You might have plenty of office supplies sitting around that you rarely or never use. Sometimes things look useful but end up just taking up space on your desk or in your drawers.
This article will help you spot the office items that are mostly just clutter so you can focus on the stuff you really need. Knowing what to skip can save you time and money when setting up your workspace.
Dot Matrix Printer Paper
You probably won’t need dot matrix printer paper anymore. It’s mostly used with old dot matrix printers that fed paper with holes on the sides.
This paper comes in long continuous sheets that you can tear into smaller sizes. If you don’t have a vintage printer or like retro stuff, it just takes up space.
Fax Machine Ribbon
If you still have a fax machine, you might need a ribbon to print your documents. But today, most people don’t use fax machines much.
Buying a fax ribbon can feel like a waste, since faxing is mostly done digitally now. So, this is one office supply you probably won’t touch.
Pager
You probably won’t need a pager in your office. Most people use smartphones or other devices to stay connected now. Pagers were popular years ago but are mostly outdated today.
If you find one, it may seem interesting but not very useful. You can skip buying it and focus on tools that actually help your work.
Dial-Up Modem
You probably won’t need a dial-up modem in your office. These devices connect to the internet using a phone line, which is way slower than modern options.
Most offices now use faster, digital connections like fiber or DSL. Dial-up modems are mostly only found with old fax machines or credit card terminals. If you see one, it’s likely just taking up space.
Carbon Copy Paper
You probably won’t need carbon copy paper anymore. It’s an old tool that helps you make copies by placing a carbon-coated sheet between papers.
It’s messy and mostly replaced by digital copies or printers now. Unless you like crafts or tracing, this paper just takes up space.
Slide Rule Calculator
You probably won’t use a slide rule calculator in your office. It’s an old tool that helps with math like multiplication and division by sliding parts.
Today, digital calculators and computers do the same job much faster and easier. The slide rule is more of a collector’s item or a piece of history than a useful office supply.
Pager Holder Badge
You probably don’t need a pager holder badge anymore. Most offices use smartphones or other digital devices instead of pagers.
If you find one sitting in a drawer, it’s likely to stay there. It’s hard to see how a pager holder will be useful in today’s workplace. You can save space and money by skipping it.
Film Negative Sleeves
Film negative sleeves are made to store photo negatives safely. But unless you work with film photography, you probably won’t need them.
They come in clear plastic and help protect negatives from dust and scratches. Still, many people find digital storage easier and more useful.
If you do use film, pick acid-free sleeves to keep your negatives from getting damaged over time. Otherwise, they mostly just take up space.
Typewriter Correction Tape
If you don’t use a typewriter, you probably won’t need typewriter correction tape. It’s made to fix mistakes on older machines where you can’t just hit backspace.
Most people write on computers now, so this tape often sits unused in office drawers. You might spot it online or in vintage shops, but it’s not a common supply for modern offices.
Floppy Disks
You probably won’t find a use for floppy disks in your office anymore. They hold very little data compared to USB drives or cloud storage.
Floppies are slow and can easily get damaged since the disk inside is flexible and fragile. Most computers don’t even have a floppy drive these days. If you ever need to use one, it’s likely only for old machines or very specific equipment, not everyday office work.
CRT TV Monitor
You probably won’t use a CRT TV monitor at your desk. They are heavy and bulky, so they can make your workspace feel crowded.
These old monitors don’t connect easily to modern computers unless you have special adapters. Plus, the picture quality isn’t as sharp as newer screens. If you want something for gaming or watching videos, a flat screen will work better and take up less space.
Bind-It-All Binding Machine
The Bind-It-All machine looks cool, but you might not use it much. It punches holes and binds papers with plastic coils. It works for small projects like mini albums or calendars.
If your office work is mostly digital or uses staplers, this tool might just take up space. It’s best for people who do crafts or scrapbooking.
Ink Ribbon for Typewriters
You probably don’t use a typewriter, so an ink ribbon might seem useless. These ribbons are made for typing on old machines, not modern computers.
Even if you find one, it can be hard to replace or re-ink the ribbon. Most offices don’t need these anymore since printers and keyboards do the job faster.
Yellow Sticky Flags
You might think yellow sticky flags are helpful for marking pages or notes. But many people find they rarely use them after buying.
They can end up cluttering your desk or getting lost in drawers. If you do use them, simple sticky notes usually work just as well.
Microfiche Reader
You probably won’t need a microfiche reader in your office. These machines are used to read tiny images stored on flat cards called microfiche.
They are mostly found in libraries or archives. Plus, they can be tricky to use and hard to fix if broken. If you don’t handle old documents this way, it’s likely a waste of space and money for you.
Fax Cover Sheets
You probably don’t need fax cover sheets anymore. Most offices have moved past faxing and use email instead. If you ever fax, a cover sheet just shows who sent the fax and who should get it.
You can find free templates online, but chances are you’ll never print one out. It’s one of those supplies that stick around but rarely get used.
Pager Belt Clip
You probably don’t use a pager anymore, so a pager belt clip is mostly useless. These clips attach a pager to your belt, but since pagers are outdated, they sit unused.
Even if you have one, chances are you don’t need to replace the clip. It’s one of those things you keep around but never actually use.
Dot Matrix Printer Ink Ribbon
You probably don’t need a dot matrix printer ribbon unless you still use an old-school dot matrix printer. These ribbons are mostly for impact printers that make noise and print slowly.
If you do have one, you can buy replacement ribbons, but they can dry out or get patchy. Some people even reink the ribbon by adding a few drops of ink to keep it working longer.