Could it get any more 80s than Artoo and Darth Vader themed Trapper Keepers? Now, I went to a Catholic school that actually outlawed Trapper Keepers during the decade, so I never actually got to have one until the mid-90s… Only to promptly discover that they were kind of annoying to actually use. Still, it’s hard to deny the appeal of these. (via)
There’s a third one with multiple characters on it, but sorry Mead, it’s kind of lame.
There was a time when I absolutely LIVED out of my Trapper Keeper. It was zebra print.
What’s a ‘Trapper Keeper’ – some kind of folder?
It’s a three-ring binder with an outside flap that closes with velcro (back in the day) or a snap. Here’s the inside of the Artoo one:
There seems to a be a generation gap issue here – but in the 80s and (early?) 90s, these things were a must-have.
My middle school didn’t allow backpacks in the halls, so you had to get a Trapper Keeper (or something similar) to put your folders, notebooks, pens, etc in, or else you’d have to carry it all loose. The plastic ones like these were cool, but never made it through the whole year. I eventually got a black fabric one with a zipper that was so indestructible I still have it.
On a side note, now I keep all my cosplay notes/patterns/research in a 3-ring binder with my old high school Star Wars folders…