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Back in the 1970's and 1980's Mead, one of the largest office supply manufacturers around, came out with a high quality, extremely popular loose leaf binder known as the Trapper Keeper. The catchy name for this classic organizer came from the pocket folders, known as "trappers," that were included in the binder. "Trappers" were unique folders with sides connected on the bottom, outside edge and top as opposed to the typical set up with side connections on the bottom, outside edge and spine. The one of a kind design kept the folder's contents from falling out easily. The traditional three-hole punched edge made the trappers a perfect fit for any binder.

The original Trapper Keeper was theme oriented, usually depicting a popular cartoon character, television show or video game icon. The many unique features of this binder included its sliding plastic rings instead of the traditional snap-closed metal binder rings, a supply of folders and pockets to house schoolwork and a wraparound flap in a metal snapping closure.

The Trapper Keeper was the first of its kind on many levels and students everywhere made it one of the must-have accessories of the day. As with all fads, the popularity of the Trapper Keeper began to wane and by the close of the 20th century it was just another selection on the shelves of office supply stores everywhere.

Not willing to let a good idea die, Mead re-introduced the Trapper Keeper in 2007, still boasting its most popular features, but now updated to reflect the changing needs and preferences of today's students.

The cartoon characters and super heroes of the past are gone now and replaced with a customizable cover that allows students to insert their own photos, school work or personalized designs under the magnetic flap closure. A few additional features have been added, such as five assorted colors of tabbed dividers, a couple of inside catch-all pockets and a comfort grip foam vinyl spine.

The once popular Trapper Keeper is back, bigger and better than ever! It never really left us but now, with its new and improved look and feel, the Trapper Keeper has all the promise of reclaiming its place as one of the hottest school supplies for students in the 21st century. Digital and electronic gadgets may have captured the attention of the newest generation of students, but there will always be a place in the backpack for a well-designed, high quality binder with the features of the Trapper Keeper.

Learn more about this author, Leann Zotis.
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