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> the wallets of this world satisfy nobody I don't know what it's like in the USA, but in germany wallets of this type are used by everybody and everybody's ha

> the wallets of this world satisfy nobody I don't know what it's like in the USA, but in germany wallets of this type are used by everybody and everybody's happy: http://i.imgur.com/v3mRk1H.jpg http://i.imgur.com/v3mRk1H.jpg Still, nice to read more details about the internal workings of a kickstarter campaign.

ghaff 12y ago
That's similar to what I use and so long as I'm fairly disciplined about not letting stuff I don't really need to carry around pile up in it, it's pretty compact. I went through a period of trying other options for wallet or wallet plus phone and I came back to a relatively thin and basic but pretty standard bi-fold wallet. I think a lot of it is that most people don't need to carry either too much plastic or too much cash these days. Most of the gas and store credit cards are gone or at least not widely used. A lot of information is on your smartphone. Many people use cash less. As a result, a lot of people are experimenting with minimalist wallets or phone cases that can be used instead of wallets.
tonfa 12y ago
Living in Switzerland, this is way to big for me, my pockets aren't that big :) I wouldn't want anything bigger than a phone (my current wallet is ~2/3 of a 5" smartphone). (Phone in one pocket, wallet, keys and work badge in the other).
- radicalbyte 12y ago
  I've replaced my wallet with one of these: http://www.allreli.com/product/allreli-google-lg-nexus-5-flip-case-cover-black/allreli-google-nexus-5-16gb-32gb-smart-book-protective-magnetic-folio-flip-case-lg-nexus-5-ultra-slim-light-case-wallet-cover-leather-pu-black-0 http://www.allreli.com/product/allreli-google-lg-nexus-5-fli... It has space for two cards and 3-4 paper notes. I have two sets of keys; one with my car keys, the other with bicycle keys + work badge.
- silencio 12y ago
  I went the total opposite with my wallet - comparison with an iPhone 6 plus: http://i.imgur.com/1zGqaGY.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1zGqaGY.jpg ;) I think priorities are different if you have a purse/bag you regularly use that can hold a wallet. Still couldn't find a wallet I loved though, that one I had to settle for. (I also use a lot of cash when possible so it made sense not to go minimal.)
  - mod 12y ago
    I use a lot of cash too--I typically have 20ish bills on my person. Lately I just fold them up and put them inside the band of a slim wallet. In the past I just bundled them with a rubber band.
  - egypturnash 12y ago
    I'm a lady who carries around a purse or bag on a regular basis and I still prefer a pretty slim wallet; I haven't found anything I like more than the denim Hello Kitty wallet I've been carrying for like twenty years. I've also all but abandoned cash. My needs are clearly not yours.
mod 12y ago
I get one of those bought for me nearly every Christmas. I despise them. I think you can probably get back issues from sitting on them. My girlfriend won me a humn wallet (featured in the article) for free and I've been using that. I've gone through several types of slim wallets, and for a couple of years just wrapped a few cards in cash and put a solid rubber band around it. 6-8 pieces of leather adds a significant amount of thickness--your wallet is thicker when empty than mine is fully loaded.
slyall 12y ago
I've got something like that. I find that whenever I look at the designs on kickstarter and elsewhere they all don't have space for coins. I've got 9 coins in my wallet right now (I live in a country with $1 and $2 coins) so having a wallet with no space for them isn't really an option.
- ghaff 12y ago
  Was just having this conversation with a (recently ex) European. When I in the US (regrettably) end up with coins I dump them in a jar when I get home and periodically bring them in for redemption in "real money." Doesn't really work when you have $1 and $2 coins. Mostly I avoid using cash on a day to day basis.
  - tomwilson 12y ago
    I dump my coins in a jar when I get home and we have $1 and $2 coins (Australia). It's really not that big a deal having your minimum purchase price of things be $5. Your coin jar will get >$1000 in it reasonably quickly too which is nice ;)
larrywright 12y ago
That wallet looks massive, and would certainly invite back problems. I've carried a minimalist front pocket wallet for years now and I'll never go back. My current favorite is this wallet, in natural leather: https://www.weargustin.com/store/1579 https://www.weargustin.com/store/1579
pluma 12y ago
I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions (e.g. even at the supermarket most people seem to pay cash). Additionally, there are € 1 and € 2 coins, notes only start at € 5 and up. So you not only carry around a lot of cash, but you also generally need to be able to carry around a lot of coinage, too. This has been the only thing stopping me from getting a smaller wallet, personally. I have one of those (which are okay if you carry them in your front pocket and don't wear formal attire) and I'd replace them with something simpler at the drop of a hat if it wouldn't mean ending up with loose change in your pocket.
- maaaats 12y ago
  >I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions This is just plain wrong for many European countries.
- Nemcue 12y ago
  "I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions (e.g. even at the supermarket most people seem to pay cash)." Absolutely not true for every European county.
- kristianc 12y ago
  In London, 30% of transactions under £20 aren't just cashless - they're contactless. I seldom use cash and that's true for most people I know.
  - otuutti 12y ago
    Do you happen to have a source?
    - Daviey 12y ago
      "Barclaycard said contactless cards had been most popular in London, where 30% of all transactions below £20 were contactless." -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31164806 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31164806 The article is really about from Sept 2015, the limit for contactless payment goes up to £30.
3pt14159 12y ago
It is considered unfashionable to have wallets bulge out of the front of your jeans, and it is uncomfortable to have them in your back pocket. If you put the wallet in your coat or bag, you may forget it at home. All of this has lead to people being frustrated that they can't find a good solution, but we all know the solution is to just get rid of the wallet altogether and replace it with a fingerprint decrypted digital wallet + id on a smartphone.

