakes in the illegal drug trade.
How much does a Trapper Keeper cost?
Most modern trapper keepers cost less than $20 and include at least one portfolio.
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.
Who is Ernie Smith?
Ernie Smith is the editor of Tedium, and an active internet snarker. Between his many internet side projects, he finds time to hang out with his wife Cat, who’s funnier than he is.
Does Mead have binders?
There are no binders to be found , unless you’re in the market for an iPad case that looks like a vintage Trapper Keeper design. This is bizarre to consider. The three-ring binders were the reason kids cared. But Mead appears to have put most of its binder energy into its Five Star brand.
