Minimalist Wallets

[mgarbowski]

Total serendipity, but while looking in a jumble box for an old-style AV wire, I found my Filofax from 1995, which I had completely forgotten about. This was state of the art EDC in the mid-90s. Calendar, contacts, to-do, notes, check register, street maps of DC and Manhattan, with DC Metro and Manhattan subways and buses. Solar powered calculator, with unit conversions on the back and a ruler on the side. Spare stamps and a token in the plastic pouch. That's an AT&T calling card (good at any pay phone), and my ABA membership card with Hertz discount code on the back. It's hardly minimalist or small, but it did a lot in a fairly compact way. You definitely need something beside a pocket to carry it in. I sported the Manhattan Portage messenger bags back then.
This is what we had to live with before smartphones. I'm not sure why I stopped using it. 1995 might have been when my firm first issued Blackberries to everyone, but they didn't replace all that this did. Same for my Palm Pilot and yes, a Newton.

ETA: Blackberries weren't introduced until 1999. Something else made me move on from this setup.

 

[Schwallacus]

Total serendipity, but while looking in a jumble box for an old-style AV wire, I found my Filofax from 1995, which I had completely forgotten about. This was state of the art EDC in the mid-90s. Calendar, contacts, to-do, notes, check register, street maps of DC and Manhattan, with DC Metro and in Manhattan subways and buses. Solar powered calculator, with unit conversions on the back and a ruler on the side. Spare stamps and a token in the plastic pouch. That's an AT&T calling card (good at any pay phone), and my ABA membership card with Hertz discount code on the back. It's hardly minimalist or small, but it did a lot in a fairly compact way. You definitely need something beside a pocket to carry it in. I sported the Manhattan Portage messenger bags back then.
This is what we had to live with before smartphones. I'm not sure why I stopped using it. 1995 might have been when my firm first issued Blackberries to everyone, but they didn't replace all that this did. Same for my Palm Pilot and yes, a Newton.
View attachment 12065

This is incredible, nice job of organizing all that stuff into it as well.

I unfortunately didn't join the workforce until well after the introduction of the smart phone (early 20-teens), so I never had to deal with all the items, cards, and tokens that you have here. Really shows how far technology has adapted in the past 20 years or so too. I do miss the massive calculators and such a bit though, even if everything fitting in my pocket is amazing/easier. Us bitch-ass millennials didn't have to lug our solar powered calculators uphill both ways in the snow to get to work

 

[moogoo]

Total serendipity, but while looking in a jumble box for an old-style AV wire, I found my Filofax from 1995, which I had completely forgotten about. This was state of the art EDC in the mid-90s. Calendar, contacts, to-do, notes, check register, street maps of DC and Manhattan, with DC Metro and Manhattan subways and buses. Solar powered calculator, with unit conversions on the back and a ruler on the side. Spare stamps and a token in the plastic pouch. That's an AT&T calling card (good at any pay phone), and my ABA membership card with Hertz discount code on the back. It's hardly minimalist or small, but it did a lot in a fairly compact way. You definitely need something beside a pocket to carry it in. I sported the Manhattan Portage messenger bags back then.
This is what we had to live with before smartphones. I'm not sure why I stopped using it. 1995 might have been when my firm first issued Blackberries to everyone, but they didn't replace all that this did. Same for my Palm Pilot and yes, a Newton.
View attachment 12065

This was the trapper keeper for adults. lol. Kids these days don't know have good they have it. Imagine if GPS stopped working. People would absolutely lose their minds.

My favorite part is the 19 cent stamps.

 

[CCMore]

Total serendipity, but while looking in a jumble box for an old-style AV wire, I found my Filofax from 1995, which I had completely forgotten about. This was state of the art EDC in the mid-90s. Calendar, contacts, to-do, notes, check register, street maps of DC and Manhattan, with DC Metro and Manhattan subways and buses. Solar powered calculator, with unit conversions on the back and a ruler on the side. Spare stamps and a token in the plastic pouch. That's an AT&T calling card (good at any pay phone), and my ABA membership card with Hertz discount code on the back. It's hardly minimalist or small, but it did a lot in a fairly compact way. You definitely need something beside a pocket to carry it in. I sported the Manhattan Portage messenger bags back then.
This is what we had to live with before smartphones. I'm not sure why I stopped using it. 1995 might have been when my firm first issued Blackberries to everyone, but they didn't replace all that this did. Same for my Palm Pilot and yes, a Newton.

ETA: Blackberries weren't introduced until 1999. Something else made me move on from this setup.

View attachment 12065

Is that an actual subway token?

 

[mgarbowski]

Is that an actual subway token?

Yes

 

[FredMertz]

https://www.consumerreports.org/slim-wallets/best-slim-wallets-a4555933809/

 

[FootyLovin]

https://www.consumerreports.org/slim-wallets/best-slim-wallets-a4555933809/

Nice article. I like the look (and the color options) of the Vulkit.

 

[Seth]

You know, the more I think about the more disappointed I am that mgarbowski didn't just roll down his window and shout, "hey, lemme see your minimalist wallet!" as he apparently drove past me on the way out of Citi Field the other day. I'll be at the Open Cup match on Wednesday at Belson if you still want to take a look at it though.

 

[FootyLovin]

Just got served up an add for this slick little number. Color me intrigued.