View Binders For Less – Office Supplies Shopping Tips For Small Business

View binders are an office supplies staple in the business world, and are one of those trusted office products that’s stayed fundamentally the same since our grandfathers were doing business two generations ago. Even though binders have not changed much over the years, it’s important to find the best brands and features out there, to get the best value for your money and right product for your needs.

New binder features and functions do change quite frequently. Different ring styles and covers, for instance, are introduced by manufacturers to add value to such a conventional product. View binders have distinguished themselves from vinyl ring binders which are the standard, original binder style. Consumers much prefer the view binders over the vinyl ring binders, as view binders now outsell their counterparts 4:1.

What sets a view binder apart is the clear overlay of plastic that’s manufactured on the outside of the binder that allows for users to slide in a cover page in the front for a presentation, slide a printed sheet down the spine so you can read the contents of your binder while it’s filed on the shelf, and even slide a back cover sheet on the back. As view binders have come down in price, people have gravitated towards these style binders, and have moved away from the old standard vinyl binder without the clear overlay.

The drop in the prices of view binders has led to lower selling prices than standard ring binders recurrently. How, if view binders clearly cost more to produce than traditional because of all their product features, are they being sold for less? It simply rests with volume.

You see, the key to keeping costs low making binders is volume. Running as many of one style binder as possible lowers the production cost significantly, because change over time and short runs are expensive. Even if the binder does not have the step of added the “clear plastic” covering over the binder, running thousands of view binders is cheaper than making a few hundred standard binders.

That’s why you’ll see great values on the highest volume binders – 1 inch or 2 inch white view binders. You’ll find also that as the size of ring increases, and even decreases down to 1/2 inch, those products have far higher prices than the huge volume most popular sizes. This means, 3 inch, 4 inch and 5 inch binders, even the view style, aren’t going to give you as much value as the high volume 1 and 2 inch versions.

Of course, you must also consider brands when searching for binders of the best value. Avery is known for an extensive selection of binders at fair prices and is recognized as the largest binder seller in the world. I recommend Universal, however, if price is your utmost concern. You won’t find the same selection by shopping for Universal binders but if it’s the more popular binders you’re after, save money with Universal.

Other well known brands are Wilson Jones, Cardinal and Samsill binders. I really like Samsill as it’s a smaller, independent company that has the best quality of all the manufacturers, and they also offer unique binders and styles that many other companies do not. Cardinal is also a good brand. They’ve done excellent product development with recycled materials in binders with their new EcoSmart line. Wilson Jones really does nothing to set themselves apart, so while their products are fine, I see no quality, value or innovation reason to go with this brand.

To summarize, getting the best value in binders means shopping for view binders instead of the traditional vinyl binders. Stick with popular colors and sizes, like black and white binders with 1″ and 2″ rings, and that will always save you money. Universal view binders provide the best value for the money even though there are several other good brands to consider. And remember, never buy from those big corporate office “superstores”. Shop from an independent online office supplies company and you’ll save time, money and support small business to help the economy grow!

Tristan Hill loves shopping forOffice Supplies Online and knows all the tricks for finding the best View Binders. He feels good shopping with Zuma Office as they donate 50% of profits to charity. Check them out today!