Wallet News and Designs

Odd Items in Your Wallet?

2010-02-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

A commenter mentioned an interesting item for your wallet: glasses. The typical pair of glasses will require a full size case such as this Louis Vuitton Glasses Wallet Case. But if you want to fit your glasses into a typical wallet, it's going to require a special pair of glasses (credit Uneasy Silence).

What useful and interesting items do you carry in your wallet? One slightly unusual thing I carry is floss in a single-use wrapper. I have never had a chance to use it, but I suppose it may come in handy one of these days. At least it's small and light.

The Bacon Wallet

2009-03-21T19:11:00.001-07:00

Here's a wallet for bacon lovers. The wallet has what looks like strips of bacon on the outside. This embossed vinyl bi-fold wallet is 4.24 inches long by 3.75 inches tall. The cost at perpetual kid is $23.

I did a search for a bacon wallet with real leather, but I couldn't find one. I did find another faux leather bacon wallet at Amazon. It's cheaper at $12.44, but based on the reviews, you get what you pay for.

This seems like the perfect wallet for Homer Simpson although he would probably eat it by mistake. For the Simpson fans, here are the top 10 bacon quotes from Homer Simpson.

Carbon Fiber Leather Wallet

2008-11-22T16:25:00.000-08:00

If you want a light wallet that's durable, this might be a good choice. The 3K Carbon Fiber & Leather Wallet has two carbon fiber panels on the outside of a leather wallet.

I just noticed it mentioned in this Wired Blog Network post. The carbon fiber panels should make the wallet more durable, but the post made it sound like it may not be too useful:

it does seem rather pointless as anything other than a style statement

The cost at CFG Direct is about $50, so I hope the carbon fiber panels do more than just make a style statement.

Returning a Lost Wallet?

2008-10-25T16:47:00.000-07:00

How many people would return a wallet on the ground? How many will steal the wallet or the money inside? The website called WalletTest.com set up an experiment where 100 wallets were dropped in front of hidden cameras. 74% of people returned them safely, while 26% kept the wallets.

Here are the detailed results of the experiment. It's nice to see that the majority of the people were honest. However, there wasn't much temptation. The wallet's contents consisted of only 2 dollars, ten pennies, a fake $50 gift certificate and a few other things with no value. I wonder if there were a lot more cash, would the stats change?

The Best Type of Money Clips - Titanium Money Clips

2008-07-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

For those who prefer money clips over wallets, a titanium money clip is a good option. Titanium has several advantages over other metals:

as strong as steel, but 45% lighter
30% more elastic than steel
resistant to salt water and perspiration
has a low magnetic signature that doesn't get picked up my metal detectors

I just came across this interview of the founder of SuperiorTitanium.com, an online store of titanium money clips. He describes why he became interested in titanium money clips:

I used to carry a leather wallet around, but it was pretty bulky and uncomfortable to have in my pocket all the time. I decided to make a money clip out of titanium, since it is very springy and will not fatigue and break over time like steel will. Titanium also allows the money clip to hold more and still spring back to its original form allowing me to hold my bills and credit cards along with my drivers license!

The titanium money clips available at SuperiorTitanium.com look like good deals. The lowest cost one is $19.99 plus $5 S&H as of 7/21/08. This compares favorably to what you can get at Amazon, and I prefer the simple and sleek design at SuperiorTitanium.com which doesn't have hinges. Several commenters noted that the hinge broke on the Amazon money clip. Not only does this hinge make the clip look cheaper, it seems to be less durable.

In a previous post on money clips. I included this site which is another place selling titanimum money clips. But these also lack the sleek look as found at SuperiorTitanium.com, and they don't offer any under $50.

Wallet Designed for the Front Pocket

2008-07-04T17:34:00.000-07:00

Do you carry your wallet in your front pocket or back pocket? Front pocket has its advantages. First, it's harder for someone to steal, and second, the back pocket can be hard on your back.

If you don't think your wallet fits well in the front pocket, this new wallet may help. It's called the Rogue Wallet, and it's designed to fit in the front pants pocket. Instead of being the typical square shape, one side is curved so this side will fit snugly at the bottom of your front pocket. I wonder why I never thought of this.

It's also designed to be thin so you don't have to worry about a bulge in your front pocket. The wallet has a basic bi-fold design with holders for your driver's license on one side and credit cards on the other.

The Rogue Wallet website sells several types of these wallets with different material including satin leather, salmon skin leather and alligator leather and non-leather material including canvas. Most have a price between $20 and $40. The alligator one is the exception with a high price of $325.

Thanks to the reader who suggested a post on this wallet.

