Greeting Card Search

Snail Mail Greeting Cards Down This Year

Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:00:00 EST

The Washington Post has an article that says less people are sending postal cards the old fashion way. Snail mail greeting cards are falling according to data from a couple sources. The U.S. Postal Service says first-class mail was down about 11% for the first two weeks of Decemeber.

For the first two weeks of December, said U.S. Postal Service spokesman Michael Woods, "we are seeing about an 11 percent decrease in first-class cancellations from last year, which is a good proxy for the number of cards and letters coming through the system."

A company named Datamonitor told the Post that they are seeing a 10% to 15% decrease in greeting cards delivered via snail mail.

"We see a 10 to 15 percent decline in the overall volume of mailed paper greeting cards this year," said Neil Hendry of Datamonitor, a New York-based retail analysis firm. "There are two principal reasons: technology and the economy."

As Datamonitor says this is partly because of the recession but it is also part of a trend. People that keep in touch with Facebook and email may see less of a need to mail greeting cards. Home printers can also reduce the need for maiing a greeting card. If you are going to be visiting someone you can hand deliver a greeting card made with your fancy home color laser printer. Companies are also embracing the printed method. Amazon.com recently starting offering printed gift cards that include a holiday greeting.

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CCFC Designs Flower Hint Cards

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST

Sets of whimsical business card-size reminders dubbed "Hint Cards" are available in select California-grown flower bouquets in Safeway, Vons and Pavilions stores throughout California and Nevada. They can also be found online at FlowerHintCards.com.

CCFC designed the cards to make it easier for flower lovers to not only drop a hint that they would like more flowers in their life. One of these cards should help deliver the message that you would like some flowers if other hints and suggestions are not working.

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Random House Launches Tracy Morgan Ecards

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

Tracy Morgan has launched a series of funny ecards to promote his new book, I am the New Black. You can find the ecards here on the Random House website. It's a clever way to help promote a new book. Maybe more authors will use the concept.

(via Download Squad)

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American Greetings 2009 Halloween Cards

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST

American Greetings has announced its Halloween lineup for 2009, which includes sound envelopes and Talking Heads cards. The National Retail Federation has said overall Halloween sales will be down significantly but people will still be buying some cards, candy and costumes.

"It's no surprise that people love Halloween--there's fun, fright, and a little magic in the air," said Mary McClain, creative director, new product development at American Greetings. "We've infused that same excitement and spirit into the card aisle so that there's something special to share with anyone, and we think these new innovations do a great job of that."

American Greetings sound envelopes are now available in fun Halloween themed designs. When opened, the card provide sounds of bubbling cauldrons and cackling witches, ghostly moans, creaky doors and screams. Halloween for American Greetings also marks the return of its popular summer card line, Talking Heads, with an all-new cast of characters including a vampire, witch, skeleton and zombie.

Another addition this year for American Greetings is a line of greeting cards with visual tricks. As the cards are flipped open, a haunting image magically comes to life as skeletons dance and black cats cross your path. Sweet vintage-inspired looks and charming extras have been added to greeting cards that can double as holiday decor such as pop-ups, banners, shadow boxes and word garland.

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Recycled Paper Greetings Launching The Onion Greeting Cards

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST

Recycled Paper Greetings (RPG) is introducing a new line of cards from The Onion, a online fake news website. The line includes 12 cards that have the look of an article torn from a newspaper, and include The Onion's funny headlines. One example reads, "Search For Self Called Off After 38 Years," and features a disheveled man lying on a couch in a robe and pajama bottoms as cereal and junk food form a protective barrier around him. Another card, shows a picture of a woman with the headline, "List Of Friends Revised After Birthday Party."

"We are thrilled to introduce these new cards with The Onion because we know that many of our consumers are big fans of the publication," said Jude Rake, CEO, Recycled Paper Greetings. "At RPG we always focus on offering topical humor that shoppers will stop and notice, and few, if any, do that better right now than The Onion."

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Quriky Graph Greeting Cards From Quiplip

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:00:00 EST

A greeting card company called Quiplip carries a unique line of greeting cards called graphitudes. Graphitudes use charts and graphs to convey the meanings of birthdays, thank yous and other holidays and intentions. Quiplip was featured on CNN's Anderson Cooper's segment in 2006.

(via Teen Vogue)

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Hallmark Mobile Greetings Launches

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:00:00 EST

Hallmark has launched Hallmark Mobile Greetings, a new product for cell phones. Senders can also add their personal message to any of the greetings Hallmark has created.

