Author Topic: Hallmark  (Read 5188 times)

ash7962

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Hallmark
« on: December 15, 2014, 03:35:21 PM »
So I keep hearing commercials on Spotify for Hallmark, and its been driving me crazy.  How is there such a huge market for cards that it takes up an entire aisle or even two at some stores??  They are such a waste!  I could see maybe buying one if you were going to mail money to someone and wanted some thicker paper to hide the fact that there's money in there, but I think I'd rather have a handwritten note than the cheesy signed card.  What do you think?

abhe8

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2014, 03:43:24 PM »
Total waste. My kids are card making machines. We
Use blank paper or i pick up 8 cards for a dollar at the dollar store.

Shade00

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2014, 04:06:12 PM »
I abhor greeting cards. But I do like giving nice thank you cards. I will often spend a few bucks on a pack of high-quality thank you cards.

MgoSam

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2014, 06:26:53 PM »
I hate cards, but I know plenty of people that would never dare to give a present without the right card. This isn't for me and while I personally think its a waste of money, they get satisfaction from it.

ash7962

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2014, 07:33:15 AM »
I've pretty successfully ignored cards for the past few years, but these commercials have been killing me.  One is like "When I was a kid I used to wonder which toy I'd take to bed with me, now its you" and then something like "Tell your husband you're thinking of him this season with a Hallmark card".  I think what really has been getting to me is the idea that a hallmark card is the best way to tell someone how you feel, or that its somehow implying that I don't tell people my feelings if I don't get them a card.  I just think that a store bought card that someone else wrote is the worst medium for telling someone how I feel.

Forcus

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2014, 10:08:35 AM »
I basically try to steer clear of Hallmark and cards in general but I am an absolute sucker for their airplane and truck xmas ornaments.

DragonSlayer

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2014, 10:27:05 AM »
I don't care for cards, but I notice that there seems to be a generational/possibly regional thing going on. My parents, aunts, uncles, in-laws, etc. all give and seem to expect cards. It's just the way things are "done" and have always been done. (We're in the south, so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.) Whereas me and my friends don't really care for cards and find them a bit wasteful. I'm not about to disappoint my older family members by not getting them a card, but I don't waste the money on people my age.

BlueMR2

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #7 on: December 16, 2014, 10:37:06 AM »
Some people expect them.  Hallmark is ridiculously expensive.  For the people that really need cards, I walk down to my dollar store where they're 2 for $1.

EricL

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2014, 10:53:52 AM »
Isn't it cheaper to make your own?  I mean, even if you don't have kids with skills like abhe8, you should be able to churn 'em out by the bucketful using pics off the internet or your own photos, a printer, and card stock.  If you need a clever idea for a turn of phrase I suppose you could plagurise a store card. Who's going to tell on you?  Aunt Ethel?  And if she did would the card company have a case?  After all you only made one and you didn't sell it.  Plus some charities insist on sending generics out for a donation-in my case far more than I ever use.

Cpa Cat

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #9 on: December 16, 2014, 11:17:57 AM »
How is there such a huge market for cards that it takes up an entire aisle or even two at some stores??

There isn't, really. Hallmark lays off more workers every year. They've closed at least one plant completely, probably more. Any time a store renovates, it allocates less space to cards.

My stepmom is really into Hallmark, though. She's always sending out these beautiful, expensive cards for every occasion and holiday. I feel kind of bad when I throw them in the recycling.

Personally, I get a lot of free cards from a couple of animal/wildlife organizations.

I once had someone comment on it, "Oh, I saw the card you sent me was a free gift from X organization. A little cheap, don't you think?"

I didn't send her any more cards.

Elderwood17

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #10 on: December 16, 2014, 01:32:23 PM »
My DW won't give up greeting cards but we are now getting them for $0.50 each at the dollar store, which is fine with me.

frugalnacho

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #11 on: December 16, 2014, 02:01:42 PM »
I abhor the entire industry.

