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Greeting Cards Prove to Be the "Write" Choice for the Holidays

By Olivia Leigh in Miscellaneous on Dec 7, 2006 7:30PM

As the holidays approach, so too does the barrage of greeting cards. As supporters of traditional cards and letter writing, we’ve felt a bit like a dying breed in the world of e-cards.

Therefore, you can imagine our surprise when we read yesterday that e-cards sales have barely cut into traditional greeting card revenues, especially when it comes to the 1.9 billion holiday cards that have sold steadily for the past five years. In fact, an article in the Tribune notes that, conservatively, for every one e-card sent, 20 traditional greeting cards are mailed.

2006_12_iomoi.gifAs e-cards become more commonplace as part of our increasingly digitized world, hand-written letters and cards have been catapulted into a territory of novelty and luxury. Suprisingly, a 2005 survey by Unity Marketing suggests that the younger, hipper set is the group most likely to purchase traditional cards, with 25-to-34 year olds spending $118 a year compared with $90 spent by 45-to-55 year olds. Conversely, the older, 45-to-65 year old women are the most likely to send e-cards.

Keeping in step with the resurgence of crafting, especially with younger women, some people are even going the extra mile, buying paperstock, decorative baubles, and fancy stickers to create their own cards. Paper Source, the upscale handmade-paper chain of stores based in Chicago, even sells card-making kits with everything you need to assemble a card on your own.

If you want to send a mantle-worthy card this year, take a few notes from the folks at Paper Source:

  1. Enclose a photo your recipient might have forgotten about or has never seen, or perhaps a ticket stub from the play you saw together.
  2. Write from the heart.
  3. Choose beautiful paper to write on and a pen you enjoy writing with. Coordinate your postage stamp with your envelope color or the theme of your letter.
  4. Use a scratch pad, and draft your letter first. Save your good stationery until you have a clean draft to copy.

As crafty people ourselves, we’ll be sending handmade cards using photographs, blank cards, and other materials from Paper Source, albiet at a high price. As Lindstrom says, "While electronic correspondence certainly has its place in this modern world there's simply no equal to a treasured letter.” Indeed.

If you are hoping to wish someone holiday cheer through a card or letter, be sure to get it in the mail on time. Nothing's worse than sending a Christmas card just in time for New Year's.

Holiday cards from iomoi, one of our Chicagoist gift guide picks.