"Millions of people rely on cell phones as part of their daily routine of connecting with others," said Mike Adams, Hallmark Mobile manager. "With Hallmark Mobile Greetings, consumers can creatively connect right away over everyday moments and occasions like a shared joke or words of encouragement. We are taking the skill Hallmark has of helping people connect and are bringing it to the mobile world."

Hallmark Mobile Greetings is available by downloading to a cell phone the free mobile phone application from mobile.hallmark.com. Users can then send greetings to other mobile phones. Consumers also can send greetings directly from mobile.hallmark.com for delivery to a mobile device. Each Hallmark Mobile Greeting costs 99 cents. Fees are billed as part of monthly service-provider charges and the sender is only charged if the recipient opens the mobile greeting.

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Pigspigot: User-Generated Greeting Card Site

Sat, 20 Jun 2009 21:00:00 EST

Pigspigot is a user-generated greeting company. The site let upload the art for e-cards on its website. People can both and send and friend e-cards. Cards can also be sent as a $3.99 snail mail card.

Pigspigot is an online, user-generated greeting card company that will allow customers to send both e-cards and snail-mail cards to friends and family. We like to think of it as a sort of anti-Hallmark with a wiki twist.

Browse our collection, using our editor's picks or check out what's "popular" to see the cards people love the most. We offer free e-cards, but try sending a paper card for the insanely low price of 3.99 (including shipping). We're sure your loved ones would love you more if you send them the real deal (and we're pretty sure the converse is true, too; yikes!). Check out our FAQ section for more technical details or contact us with any questions.

Or, if you're feeling clever and art-tastic, submit some cards! You can upload designs that you've created on your computer or you can use our nifty card template. Please do it. Por favor. Because without you, we'd have no cards.

Pigspigot is not currently offering any payment for art submitted to its website although they do mention ways contributing artists may be rewarded in the Faq. The terms they take for using artwork are described here.

(via Mashable)

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American Greetings Announces Sound Envelopes

Fri, 22 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

American Greetings has announced in a press release that they are launching sound envelopes. When the envelope is opened it activates a song or a recorded sound to play. The envelopes will retail for $3.49. Here's more from the press release.

This patent-pending design has an innovative mechanism in the opening flap, which triggers music or sound to be played each time it is opened. These mailable envelopes allow consumers to add a surprising burst of sound to almost any greeting card. The new envelopes also feature themed designs to create an exciting way to package a greeting card that's not only visually appealing, but also a lot of fun.

"We know that consumers want to create memorable experiences when celebrating special occasions to show their friends and family just how much they care," said Mary McClain, new product concepts creative director American Greetings. "Music and sound envelopes are a unique way to customize a song or sound clip to an already carefully selected greeting card and it adds such a wonderful surprise when the envelope is opened."

Featuring a variety of songs and sounds, the collection has everything to delight recipients, ranging from "What I Like About You" by The Romantics, "You Got It (The Right Stuff)" from New Kids on the Block, and "Happy Birthday" to people cheering and animal noises. The envelopes are perfect additions to any birthday or other festive occasion.

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How to Recycle and Reuse Holiday Cards

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:00:00 EST

Ray Olson explains how to recycle greeting cards in this video from eHowgreen. Some of the ideas including cutting off the front and using it as a gift tag. You can also use the front flap to create a new greeting card. Multiple greeting cards can also be put together to make wrapping paper. Take a look:

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New Greeting Cards Contain Audio Clips From Movies

Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:00:00 EST

Cleveland.com reports that American Greetings has teamed up with Paramount for a line of print audio greeting cards that contain lines from movies. A Godfather card is one of the first 10 from this new line of birthday cards.

The $4.99 cards, which are just starting to appear on store shelves at American Greetings and Carlton Cards stores, will also be sold at drugstores, supermarkets and mass retail outlets such as Wal-Mart and CVS.

Other cards in the series feature characters from the movies "Airplane," "Clueless," "Dreamgirls," "Major League," "The Naked Gun," "Old School," "Road Trip," and "Tommy Boy."

The "Tommy Boy" card features Richard (David Spade) and Tommy (Chris Farley) with the phrase: "It's your birthday - Do something exciting!" Inside, the two say, "Have fun!"

The sound chip adds, "I can't believe you've never been cow tipping before! Get ready to live!"

The cards cost $4.99 and can be purchased at American Greeting stores, Carlton Cards stores as well as drugstores, grocery stores and other retailers that carry cards.

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Postcard Includes Basla Wood Glider

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:00:00 EST

Here's a fun postcard that's also a toy. The postcard aeroplane includes a basla wood guider that kids can pop out. It's sold here on Suck.uk.com for 5 pounds, which is about $7.16 U.S.

s it a plane? Is it a postcard? No it's a postcard aeroplane! Excellent for kids and grown-ups who are just big kids, it's made from balsa wood and the pieces easily pop out to form your very own loop-de-loop, flying glider. It's much more fun than ordinary mail and once you write a little message on it, it becomes post with a bit more love and personality. Don't forget to send it by 'air mail' though, get it? Air? Because it's a plane and it flies through the air!

