Do you use personally designed and made bookmarks? Do you buy them online? Or do you just use whatever you can find (receipts, bills, leaves) as bookmarks?

In my previous school, I encountered a couple of people who paid a lot of attention to the things they used as a bookmark. They would make and design them paying a lot of attention in the smallest details and color combinations. It almost seemed as if they paid more attention to the bookmarks rather than in books/reading.

I have also encountered people who use whatever they can find as bookmarks. The most common things that I have noticed are leaves, receipts, bills, photos, and even small sticks.

I personally do not think about what I use as a bookmark. Now that I think about it I mainly use receipts as bookmarks and nothing else.
What kind of things do you use as a bookmark? What kind of things you definitely would not use as a bookmark? Do you pay much attention to what kinds of bookmarks you are using?

Torn strips of paper and receipts. I use pretty much nothing else. I pay no attention to my bookmarks.

I use an old deck of playing cards. Assuming I've got a full deck, that's 52 bookmarks. I place the face of the card toward the page where I left off.

As I mostly read e-books these days (due to failing eyesight), I rarely use a bookmark. When I do, It is usually a 3x5 index card (I keep a supply on hand for various uses).

I also like to use 3x5 index cards as a bookmark. Since I read mostly nonfiction books, the card is thick enough to use for underlining. The card is also large enough to record special pages I want to reread after completing the reading. I usually leave the card in the book to reference important pages in the future.

Authors and publishers send me books regularly and quite a few come preloaded with bookmarks. So I use them if they're at the ready. I usually use genuine bookmarks as opposed to scraps of paper, playing cards or other miscellaneous debris. I don't know if I could handle looking on my bookshelves and seeing playing cards or lasagna noodles sticking out of my books. It would make me feel all tingly and anxious.

This discussion makes me want to have some new BookTalk.org bookmarks created again. Years ago we had awesome bookmarks created but our slogan and focus changed so those bookmarks no longer make sense. I'll hold off on doing new bookmarks for when we have a new logo and who knows when that will be.

I find a large paperclip to be best. Also like the cardboard strips you pick up at paint stores to take home aNd decide on colors.

Doesn't a large paper clip cause damage to the pages?

It doesn't seem to, but for "fine" books it wouldn't be the best way to go. The main thing is the paperclip stays put.