Anti-Pickpocket Wallets

2008-04-20T20:22:00.000-07:00

A reader recently left a comment about an interesting experiment by a teenager who vacationed with his family in Europe. He had heard about the prevalence of pickpockets in Europe, and he decided to see for himself if this were true by carrying a wallet in a way that would be tempting for pickpockets. The good news is that no one tried to steal his wallet.

This had me thinking if there were any wallets designed to defeat pickpockets. One example is this pickpocket-proof travel wallet which is designed to wear around your neck. Here's an example that's designed to work with a typical wallet that you carry in your pocket. It's called the Wallet Minder and it's a secure nylon wallet holder that attaches to your belt via an 18-inch aircraft-grade coated steel cable. It seems like that cable would be a tad uncomfortable.

Another option would be to use an electronic device that could sound an alarm if the wallet separates a certain distance from the pocket. Something like this could have helped my friend. He didn't have his wallet stolen, but he left it on top of his car while he was he was filling his car with gas. Being distracted by his cell phone, he forgot about the wallet, and it fell on the road where it was run over and turned into a pancake. He promised me he would provide a picture.

I found a few versions of such an electronic design at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Patent 4,884,062 and 6,919,805 have a device that would trigger as soon as the wallet is removed from the pocket. This could be annoying if the alarm goes off when you're using the wallet. Patent 5,396,218 has a better idea that uses two plastic cards (one would be placed in the wallet and the other placed elsewhere on the person). Wireless communication is used to trigger the alarm when the cards are separated within a defined range.

If these inventions are too high tech, you may prefer this anti-pickpocket wallet idea which is a wallet with a mouse trap-like device inside :-)

Based on that European experiment, these wallet inventions may be overkill.

Wallets Without Leather to Reduce Thickness - Is It Worth It?

2008-02-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

If you want a thin wallet, a leather wallet may not be the best choice. In my previous post I described the NoBulges wallet which is made of a special type of nylon. Another type of thin wallet is being sold at Big Skinny which is also made with a type of nylon. There's a good review of two Big Skinny models at Gear Life blog. The review does show that these wallets are thin: "less than half the thickness and weight - fully loaded - than our favorite leather wallet." However, the review has a less favorable opinion of the material:

The corporate website claims that it’s the same fabric that made Prada famous, but we find that it actually feels a bit cheap - particularly when compared to the luxurious feel of fine soft leather.

This is similar to what a reader noted about the NoBulges wallet in this previous post:

The 'All-Ett' or 'Nobulges' wallet was a big disappointment when I bought one. It crinkled and made noises in my pocket, lacked any padding to soften my multiple credit cards and it looked so very cheap! I gladly returned to my trusty softened leather bi-fold design wallet.

Perhaps this is why Big Skinny also offers a leather version of their design. As the Big Skinny website admitted many of their customers had requested it.

Tips to Make Your Wallet Thinner

2008-02-03T16:43:00.000-08:00

There are some good tips at this LifeClever post about keeping your wallet thin. It starts with some thin-wallet recommendations. Some are similar to my previous posts (Jimi Wallet and super thin wallets)

He also recommends keeping your wallet contents to a minimum by excluding items like photos. Last year I mentioned an alternative for the photo-lovers by using a digital photo viewer.

Another thing to exclude in your wallet are excess credit or debit cards. He recommends keeping just one. I would actually recommend keeping at least one credit card AND one debit card. I prefer credit cards so I can get cash back on my purchases (I always pay off my balance). A debit card came in very useful last year when my car got towed, and the tow facility only took cash or debit cards. The tow cost was $190 which was more than what I had in cash. The debit card is also useful at ATMs.

Finding Bargains on Coach Wallets

2008-01-27T16:54:00.000-08:00

The most obvious place to buy Coach wallets is at Coach's website. Current prices for men's wallets range from $88 for a Water Buffalo Trifold wallet to $148 for a Heritage Stripe Double Billfold. Current prices for women's wallets range from $42 for Mini Skinnys to $248 for Bleecker Leather Checkbook wallets.

Looking for bargains is difficult since there are so many replicas being sold. You may be able to spot a fake, but it's not easy. If you really want to guarantee an authentic coach wallet, you'll have to shop where Coach recommends. The best place for a deal may be at one of Coach's outlet stores. This website has a good discussion of the Coach outlet stores and how these are the only place where Coach allows discounts. Here's a list of Coach outlet locations. Florida seems to have the most outlets.

Have you found other places with good deals on authentic Coach wallets? If you have, please leave a comment.

Unique Wallet Accessories

2008-01-20T16:30:00.000-08:00

In this previous post I discussed some stylish things to keep in your wallet. A commenter in that post pointed me to this webpage which has several interesting wallet accessories. All can fit in your wallet like a credit card. Some of my favorites include a wallet bottle opener, a wallet comb and a wallet key fob. Some of the bizarre ones include a wallet morse code mirror and a wallet fish and chip tool. Perhaps if you're a McGyver type, you might find these useful.