(via Dvice via OhGizmo)

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American Greetings Seeks to Acquire Recycled Paper Greetings

Mon, 5 Jan 2009 18:00:00 EST

American Greetings is seeking to acquire rival Recycled Paper Greetings Inc. Recycled Paper Greetings filed for bankruptcy as part of the proposed sale. RPG Investment Holdings strongly opposes the actions taken by American Greetings reports Reuters.

RPG Investment Holdings and funds affiliated with private equity firm Monitor Clipper Partners LLC said in a separate statement on Friday that they "strongly oppose the actions taken by American Greetings" prior to the bankruptcy filing.

According to Recycled Paper's website, it is a Monitor Clipper portfolio company.

"Through its unlawful actions, we believe American Greetings is attempting to eliminate Recycled Paper Greetings as a competitor, in an effort to gain more widespread traction in the lucrative market segment in which Recycled Paper Greetings excels," the investors said.

There are other article about investors complaining about the sale here, here and here.

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American Greetings to Cut 275 Jobs

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

American Greetings Corp. is eliminating 275 jobs because of the weak economy. Internet Retailer reports that the economy will cause the company to fall short of its expected Q3 earnings. The cuts will be made at American Greetings' headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio. The company employs 18,000 people and 2,200 of them work at the Cleveland headquarters. Ohio.com has more details on the layoffs at American Greetings.

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Some Holiday Greeting Card Facts

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

The AP has reported a few facts about holiday greeting cards.

They say that Holiday cards date to 1843 in Europe and 1875 in the United States. The Greeting Card Association says that holiday cards now account for about 27% of the 7 billion paper cards sold each year.

The U.S. Postal Service expect total holiday mail to fall for the first time in decades. The drop is expected to be from 20 billion last year to 19 billion pieces of holiday mail this year.

The AP also says that according to ettiquette experts at The Emily Post Institute it is acceptable to skip cards to save money.

You can skip cards but you can also send more meaningful cards to less people if you are trying to cut back. ShoppingBlog.com reports that American Greetings and Hallmark started noticing that people were looking for more traditional cards during the 2007 holidays. The big card companies have also come out with more traditional and heartfelt cards this year.

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YouTube Greeting Cards Back in 2008

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST

YouTube blogs that they have brought the YouTube Greeting Cards back again for 2008.

Last year we introduced our "holiday video card," and over a million of you sent fun and festive video cards to your friends and loved ones. This year we're bringing it back with even more themes and featured videos for you to choose from, like this one:

To create your card, visit the YouTube Greeting Cards site where you can choose from dozens of holiday videos uploaded by the YouTube community. Or if you prefer, send a greeting video of your own - either select a video that you've previously uploaded or record a brand new one. For your convenience, we've also added a link on every YouTube watch page under the "share options" section so you can send any embeddable video on YouTube as a greeting card.

After you've selected your video, pick a theme, type in your personal message, enter the recipients' email addresses, and voila - instant holiday cheer.

The YouTube Greeting Cards site lets you select a YouTube video to include in your greeting card. You can also record your own video message to use. The ecard can then be emailed to your friends. A bunch of YouTubers have created special Christmas messages for these YouTube greetings.

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Hallmark Produces 2008 Presidential Holiday Card

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 17:40:00 EST

The White House has selected Hallmark Cards, Inc., for the eighth year in a row, to produce the official 2008 presidential holiday card. The cards will be mailed to foreign dignitaries, friends, and family of President and Mrs. George W. Bush. The card image is an exclusive design of a view from the Truman Balcony of the White House.

Artist T. Allen Lawson, a well-known painter from Main, was selected by Mrs. Bush to create the original artwork for the card. Lawson's painting is reproduced on the card, made with recycled paper, as a tip-on on elegant stock with a debossed edge. An embossed gold foil presidential seal highlights the insert page.

President and Mrs. Bush selected the following Bible verse from Matthew and brief message to be incorporated on the card:

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

The card also says, "May your heart and home be filled with the joys of the holiday season."

Hallmark's presidential card project leader Cindy Mahoney was thrilled to work on the card. "I am pleased that Hallmark was chosen by the Bush family to continue the important tradition of sending holiday cards," Mahoney said. "More than ever, people will find comfort and reassurance receiving cards this holiday season with messages of peace, love and appreciation."

Work began on the holiday card in July when a team from Hallmark began collaborating with Mrs. Bush's office.

