1/3 cut manila folders in Australia?

[DrJoe]

Hi all. I'm new to GTD (the book is called How to Get Things Done in Australia, for some special secret reason ). It's been very easy to set up so far, but I have hit a hurdle with the -- what you might think would be very easy -- step of getting 1/3 cut manila folders. They do not appear to be easily available in Australia (!!). Avery have 1/5 cut folders which I use for filing under author in my research collection, but 1/3 cut seems to be too esoteric.

I've also tried to buy them through Amazon.com and their many, many marketplace partners, but at Checkout time, a red flag always says "sorry, we don't ship to your destination".

Are there any Aussies in this forum who have been able to source 1/3 cut manilla folders for use in their GTD system?

I'm happy enough to use full-cut ones, but by this stage I'm making it a point to see if it is even possible to get hold of these bloody things!

Cheers,
DrJoe

 

[garthk]

Great to see another Connect member in Australia!

Mate, I'd throw you a line if I knew what a 1/3 cut was. I'm using some nice A4 sized manilla folders at work. Let me know if you want those chased down.

Yours,
Garth.

 

[DrJoe]

Garth,

it means that the tab along the top only goes 1/3 of the way, instead of all the way across. See the image at this page: http://www.smead.com/Director.asp?NodeID=689

Who would have thought that something as common as muck in the USA would be such a blank-face maker when you ask at stationery stores in Australia?

DrJoe

 

[akr95]

Hey there DrJoe

Good to see another GTD devotee in this part of the world.

I had fun searching for these a few months ago (contacted all the major stationery suppliers I know of on the east coast) and eventually gave up settling for the full tab version (standard A4 manilla files). They are easy to flip through and seem to be doing the job (tickler system and general A-Z filing) just fine.

If you do come across the 1/3 tab versions in Australia let us know.

All the best

Kim

 

[DrJoe]

Kim,

the closest thing I found was 1/5-cut folders -- these are perfect for my research references collection (i.e. author surname, initials) but much too narrow for any longer info, so not very useful for general-reference filing.

I continue to find it utterly amazing that the 1/3 cut folders should be so astonishingly absent in Oz!

As I say, I'm happy enough to use the foolscap full-cut folders; I'm just wanting to see if it is even possible to get hold of the blighters

Cheers,
DrJoe

 

[Shiny]

I've just started implementing GTD and I had exactly the same issue! I have settled for full cut manila folders, which seem to work okay. 1/3 cut ones would be nice though! Are we really that backward still?

 

[akr95]

Not backward so much as lack of demand I suspect. Population of 300 million v 20 million will do that.

 

[becweeks]

Any further luck with 1/3 cut folders?

Hi everyone,

Just wondering if anyone's had any luck since 2007 getting hold of 1/3 cut manila folders? Who would have thought they'd be so difficult to find over here - they're clearly the superior cut!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Bec

 

[Oogiem]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I'm in the US, I could see about arranging for a care package to be sent to you. If you ship things slow boat AKA surface it can take months but it is fairly inexpensive.

Or I see a potential money making project. Take one of the empty shipping containers that tend to pile up on the west coast and contract it back to Australia full of 3 tab folders. Return shipping west of containers is very inexpensive, because otherwise they deadhead them back to Asia. A side trip to Australia isn't very expensive either.

 

[DrJoe]

Might have found some!!

Hi all,

well, after many years of thinking this was a fruitless quest, today I happened across an Australian supplier who apparently will supply 1/3 cut (and also 1/5 cut) file folders in Australia with free shipping in Oz.

From what I can make out from their web site:

http://www.fishpond.com.au

and their File Folders area:

http://www.fishpond.com.au/Statione...ders,_Portable_Storage_Box_Files/File_Folders (do a search on 1/3 cut to see lots of goodies!)

they appear to only have US Letter and US Legal size at present. I've emailed them to ask if they intend to stock standard A4, and let them know about this group of Aussies who would be quite happy if they did!

Will keep you upated on how this pans...

Cheers,
DrJoe

 

[Getting ON]

Officeworks Online has 1/3 cut manilla folders in Australia

They do not carry them in the stores, however online they sell them in packs of 50 with left tab, middle and right.

If you also ring their special orders they will do a whole box of one tab only ie left right or middle.

Good luck

 

[DrJoe]

Alas!

I placed an order for a couple of different sets of the legal size with Fishpond, and they eventually cancelled the orders (with full refund) saying that they could not get hold of them.

Back to square one...

Will now try the Officeworks option...

DrJoe

 

[James Taylor]

Same problem in the UK!

I'm facing exactly the same problem in the UK: loads of suppliers make 1/5 cut folders, but no-where makes 1/3 cut folders. I thought about making my own out of full length folders, but for the quantity I need it'd be an awful lot of measuring and cutting!

I'm really surprised that they're not available - especially when one considers that ringbinder folder-dividers are available as 3 tabs, 4 tabs, 5 tabs, 10 tabs and 20 tabs! I'm making do with 1/5 cut folders for the time being...

 

[tanvir]

No 1/3 cut in Australia. I buy 1/5 cut from OfficeWorks, Braddon, Canberra.

 

[myk]

its quite ironic

Here in the Philippines, where Manila folders originated, there are no 1/3 cut manila folders available. I don't wonder why it doesn't have in other countries. I end up using 1/5 cut, which is great in using tickler files..

 

[kathmajor]

http://www.officemax.com/catalog/sku.jsp?productId=ARS25540&history=lk5zi98y|prodPage~15^freeText~1%2F3+cut^paramValue~true^refine~1^region~1^param~return_skus^return_skus~Y

Not sure if this link will work but OfficeMax have these

OfficeMax Colored File Folders, Legal, 1/3 Cut, 100/Box