Artistic and eco friendly db clay wallets

2008-01-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

If you want to get away from leather and want something animal free, Tope wallets may be for you. db clay offers wallets made out of Tope, a synthetic fabric similar (in texture) to a vinyl canvas. It's free of PVC free, chlorine chemical free and animal free. Yet it's durable and water resistant.

I first reported on db clay in this 2006 post when their wallets were made out of gaffer tape. They're calling their Tope wallets version 3. So I guess the gaffer ones were version 2, and their original duct tape wallets were version 1.

Another aspect of the db clay wallets making them unique is their artistic designs. The picture that I include here is one of my favorite designs.

If you want a free db clay wallet, Lifehack.org is giving away one a week through January 2008.

Money Clip Deals - Cooler Than a Wallet?

2008-01-07T19:41:00.000-08:00

Miles Kimball has a sale on its personalized leather money clip. The sale price is $7.99 ($3 off). The lowest cost for personalized leather money clips on Google Products is $10.99 which is also at Miles Kimball. Shipping and handling is $3.99 for items up to $10.

Why use a money clip rather than a wallet

This article has some good reasons. The main reason I can see is that they're sleek, streamlined and hip. But if you want the look of an actor or corporate executive, you'll probably want one of these sterling silver or 14 karat gold money clips.

Leather Wallet With a Digital Photo Viewer

2007-12-13T15:23:00.000-08:00

You now can carry photos in your wallet and you won't have to worry about them turning yellow and wrinkled. And you can carry up to 55 photos without having a wallet so thick that it would rival George Costanza's wallet. This leather bifold wallet from Brookstone comes with a removable digital photo viewer with a 1.4 inch screen. The viewer slides out of the wallet when photos are to be downloaded or if you want to use the viewer without the wallet. Photos are transfered via the USB connection on your PC.

In the product reviews of this this wallet, many commenters were impressed with the quality of the wallet with its soft leather. However, one commenter thought the wallet and the viewer were a little too thick. The price at Brookstone is $50.

Wallets for Geeks

2006-10-08T15:43:00.000-07:00

The blog productdose.com lists the top ten geek wallets. In my opinion, the most useful one is the CEO Billfold Wallet (aka: nano wallet) that has a special pocket designed to hold the iPod nano. The wallet has the look of a typical bifold leather wallet.

If you're looking for a very strong money clip, the Sammy Titanium Wallet may be for you.

If you want something even more geekish than a duct tape wallet, the dot matrix wallet may be for you. It is a tri-fold wallet that looks like it's made out of a dot matrix printout. The printout lists the first 3,000 digits of pi. It's actually made out of a moisture resistant material rather than dot matrix paper.

The Better-Than-Duct-Tape Wallet - Gaffer Tape Wallets

2006-09-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

If you want the cachet of a duct tape wallet, but you want it to be more durable and more pleasing to the touch, you might want to give a gaffer tape wallet a try. Gaffer tape is a tough, fabric backed adhesive tape used for the lighting and sound on a film or stage set. It's also known as gaffer's tape, gaff tape, gaffing tape or cloth tape. The website db clay offers several varieties of Gaffer Tape wallets. This page at db clay describes why they made the switch from duct tape to gaffer tape.

What's In Your Wallet?

2006-02-12T17:28:00.000-08:00

This seems to have become popular in the blogosphere. I wish I had thought of it. First, my wallet is a black leather bi-fold Perry Ellis wallet. I have all the typical contents like cash (~$75), driver's license, credit cards, grocery store card, etc. Here's a list of some of the non-typical contents:

A hidden $20 bill for emergencies
one-use tooth floss in a special plastic container
Card with a table of tip amounts for restaurants
Card with encrypted passwords (see website)
Eyeglass prescription - Could come in handy if glasses are damaged while on vacation
A hidden spare car key (see post)

Here's the blog that started this meme. He looks like he has an old leather black bi-fold wallet. He lists several other blogs doing the same thing. Here are some that caught my attention:

MyMoneyBlog carries a Coach black leather bi-fold. One unusual thing he carries in the wallet is a single unused check. As some comments warned, this can be risky if your wallet gets stolen. If you lose checks, be sure to not only close the account but make sure the bank stamps any returned stolen checks as invalid signature or something like that. When the check is returned to the business that received the fradulent check, they'll know that you're not to blame.
Financial Train Wreck has a Leather Justin work boots wallet. I'm not familar with this brand. He claims to be a redneck so perhaps that's why. He had kept his social security card in the wallet until a commenter gave the good advice to avoid this. Some other unusual contents include a firearms license and a gun range membership card (Future post idea: top-ten thing that rednecks carry in their wallet)
Kim's wallet is a canvas Jansport bifold. She has some good ideas about what to exclude from your wallet such as your auto insurance card. Instead of her wallet, she keeps it in her car.
Kassy's wallet has the most unusual item of all the posts that I've read: 1 orange guitar pick.