Hallmark also made holiday cards for Vice President and Mrs. Cheney's official 2008 holiday cards.

Hallmark began making Christmas cards for presidents in 1953, when Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the first White House Christmas card and started what has become a White House tradition. The company has created at least one card for each administration with exception of the Clinton Administration. The 2008 card is the 41st official card created by Hallmark for the White House.

In 1982, Hallmark donated its Presidential Christmas Card Collection to the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. The Hallmark Visitors Center adjacent to the Kansas City headquarters of Hallmark Cards, Inc., also displays the Presidential Christmas Card Collection.

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Write Hook Lets Users Mail Customizable Print Cards Online

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

BizTimes.com reports that two Milkwaukee women recently started a greeting card company called Write Hook. Write Hook lets people send customizable print cards from their computer. The cards cover typical occassions like holidays and birthdays as well as "less typical" moments like divorce, break-ups, menopause and pet loss.

Lori Palay and Seraya Amirthalingam created the company to allow people to create greeting cards for some of the "less typical" moments in life.

Readers can browse hundreds of images and sentiments, and choose elements that express their exact thoughts at the company website (www.writehook.com). The custom cards can then be mailed to recipients.

"I am a cancer survivor, and when I was sick, people were incredibly generous," Palay said. "I was too sick to write thank you notes, and I kept thinking there has to be a better way to do this. There has to be other people who are in my position."

The cards cost between $2.25 and $4. They are printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper. Write Hook also donates five cents from every card sale to charity.

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Financial Crisis Christmas Cards

Wed, 5 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

The financial crisis has made this holiday period very unpleasant but greeting card publisher Order of St. Nick has a way to add a little cheer and humor. They have released a set of "financial crisis Christmas cards" for the 2008 holiday season. You can see the cards here.

"Humor is essential to making it through tough times," owner and creative director Andrew Shaffer says. "The current global financial crisis is no different. People need to laugh now more than ever, and that's where our Depressing Times(TM) line of holiday greeting cards comes in."

Topics that the cards make light of include the subprime mortgage crisis, high gas prices, unemployment, vanishing 401k, and health insurance woes. The paper greeting cards feature vintage photos from the Great Depression, enhanced with humorous verse such as "Have a Great Depression and a Subprime New Year" and "Obama's new health care plan rocks! I only wish I still had that kidney I sold to pay my heating bill."

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Halloween is the Fastest Growing Greeting Card-Sending Occasion

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:40:00 EST

Halloween is here at last. Americans will spend an estimated $5.77 billion this year on Halloween costumes, candy, decorations and greeting cards, according to the National Retail Federation. And nearly two-thirds of American adults say they plan to celebrate the fall occasion in some way. Below are some statistics and information provided by the Greeting Card Assocation.

Halloween card-giving is also on the rise. The Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately 35 million Halloween cards will be exchanged in 2008. Although the majority of these cards are sent to young children, humorous adult-to adult card sending is gaining ground, as oldsters share the fun and delight of a holiday they enjoyed as kids.
Halloween now ranks as the third largest day for parties in the U.S., behind New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday.
Americans are also transporting the Halloween spirit into their homes, making it the second-largest holiday for home decoration purchases after Christmas.
It is also the fastest growing greeting card-sending occasion.

There are large number of website providing electronic Halloween greetings including 123greeting.coms, American Greetings and Blue Mountain. In addition to print cards you find in stores there are always ways to build Halloween cards online. For example, this post on ShoppingBlog.com describes a feature on Hallmark's website that lets you add your own photograph to a cute printed Halloween card. Hallmark will even do the delivery part for you.

Photo (top): Screenshot from American Greeting's "Heard It Through the Graveyard" e-card.

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Brief History of Halloween

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

The Greeting Card Association has released the following brief history of Halloween. They also say that today approximately 35 million Halloween cards are sold each year in the United States.

Halloween is an ancient festival that evolved from a combination of ancient religious beliefs and the harvest celebrations of the Celts and their Roman conquerors.

Many historians believe Halloween can be traced back to the ancient Celts, whose New Year began on November 1. At the end of October, they celebrated Samhain, an end-of-harvest festival that marked the beginning of the ?dark? or fallow half of their agrarian year.

This distinctive division between dark and light was also thought to be a time the spirits of the dead could breach the world of the living. This led people to don masks or costumes as a way to disguise themselves from these spirits. Sometimes townspeople would parade in their disguises to the outskirts of their villages to lure the spirits away from their homes.

As the Romans conquered the Celtic world, they combined their own fall harvest festival and celebration for the dead with the existing Samhain practices, and the unusual fall celebration continued to evolve.

