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Christmas Cards?

Do you send em? Receive many?

I stopped mailing cards years ago. The only ones I get now come from insurance agents and charities.

Still, I see lots for sale in the stores.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Merry Christmas!
:)

Still send them. Get less and less each year. But surprise additions. Got one from the body shop that towed my car after an accident this year
 
About 1962, I set about selling Christmas cards door to door. Needed to unload 24 boxes to win a canvas camping tent. The first dozen sold easily enough, to friends and neighbors, but the last few boxes were a real chore. And it was a crappy tent. :)
 

ajkel64

Check Out Chick
Staff member
I used to send lots many years ago, then the mail out got less and less. The year that I did not send any was the year a friend in another state passed away just after Christmas. I was not informed, and stumbled across his obituary when I googled him to see if he was still in business. If I had sent a card that year his family would have contacted me to tell me of his illness and then his passing. I regret that year immensely. I have sent a couple this year through The Nib Christmas card exchange. I plan on writing a few out and send them this week although they may not get there in time for Christmas.
 
Has gone down quite a bit in the past few years. This season was eleven out and six* in. For the outbound I normally go two years and if it hasn't been reciprocated in some form (even an email or phone call is appreciated) I stop. That said, there are a few people who'll receive a card regardless if I get one in return or not.

*The six inbound are from people I actually care about. Any that are from real estate agents, banks, etc. are shredded without reading. Not to sound ungrateful but I really don't need to be marketed to during the holidays.
 

AimlessWanderer

Remember to forget me!
I don't send them any more. The only involvement I have with the season is gifts for my young nieces. Aside from that, I try to steer clear of it all.
 
My family cares more for them than I do. There's always one you forget until you get a card from them. One year, after a straggler came in, I made one on gloss card stock with clip art of Santa stuck in a chimney as the reindeer laughed and the caption: "They say Christmas isn't over until you get your last card."

On the inside I had "Now it's over. Hope you had a Merry Christmas, anyway."

Then there's the time honored "Money's tight and times are hard/ Here's your @#$%^&* Christmas Card."
 
I think I sent out 44 this year, which is down a few from the last few years.
I sent to and received from a few fellow B&Bers. Check out The Nib. I send a lot and get a lot to/from Masonic friends across the state.
My card sending honestly has more to do with having an outlet for a fountain pen habit than it does the mailing of cards.
 
My wife is the social coordinator in the house. She used to easily send a couple of dozen cards out each year. This year she probably sent 6.

It seems like the tradition has really died off.
 
We send out 2 boxes each year. We have an address book, that is very dog eared. We get very few in the mail. We are keepers of tradition:)
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Another caveat here is what do you do if you receive one from someone you didn't send one out to? Immediately post one out to them?

Its pretty clear when we receive one a week later from someone we sent one to. But i try not to judge but take note

I thought it was a nice touch getting one from the body shop i used. That guy really stepped up and did me a major solid. i should have sent him one. If you meet this guy you would never think he has a Christmas card list. I didn't consider it marketing. Around here banks dont even send them anymore
 
In days of old it was how you learned Aunt Edna had an operation and cousin Billy was being drafted, and your former neighbor was moving again. You wished each other cheerful holidays and caught up on who had a new baby and who had a hip operation. Facebook and such has replaced the news sharing, mostly.

The bragging mimeographed Christmas letter inserted in the card. Remember? "Bob was promoted again. He is now Vice President of Data Processing! Little Timmy is first in his class at Snowflake Junior High. And Sally was voted Homecoming Queen at Batesviile H.S. She is thinking of going to State next year. And my pickles won a Blue Ribbon at the County Fair. Fifth year in a row!"
 

Toothpick

Needs milk and a bidet!
Staff member
I used to send cards. I used to send funny cards. I would send 15-20. Friends would get a kick out of it. But could not be bothered to send one in return. I’d send 15-20...I would receive 3. I stopped sending cards.
 

Rhody

I'm a Lumberjack.
Has gone down quite a bit in the past few years. This season was eleven out and six* in. For the outbound I normally go two years and if it hasn't been reciprocated in some form (even an email or phone call is appreciated) I stop. That said, there are a few people who'll receive a card regardless if I get one in return or not.

*The six inbound are from people I actually care about. Any that are from real estate agents, banks, etc. are shredded without reading. Not to sound ungrateful but I really don't need to be marketed to during the holidays.
Ok
The card from chewy/com is beyond cute
 
I used to send one to each relative and some friends. Over the years I'd be in the XXXX sent and X received but kept sending them. This year I cut off the ones that never bothered to send one to me and found that after subtracting deaths and non-reciprocals I sent out only around a dozen or so. I've got lots of cards (from boxed "value packs") that had a few more in the box than I sent each year so I'm just sending "leftovers" to many. Not many "specially picked" cards this year.
 
I send cards, about 20, every year. Nothing is more personal than a hand written card. Every one appreciate that and they send me in return e-mails...
 
The bragging mimeographed Christmas letter inserted in the card. Remember? "Bob was promoted again. He is now Vice President of Data Processing! Little Timmy is first in his class at Snowflake Junior High. And Sally was voted Homecoming Queen at Batesviile H.S. She is thinking of going to State next year. And my pickles won a Blue Ribbon at the County Fair. Fifth year in a row!"
Mom gets a card/letter like that every year from neighbors from 40 years ago. What makes it particular annoying is that its wrote as though the cat, dog, parakeet, etc. authored it and even though its a typed form letter they attempt to personalize it by hand writing in the recipient's first name.
 
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