Things Stylish Men Keep In Their Wallets

2006-02-12T17:24:00.000-08:00

This article lists 10 things stylish men keep in their wallets. The list seems to be intended to help men make good a impression on a woman. A library card is listed to show you're a man of knowledge. A $100 bill is listed to show that you're no cheapskate, and a picture of parents is intended to give you a wholesome image.

Then there are tools to keep in your wallet that can come in handy to impress a lady or to avoid embarrassing incidents. These tools include some matches, a mint, a toothpick and a safety pin. The safety pin makes good sense. I wish I had this in my wallet when the zipper got stuck on an old pair of pants while I was at work.

Thanks to the commenter for the link to this article!

Your Friend the Wallet

2006-02-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

A man's wallet is more than just a wallet. It can almost be like a family member. Here's a story that can give you some idea of this. The guy described his old wallet as a black behemouth of leather. It was a trusty companion throughout the hardest times of his life which had even been used as a pillow.

The demise of the wallet came after his dog got a hold of it. He is slowly getting over this tragedy. He's planning on a change for his next wallet: a flashy smaller model with money clip.

Thanks to the commenter who posted a link to this article!

Lost Wallet Found After 18 Years

2006-01-18T17:19:00.000-08:00

An elevator repairman found an Austin woman's burgundy leather wallet in an elevator mechanical room at a recreation center. As this article explains, he was able to estimate the age of the wallet to be over 18 years old by the expiration dates of coupons inside the wallet. He was nice enough to track down the woman on the internet and return it to her.

As you would expect, the woman was quite surprised. She thinks the wallet had been stolen. The article makes it sound like the woman doesn't remember it well. Seems like if I had lost my wallet or thought that it was stolen, it would stick in my mind even after 2 decades.

In addition to the coupons, other contents of her wallet included some 22-cent stamps.

Mini Notepad Wallets

2006-01-12T17:18:00.000-08:00

I've had several occasions when I would like to write down something when I'm away from home. Sometimes it may be a useful idea or something that I've experienced when traveling. PDAs are becoming useful for this, but they can be another thing to carry. Cellphones also can be used for this but entering notes on their keyboards can be difficult.

This article from the Salt Lake Tribune has a good solution. The author mentioned that he purchased a wallet-sized leather notebook that contains slots for credit cards and a place for a pen or penciel. You can carry this as you would a wallet. In addition to writing down notes, it can also be used to sketch an outdoor scene or a map.

There doesn't seem to be many notepad wallets for sale. I found one here but it's no longer in stock.

Wallet Style Preferences?

2005-11-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

I would have assumed that bifold wallets are the most popular for men. But this Kiplinger's article says trifold wallets are still the most popular. It quoted one 1996 survey that showed trifolds are three times as popular as bifolds for men under 20.

The main advantage of a bifold wallet over a trifold is that they're thinner since they spread out the contents over a wider area. Also, there's one less fold. A thin wallet not only makes it less visible in pants but also reduces the stress on the stitching and other parts of the wallet that may crack. So the bifold wallet should last longer.

According to the article, the main reason why trifolds still are the most popular is due to habit. Men get trifold wallets when they're young and stick with this style as they age.

Wallet Returned 40 Years After It Was Stolen

2005-11-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

This article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette describes how a guy in the army had his wallet stolen back in 1962 and how it has been returned to him after over 40 years. It was stolen while the guy was showering at a Greyhound bus station. Then 40 years passed and some construction workers found it as they were working on the building.

One lesson to be learned from this is to do a thorough search around the area where your wallet was stolen. In this case the thief probably emptied the wallet of cash and threw it away near the area. The article mentioned that the guy actually retuned to the bus station a few weeks after the wallet was stolen in an attempt to lure the thief into an ambush. This proved to be a waste of time. If he had spent his time carefully searching the area, he might have at least found the wallet.

The Jimi Wallet - Unique Non-Wallet

2005-10-06T17:08:00.000-07:00

I just found out about the Jimi Wallet from this zap2it article. It's the first wallet that've seen made of translucent plastic. It's a mix between a credit card wallet and a money clip wallet with a modern touch. The plastic case is big enough for some credit cards, your id and a few bills. The bills can be separated from the cash with a detachable money clip. The hard plastic case is ideal for those you want to protect the wallet contents during recreational activities. A hole on the corner of the Jimi can be used for a strap so you can wear Jimi around your neck. The hole also can be used for your key ring to use as a key chain.