During the eighth century, Pope Gregory III moved the All Hallows church festival to the first of November. The night before, October 31, became known as All Hallow's E'en or "Halloween." In modern times, Halloween has always been celebrated on October 31.

In the United States, Halloween was not widely observed until the 1840s, when Irish Catholics fleeing from the potato famine brought their Halloween customs to America. Halloween decorations and cards began to appear in America around 1910, although most of them were imported from Germany. When World War I broke out, imports were curtailed and American companies began to fill the void. Today approximately 35 million Halloween cards are sold each year in the United States.

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People Buying More Blinking and Musical Print Cards

Mon, 6 Oct 2008 15:00:00 EST

Reuters reports that American Greetings says there is more demand for bliking and musical print cards. Unfortunately, American Greetings says they are unable to make as much profit from these cards because of the cost.

Those kinds of cards cost more for American Greetings to produce, so the company nets less profit per card compared to a traditional greeting card that might quietly pronounce "I love you" without an accompanying musical arrangement.

"We had lower yielding sales, meaning we generated less income as a percentage of net sales. The lower yield was driven by more costly content and lower sell-through. As an example, we sold more cards with higher content-related costs, such as music, lights, and embellishments," Chief Executive Zev Weiss told investors on a call.

We probably are not too far away from card manufacturers using e-ink technology to create cards. The cost for these cards would probably lower the profit margins for card publishers as well.

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FineStationery Launches Mommy Calling Cards

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:40:00 EST

FineStationery.com has launched a line of "Mommy Calling Cards." The cards reflect that being a full-time mom is now serious business. FineStationery.com calls is a "newer, more fashionable version of thetraditional business card." The cute cards can include a phone number, email or website address. You can see the selection of cards here.

"Calling cards offer the modern mother a classic and classy way to present themselves to the world," says Karen Gilliland, Chief Marketing Officer for FineStationery.com. "At a time when parenting is focused upon encouraging children to embrace their individuality, these calling cards offer mothers a distinctive way in which to communicate their own individuality and personal style. With children soon returning to school, this is a perfect leave-behind for the busy mother who wants to schedule a play date, volunteer for the PTA or have a child's teacher reach them."

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Hallmark Insights Names Kimberly Hanson VP of Sales

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EST

Hallmark Insights has hired Kimberly Hanson as the vice president of sales. Hanson will oversee strategic and consultative selling and client support initiatives with the company's sales team. Hallmark Insights is a division of Hallmark that specializes in business incentive solutions

"Kimberly comes to us with more than 18 years of management experience, much of it acquired working with Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies," said Hallmark Insights President Keith Fenhaus. "This experience will be immediately and directly applied to our Fortune 100/500 client relationships and global initiatives. She is uniquely qualified to support our expansion into new markets, providing customized solutions to client incentive activities."

Hanson's most recent experience includes St. Paul, MN.-based Merrill Corporation, where she held a variety of posts, the most recent position being vice president of the Brand Management Services Division.

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Hallmark Launches Gay Marriage Cards

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 18:00:00 EST

Hallmark is seeing dollar signs at California's recent decision to allow same-sex marriage. The Associated Press reports that Hallmark has added

"It's our goal to be as relevant as possible to as many people as we can," Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg Kolell said.

Hallmark's largest competitor, American Greetings Corp., has no plans to enter the market, saying its current offerings are general enough to speak to a lot of different relationships.

Hallmark started offering "coming out" cards last year, and the four designs of same-sex marriage cards are being gradually released this summer and will be widely available by next year. No sales figures were available yet.

"When I have shopped for situations like babies or weddings for gay friends I have good luck in quirky stores," said Kathryn Hamm, president of the Web site gayweddings.com.

"But if you are just in a generic store ... the bride and groom symbol or words are in most cards," she said. "It becomes difficult to find some that are neutral but have some style."

The AP says Hallmark competitor American Greetings has no plans at this time to add gay marriage cards. The AP also says that Hallmark will let its retail stores choose whether or not they want to carry the cards. Last year Hallmark launched "coming out" cards. Those cards and Hallmark's new gay wedding cards have been denounced by American Family Association reports Bgay.com.

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Lindsay Lohan Birthday Card From Hallmark

Fri, 8 Aug 2008 20:05:00 EST

E! Online has found a Lindsay Lohan greeting card from Hallmark. The birthday card pokes fun at Lohan's partying past. The card says "Have some Good Clean fun on your birthday! And when you figure out how let me know!"

Lindsay Lohan's BFF Samantha Ronson turns 31 today, and if you're still stumped as to what to get her?because we all know she doesn't need another fedora?Hallmark has just come up with a simple solution.

