The Ubiquitous Greeting Card
You wake up in the morning, check your calendar and see that it’s someone’s birthday or anniversary coming up. That means you need to buy a card. The dreaded thought goes through your mind: when and where am I going to buy a card.
E-cards started out with a bang. Nothing to dread, no stamps to buy and no addresses to locate. Simple, direct and you knew the recipient got it on time.
But e-cards proved to be too impersonal. How funny is that? People are twittering about when they flush the toilet, brush their teeth and make their bed. But e-cards are too impersonal.
So that brings me to today’s question: Where do you buy greeting cards? And in order of importance, let’s add some bonus questions!
1. Are you brand sensitive (are you a Hallmark shopper?)?
2. Are you price sensitive (do you buy cards at the Dollar Store?)?
3. Do you buy because of convenience (closest place to buy a card)?
4. Finally, do you keep stamps at home or do you hope that the store you buy your card sells stamps?
Which reminds me, there are a lot of birthdays coming up! Max is turning (gulp) 53, Tony is turning (gulp) 55. I will need to buy a couple special cards.
Happy Wednesday!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:00 am
i BUY FROM THE DRUG STORE NEAREST TO THE LOCATION OF THE PARTY THAT i’M ON MY WAY TO!
iF I HAVE TO MAIL A CARD, i HOPE I HAVE A STAMP WHEN i GET HOME AND i USUALLY FORGET ANYWAY AND THE CARD ENDS UP LATE.
iM NOT SO GOOD AT THE CARD THING…
June 24th, 2009 at 10:02 am
I love giving cards! Sometimes I will spend a hour or so just trying to find the best one for that person and if I am torn about 2 I will just buy them both
I typically shop at Hallmark, however any store will do just fine. I have even made my own!
I don’t fret about price unless it is to a little kid (they are more worried about opening presents than reading “boring” cards!)
I always have stamps at home and it is for this reason. It is always nice to get “fun-happy” mail once in awhile!
June 24th, 2009 at 10:13 am
I make all of my cards…I like putting my own artwork and personal greeting in it. I figure its always the thought that counts in everything so I like to make a unique one of a kind for everyone
June 24th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I’m price sensitive. I like the cards that make music but I can never justify buying one. I always think the person will listen to it once and then throw it away. I do spend a hour and read every card. I always have stamps but I usually hand the card to the person. I never buy a card for my mom, she’s cheaper than me and thinks cards(even if they are a dollar) are a waste of money.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I don’t do cards at all… no one keeps them and no one really cares about the cards. It’s just a waste of money and trees.
June 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am
I love getting cards and giving them. I don’t really keep them, unless there’s a reason.
Sometimes I make the cards, sometimes I buy them. If I buy them…I keep the price in mind but it’s not going to make or break a sale for me.
They probably are a waste of money and trees but I like them
June 24th, 2009 at 10:59 am
I do not typically look at price when it comes to cards. depending on the occasion and who it is for. I will make sure it has the perfect saying, and it has to be the best card. I take cards very personal. You have to think, someone spent a few extra minutes out of there day thinking about you and buying this card for you! So I tend to keep all my cards. I still have my graduation cards from Highshool! Ha
I am also very sentimental, so this explains it all!
June 24th, 2009 at 11:01 am
I love cards, but not for the typical occasion or if I am giving a gift. If you send a card when someone is not expecting it, it means so much more to them then your typical “occasion/holiday” card. For example I don’t do Christmas cards, but I do do Happy New’s Year’s and Christmas thank yous. (yes they make these in one card!) – Post cards are great to drop in the mail to your out of town friends and family. Believe me, they will get a kick out of getting a Michigan post card from you, especially in the winter!
I am not too brand or price sensitive, but dollar store cards are way too cheap. Sorry, but they are not printed on quality paper, the pictures are usually terrible and the sayings inside even worse. Tells the person you are giving to they are only good enough for a dollar store card. Make your own if other cards are too expensive. My favorite brand is – Papyrus, but they are usually too expensive for me to buy.
I usually don’t buy out of convenience, since I am not usually too rushed to get something out for a non-occasion event and I always have stamps at home.
PS – Thank you cards are always a must, even if you told the person thank you at the time of receiving the gift. It makes the difference.
