2/10/14

A Decision About Albums

Several years ago, my favorite albums were discontinued and I couldn't decide what to do.  Try to find a style that was similar and deal with it if I couldn't find something?  Switch to something entirely different?  Transfer the existing layouts into new albums so that they'd all match?  Ugh. Finally the day came when I filled the last page protector in my last album.  For months afterward, I let completed layouts pile up my desk (after I'd scanned them, of course) because I couldn't decide what to do and didn't want to make the wrong decision.  At $15-30 per album, I certainly didn't want to replace Trevor's existing 11 albums and buy enough for the immediate future without really thinking it through.

My first dilemma: After a decade of post-bound, did I want to switch to 3-ring or D-ring?  There are pros and cons, but after looking at a variety of brands of ringed albums in person, I knew they were not for me.  The main reason?  A 12x12 post-bound album is already too deep for most of the bookcases we own and the ringed binders add an extra 2-3 inches of depth.

My second dilemma: What should I buy as a temporary stop-gap to hold the increasingly-large pile of layouts that needed a home?  I ended up buying the absolute cheapest post-bound solid-colored album I could find, figuring that if I didn't like it, it wouldn't be too expensive a mistake.  As it turns out, you do get what you pay for when you buy a really, really cheap album. It's holding layouts for now, but I'm guessing it will have to be replaced sooner or later.  No more of that brand.

With fingers crossed, I tried another of the low-priced albums, this one by Colorbok.


At $13, it was totally affordable and the quality was pretty good.  Not top-notch, but perfectly fine for my purposes.  I bought four more.  I have filled two of them and just put the post-it flags into my third using my usual system.


I should be good for another two years or so with what I have.

5 comments:

  1. The never ending dilemma in my house too...glad you found something that works for you :)

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  2. I am glad you found something that works!!!!!

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  3. I'm using the same album...in fabric. Down to my last one though...I got them on clearance at $3.99 on one of my Australia trips.

    Thinking of doing 8.5 x 11 layouts instead of 12x12....

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  4. Because I don't scrap chronologically I hate putting layouts in albums.
    Last year I did a major clean up and finally sorted all my completed layouts and put them in the albums I had purchased years before. Now, if I have room I will add to them, sometimes needing to re-arrange them. But for the most part I just put them in 12x12 plastic snap closure bins...a tip Julie gave me!! The layouts aren't organized in the bins, just placed inside to keep them safe.
    Now my delimma is where to store the bins... but my husband recently cleaned out the hallway closet...sooooo...maybe I'll place them there! BTW - all my albums are different. I'm sure that would drive you crazy! LOL! But since I don't have a preference I would just buy whatever was on sale!

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  5. Good to know these are a good solution! I started buying the Colorbok cardstock for backgrounds or to die cut or use for stamping and I love it. It's a great value!

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