Some things that impressed me about this wallet and the Jimi website:

only $14.95
only $3.05 for shipping and handling
made in the USA
made with recycled and recyclable material
site includes customer comments that are not all positive

Here are some of the non-ideal customer comments that they included:

One of the advantages that the Jimi has over other clip-style wallets is that one can have ID on each side, but unfortunately, even w/ the 'clear' plastic it's not quite transparent enough to be able to show it without removing from the holder. Personally, I think this would be rather convenient if there were an ever clearer version in this case for things like student id's, etc.

It is a cute little thing, but I dont think I will use it. I thought it would be a little more substantial. Also, I expected it to have a cord for the little hole in the corner.

Apparently, it's becoming something of a fashion statement. The zap2it article mentioned that celebrity couple Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake have matching light "sea glass" green ones. Glad to see something that costs only $14.95 is becoming a fashion statement.

Choosing a Wallet is Serious Business

2005-09-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

A Tampa Bay Times columnist gave a humorous description of his shopping experience for a new wallet. He claims that choosing a wallet is serious business for a man. Here's what he said about it:

This is an item that men hold closer to them than anything else - literally. Ask any man and he knows exactly where his wallet is at all times

Some of his interesting insights into things to consider when picking a wallet include:

Bulk: Trifold, bifold or no fold. The more folds the more bulk.

Function: What's going to be put in the wallet and how often are you going to access it? cash, credit cards, pictures, license, receipts?

Color/Style Leather? Nylon with velcro? As the columnist noted, opening a velcro wallet at some important business lunch isn't going to make a good impression.

Finally, the article ended with several lines from the Seinfeld episode in which George tries to justify to Jerry the importance of a thick wallet. This was in Episode 168 - The Reverse Peephole (a.k.a. The Man Fur). Here are a few of the lines:

JERRY: Maybe cheapness is a sense. You know it is better without this big wallet. It's more comfortable.

GEORGE: It doesn't matter if it's more comfortable. It's wrong.

JERRY: Why?

(George pulling out his wallet.)

GEORGE: Because important things go in a case. You got a skull for your brain, a plastic sleeve for your comb, and a wallet for your money.

What To Do When Your Wallet Is Stolen

2005-09-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

This thread at Fatwallet forums has some good tips if you ever have your wallet stolen. There is one important thing that was mentioned that should be done by everyone, and that is to make sure nothing in your wallet has your social security number. Many of the old insurance cards use to have the SS number as an ID number. However, this has changed in the last few years.

It's probably a good idea to have a listing of what's in your wallet (credit cards, ATM cards, etc.). That way, you'll know who to call when the wallet is gone. It was mentioned that you shouldn't have to close your credit card accounts. You can just ask them to re-issue you a card with a new number.

Finally, an important fact was mentioned that should help relieve fears of identity theft. Common thieves on average are not too bright. Many will simply remove the cash and dump the wallet in the trash.

Looking for a Thin Leather Wallet?

2005-09-05T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here's a unifold type of wallet design from Frontpocketwallet.com. It claims to be the thinnest leather wallet in the world. I'm not sure about that, but its unique design does reduce thickness. It took me awhile to understand the design. There's no folding. That's why I call it a unifold as opposed to the typical bi-fold or tri-fold designs. It seems it's made by stitching together 5 square pieces of leather on each of their two adjacent sides.

I would prefer something like this over a typical money clip wallet. There's no metal clip that could be a hassle at airports.

Slim Wallet Comparison

I wonder how this is skinny wallet compares to the nobulges wallet that I discussed in a previous post? The nobulges wallet is made of a thinner material than leather. Also it seems to form a larger square. If you have lots of credit cards, this might make nobulges a more slender wallet. However, if you want a leather wallet, the Front Pocket Wallet would be better.

History of the Front Pocket Wallet

The history behind this wallet is interesting. I found this article about the guy who invented the wallet and founded the company. The idea of this wallet came to him as a friend was fumbling through his pocket for money. He built a simple prototype and patented it. Then he trademarked it as the Original Front Pocket Wallet and began to manufacture it. First he marketed locally, then he expanded to the web. To further market it, he developed the Captain Williams brand which was based on his first name and the fact he use to be a military officer.

Wallet Patents

I did some research on his patents. The first patent was issued in 1991 and describes his Original Front Pocket Wallet. I'm surprised he waited so long before starting to sell it on the web in 2002. The abstract sums up the idea well:

A wallet suitable for front pocket storage having a plurality of square sheets and binding along two adjoining edges. The pockets have two edges open or unbound. Currency and cards may be organized in the individual pockets. The plurality of square sheets and binding are made of pliable or flexible material so that the wallet may easily fit within a man's front pant pocket.

