For 15 years I have owned a 3x5 wooden recipe box with the type of lid that lifts up in such a way that it leaves a nice prop for you to stand the card on. I HATED IT! It was too small, cramped, and the desiqn of the lid made it impossible to see the cards in the back. On an impulse buy I grabbed this one. I love it! Its roomy, the cards(4x6) are large enough for ALL the info and since the lid opens like a normal lid would, I can easily flip to even the recipes in the back! I had to change some of the tab labels to suit my preferences but who cares. And although I've always stored my recipe box in the cupboard- after I received this one and saw how pretty it was, I felt compelled to find a place for it right out on the counter. It has a slight gloss to it so you can wipe messes off but I assume it will stain or get water damage fairly easily if you're not careful. But for now, while its pretty, it stays on the counter.