A Tacky Christmas Card?

[easysurfer]

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 .

 

[Amethyst]

My brother has never sent a Christmas card, except while married to the third wife, who liked to send them (he would sign the ones to his sisters).

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 .

 

[Calico]

No, it isn't.

 

[aja8888]

Speak about tacky.....my dentist, with whom I have spent enough at his practice in the last 5 years to pay for his supercharged Jaguar, sent me a Christmas card this week and the message is written out and signed by his Dental Technician (not him):

 

[Time2]

Maybe I'm tacky for not send out any Christmas cards.
Bah humbug!

 

[ERD50]

What's wrong with pre-addressed envelopes?

If you have your mailing list in a computer, there is much less chance of error. Someone could easily transpose a couple numbers in the house # or zip.

Better that you receive that card than have it get lost, isn't it? I think you should be glad they thought enough to make the cards, and actually send one to you. Why complain about how it was done?

While a personal note, or at least a hand written signature is nicer, I would not go so far as to call having them pre-printed 'tacky'. Not at all.

I'd put much more weight on the thought and content itself. Seems to me there is a rash of people these days just looking to be offended.

-ERD50

 

[dak2018]

Speak about tacky.....my dentist, with whom I have spent enough at his practice in the last 5 years to pay for his supercharged Jaguar, sent me a Christmas card this week and the message is written out and signed by his Dental Technician (not him):

To be fair, you might well have spent more time with the Dental Tech than with the doctor!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I use pre-printed address labels but handwrite a personal message in each card. When DW and I got married, our list of cards was about 50 +/- a few. Through the years (and a lack reciprocity) our list is down to about 15-20 cards. I didn't think it is worth the effort and/or postage to keep sending cards to people that we never got cards from (or didn't talk otherwise through the years).

I look it at like this: the pre-print labels make it a little easier for the USPS to NOT f* up the delivery, especially with my chicken scratch writing.

 

[GrayHare]

Pre-addressed has an unpersonal, mechanized feel to it, but maybe it's better than nothing at all. Christmas card mailing has dropped to near zero for my friends and family.

 

[Major Tom]

If your handwriting is not the most legible, then a printed address label will help it to arrive at it's destination in a timely fashion. When it comes to the card inside though, I do think that handwriting is the way to go. A handwritten card is more personal than a typed one, or a card with no writing at all (even if a photo card) IMO.

 

[aja8888]

To be fair, you might well have spent more time with the Dental Tech than with the doctor!

Yes, and I do like her better than him. He is all business and she is comforting. You are right! The card was really from her and now I know why!

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

If your handwriting is not the most legible, then a printed address label will help it to arrive at it's destination in a timely fashion. When it comes to the card inside though, I do think that handwriting is the way to go. A handwritten card is more personal than a typed one, or a card with no writing at all (even if a photo card) IMO.

Speaking of which....a little off topic. My DW and her sister went to a baby shower a couple of months ago. The "sign in" was accomplished by writing your name/address on an envelope. About a month later, a non-personalized thank you card showed up via USPS in the envelope my DW had filled out. While this seems like a pretty nifty idea, it comes off as tacky IMHO.

 

[easysurfer]

Pre-addressed has an unpersonal, mechanized feel to it, but maybe it's better than nothing at all. Christmas card mailing has dropped to near zero for my friends and family.

My thinking for the original post.

A pre-addressed envelope kind of feels like an ad.

Understandable if from a business, as I wouldn't expect my dentist to hand write all Christmas cards to patients.

But for family members ... .

 

[pacergal]

Many people do pre printed address labels.
I don't care how they get to my house, I just enjoy receiving them!
Love hearing from folks and family I don't get to see over the year.

 

[W2R]

I haven't sent out Christmas cards in over 30 years. I got in this habit when I was working so hard on LBYM so I could retire. During that stage in life I decided cards are ridiculously overpriced and I couldn't afford them, (and being remarkably un-talented at art, decided to not make cards myself). Some people take offense, most don't, and honestly I don't care what they think one way or the other.

My brother and his DW send me a Christmas card every year, without fail. This consists of a photo of the two of them, and one of those impersonal Christmas letters detailing all the wondrous things they did that year (same letter for everyone, done on their computer, with a signature at the bottom). I think that's perfectly OK, too.

