A Tacky Christmas Card?

[Aerides]

To be fair, the retail choices are weaker each year.

"for parents, actually together, not overly mush and sappy, but nice" - 1 choice. $9
"for husband, not silly, not "you're a great dad", not oh-those-hard-times-we-had" - 2 choices, hideous pictures

So, doing custom cards to avoid the hours I spent in the hallmark store (and came away empty handed), sure, it's fine.

Oh I did custom cards of my cats under the tree a couple of years. Won't feel bad if I recycle those in a few more!

 

[Philliefan33]

I have trigger thumb and cannot hold a pen correctly. I struggled through writing little notes on the Christmas cards I wrote last night. They are barely legible.

The computer-printed address labels are a must for me.

 

[Gumby]

I make no judgments about Christmas cards. If you were kind enough to send me one, I am grateful to receive it, regardless of how it is addressed, annotated or signed.

 

[Chuckanut]

Actually, I think any card and/or envelope needs to be embossed with each letter raised up and easy to feel. Notes should be done using old ink pens and an ink well. And each note should be illuminated like the ancient monks used to do when copying the Bible by hand.

Or, just print a label and include a short note that show genuine interest in those who receive the card.

 

[GrayHare]

I've not looked into it, but I imagine Christmas photo cards can be automated at Kinkos or similar online service. "Upload your photo and mailing list, and we'll send cards so you don't have to." To me, the result has an advertising or robocall feel to it.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I thought I would to Christmas cards this year since I have the time but nope (too busy enjoying not working... I am more busy than ever doing "nothing." 5 months in and I don't know how working people do it)! Social media kind of fills in the "catching up on our lives thing." Next year I'll try to make more of an effort. In the past, I typed mine and had a boilerplate but always customized it a bit to fit the person/common interest.


I don't think any of the OP's post is tacky but personalized is valued more by me than just being on your newsletter list (why I edit my boilerplate for each).

 

[aja8888]

In the cards I send to young people, I have to remember to print the words as many can't read cursive.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

In the cards I send to young people, I have to remember to print the words as many can't read cursive.

Cursive has served it's purpose. It's a dying skill with no modern need. Putting ink on paper (even with a printer) is fading. I've hit the point where more and more, I watch the changes with a slight detachment and just enjoy it as I do other history even though it is the future's history in the making.



I learned cursive but other than my signature I don't ever use it and then the first letter is block and I do cursive for the rest.

 

[rk911]

Is it tacky to send a Christmas card with a pre-addressed recipient label?

Or how about photo Christmas cards but with no writing? Not even a written "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" (which is considered tacky too if only that's written).

I get a card every year from a brother. Photo of his family, pre-addressed envelop. Nothing written. Oh, my street name spelled incorrectly for about 10 years and still going .

these days we generally don't send Christmas cards...at least not as many as we used to (100+). these days less than a handfull. back in the day my wife and I used an 'assembly line' method of writing a sentiment in the card and signing her name. (her) and me signing, stuffling the card in the envelope, sealing and affixing the postage (pre-peel and stick stamp days). we had so many cards that I developed a database and used our PC to print recipient and return address labels. we occasionaly will receive a card from a person with a computer printer label and think nothing of it. most of the cards we receive simply say 'Merry Christmas', 'Happy Holidays' and the like and then a signature. again, no big deal for us.

 

[Dtail]

My DGF sends them out with pictures and personalized messages. If she didn't do it, I would not.

 

[gamboolman]

Since I am now retired, I/we have been sending out hand wrote Post Cards, Cards and Letters to folks.

It must have 20 years or more since the last time I had hand wrote a letter or card - ha !

I'm enjoying trying to write legibly since I had scribbled notes as fast as I could write at work for the last 40 some odd year and my handwriting was very poor - like a drunk Chickens scrawling....

I find it sad that many of todays younger folks can't read or write Cursive much at all or very little. I have been told many schools do not teach cursive hand writing anymore.

Postage has sure gone up.... I had some of the first few letters and cards returned because the stamps I used was old - ha !

 

[athena53]

My first year out of college, in 1975, I was living 5 hours away from the extended family and others had scattered already. I sent out cards with a hand-written letter in each. In 2003 I started adding a page of pictures from the year. Last year I gave up on the cards. Everything seemed to be printed in China. Not buying from China. So, I now do a page of pictures and 2-page letters. This year there will be 30. It means that I don't have to put on a happy face for the whole world- I can acknowledge challenges with some people if it's been that kind of year, and my friends who have never met my family don't get extended updates on people they don't know. Every year I get notes from one or two people telling me how much they look forward to my annual mailing.