Later in the patent description, some of the advantages of the design are explained:

... wallet does not have to be folded to be inserted in the front pocket of the pants, the wallet does not create any unsightly bulges or increase the wear of the pants due to the constant deformation of shape of pants.

His second wallet-related patent was issued just recently in 2004. The patent has the title Tethered Wallet and seems to describe the Caribbean Wallets that he sells on his site. Here's the patent abstract:

A wallet includes a pocket portion defining a front panel, a rear panel, a bottom, side edges, an open top, and a flap portion that extends from the rear panel for folding over the open top to engage the front panel. The wallet comprises male and female fasteners for engaging the flap portion with the front panel. The wallet includes a tether that extends from the rear panel of the pocket portion. The tether includes a plurality of fasteners, spaced from one another for folding the tether upon itself to define loops of different sizes, i.e. different configurations for various attachments.

The current prices listed on the Frontpocketwallet.com website are $34.95 for the Front Pocket Wallets and $14.95 for the Caribbean Wallets. I haven't found any selling on ebay.

Wallet Lost in Ocean 39 Years Ago

2005-08-31T10:11:00.000-07:00

The Boston Globe reported on this amazing story of a guy who lost his wallet in the ocean 39 years ago in 1966. The wallet had slipped out of his back pocket while he was trying to secure his boat. The leather wallet held cash, credit cards, and three $100 dollar checks that had yet to be cashed.

The guy had long given up on the wallet. Then this June a commercial fisherman working 12 miles off the coast found a plastic credit card holder along with 10 credit cards that was caught in his fishing net. The leather billfold, cash and checks had probably disintegrated in the ocean, but the plastic held up.

The fisherman was able to read the name, and after a little investigation, he was able to find the owner and return the cards. The owner was shocked not only by the find but also by the helpfulness of the good samaritan.

Handy Gadget for Your Wallet

2005-08-25T07:20:00.000-07:00

For those who might have trouble with small print, this credit card magnifying glass gadget might be a handy wallet accessory. The Wallet Owl has a rectangular magnifying glass in the shape and size of a credit card. Also, it has a light so it can be used in the dark.

I saw it advertised on TV. It looks like you can get 2 for $10. However, the shipping and handling cost is $7 and it says the second free one requires separate S&H. So I would assume the price for two would be $24 ($10 plus $14 for 2 S&H charges). If it's only the size of a credit card, why is S&H so expensive? I don't like it when sellers hide the total price in the S&H. It makes comparison shopping harder.

I did a search on ebay and found 20 Wallet Owls for sale with buy-it-now prices as low as $2.99 (plus $7 for shipping).

National Treasure and a 100 Dollar Bill

2005-08-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Do you ever carry 100 dollar bills in your wallet? I never get denominations higher than 20 dollar bills. The main reason is that it can be difficult to use it. Many places won't accept denominations over a $20. Although I suppose that can depend on where you shop.

The movie National Treasure with Nicolas Cage was filled with interesting factual and historical tidbits. One tidbit had to do with the 100 dollar bill. In the movie, Cage's character determined that the back of a 100 dollar bill was a clue for the time of day that they needed to find some special spectacles. The time was from the hands of the clock on the tower of Independence Hall. The movie indicated that the time was 2:22. However, the $100 bill actually shows the clock hands to be 4:10 according to this one site.

I haven't been able to find a good zoomed in image of the back of the 100 dollar bill showing the clock. And I don't have any 100 dollar bills to inpsect. Perhaps I'll get one just to prove to myself that the clock hands are set to 4:10.

I've found some general info on the 100 dollar bill at Wikipedia. Also, it's interesting to see how the 100 dollar bill has changed through the years. You can see all the old designs at the Currency Gallery site.

Discount Coach Wallet

2005-08-16T15:37:00.000-07:00

Unlike Louis Vuitton, Coach is an American classic. It began as a family-run workshop in a Manhattan loft in the mid 1900's. However, Coach's classic image was getting a little stale. This article goes into details about how a new Creative Director for Coach was trying to change its image from old leather bags to a maker of hip fashion accessories.

Coach's image has definitely improved. Their wallets in particular are in demand. Their catalog of men's wallets shows a wide variety of styles (all of which have a fairly high MSRP). Some of the varieties include a $148 English bridle double billfold wallet, a $108 water buffalo double billfold wallet, and a $78 English bridle money clip card case wallet.

When there's demand and high prices, there's going to be counterfeits out there. Coach has recently made an effort against counterfeits in China. It's trying to crack down before it launches its own stores in China.

