something wrong - patrick? you're sweating.

June 25, 2007 12:37 PM

BusinessCardFilter: I'm looking for something convenient that will keep a small number of business cards tidy - inside my wallet.

I'm in increasingly more situations where not having a business card either looks unprofessional, or leads to a missed opportunity. I went out and bought a metallic holder that after a couple of days of use, has turned out to be of extremely low quality, does not fit in my wallet, and is gaudy beyond reasonable limits. I'm in my twenties and looking for something, well, discrete, but modern. Not a conversation-starter, necessarily.

But the more pressing issue would be, is there any way to keep my business cards straight without adding more junk into my pocket? Any ideas are much appreciated.

posted by phaedon to human relations (14 comments total)

What kind of wallet do you use?

A picture sleeve may work, but it's not necessarily modern. If the cards fit in one of those, you can keep a few in one pocket of the insert and cut off the rest of the pockets.
posted by odi.et.amo at 12:44 PM on June 25, 2007

I love the all-ett billfold, and business cards fit nicely inside (along with a TON of credit cards). Their card case is tiny, and while it probably won't fit inside an All-ett, it quite possibly would fit into other wallets.
posted by rdn at 12:54 PM on June 25, 2007

I'm not making this up: keeping cards in the wallet is seen by some as a sort of business snafu, in that it seems low rent (it never stopped me, but then I was sort of a low rent employee back when I had a business card). A slim leather folder like the all-ett rdn suggests is sort of the standard for professional presentation of business cards, despite the extra pocket real estate it demands.
posted by nanojath at 1:00 PM on June 25, 2007

If you need to keep them in your wallet (I agree with nanojath, btw), then sandwich them between two playing cards taped on three edges. Keep the edge open that will let you take out cards without taking out the playing cards.
posted by mendel at 1:07 PM on June 25, 2007

You might like this , seeing as you are a web guy.

I used to own one (sorry, can't find a link) that was translucent plastic (came in different, bright colours, and it had two little (but very strong) cords at either end. The ends were made of metal. You pulled one end and you could open it, then it snapped back. This eliminated the problem of the case falling open. It looked really cool, too. It was wide, but I loved it. Found it at a funky greeting card store.

LOVE the title, btw.
posted by solongxenon at 1:16 PM on June 25, 2007

Have you considered getting plastic or metal business cards? They don't crease up and get all crappy like card tends to.
posted by alby at 1:19 PM on June 25, 2007

That link is for Google UK. This one is more suitable for a Los Angelino.
posted by alby at 1:20 PM on June 25, 2007

I picked this up in London and it's served me well. If you don't mind having it imported in, it's well worth the price.


posted by arishaun at 1:21 PM on June 25, 2007

Whoops....forgot the link....one more time:
This one
posted by arishaun at 1:22 PM on June 25, 2007

For business I carry my cards in a leather holder or in my briefcase but I do keep a couple of cards in my wallet for emergencies. The best way to avoid handing over a dog-eared business card from your wallet is to replace the 2-3 business cards stuck in there on a monthly basis. Do this religiously at the first of every month or when you hand one out.
posted by any major dude at 2:48 PM on June 25, 2007

I'm a woman, and carry a bag so large this card holder frequently gets lost in it, but it is great, sleek and actually for men. I highly recommend it but it will probably not fit into your wallet. It's a champ at keeping cards fresh though:

Blomus Gents
posted by smallstatic at 6:53 PM on June 25, 2007

Quite frankly, I'm tempted to go with the plastic business cards, inside the Blomus case, inside the all-ett billfold? Wicked!
posted by phaedon at 7:31 PM on June 25, 2007

This Simplicitas Persona is what I carry. It's minimalist but is still very functional and ergonomic. I put about 6 cards on one side and can store an equal amount on the other after exchanging cards. At the same time, it's really easy to take out the cards thanks to the thumb slit.
posted by junesix at 10:56 PM on June 25, 2007

Altoids tins work well, not terribly impressive but... :)
posted by MiffyCLB at 2:31 PM on June 26, 2007