I'm looking for a company that sells customized 3-ring binders and
notebooks, the kind used for school.  I read about them in either the
NY Times or the Washington Post in the last six months.  These were
supposed to be hip, cool notebooks.  The binders could be customized
with different fabrics and accessories.  The company was based in NY
City and had pictures on their website of binders that kids had
personalized.  They sold their stuff on their website as well as at a
store in New York City.   I just need to know the name of the company
and the URL.  Thanks.

---

Request for Question Clarification by juggler-ga on 09 May 2003 18:37 PDT

I've located a Washington Post article from a few months ago that
seems quite similar to what you describe.  Here is an excerpt:

'[company founder]... was bored with office and school supplies in
tired colors and stodgy styles. So a year ago, she started... a
company making an edgy line of notebooks, folders, pens, etc. for
students bored with basics and office workers after a little color in
their cubicles.

"Our goal was to make office products nice enough to give as gifts,"
says... who sells mainly through her Web site... and a growing number
of small stores nationwide. "Last Christmas, corporations put them in
gift packages and college students gave them to each other. These
things are a lot of fun."
...
The company's signature items are three-ring binders... with cloth
spines in colors like powder blue or lime green, a cover you can
doodle on and a dry-erase surface inside. '

------

A store in New York City does sell this company's products.  As such,
this seems quite similar to what you remember. As far as I can tell,
though, the company's web site does not seem to currently feature any
binders decorated by kids. Perhaps the site has been changed since you
last visited.

If the Washington Post excerpt above sounds like what you remember,
let me know, and I'll provide complete information.

Hello.

I've searched the archives of both the Washington Post and the New
York Times, and I'm fairly sure that the article excerpted above is
the only recent one about a company that sells cool binders and
notebooks.

The company is Russell + Hazel.  Their web site is at:
http://www.russellandhazel.com

The article cited above is:
"Diversion on the Desktop," The Washington Post; Jan 16, 2003; Page: 
H03

As indicated above, I couldn't find any examples of kid-decorated
binders on the the Rusell+Hazel web site. Perhaps the site has been
redesigned since you last visited.

I checked with archive.org which stores old versions of web pages, and
indeed, the site did look different at one time:
archive org.: 5/25/2002
http://web.archive.org/web/20020525102305/http://russellandhazel.com/

A recent article indicates that the company the company has shifted
its focus a bit from just school-aged kids and teens to college
students and young professionals, so perhaps this is the reason that
the web site has been changed.

"Russell+Hazel is marketing its products, originally designed for
school-aged children and teens, to college students and young
professionals."
source: twincities.bizjournals.com
http://twincities.bizjournals.com/twincities/stories/2002/12/16/smallb1.html


I hope Russell + Hazel is the site that you were seeking. If it's not,
let me know, and I'll resume my search. Thanks.


search strategy:
newspapers database through my local library:
washington post, new york times,
school, three ring binders

Excellent.  I looked but couldn't find it.  Thanks a bunch.

Hi racorder,

After searching for "custom notebook binder new york," I found the
following site:

Creative Presentations, Inc. --
http://www.creativebindersandfolders.com

Is this what you're looking for?  If so, let me know so I can post
this as the official answer.

-chis

Thanks for looking but that's not the right link.  One of the other
researchers found it.  It was a company called Russell & Hazel. 
Thanks for trying.