My card, sir.

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Met a very cool retired guy recently. At the end of our conversation he handed me a business card with his and his wife's names, number, email, etc. No hint on the card as to what he did for a living, and mercifully no wise-crack about being retired.

You meet a lot of people in the course of a year. I thought this was a nice gesture. Probably would not have responded so positively if his card flaunted his accomplishments, degrees, title, or cutesy retirement comment. But the card made it easy for me to remember him, contact him down the road, and I didn't have to waste the back of a perfectly good napkin.

Anyone out there do this? How does it strike you?

 

[Martha]

Cut Throat, show him your card.


I think it is a nice idea.

 

[REWahoo]

Having cards printed up so someone will know how to contact me? Don't think so. I sought FIRE to be able to live the credo of the school of curmudgeonry: "Don't call me, I'll call you".

Now for you non-c types, might be a good idea...

 

[mickeyd]

As a board member of a non-profit I have business cards that they provide to me. The card has all of my personal info and the logo of the organization. I pass them out like candy.

 

[wabmester]

In the boom days of the late '90s, right after I sold my little software company for a crazy multiple, I printed up some simple cards with my contact info and my favorite motto of the time:

In a hurricane, even turkeys can fly.

 

[Nords]

Anyone out there do this? How does it strike you?

We had to learn that stuff over two decades ago in "Naval Etiquette".

Couldn't you just synch his PDA's address book to yours over the IR or wireless link?  Or enter it in your cell phone?

Jim McGurk (MGYSGT USMC RET) used to give a motivational talk to the veterans who were about to leave active duty.  He advised that you never knew where a networking opportunity would present itself, and if you wanted to accomplish the job-seeking mission then you had to be ready with the ammunition and you had to make an impression.  Then he'd say "Sir, may I present... (poignant pause, flourish)... my card."  It's been nearly six years and that impression hasn't faded yet.

Now I'm not looking for a job.  And I'm not usually swapping contact info with people, but a card would make it easier, especially if I happened to be carrying a wallet at the time.  I guess I'm too lazy to bother printing them up, or it reminds me too much of work...

 

[Non sequitur]

As a point of information, turkeys fly VERY well.

 

[wabmester]

As a point of information, turkeys fly VERY well.

From the Farmer's Almanac:

Q: Can turkeys fly?

A: Turkeys raised on turkey farms cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly short distances at up to 55 miles per hour.

Anyway, I bet they can fly even better in hurricanes.

 

[Nords]

As a point of information, turkeys fly VERY well.

Reminds me of the final line from that notorious episode of WKRP Cincinnati: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

Tom Moffat claims in his memoirs that the episode is based on actual events... I think it was Ron Jacobs near LA.

 

[REWahoo]

A: Turkeys raised on turkey farms cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly short distances at up to 55 miles per hour.

Moving right along with the threadjack, my BIL was doing 65 in his car when a wild turkey attempted to fly across the road in front of him. He struck it just about hood height, and it skimmed along until it struck the windshield right in front of him, broke completely through the safety glass and landed in his lap.

When he got the car stopped, he opened his door and pushed the turkey off him and onto the shoulder of the road. After laying there for a few seconds, he said it got up and limped off into the brush. He was unhurt, just covered in broken glass and poop. Some of it belonged to the turkey.

 

[mickeyd]

"As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!"

Words of WKRP's Les Nessman, I believe, 3 time winner of the Buckeye Newshawk Award.

 

[JPatrick]

covered in broken glass and poop.  Some of it belonged to the turkey.

Now wait a minute, are you telling me that turkey was wearing glasses?

 

[REWahoo]

Now wait a minute, are you telling me that turkey was wearing glasses?

Yes. And based on his lack of depth perception in timing his crossing, I would guess he needed a new prescription.

Wonder why that turkey crossed the road?

 

[JPatrick]

Yes.  And based on his lack of depth perception in timing his crossing, I would guess he needed a new prescription. 

Wonder why that turkey crossed the road?