ghaff 12y ago

That's similar to what I use and so long as I'm fairly disciplined about not letting stuff I don't really need to carry around pile up in it, it's pretty compact. I went through a period of trying other options for wallet or wallet plus phone and I came back to a relatively thin and basic but pretty standard bi-fold wallet. I think a lot of it is that most people don't need to carry either too much plastic or too much cash these days. Most of the gas and store credit cards are gone or at least not widely used. A lot of information is on your smartphone. Many people use cash less. As a result, a lot of people are experimenting with minimalist wallets or phone cases that can be used instead of wallets.

tonfa 12y ago

Living in Switzerland, this is way to big for me, my pockets aren't that big :) I wouldn't want anything bigger than a phone (my current wallet is ~2/3 of a 5" smartphone). (Phone in one pocket, wallet, keys and work badge in the other).

radicalbyte 12y ago
I've replaced my wallet with one of these: http://www.allreli.com/product/allreli-google-lg-nexus-5-flip-case-cover-black/allreli-google-nexus-5-16gb-32gb-smart-book-protective-magnetic-folio-flip-case-lg-nexus-5-ultra-slim-light-case-wallet-cover-leather-pu-black-0 http://www.allreli.com/product/allreli-google-lg-nexus-5-fli... It has space for two cards and 3-4 paper notes. I have two sets of keys; one with my car keys, the other with bicycle keys + work badge.
silencio 12y ago
I went the total opposite with my wallet - comparison with an iPhone 6 plus: http://i.imgur.com/1zGqaGY.jpg http://i.imgur.com/1zGqaGY.jpg ;) I think priorities are different if you have a purse/bag you regularly use that can hold a wallet. Still couldn't find a wallet I loved though, that one I had to settle for. (I also use a lot of cash when possible so it made sense not to go minimal.)
- mod 12y ago
  I use a lot of cash too--I typically have 20ish bills on my person. Lately I just fold them up and put them inside the band of a slim wallet. In the past I just bundled them with a rubber band.
- egypturnash 12y ago
  I'm a lady who carries around a purse or bag on a regular basis and I still prefer a pretty slim wallet; I haven't found anything I like more than the denim Hello Kitty wallet I've been carrying for like twenty years. I've also all but abandoned cash. My needs are clearly not yours.

mod 12y ago

I get one of those bought for me nearly every Christmas. I despise them. I think you can probably get back issues from sitting on them. My girlfriend won me a humn wallet (featured in the article) for free and I've been using that. I've gone through several types of slim wallets, and for a couple of years just wrapped a few cards in cash and put a solid rubber band around it. 6-8 pieces of leather adds a significant amount of thickness--your wallet is thicker when empty than mine is fully loaded.

slyall 12y ago

I've got something like that. I find that whenever I look at the designs on kickstarter and elsewhere they all don't have space for coins. I've got 9 coins in my wallet right now (I live in a country with $1 and $2 coins) so having a wallet with no space for them isn't really an option.

ghaff 12y ago
Was just having this conversation with a (recently ex) European. When I in the US (regrettably) end up with coins I dump them in a jar when I get home and periodically bring them in for redemption in "real money." Doesn't really work when you have $1 and $2 coins. Mostly I avoid using cash on a day to day basis.
- tomwilson 12y ago
  I dump my coins in a jar when I get home and we have $1 and $2 coins (Australia). It's really not that big a deal having your minimum purchase price of things be $5. Your coin jar will get >$1000 in it reasonably quickly too which is nice ;)

larrywright 12y ago

That wallet looks massive, and would certainly invite back problems. I've carried a minimalist front pocket wallet for years now and I'll never go back. My current favorite is this wallet, in natural leather: https://www.weargustin.com/store/1579 https://www.weargustin.com/store/1579

pluma 12y ago

I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions (e.g. even at the supermarket most people seem to pay cash). Additionally, there are € 1 and € 2 coins, notes only start at € 5 and up. So you not only carry around a lot of cash, but you also generally need to be able to carry around a lot of coinage, too. This has been the only thing stopping me from getting a smaller wallet, personally. I have one of those (which are okay if you carry them in your front pocket and don't wear formal attire) and I'd replace them with something simpler at the drop of a hat if it wouldn't mean ending up with loose change in your pocket.

maaaats 12y ago
>I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions This is just plain wrong for many European countries.
Nemcue 12y ago
"I think a major differentiator is that in the EU credit cards are a lot less common and even debit cards aren't used for most transactions (e.g. even at the supermarket most people seem to pay cash)." Absolutely not true for every European county.
kristianc 12y ago
In London, 30% of transactions under £20 aren't just cashless - they're contactless. I seldom use cash and that's true for most people I know.
- otuutti 12y ago
  Do you happen to have a source?
  - Daviey 12y ago
    "Barclaycard said contactless cards had been most popular in London, where 30% of all transactions below £20 were contactless." -- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31164806 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-31164806 The article is really about from Sept 2015, the limit for contactless payment goes up to £30.

3pt14159 12y ago

It is considered unfashionable to have wallets bulge out of the front of your jeans, and it is uncomfortable to have them in your back pocket. If you put the wallet in your coat or bag, you may forget it at home. All of this has lead to people being frustrated that they can't find a good solution, but we all know the solution is to just get rid of the wallet altogether and replace it with a fingerprint decrypted digital wallet + id on a smartphone.