Made a thread about it awhile back.

http://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/greeting-cards/

I think the whole industry is an unnecessary expense.  I've always hated the the entire idea.  Every time i've ever gotten a store bought greeting card all I can think is "You actually wasted money on this? Why didn't you just give me the $4 instead?".  I've been against the purchase of greeting cards for almost any occasion my entire life.  I often get over ridden by my wife when she decides we just have to waste money on a card because other people like it and it's "just what you do". 

The last get together we had was father's day, and there were about 15 cards exchanged in total.  The average cost was about $4/card, so in total our family spent $60 to pass father's day cards around our backyard.   That is fucking nuts!!!!  We all made plans to get together in one location, and spend the day together, and all contribute food so we could all hang out together.  WTF did we need the cards for?  Everyone already appreciates everyone else as evident by us spending the day together in the first place. 

I told my wife I want out.  I am done with the greeting card industry in it's entirety.  Never again will I waste my money by giving it to the bloated greeting card industry. 

I just felt like ranting about greeting cards since I hate the whole system so much.  Anyone else feel like me?

Louis the Cat

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #12 on: December 16, 2014, 02:05:56 PM »
Actually went to the Hallmark store today and bought a box of 40 Christmas cards for $18 plus 2 rolls of wrapping paper for $8 and $1 (buy one, get one for $1). I like the feel of the Hallmark stuff and there's nothing I hate more at Christmas (aside from the general materialism of it all) than trying to wrestle with thin, cheap wrapping paper. Absolutely worth it and I also come from family and friends that exchange cards so we just do it. Don't have to, probably wouldn't get shunned if we didn't but we do it anyway. At the very least, it's a good way to share a picture of our children since we're really bad about keeping in touch otherwise.

ash7962

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #13 on: December 17, 2014, 11:09:47 AM »
Actually went to the Hallmark store today and bought a box of 40 Christmas cards for $18 plus 2 rolls of wrapping paper for $8 and $1 (buy one, get one for $1). I like the feel of the Hallmark stuff and there's nothing I hate more at Christmas (aside from the general materialism of it all) than trying to wrestle with thin, cheap wrapping paper. Absolutely worth it and I also come from family and friends that exchange cards so we just do it. Don't have to, probably wouldn't get shunned if we didn't but we do it anyway. At the very least, it's a good way to share a picture of our children since we're really bad about keeping in touch otherwise.

That's a good point, I actually do kind of like the cards with pictures of people's families.  If I don't see some family or friends very often then I do like to see how their family is growing.

russianswinga

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #14 on: December 17, 2014, 12:04:24 PM »
My wife picked up a greeting card for a friends' birthday because I didn't have time to go shopping with her. It was from Papyrus. Cost was $8. For one greeting card.
"But it was so pretty and looked hand-made"
Sigh. While I know she wouldn't appreciate it if I handed her scissors and glue, I AM glad a dollar store opened up walking distance from our condo 2 weeks ago. I'll make it a point to just get all our birthday cards for all friends with birthdays in the next 6 months in one swoop.

Kaspian

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Re: Hallmark
« Reply #15 on: December 17, 2014, 12:43:33 PM »
Even for a wedding, I buy all my cards at the Dollar Store.  Then I do a really nice colour drawing/watercolour on the inside of something that I know the bride/groom/recipient likes or relates to.  I like the idea that the first impression when they open the envelope is "Wow, cheapskate card, Ed!!" then they open the card to a very personal surprise.  $5 Hallmark card gets eventually thrown in the trash, mine wins and gets stored with the wedding mementoes.  :)

All you need is some pencil crayons and a couple of markers, really.  I'll do it while watching TV in the evening.  (Yes, I actually enjoy it--and the ideas I come up with into images to really tug at their heart strings.  An image I drew of the Little Prince meeting the fox left the bride in tears for a half-hour apparently.) 
« Last Edit: December 17, 2014, 12:50:03 PM by Kaspian »

 

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