Let’s face it. No matter how cleverly-animated or musically-scored, an electronic greeting card just doesn’t take the place of a paper one. A recipient of the traditional paper card knows someone took the trouble to go out and shop for, buy, sign, and mail their chosen card. With no offense intended toward the designers of e-cards, the experience of tearing into the envelope, opening the card, and reading the inscription sure beats waiting for a download any day. And it’s because of this fact that the market for original greeting cards will always remain strong. Fortunately, there are scores of vendors out there who are ready to supply that market with cards that appeal to every taste and personality.
A lot of us are old enough to remember the advertising slogan of a certain national chain, advising that when we ‘care enough to send the very best…’, well, you know the rest. Yet, today’s consumers are looking for something more; something that makes a personal statement and reflects their individuality. Far from being generic, greeting cards these days can be works of art. They can tell a story or benefit a cause. They can be beautiful in their subtlety or bawdy in their message. They can also be extremely profitable, generating substantial retail sales while occupying a minimum of square footage.

Blue Turtle Studio, for example, offers a line of exquisite handcrafted cards created by cutting images from abstract watercolor paintings and mounting them on handmade paper. Each one-of-a-kind card is individually signed by the artist. Motifs from nature dominate the line, and a portion of the profits are donated to charities that benefit the environment and animal welfare. Handmade cards are also available from Crafted By Hands, many of which are also embellished with dried flowers. These cards take on the qualities of a collage, with layers of imported papers giving the cards added dimension and texture.
The tasteful greeting cards offered by Eunco have the look of being handmade. Printed with vegetable inks on post-consumer recycled paper, the classy, understated artistry of these cards comes from the creative minds and hands of three Korean sisters (“eun” means grace of gift in Korean). Leaves and flowers figure prominently in the design motifs of these cards, beautifully expressing everyday sentiments or celebratory wishes. The simple, natural beauty of leaves, flowers, and feathers is also the inspiration behind the lovely line of cards produced by Branch Out, celebrating the depth of color and nuance found in the intricate details of nature. Using digital reproduction of actual leaves and pressed flowers, the cards express simple messages of strength, unity, and friendship. A bug-chewed leaf is accompanied by the question, “So what’s eating you?”. A skeletonized leaf expresses the sentiment, “Life is fragile.” A single, slender green feather symbolizes “Peace”. Proceeds from the sale of some of Branch Out’s cards go to benefit Alzheimer’s research and care.
Flowers are the subjects of the fine art greeting cards from Perennial Press, featuring blossoms photographed at close range to emphasize form and texture while exploring the interplay of light and shadow. Nature also figures prominently in the line of cards created by Hudson Street, where photography again becomes art. Flowers, leaves, and landscapes are among the selections which seem to prove that beauty is all around us, and that sometimes all it needs to be seen is to be isolated and framed by a talented observer. Besides themes from nature, Hudson Street has captured crisp photographic images of statuary angels, nostalgic antiques, faraway places, holiday memorabilia, the architecture of theatres, and a collection of signs that, taken out of context, will make you look twice. Both Perennial Press and Hudson Street offer their exquisite photography in the form of enlarged prints perfect for framing.

Fine art is the feeling generated by the cards from Gina B Designs, which feature exceptional design accompanied by simply stated messages. Artists’ paintings are reproduced and printed on recycled, textured stock with the look and feel of original watercolors, making these cards something far from typical. Many of the images are also available as boxed note cards. Gina B also produces a line of photo cards – cards which accommodate a 4″ by 6″ photograph within a decorative border on the front, leaving the inside blank for original prose. Their holiday photo cards are available pre-printed with a seasonal message.
If you hear your customers chuckling to themselves as they look at your card rack, chances are you’re carrying The Queen of Cards line, also known as the Institute of Laugh Therapy. Pairing vintage photographs with humorous and irreverent captions, these hilarious cards are great sellers, with twisted messages for all occasions or no occasion at all. Their edgy, over the top humor has won this line a Louie Award (the ‘Oscar’ of the international greeting card industry), named for Louis Prang, the nominal father of the American greeting card.

The clever cards produced by Wright Card Company also make use of an extensive collection of photographs from yesteryear, captioning these nostalgic images with a unique sentiment or a wry bit of humor. Envision an amply-proportioned farm wife standing with her arm draped over an equally large heifer: “To the girl who has almost everything … happy birthday!”. These cards have a ‘retro’ appeal, and many are sweetly nostalgic. Cards are hand-constructed with the photographic treasures mounted on heavy, recycled paper.
Some cards are more than just greetings. Award winning, Symphony Hand-Made Seed Papers are created from natural and biodegradable fibers, seeds, and plant material taken directly from nature. They are 100% recycle-able and actually grow herbs, flowers and vegetables when planted! Custom cards can be also created using certain seeds and inclusions. In a similar vein, K Kina creates cards of seed packets with either inspirational themes (Seeds of the Soul) or fun ones (Grow Your Own Handyman – filled with bachelor’s buttons, of course). Many of the cards from Jody Houghton Designs come with acrylic patchwork heart pins attached, supplying a gift as well as a greeting. Relying heavily on “girlfriend wisdom”, these cards have a special appeal to the women in our lives. Remember that women buy the vast majority of greeting cards.

There is some truly creative ingenuity in the cards from the Peace Company, some of which pop up or unfold to become three-dimensional sculptures or mobiles. Others combine translucent panels with graphic design to gradually unfold a simple sentiment. Their inspiration series of cards communicate positive messages about balance, happiness, and awareness. Paper Words produces unique cards for unique events, such as adoptions, opening nights, or civil unions. Their clever line of ‘shaker cards‘ are the two-dimensional version of snow globes – shake them up and watch the confetti fly! Hand-made ‘window cards’ feature transparent panels that let light shine through to the inside, creating a stained-glass effect.
We’ve barely, er .. ‘addressed’ the issue, but as you can see, the choices in original greeting cards are nearly endless. And that’s a good thing, because cards are like flowers in that everybody loves receiving them. They’re such simple gestures that can mean so much. Human beings – your customers included – are not generic, so why stock generic greeting cards? The card vendors we’ve mentioned here, as well as all the others listed in the FGMarket Cards & Stationary Category, provide you with the opportunity to offer your customers a selection of cards that are a bit – shall we say – outside the box., while at the same time allowing you to ring up extra, effortless sales. They’re easy add-ons. Good cards will sell themselves, and many of these suppliers can also provide racks and stands for displaying them. Some even have programs that reimburse you the cost of the display unit in merchandise. You can be sure that once your store establishes the reputation for carrying unique and unusual greeting cards, your customers will keep coming back for more.