Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Holiday cards: What did you send out?

According to Greeting Card Association about 2.0 billion Christmas and holiday cards were mailed this season. In fact, 8 out of 10 households engage in this tradition of sending out cards. Sixty percent of all greeting cards are sent out at Christmas-time.

And yes – electronic alternatives such as digital and e-cards – filled inboxes as well. Approximately 500 million e-cards were sent out last year.

So, how about you? Did you send out more cards this year, less cards or about the same?

Take just a second to fill out the poll on the upper right corner of this blog.
And feel free to comment here.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This year I sent only a letter that included pictures (that I printed) and did not include it in a greeting card.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I sent out as many as I did last year. And I know I didn't get near what I have. I did however get two ecards. I had to grit my teeth when I opened them.

Anonymous said...

I sent out about 80 cards, received only a few e-newsletters. I have one customer that sends out over 200 personal christmas cards (former teacher/business man).

Anonymous said...

I mailed about the same number of Christmas cards that I did last year - 15 - and received about the same amount of cards in return. Interesting point is that I received several cards in the mail sent a few days after Christmas from relatives/friends to whom I sent cards just a few days before Christmas. So that tells me that likely they appreciated the cards I sent them, and then they also wanted to express their holiday good will/greetings to me in return, even if their cards were mailed and delivered after the holiday. I think that it shows that people still very much appreciate the personable, tangible communications of a mailed greeting card or letter, especially around the holidays.

Anonymous said...

I sent out more than last year but received less. eCards just don't do it for me, gotta be the old in the envelope kind.

Anonymous said...

I received a fair amount of cards. Regards email cards this year, thankfully I did not receive any. Several people I talked with before Christmas told me how they detested receiving email cards. My sister told me that she will not even open email cards. She characterized them as too commercial, bland and non-personal. She is glad the business where she works and its computer email system will screen and reject them. She said she loves still receiving mailed Christmas greeting cards with their personal touch and good old fashioned hand writing.

Anonymous said...

I normally send out 60-80 cards. This year I sent out 2 cards.

Anonymous said...

I sent about the same number as last year, but only received 1/2 as many. I wll not open an ecard either. As a 24-year USPS employee, I support our business.

Anonymous said...

I sent out 63 cards this year and that is a little more than usual. I used the PremiumPostcards.com site and enjoyed it very much. I will use this site again when my daughter graduates from high school in June. Last year the cost was about 43 cents each. This year the cost was 94 cents each. A huge jump, but still worth it in my opinion. Beautiful Quality!!! Promotes our business and makes everyone happy!

Anonymous said...

I send out cards and enclose a photo. This year I sent a few less and received a few less. I love Christmas because of the cards and photos, but each year I get less and less. :(

Anonymous said...

I sent out 25 personalized/photo cards. Wish I had ordered 30. I tried to go online to the USPS Posstal store and order my photo cards from them BUT I went thru 24 pages of about 20 choices per page and NONE of them were very what I was looking for!! They were ALL basicallly "modern" designs and the few "old fashioned" ones they offered didn't have a very good salutation to go with them. I was very disappointed to say the least BUT I will try them again next year. I (also) don't do electronic cards..VERY IMPERSONAL!!

Anonymous said...

I disagree that electronic greeting cards HAVE to be impersonal. They can be cute, clever, animated, and as personalized as the sender wants to make them. I didn't send any christmas cards this year ... I just felt sort of wiped out after sending out - earlier in the year - wedding shower invitations, wedding shower thank you notes, wedding invitations (at least 300) and then the wedding thank you notes (probably at least about 200). I hoped my new husband would take the lead on the holiday cards, but he has some grand plan to print and send small collections of wedding photos ... late for christmas now, and getting late for new year too. Maybe not too late for Asian new year though LOL

grannybunny said...

I sent out more cards than last year, but -- alas -- received fewer. I hate eCards and will not open them unless the sender has previously told me to expect one. eCards are a common means through which computer hackers gain access to email account information and spread viruses.

Anonymous said...

i sent about 100 cards out---it is part of my Christmas tradition--i handed my daughter's hers and she looked at me hurt and said she wanted it mailed to her, like i did the others. She is 19. she likes texting, but appreciates traditions.

Anonymous said...

I don't send Christmas cards - it's too hectic at that time of year for one more thing to do. Instead, I send out a Valentine's Day letter with pictures to update my friends on the year that just passed. Many tell me that they appreciate that because they don't get any other Valentines, and it comes during a time of year when they can take the time to enjoy reading my letter when nothing else is going on.

Anonymous said...

I think it's a great idea. We need to get in the electronic business as well. Once upon a time you could go onto the USPS.com site and order a customized greeting card and include a gift card. We need to allow our customers a choice: purchase in a Postal Facility or buy on-line at USPS.com.