I feel kind of meh about commercially-bought cards carrying nothing but a signature- a picture is nice but a personal note is even better. No problem at all with pre-printed address labels.

 

[Venturer]

My DW sends out the few cards that we do. On the ones we send to our immediate family she will write a little note ,sign her name and then give it to me to sign. If I were to try to write a long note with my left handed chicken scratch it would not be at all readable. As I'm typing this on my laptop I just noticed one of the ads that opened up on the right was from Shutterfly reminding me that they can do all these wonderful Christmas cards for me!

 

[COcheesehead]

We should just be happy that we are remembered and thought of. Some don’t get holiday cards.

 

[Badger]

Our Christmas card list is down to about 5 and that is for my wife's children and grandchildren. We get cards from them too. The rest come from colleges, car dealers, and anyone else that wants a donation from us.


Cheers!

 

[harllee]

We send Jacquie Lawson E cards, they are great. We just sent 100 of them this morning and we have already got online thank you notes from 50 people. It may be tacky to send ecards but everyone seems to love them. The annual subscription for these cards is only about $20 and we send the out for many other occasions in addition to Christmas. Jacquie Lawson also has an online Advent Calendar that we love.

 

[brett]

We have not sent cards for years. We get one, maybe two a year from older relatives. Older than us even.

We get a few more from local businesses touting for business. Adverts dressed up as Xmas cards. Seasons greetings, etc.

 

[easysurfer]

I have about 5 cards to send. Plan is to get them done today. I'll using inkk and pen. My old printing and signature can handle 5 cards.

The rest of my holiday greetings are of the social media nature.

 

[Sunset]

Since I am now retired, I/we have been sending out hand wrote Post Cards, Cards and Letters to folks.

It must have 20 years or more since the last time I had hand wrote a letter or card - ha !

I'm enjoying trying to write legibly since I had scribbled notes as fast as I could write at work for the last 40 some odd year and my handwriting was very poor - like a drunk Chickens scrawling....

I find it sad that many of todays younger folks can't read or write Cursive much at all or very little. I have been told many schools do not teach cursive hand writing anymore.

Postage has sure gone up.... I had some of the first few letters and cards returned because the stamps I used was old - ha !

I bought a few hundred dollars worth of forever stamps years ago.... It's been one of my unexpected better investments. As they keep up with postal inflation

 

[easysurfer]

I bought a few hundred dollars worth of forever stamps years ago.... It's been one of my unexpected better investments. As they keep up with postal inflation

Same here. Great minds think alike .

 

[easysurfer]

If You Can't Beat Them, Join Them

I decided to use my fancy label maker machine to make some tacky address labels for Christmas. I may never go back .

Actually, labels not too outrageous but just regular black font on white background.

Pre-made labels do save time.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I decided to use my fancy label maker machine to make some tacky address labels for Christmas. I may never go back .

Actually, labels not too outrageous but just regular black font on white background.

Pre-made labels do save time.

We have the Brother QL-800; I LOVE that thing!

 

[Marita40]

My sister in law sends a family photo card every year with nothing on it, not even a signature. I have found that odd...
Thank God my last acquaintance who sent the uber-tacky annual Christmas letter listing her work related professional achievements (!!) finally retired. No letter now comes. No professional achievements = no life, I guess.

 

[easysurfer]

We have the Brother QL-800; I LOVE that thing!

Is the QL-800 the cordless rechargeable model? The model I have runs on several AA batteries or plug in. I leave plugged in.

I had a DYMO label maker before the brother but difference was night and day. The Brother is so much nicer.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Thank God my last acquaintance who sent the uber-tacky annual Christmas letter listing her work related professional achievements (!!) finally retired. No letter now comes. No professional achievements = no life, I guess.

Ugh, how absolutely depressing. It reminds me of a couple of my Dad's friend's obits. One of them was way too long and read like an over indulgent Linkedin profile; he was one of the most uninteresting people I have ever met. The other friend had nothing more than a death notice but he led a very interesting life. It was interesting enough that I *wish* there was a book and/or moving about his adventures. So, I think those folks that are "overindulgent" about w*rk accolades are, well...I probably wouldn't enjoy having an adult beverage with them. Of course, to each their own...