June 24th, 2009 at 11:30 am
love cards….Used to make them, or buy really nice ones… then I realized the people I gave them to are just going to read em once and pitch them so they are literally throwing away my time and effort….. now they get cheapo ones or i write it on the package! LOL
Unless i know you’ll appreciate it… then i’ll get a nice one for you. LOL
June 24th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I am not price conscious when it comes to cards for loved ones but for Grad parties, Bar/Bat mitzvahs(SP?), generally young people I do the dollar cards. For my Mother, I buy her the music cards. She has advanced Alzheimers and seems to respond to the music. She opens and closes them until they no longer work. It makes me feel like, in a small way, I am reaching her. When my hubby goes out of town, I tuck cards in his luggage, toiletry bag and the book he is reading at the time. This way he’ll think of me
I keep stamps at home.
June 24th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
I love cards and I’m a total pack rat, so I tend to keep all of them! I usually buy at Target or CVS and am not price sensitive when it comes to it. Depending on the occation, I’ve even bought more than one because I couldn’t choose between them. I do like making my own though – I think something personalized has a lot more meaning and if I buy a card, I usually like to write my own greeting in it. I’m a sap and totally corny…if you’ve received a Makin it Happen card from me, you probably already know this:-)
June 24th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
I’m usually a CVS shopper when it comes to cards. Hallmark is WAY to over priced, and CVS has really nice ones. And I still have my employee discount card that still works from when I worked there almost 2 years ago!! haha…
I don’t own stamps, never have, never will. My husband pays all our bills online, so I always just give the cards in person! I think tha’ts better anyways! =)
June 24th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
I only buy cards when absolutley necessary, last minute type deal, my husbands and my family both live across the state and it is easier to quick pick up a card and put it in the mail, then to make them unless… we are going in to town and see them, then we make the cards ourselves.
But the stamp issue…I always have a book or two of stamps in the house, I still do bills the semi old fashioned way and mail them out.
That way I am covered when the every other day birthday comes up. Hee hee!
Happy Hot Wednesday!!!
June 24th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I love giving and receiving cards. It’s not the price of a card that makes it special , it’s definetly the way it expresses my feelings for the occasion. I can usually find just the right one in one of the largest dollars stores I know of. They carry a great selection. If it doesn’t express my feelings then I will get it someplace else. Cards can be very expensive and most people read them, display them for a while and throw them away.
I always keep stamps on hand. (the forever ones—if the price of stamps go up—it’s no problem)
Because the store is out of my way, I try to buy for several months of special occasion cards. I keep get well, sympathy, congratulations etc. on hand at all times.
June 24th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I absolutely love to give and receive cards. I usually shop at CVS, they have a great selection but have been known to give a dollar store card to the kiddies. Like everyone else above, they read it and toss it aside looking to open the present.
I usually hand make mine, I definitely feel it is more personal and I love the feeling I get when the receiver smiles and gushes over it. Hallmark is WAY overpriced…I never go there.
I don’t have stamps at home, I get them on an as needed basis or borrow from neighbors!
Have a great day everyone!
June 25th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I buy cards at Target because I go there for everything
Otherwise it is on my way to the party (like Kelly K)
Not price sensitive
Would never get one from a dollar store because you can tell they are from a dollar store.
Stamps are always a bonus when your not expecting them to be available because going to the post office can be a pain
June 25th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I like giving and recieving cards, but I don’t do it often.. When I do get them I go to Target, they have a ton, and like Cathy I go there for everything I need. I guess the bonus of living at home with my parents or living with my sister and brother in law is that there are always stamps available otherwise I’d never send out anything.. I hate the post office!
June 25th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
I am still waiting for mine, it is now a day late!
June 26th, 2009 at 8:41 pm
I hate buying greeting cards. I used to like buying them but I’m not very sentimental anymore. The last cards I purchased were made for me by a friend. For Father’s Day I made my fiance a card because I wanted to make the greeting personalized and I enclosed money inside. Needless to say he loved it!
July 25th, 2009 at 2:25 am
Not price or brand sensitive, shop at the closest CVS near work or home, & I have stamps. I look for FUNNY cards (Hallmark – “ShoeBox” is the only brand I’m aware of so I guess I’m a little brand sensitive). But there just aren’t enough funny cards on the shelves in my opinion & so I spend more time than I want reading & deciding which card to send. I can usually find one that works but rarely do I see 3 or 4 that I’m happy with.