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Say it with a greeting card

Greeting cards have lasting value and impression, writes T. SARAVANAN

PHOTO: G. MOORTHY

BUSY Selecting cards that suit the occasion

When words fail, emotions overtake. The best way to communicate feelings on such occasions to the person close to your heart is through greeting cards. Though, advanced technology provides various options like short messaging service (SMS) and e-cards on Internet, the good news is that the all-time favourite greeting cards have not yet lost their patrons.

Preserved

Sending a card may be considered old-fashioned in today's fast-track living, but none can disagree that a greeting card sealed and mailed with love and care speaks volumes of an individual's feelings to the receiver. And the advantage is being preserved forever.

S. Abraham, who owns a cards shop "Celebrations" on Alagarkoil Road, says: "Greeting cards are an important mode of communication. Generally, college and school students favour sending greeting cards to their friends. But mostly, they prefer occasions like birthdays and Valentine's Day to buy cards. Festivals and occasions like New Year attract middle-aged people. They exchange cards with their kith and kin. This year we did good business for Christmas, but we are yet to get people for this New Year."

More than the colour and design what attracts the people are the wordings on the cards. "Of course, everyone has emotions but often find it difficult to put them down in black and white. For such people, greeting cards come in handy.

They choose wordings that reflect their mood and the occasion. Besides, it also reflects your personality," says J. Suresh Kumar of Disney Card Land.

Many in the business consider the advent of SMS and e-mail a major setback for the industry. Besides, people are perennially short on time. Many find the snail-mail quite a tedious process.

Though there is a hidden joy in doing so, many feel going to a card shop, searching through piles for a suitable card for your loved one and then posting it, it is all too time and energy consuming.

Setback

"Nobody likes to wait for days to get a greeting card. Given the vagaries of postal department, there is no guarantee that it will reach the right address at the right time particularly during peak seasons like Christmas and New Year. On the contrary, the click of a button lands your e-greeting to your dear one in no time.

"I generally prefer e-mails. But I also select and send cards to my friends because they love to see these funny cards. I also remind them of their New Year resolutions while writing a message in the card," says N. Parthiban, a college student.

The price of the New Year card ranges anywhere between Rs.5 and Rs.100.

This time round, the new arrival is the musical card where a figure pops out to a background score when you open the card.

"Sending greeting cards is a good habit which many in Western countries still follow. Keeping track of your friend's and dear ones' birthdays and important moments is a good habit, which ought to be preserved. It radiates a lot of positive energy. There are also people who buy cards in bulk," says Mr. Suresh Kumar.

Business gurus say that those buying cards to sustain personal relationships are far less than those buying in bulk to maintain professional affiliation.

Good patronage

"Generally, we get good patronage from corporate friends, who buy these seasonal greetings cards in bulk for their customers. Already, we are getting customers with new arrivals. This time we are promoting charity cards from Help Age India, CRY and RST Educational Society, Maharashtra. Besides, all top branded cards are available including, Archies and Enar," informs J. Anand, owner of `Top Shop' on Alagarkoil Road.

"Any new technological advancement is bound to attract wide attention. But people will once again turn their eyes to the traditional way of greeting friends. Moreover, once they use it and understand the effect it creates, they will definitely try to follow the age-old practice of sending greeting cards," hopes S. Ramanujam, a retired Highways Department official.

Greeting cards have the potential to evoke nostalgic memories and promote goodwill and friendship. Hence, many feel that greeting cards have a positive effect on both, the senders and the receivers.

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