How about giving her this card that takes a dig at her gal-pal's troubled past? Surely she would love it, right? After all, who doesn't want to see someone they care about ridiculed for her indiscretions?

The card is clearly part of Hallmark's humor line that parodies celebrities and politicians. They have also made Paris Hilton cards that Paris Hilton sued over.

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Clinton Griffiths Wins American Greetings Humor Contest

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:05:00 EST

American Greetings says about 60,000 people thought they were funny and entered its Think You're Funny? Prove It! caption writing contest. Clinton Griffiths of Derby, KS was awarded the grand prize of $1,000.00. Two runners-up will have their concepts posted on AmericanGreetings.com and will also receive one-year memberships to the site. The contest ran in conjunction with the release of American Greetings' newest line of funny photo cards, Fun Pix. They now have a new contest up called Sounds Funny to Me.

Griffiths submitted copy for a picture of two young boys looking down into the kid's potties they are sitting on. The image resonated with Griffiths, who recently became a father. Inspired by the trials of new parenthood and caring for his seven-month old son, Colton, his caption read, "Sorry your card is late. Dooty called. Happy Belated Birthday."

"I was shocked and delighted to find out I was the winner. My wife Mary Beth didn't believe me at first," Griffiths said. "I've always enjoyed looking at funny photos and thinking of humorous captions to go with them. Those are my favorite types of cards to give family and friends."

The judging was completed by a team at American Greetings, who looked at many factors in deciding the ultimate winner.

"We received a lot of very funny ideas to choose from," said Mindy Johnston, assistant product manager at American Greetings, who was part of the team reviewing the entries. "When we judged the submissions we looked at many things, but mainly it came down to whether or not the joke that was submitted would translate to a final card, and then, who came up with the funniest idea."

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American Greetings to Sell Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

Earlier this month American Greetings had announced Hasbro, Inc. as the new master toy licensee worldwide for both Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake effective January 2009. This was a statement from American Greetings at the time the deal was announced.

"Both Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake have a strong history with Hasbro, and we are thrilled to be working with them on our two biggest classic brands," said Tamra Knepfer, Senior Vice President, Consumer Products, American Greetings Properties. "Hasbro has unparalleled experience leveraging evergreen franchises with toy lines at retail and we are incredibly excited about the innovation, marketing, and retail presence that this alliance brings to both brands as we look to grow both here in the U.S. and around the world."

Now Marketwatch is reporting that American Greetings plans to sell Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears to a privately held Canadian company called the Cookie Jar Group for $195 million. American Greetings has Care Bear cards like these and a number of products featuring both Care Bears and Strawberry Shortcake. A longer article about the sale can be found here.

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Woman Finds Powerball Ticket Worth $600,000 in Old Greeting Card

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EST

A North Carolina woman was going through her old greeting cards when she found a Powerball ticket worth $600,000 stuck inside a Valentine's Day card.

Checking an old greeting cards paid off big time for a North Carolina Woman.

She found an old Valentine's Day Card with a powerball ticket worth $600,000.00. Judy Carpenter of Bryson City bought a Powerball ticket for the February 13 drawing and then misplaced it in her house.

She was going through some old greeting cards and found the ticket stuck inside the card.

Carpenter checked the numbers on the North Carolina Education Lottery website and says she was in total shock when she saw that was worth $600,000.00.

Wow. She's a lucky lady! Things can slip inside greeting cards so it is wise to look through them before you store them away.

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Cards-by-Caiti: Notecards For a Cause

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 18:00:00 EST

11 year-old Cards-by-Caiti artist and founder Caitlin O'Meara (right), and childhood friend Emily Lewis (left), are pictured with some of Caitlin's original drawings. Cards-by-Caiti was started after the artist learned that Emily had been diagnosed with cancer. All net proceeds raised from the sale of Cards-by-Caiti are donated, in Emily's name, to the pediatric oncology ward where she receives treatment. Caitlin's goal is to raise $10,000 by April of 2009. It sounds like Caitlin will be able to achieve her goal. Here's the story behind the cards from a press release.

When illness strikes a friend, age makes no difference in wanting to offer support and encouragement. Young friends like Caitlin O'Meara and Emily Lewis illustrate this sentiment perfectly. Eighteen months ago, doctors diagnosed Emily with cancer. Upon hearing the news, Caitlin, like any good friend, wanted to help. "She is extremely kind. Nothing really gets her down. I think she is like an angel," says Caitlin about Emily.

Her mother, Michelle, suggested she call Emily, write her a letter or draw her a special picture. "But she said 'No mom, I mean I REALLY want to do something,'" Michelle says. So, with Emily's encouragement, Caitlin founded Cards-by-Caiti: Note Cards for a Cause.