As for the US, this article claims that the counterfeit marketplace is now the online auction sites. In one example, the upscale jeweler Tiffany and Co. filed a lawsuit charging that eBay is facilitating and participating in the sales of products that violate their trademarks. Tiffany conducted their own research into eBay. In one case they purchased 186 pieces of jewelry sold as a genuine Tiffany product. They found that only 5 percent of the items were in fact, genuine.

So if you want discount Coach wallets, should you consider eBay? I've done a little investigation into some of the Coach wallet auctions. Here are some of them. All claim to be authentic.

New Coach Wallet - Men's English Bridle Billfold Bifold. Sold after 17 bids for $44 (link)
Men's Coach Black Wallet. Sold after 4 bids for $19.49 (link)
Men's Coach Pebbled Leather Tri-fold wallet. Sold after 4 bids for $30 (link)
Coach Black Pebbled Leather TriFold Wallet. Starting bid of $22.99. No bids were placed (link)

It's interesting to see the differences in the number of bids and in the prices between these auctions. The styles could be one issue. I noticed the seller that received 17 bids and sold the English Bridle Bifold for $44 had a very strong feedback history with no negatives. On the other hand, the seller of the Pebbled TriFold Wallet that didn't receive a bid, had a pretty good feedback history except for a few negatives. There were two comments in the negative feedback that were interesting: In the first, it said: "Coach wristlet not authentic.... However, was able to return with no problems". The seller countered this with "I appeciate your opinion but you fashioned no proof. My sources disagree.". The second negative feedback said "good wallet - but PLASTIC inside? Uncharacteristic for a coach product".

It should be noted that the majority of all the buyers who gave comments seemed pleased with the products they received. But there's no way to know if what they received were authentic products.

Bank Robber Leaves Wallet At Counter

2005-08-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here's another story of a stupid criminal. The good thing about stupid criminals is that they make it easy for the police to find them. That's what happened in this Mississippi bank robbery where a guy handed the teller a note from his wallet demanding money. Then he left his wallet with his ID on the counter in front of the teller. Police arrested the guy at his mother's home.

Louis Vuitton Wallets

2005-08-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

If you want a fashionable wallet, a Louis Vuitton Wallet is for you. The Louis Vuitton company has a long history. Its founder, Louis Vuitton started manufacturing trunks in Paris in 1854. The company is now a leader in luxury consumer goods.

The only problem with a company like this is that its products are prime targets for counterfeiting. I just read about this LV counterfeit incident in the Tampa area.

If you want to buy a LV wallet, should you buy it on ebay? This site has lots of details about identifying Louis Vuitton fakes.

Ebay sure has a bunch of LV wallets listed. Can't say if any are real or not. Here's an auction of a LV Men's wallet that sold for $52.59 with free shipping. It had 19 bids. Here's an auction of a LV checkbook wallet that sold for $32.01 with 12 bids. Here's an auction that is still going on. Current bid is $45 for a LV wallet. The only problem is that the shipping is $19.99. If you think that's bad how about this one which has a buy-it-now price of $6.99 for a LV mens Wallet but has a shipping cost of $55. The seller is claiming to be doing this intentionally so both the buyer and seller can avoid ebay fees. So far it has no bids. I'm not sure if this is good sign for trustworthiness. If you want authentic Louis Vuitton wallets, this may not be the best place.

Lost wallet returned after 35 years

2005-07-03T13:12:00.000-07:00

This AP article is about a lady who had her wallet returned after 35 years. The Dallas school teacher unknowningly lost her wallet while she was teaching at the school in 1969. Construction workers found the wallet this year and with the help of a local TV station, located her and returned the wallet.

One thing interesting is what she had in her wallet: her checkbook and her Social Security card. It's amazing that she doesn't remember losing it. If I lost my wallet with these things in it today, I would be nervous. I suppose back then, identity theft wasn't much of a problem.

How Much Money Do You Keep in Your Wallet?

2005-06-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

I use credit cards for any big purchases so I don't usually keep much cash in my wallet. Rarely do I have more than a few hundred dollars. This Boston.com article reports on a woman who found a lost wallet in a New Hampshire movie theater with $3000 of cash in it. She did the honorable thing and turned it into the police. The owner of the wallet did come forward. She was also a woman who was planning on making a car purchase.

Money clip wallet

2005-06-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Here's an alternative to a bi-fold or tri-fold type wallet. If you want something a little more classy, how about a money clip wallet? I especially like this Texas Ranger money clip available at CuffLinks.com. It's partly due to the fact that I'm from Texas, but also, I just like the look of the Texas star. The only problem with this CuffLinks money clip is that it's expensive (priced at $95). .