His DW also sends me an e-card every year which I hate!!! They always seem to require clicking on a link, and I just don't DO that because of the dangers of malware these days.

 

[Koolau]

DW does most of the cards. Her hand writing is getting so shaky that we get 1 or 2 cards back each year even though the address is correct. SO, pre-addressed envelopes or labels would be a step in the right direction. YMMV

 

[Sunset]

We use pre-printed address labels, so I don't view them as tacky. Probably my thinking is influenced because we use them.

We use them for the following reasons:

• Get the address correct and clearly written every year. I wonder how many hand written addresses never make it to me, just got a Christmas card and it's amazing it made it here as the address was screwed up.
• We are committed to sending a card to that person.

I think getting a photo card, showing the folks sending the card is a LOT less tacky or at least a LOT nicer than a generic Christmas card they signed.



I do think adding a note, is super wonderful, and I do it for close relatives.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Our Christmas card list continues to shrink. We have sent a letter for years and will continue to do so. We used to do address labels on the envelopes. After all, who keeps all the envelopes?

I get a Christmas card from one of my cousin's, one I have seen perhaps 3 times in the past 20 years. He married and divorced and has two kids. I know nothing about any of this. His Christmas card is personally signed with his first name and the names of the two kids I have never met. That's it. I'd rather get a letter or a photo card. Both of those show some effort to actually share. I could care less about a printed label.

We have gone to a card service the last few years. It costs more, but includes our annual letter. If you don't like such letters, no one is actually forcing you to read them.

 

[aja8888]

Besides my card from my dentist's technician, we received a card and typed family letter from my DW's widowed sister-in-law's daughter that we have not seen in 25 years.

She didn't include a photo(s), but the two page letter about her and their the children (which we have never met), talked about all the fun things they have done this year.

Nice stuff... (she has never sent us a card in previous years)

 

[tb001]

Fwiw, very few people I know who are my age or younger send personal holiday cards. One former colleague sends a typed letter with happenings for the year. Everyone else sends a photo collage card with a holiday greeting. These are all sent from services that do it all for you, including the preprinting of address labels and the mailing.

All of the ‘annual update’ letters are coming from my parents generation. I appreciate reading them, but I think people use Facebook for those updates now.

 

[jollystomper]

I use pre-printed address labels but handwrite a personal message in each card.

+1

We do this as well, and just hand write a personal note on the greeting or photo card (depending on which one we choose to do) for the person.

These are primarily for those our age or older, though our nieces and nephews with family will send photo cards.

 

[euro]

What's wrong with pre-addressed envelopes?

If you have your mailing list in a computer, there is much less chance of error. Someone could easily transpose a couple numbers in the house # or zip.

Better that you receive that card than have it get lost, isn't it? I think you should be glad they thought enough to make the cards, and actually send one to you. Why complain about how it was done?

While a personal note, or at least a hand written signature is nicer, I would not go so far as to call having them pre-printed 'tacky'. Not at all.

I'd put much more weight on the thought and content itself. Seems to me there is a rash of people these days just looking to be offended.

-ERD50

+1!!! Very true! Just relax

 

[easysurfer]

I may just write "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" on the inside of my cards. Oh, hand printed address out outside though .

 

[Aerides]

Nothing in the OP is tacky.

Personally I hate those postcard photo cards of people and their kids, except if they are family. But I wouldn't say it's tacky. The photo cards can't stand up like regular cards.

But given most people doing that are busy, raising families, working, etc., eh, it makes their life easier and we all just indulge in this ritual.

One year after opening a card I took this photo to send to my mum... Yes she picked out and sent us the same exact card, 3 years in a row.

 

[easysurfer]

Nothing in the OP is tacky.

Personally I hate those postcard photo cards of people and their kids, except if they are family. But I wouldn't say it's tacky. The photo cards can't stand up like regular cards.

But given most people doing that are busy, raising families, working, etc., eh, it makes their life easier and we all just indulge in this ritual.

One year after opening a card I took this photo to send to my mum... Yes she picked out and sent us the same exact card, 3 years in a row.

I like your mum's style? A year or two ago I stocked up on some boxes of cards post Christmas. To avoid what your mum did. I created a notepad document (probably should have created a spreadsheet ) describing what card was sent to previous year so I don't do a repeat send.