Already an accomplished artist at just eleven-years old, Caitlin's award-winning illustrations and artwork have been turned into four collections of multi-purpose blank note cards, sold in sets of 10 for $10: Original Assortment, Paris Assortment, Horses, and Holiday. All proceeds are donated in Emily's name to the pediatric oncology center at the Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, where Emily receives treatment. Emily decides how the funds are to be used.

To date, Caitlin has raised $4,000.00 for Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, and recently presented her latest $1,000 donation, with Emily's assistance, at a "Circle of Friends" Annual Event attended by over 200 Doctors, Staff, and other fund raising Circle members. A portion of the total donations has been spent on a new computer and mobile workstation for kids receiving treatment to play games, surf the Web and stay in touch with friends and family. A new digital camera and printer have also been ordered, and Emily is still debating what to spend the remaining funds on.

"One of the greatest benefits of Caitlin's project is what it offers Emily," Michelle says. "She's been through numerous cycles of chemotherapy and radiation without the results we had hoped for. Letting Emily decide how the proceeds will be spent provides for a wonderful distraction from her ongoing treatment."

In January of 2007, Caitlin appeared on WKYC Cleveland's Channel 3 news segment "Romona's Kids" -- which showcases children who are making a difference in the community -- to help promote her cause. While the cards have become a local hit, Caitlin wants word of Cards-by-Caiti to go beyond city, and possibly even state, borders. "She's very ambitious," says her mother. "She's always creating new designs to sell, and is hoping to have raised $10,000 by the 2009 Circle of Friends Annual Event." But, letting the world know that kids CAN make a difference in the lives of others is the ultimate message Caitlin and Emily hope to share.

Here's a closer look at some of the cards. You can visit the website here.

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Greeting Card Sent by Anne Frank Found

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST

The BBC reports that a greeting card sent by Anne Frank when she was just eight-year-old has been found in an antique shop near Amsterdam. Anne Frank's diary that she wrote while hiding from the Nazis has become widely read around the world.

The card was sent in 1937, when Frank was eight, and was addressed to one of her best friends, Samme Ledermann.

The Anne Frank museum has authenticated the card, which shows a clover-covered bell above a snowy field, and wishes "good luck for the New Year".

Frank, who wrote her diary while in hiding from the Nazis, died in Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

Paul van den Heuvel, a school teacher, was looking through items in his father's antique shop in Naarden, near Amsterdam, when he came across the card.

"I just found it in a box, which probably came from an Amsterdam flea market," he told Dutch television.

The Anne Frank museum would like to have the card but finder Paul van den Heuvel has not yet made a decision as to what he will do with the historic greeting card.

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Motherhood With Attitude

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:00:00 EST

Freep.com reports on two freelancing mothers - Janalee Chmel and Tiffany Hauber - who launched their own greeting card company called Motherhood with Attitude.

Their mission is to tell the truth about motherhood in their cards, to capture the craziness, messiness and hard work that makes the job a joy.

"There was a lot of pastel and fluffiness," said Hauber of Colorado Springs, Colo. "There wasn't much humor, much reality, much color and vibrancy."

Hauber is a graphic designer with two kids -- Eli, 3, and Emerson, 10 months. Chmel is a Denver-based freelance writer who also has two kids.

Chmel wanted to start Motherhood with Attitude and needed an artist. Hauber was toying with what she calls the grittiness and messiness of motherhood in her art, and needed the proper medium. When the two freelancers met on a project, the match was made.

The article says the unique cards are designed by given from mom to mom. The website for Motherhood With Attitude can be found here. They also have a blog and some free ecards.

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Burger King Greeting Cards Coming This Summer

Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:00:00 EST

BizJournals.com reports that Andrews McMeel Publishing has cut a deal with Burger King for a line of greeting cards.

The cards will be available at select retailers starting in mid-summer, Burger King spokeswoman Heather Krasnow said Tuesday.

Financial terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.

Andrews McMeel Publishing, a division of Kansas City-based Andrews McMeel Universal, will design the cards. Recycled Paper Greetings Inc. of Chicago will produce and distribute the cards.

"We're always looking for clever ways for the King to surprise his fans," Russ Klein, Burger King's president of global marketing, strategy and innovation, said in a release. "Now special occasions will be even more memorable thanks to the King."

Will these cards have The King on them? That seems like the smartest move from Burger King. The King has even found his way into Xbox video games.

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Hallmark Is Running Greeting Card Contests

Fri, 7 Mar 2008 21:00:00 EST

Hallmark recently ran a greeting card contest asking people to come up with an idea for an original pet-themed greeting card. The cards that were chosen are going to be sold on Hallmark.com and at retail stores. The Columbia Tribune reports that a finalist will be chosen in September.

