If you are just starting out, the sheer VOLUME of scrapbooks available at your local scrapbook store might be a bit intimidating!  How do you know which type to get and where to cut corners, price-wise???  I want to help you out with that--at least inform you so that you can make an easier decision!

The first decision is SIZE.  Albums come in sizes ranging from mini books (about 3 x 3) to 6 x 6, 7 x 7, 8 x 8, 9x9, 8 1/2 x 11, or 12 x 12.  Whew.  Even that is tiring.  But, choosing an album doesn't have to be tiring.  I generally prefer the neatness provided by a square album, but you basically need to consider what items you'll be placing into your album, as well as the album's purpose.

The smaller albums (mini, up to an 8 x 8) work GREAT for a theme album (such as for a vacation, Christmas, etc) or for a gift album.  One where you may need less space for pictures, and want the album to take up a smaller space.  You also want to consider the size of your pictures and memorabilia.  For example, if you need to include a 5 x 7 picture w/out cropping it, you'd probably want to go with an 8 x 8 album at least.

The larger albums work great for every-day events...albums that you'll want a lot of space for and to use that space in the best way to get your pictures in there so that they can be appreciated :)

Next, consider the BINDING.  The two major choices are strap-hinge, and post-bound.  Both have pros/cons.  The strap-hinge albums generally provide more stability and tend to lay flatter, but also require that you take more care in the order of your pictures/pages since the pages are attached (front and back on the same page) and you can't easily switch them around.  The post bound albums offer the flexibility of completing a page (or an entire album) and then placing it into the protectors in the order you wish them to be in.  Some people prefer this convenience.

Finally, while it may be tempting to purchase the cheaper albums, it is not always best.  Once you add the stress of opening, closing the album, as well as all of the weight that is added to the pages with embellishments, the albums can become somewhat flimsy and even fall apart.  So, even though you may want to save money, you should still get a good quality scrapbook that will last you for years :)

You can check out some of these options in my store:  My Scrapbooks