It’s
mid-August of 1982. You’re with your Mom doing some back-to-school
shopping. You want to project just the right level of cool
for elementary school. To do that, you need a binder that’s trendy yet
functional, well-organized yet hip. You need a . . .
Trapper Keeper, baby!
Oh, they were just the coolest; a whole new breed of 3-ring binder. The
“keeper”, or outer shell, came in bold colors or mega-cool designs, and
featured a fold-over Velcro closure that held it shut. The folders (or
“trappers”) were glossy and primary colored. The rings weren’t the passé
metal snapping variety that inevitably got mangled and off-kilter.
Trapper Keeper rings were made from smooth white plastic and slid with a
sweet little pull-tab action. I do recall that it was a bummer they
didn’t hold all that much, once the school year really got underway.
Also, the nature of the trappers was such that you couldn’t flip through
your papers quickly; you had to take out a handful from one trapper at a
time to look for your homework.
But, whatever, right? Who cared when there were sweet designs out there
like these?
This one just screams 1980’s awesomeness in a
Tron-universe sort of way:
For the dudes, nothing says “Back-to-School Cool” like Football:
And guys: THIS WAS MY TRAPPER KEEPER! Oh, my glossy brown horse with the
white star on her forehead, I loved you so! I thought this image was the
pinnacle of natural elegance, with its grassy green background and that
prancing mare:
My fifteen-year old son informs me that he’s never even heard of a
Trapper Keeper. I am aghast. I did a search and learned that
they DO in fact still exist, with some modifications to the original
design, but their popularity is definitely nothing like what it was in
the mid-eighties.
And why is that, I wonder? Sure, they weren’t the most durable binders
on the market; that flexible plastic spine tended to split, and the
punched holes of the trappers eventually ripped. But they were plenty
tough for a year of fourth grade, right? And sooo very stylish.
I can remember the feel of mine clasped against my chest right now as I
walked down the hall to Mrs. Barclay’s fourth grade classroom, buoyed by
fresh equine beauty and the power of trendiness.
Good times.
Read Jules' Other Listening To Mix Tapes & Thinking About . . .
Stories
It’s
mid-August of 1982. You’re with your Mom doing some back-to-school
shopping. You want to project just the right level of cool
for elementary school. To do that, you need a binder that’s trendy yet
functional, well-organized yet hip. You need a . . .
