I seriously can't resist an offer to check out shiny new office supplies. Especially when we're talking Staples, and I majorly fell in love with the M Collection last year. The only down side is, I get some cool free stuff... and then I inevitably head to Staples to buy more! The new OXO Good Grips Collection is clearly not going to be an exception to this rule because the items they sent me rock:
Basically, it's like they've taken every office supply that's ever hurt your hands, re-engineered it and made it softer. Starting with the packaging, which seems designed to be easy to get into. I needed scissors to cut the 1-hole punch ($7.99) free, but both the push pins ($3.99/24) and the push pin dispenser ($4.99) popped right out. (In my pic above you can see how the back of the dispenser package is scored for easy removal.)
OK, so I use a 1-hole punch mostly to punch index cards. For my knitting, I write out repeating lace patterns, one row on each card, and then put the cards onto a ring. Then I can easily flip them as I knit. The Good Grips 1-hole punch says "6-sheet capacity" (which I confirmed with regular paper), but could it do 6 *index cards* at once? Well, it could, but not consistently. It seems that 3 or 4 index cards is the max. I noted that a firm, quick punch worked best, and when I punched 4 cards with my traditional 1-hole punch it took two hands and hurt, while the OXO 1-hole punch only took one hand, with no pain at all. It did sometimes get stuck down while punching, but was easy enough to unstick it by pulling down on the handle. It has a locking mechanism to make it slightly more compact for storage, and the catch bin seems likely to stay in place and hold the punched bits. My old 1-hole punch has been sending bits of paper flying for years.
In fact, I'm throwing it into my bag of stuff for Goodwill right now. Good riddance, and Hello, OXO!
Now, let's talk about these push pins. I love these push pins. I just recently pushed 40 traditional plastic thumb tacks into a bulletin board for a screenwriting project, and they totally hurt your fingers. These rubbery pins are simply delightful in comparison. They are soft and designed to be easy to grasp.
And the dispenser! What a fun and effective toy. It's got a cool little magnetic arm that slides in and out so it will reach down into the cup or retract if you've got lots of tacks in the cup. Look, no more pricking your fingers while you reach in and try to grab a tack!
The question is, though, if you feel like you need two packs will you want to spend $8 on push pins? I could see how maybe not, but considering I still have the same push pins I bought years and years ago, maybe it is a good investment, actually. They are a significant improvement on the hard plastic ones. I think I'm going to pick up another pack and replace the push pins on my screenplay board. I'm always moving cards around, so it seems worth it to swap in pins that don't hurt my fingers.
What else will I be eyeing while I'm at Staples checking out the OXO Good Grips Collection? Ubercovet on this pocket stapler ($5.99), which apparently locks closed for transport:
And I've been looking for some large magnetic clips ($6.99/3):
I probably won't splurge on a new ruler, but this 12-inch one ($6.99) seems pretty cool. It's got a clear side for drawing and an aluminum side for cutting and reading, plus a raised, non-slip grip:
And lastly, I don't need these because I don't have cubicle walls, but I was impressed by these cubicle clips that come in small ($4.99/4) and large ($4.99/3):
They have pins in the back (so you can attach them to a cubicle wall) that extend when you push a button and retract for safe storage. Very nice.
OK, maybe I get a little too excited about office supplies, but fun toys that increase organization with increased comfort? I love it! There are a lot of other items in the line, too, including a 3-hole punch, other staplers, magnets, markers, and more. The line is OXO Good Grips, and it's exclusively at Staples.