Here's one to the right that is quite a bit more reasonable at about $11 at Cowboy Accessories. It's not as classy as the other one, but it still has that Texas star.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

Do you carry a spare key in your wallet?

2005-06-11T12:00:00.000-07:00

Seems like locking your keys in your car is something that happens to everyone. If you happen to have a cell phone on you, a call to a family member or a tow-truck service wouldn't be too bad. But what happens if you don't have a cell phone on you?

Several people I know carry a spare car and/or house key in their wallet. They get a copy made at the hardware store so it is flat which can fit nicely in the wallet. Then if they accidentally lock their keys in the car or if they somehow lose their keys, they can use the backup key in their wallet.

The only problem with this is that if the wallet gets stolen, the thief not only has your wallet, but also your car and/or house key. If you have identifications in your wallet like a drivers license and car insurance id, the thief will know where you live and what you drive.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

Wallet with the logo of your favorite team

2005-06-11T11:58:00.000-07:00

Instead of a plain old wallet, you might want to consider one with the logo of your favorite team. For example, at FansEdge, they have a Texas Ranger Wallet with the Texas Rangers logo imprinted at the bottom right. It's a tan leather wallet. They only have it in the passport style which can be a bit large (4.5 by 5.5 inches). Also it's a tad expensive at about $50.

They have wallets with many other team logos, from the Boston Red Sox, to the Buffalo Bills, to the Altanta Braves, to the Dallas Cowboys, to the New England Patriots. They have other styles of wallets for many other teams including bi-fold and tri-fold types which cost only about $28. For some reason, they only have the tan leather passport wallet type for the Texas Rangers.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

High tech credit card wallet

2005-06-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

Do you have lots of credit cards, ATM cards, store loyalty cards, etc.? You can't fit them all in your wallet? Here's a cool idea. It's called the pocket vault. It's a credit-card-size device that programs a single Chameleon Card to emulate the characteristics of any magnetic stripe or barcode. It also has a fingerprint reader to protect the owner.

The only problem with the Pocket Vault is that you can't buy it yet. On their web page it says "We anticipate the initial price for Pocket Vault to be $179." It's been that way since last September. So don't hold your breath...

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

Robber leaves his own wallet at crime scene

2005-06-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

It's probably good that criminals aren't too smart or careful. That way it's not too hard to find them and lock them up. A story from azcentral.com reports on a robbery in Harrison Arkansas in which police found two wallets at the crime scene. One of the two wallets happens to be that of the robber complete with identification. The police don't have him yet, but now with his ID, they know who to look for.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

New Wallet Designs

2005-06-10T06:34:00.000-07:00

If a duct tape wallet is too tacky for you, how about this one. It's a wallet specially designed to be extra thin. Nobulges.com claims it is the world's thinnest wallet or billfold. The features that help make it thin include credit card holders partitioned in 4 sections of the wallet so they lay flat against each other. Also, it's made of a thin nylon type of material.

I did some research at the U.S. Patent Website and found a wallet patent granted in 1987 that claims to be a "wallet or billfold of exceptionally thin construction". I wonder if Nobulges.com's wallet came from this idea.

I like the look of the Nobulges wallet. And another nice thing about it is its price. It's only $14.95. So this might make a good and inexpensive Father's Day gift.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

How to make a duct tape wallet

2005-06-10T06:15:00.000-07:00

Here would a fun gift for father's day: a wallet made from duct tape. It might not be the most fashionable wallet. But for lovers of duct tape, it's something there'll remember.

For details on how to make your own duct tape wallet, check out this 3M page. I'm sure they love ideas where lots of duct tape is required.

If you're too lazy to make a duct tape wallet. How about buying a duct tape wallet.
Ebay is currently listing a bunch of them for sale. And they are all not in that typical silver/grey color. There's one that is in green camouflage colors. That probably would make a good gift for the hunter.

If you're thinking about getting into the duct-tape-wallet business, you might want to think again. They don't seem to selling too well.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money

Introduction to Wallets

2005-06-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

You may not think they're too exciting, but there's a lot of interesting stuff related to wallets. After doing some research I've found a lot of innovations in wallet designs, from new ultra slim wallets to the hand made duct tape wallets.

Then there's the question, what do you put in your wallet? Of course there are the common things like cash, driver's license, credit cards, photos, etc. But there's a lot of other things to put in there that I bet you've never thought of.

In addition to wallet designs and contents, there's also a lot of news on wallets. From the lost wallet with thousands of dollars in it that's found by a good Samarita to an idiot robber who leaves his own wallet at the scene.

This weblog will provide all of these interesting wallet tidbits.

Technorati Tags: wallets, money