# I'd love to have a dirt-cheap, reliable letter folder. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 6, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916 "2004-10-06T20:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/1 "2004-10-06T20:47:47Z")
Really I would. Handling only one sheet at a time would be just fine. If I were to get one online, I’d like it to be from a reputable source, where reputable is a word I can’t really define. I’d just be a little leery of getting a machine with operating parts from ebay, etc. Anyway, that’s pretty mundane and pointless, and I just had to share it. Thank you for your time. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2004, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/2 "2004-10-06T21:05:15Z")
You guys stay pretting busy up there? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/3 "2004-10-07T13:31:28Z")
Yeah. I have to send out legal notices to neighbors when someone wants a variance and whatnot. My annoyance breaking-point for letter folding seems to be lower than the others in the office, a fact that, when coupled with budge woes, means that I’m the only person who wants one badly enough to consider one cost effective. My dream would be to buy one for twenty bucks and then not let anybody use it. At least…that’s the threat I’d make. In reality I’d probably cave. Still, it’d be nice to have one. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/4 "2004-10-07T15:11:16Z")
At least you can type. Good luck. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/5 "2004-10-07T15:25:47Z")
Is [$59.99](https://www.letterfolders.com/category-exec/category_id/34) dirt cheap enough for you? Manual feed, folds up to three sheets at once, free shipping. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/6 "2004-10-07T19:58:43Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Is [$59.99](https://www.letterfolders.com/category-exec/category_id/34) dirt cheap enough for you? Manual feed, folds up to three sheets at once, free shipping. Sadly, no. I recently moved into a new place and took on much greater financial burden. Otherwise, I’d have it overnighted! ---
**Author:** ![Yamirskoonir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/c0e974/32.png) [@Yamirskoonir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yamirskoonir)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/7 "2004-10-07T20:06:24Z")
Your thumb is dirt-cheap. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/8 "2004-10-07T20:09:07Z")
> [@Yamirskoonir](#): > > Your thumb is dirt-cheap. Yep. Otherwise I could sell it at a tidy profit. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/9 "2004-10-07T20:33:14Z")
WTF? Are you telling me you need some sort of machine to fold a letter? Next you’ll tell me you require some insane contraption to rip up documents before throwing them out. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2004, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/10 "2004-10-07T20:43:12Z")
Huh? No, not need. Just really, really, really desire. At a low price. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/11 "2004-10-08T03:43:48Z")
How about home-made? Cut a 10" by 4" rectangle out of light plastic (those flimsy plastic report binders work great) or heavy poster board. You can then place the rectangle squarely along the bottom of the letter, fold it twice into the paper, and slide it out. Perfectly perpendicular paper pleats for pennies, _pour_ postal processing. ---
**Author:** ![js\_africanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@js\_africanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/js_africanus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/12 "2004-10-08T13:58:50Z")
> [@The King of Soup](#): > > How about home-made? Martha Stewart?! That sounds like an improvement over what I’m doing. I’ll have to look into it. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2004, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/id-love-to-have-a-dirt-cheap-reliable-letter-folder/267916/13 "2004-10-08T15:19:46Z")
I have a plastic letter folder I found at an antique store. It’s translucent green with inscribed lines for various sizes of paper. It’s about 6" wide and 14" long. You just place it on your paper, line up the lines and lift the paper and crease. Turn the paper 180 degrees and repeat. It has no manufacturer name, just made in the USA. It works great too. I haven’t seen another one anywhere.