Jewellery News and Reviews

Receiving a greeting card gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling inside, just like mom’s hot apple pie or the hug of a warm sweater fresh from the dryer. To keep in touch with someone or let them know you’re thinking of them, postcards, letters and greeting cards are the best. However, for special occasions or very special friends, there are balloon bouquets and other specialty gifts available too.

Audio greeting card choices have been around for decades, but they’re starting to catch on even more now. “We sold more cards with higher content-related costs, such as music, lights, and embellishments this year,” said American Greetings Chief Executive Zev Weiss. This past April, Hallmark released a line of audio greeting cards that combined the traditional greeting card with an embedded computer chip good for a 10-second message that can be listened to 220 times and can also be re-recorded. The cards also play a 15-second music clip following the message. “It’s an emotional value,” said Sarah Gronberg, Hallmark publicity manager. “We found the strongest reaction from parents. When they see this sort of thing exists, it (resonates) because if you can capture your kid’s voice when they’re little or when they’re not around you, that’s when you see the largest emotional connection.”

“Lenticular” cards are another option using the new technologies for greeting cards by offering a visual treat. Using holographic technology, images appear to move. LED light cards are also appearing, which adds “bling” to any card experience so that every card is a party. Card makers are looking into creating more cards using motion-sensitive LED screens, much like a cell phone or digital camera, which would allow consumers to send a paper card with a video clip!

Greeting cards have been traded since the 1400s, so they’re not likely to disappear entirely, despite burgeoning specialty gifts and e-card sales. Most people will confess that there is just nothing like a real letter or a real card in the mail. “Innovative technology is allowing greeting card publishers to be much more creative and is allowing card senders to become more involved in developing exactly the card they imagined,” says Valerie Cooper, executive vice president of the Greeting Card Association. “What hasn’t changed is the special me-to-you connection of cards and their continued popularity with Americans of all ages.”