Perhaps there was an optical shop on the other side.
Run by an "Opturkeytrist" no doubt

 

[audreyh1]

Oh, absolutely. We do cards and hand them out to people who want our email or otherwise contact info. My husband being a wildlife photographer, we design our own cards with some pretty wildlife on them. We color (inkjet) print them out on stiff paper and use a paper cutter to cut them to size. These have proven to be very useful over the years. Essential really. We meet lots of folks in our wanderings, and make new friends, and cards help!

It has our names, a web site address, email, and cell phone number. We don't include our address because we really don't want anyone to mail us anything (and they can always call/email later if they really want to send us a card or something).

Lots of other retired folks have cards. We have a little sleeve binder thingy we use to collect them.

Audrey

FWIW - these are not "business" cards - LOL. I suppose you could call them personal cards.

 

[audreyh1]

In a hurricane, even turkeys can fly.

LOL! Turkeys fly just fine! OK - 1/4 mile is about their limit, but they do fly.

Ostriches (rheas, etc.) - now it would indeed take a hurricane to make these big flightless birds fly - LOL!

Audrey

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

In anticipation of leaving the rat race, I had these made up

Great card!

 

[SC]

Yep, we had a batch of cards printed up for cheap at VistaPrint. Just the usual contact info: Name, address, phone, fax, email, URL. (Now that I write that, it seems like too many methods, but these are "all purpose" cards.)
It's nice for when you meet someone you want to follow-up with later. For example, while travelling just a few weeks ago we ran into some people who live near us, and gave them a card so we could compare travel experiences when we got back. Very convenient.
SC

 

[Gonzo]

Yes, we have personnel cards with our info on them... I bought business card paper at OfficeMax and print them with the inkjet.

Gonzo

 

[2B]

A century or more ago a "gentleman" would have a calling card.  He would "present" the card when calling -- back when "calling" meant showing up at the door since no one had a phone.  There was a whole set of etiquette rules about cards.

I like the idea of having a "personal" card like some have already mentioned.  It's a simple way of giving out contact info. 

I have seen some cards that are really dumb so I'd suggest leaving stupid "retired junk" off of them.  I met one guy that was forced early retired that used his card to try to find a new job and it listed all of his skills.  Unfortunately for him, it made him look pathetic and desperate.

 

[OAG]

Some things just never change. A long time ago, in the military, at least the Army, officers were "required" to have "calling cards" which were deposited in a dish or other container when one "called" on the commander and usually his spouse at thier home. The cards were used on other formal occassions. Of course I think this custom may have gone by the wayside now. But the idea of the plain (name, email, address, phone number) makes real sense now.

 

[Nords]

Of course I think this custom may have gone by the wayside now. But the idea of the plain (name, email, address, phone number) makes real sense now.

It's still required at both the Naval Academy & West Point... and I'm sure there are a few places in senior officer houses around the world.

Remember all the codes indicated by folding down different corners of the card? Yeah, me neither.

But this is when the cards were made by engraving the form on a brass plate, paying for a bulk purchase, and waiting a couple weeks for the order to come in. I ordered 1000 cards in the early 90s (it probably saved me two or three dollars over the 200-card purchase) and they lasted over a decade.

I much prefer watching my nephew the Army Ranger cycle through various signatures in his e-mails.

 

[kcowan]

I have no problem with the personal card that has only basic information on it. When I was a company president, I had two sets of cards, one with title and the other just with name.

It was fun to see the difference in treatment between the two cards, I always used the untitled cards at trade shows to avoid getting targetted on callback lists. If I was making a joint call with a junior salesman, I would also use the untitled card so the salesman could maintain call control.

(Hmm maybe I should print a set with Portfolio Manager on them just to see what happens...)

 

[2B]

(Hmm maybe I should print a set with Portfolio Manager on them just to see what happens...)

The company I currently work for doesn't use titles on business cards. I don't know how far up the food chain the "blind" cards go.

When you're retired, why not put something with more umph... Director of Strategic Investments

 

[kcowan]

The company I currently work for doesn't use titles on business cards.  I don't know how far up the food chain the "blind" cards go.

When you're retired, why not put something with more umph... Director of Strategic Investments

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