In January, Columbia resident Lisa Kennedy submitted a pet-themed birthday card to Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards Inc. as part of the company's YourPets contest. She learned last month that she was chosen as one of 67 finalists and that her card, titled "Sitting Pretty," would be sold at Hallmark.com and more than 10,000 retail stores starting June 16. Finalists also won $250.

Hallmark spokeswoman Sarah Gronberg said that initially "hundreds, if not thousands" of each of the 67 cards will be produced. She said the cards will be available through September, when a grand prize winner will be chosen.

"I was surprised and excited," said Kennedy, a 30-year-old lawyer who works in the Missouri attorney general's office.

Hallmark is now running a second greeting card contest. This time they are looking for funny Shoebox cards. Hallmark's site says, "You get cards and you think, 'I'm funnier than that!' Well Chuckle McGigglepants, here's your chance. Send us a card, any card, as long as it's funny." You can read more about the contest and how to enter here. Funny card designs can be submitted until Sunday, 3/23/08, 11:59pm CST.

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Greeting Card Sites Were Slow on Valentine's Day

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST

What's up with the greeting card websites? You would think they would have been ready for the big influx of traffic on a day like Valentine's Day. The Associated Press reports that a company named Keynote Systems Inc. that checks web traffic found that only 30 percent of their attempts to access several of the major greeting card sites were successful.

Keynote said sites that usually load in two or three seconds were taking an average of 12 seconds or longer.

Problems with Web sites not only frustrate customers but also deprive sites of advertising revenue, especially if a visitor doesn't come back to view or send a card.

The Web site for Hallmark Cards Inc. was inaccessible or slow starting about 6 a.m. EST, according to Keynote. It was back to normal by late morning but got slow again around noon - just as people on the West Coast got to work and opened cards that had arrived in their inboxes, said Shawn White, Keynote's director of external operations.

Keynote said it also spotted problems with 123Greetings.com, and The Associated Press found in a test Thursday afternoon that many pages took several seconds to load. But officials at 123Greetings insisted that less than 1 percent of its visitors experienced slowdowns.

"123Greetings.com experienced record traffic today, one of the highest in its history," the company said in a statement. "Problems at other greeting cards sites caused record volumes of users to come over to our site, and we were happy to welcome them all."

Not at all of the traffic was lost because some people who were unable to access a greeting card website probably tried again later. The greeting card companies will get a shot again a year from now.

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2008 Valentine's Day Greeting Card Trends

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:00:00 EST

Valentine's Day is the second most popular card-sending occasion in the U.S. after Christmas according to the Greeting Card Association (GCA). That's a create and print card from American Greetings pictured on the right. The GCA estimates that 190 million valentine cards will be exchanged this year. If you include children's classroom-exchange valentines that number soars to 1 billion valentines that will be opened on Thursday, February 14.

The GCA says about half of all individual Valentine's Day cards exchanged in the U.S. are given to family members other than a husband or wife. The GCA estiamtes that one-third are destined for a sweetheart or spouse.

Women purchase more than 80% of all Valentine's Day cards. Women also purchase their cards earlier than men. The GCA says men typically wait until the last minute to shop and purchase only one card, which they give to their significant other. Nevertheless, Valentine's Day is the number one holiday for greeting card purchases by American men.

Here are some other facts about greeting cards providing by the Greeting Card Association.

Approximately one-fourth of individual valentine cards are humorous, with adults aged 35-and-under being the most likely to send humorous cards.
Valentine's Day is the largest e-card sending occasion of the year. An estimated 14 million e-valentines will be sent in 2008.
Greeting cards are traditionally the most popular Valentine's Day gift in the U.S., ranking ahead of candy, flowers or dinner out.
American men may be more serious about Valentine's Day than women. In a national survey for GCA in 2007, 45% of women said they were likely to give a humorous valentine to their sweetheart, compared to only 34% of men.
The percentage of individual valentines exchanged through the mail in comparison to hand delivery is approximately 50-50.
Red is the most popular color choice for valentine cards, follow by pink and then white. Hearts, roses, Cupid and lace are traditional valentine card icons.
Teachers are said to receive more Valentine's Day cards than anyone else in the U.S., largely due to the tradition of classroom valentine exchanges.
Men tend to purchase more expensive and more romantic valentines than women.
The first valentines in America were exchanged during the Revolutionary War period. They were handmade and typically featured sentimental verses written in flowing script.
Esther Howland, a young woman from Massachusetts, was the first regular U.S. publisher of Valentine's Day cards. She sold her first handmade valentine in 1849.

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Hallmark Gets Political

Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:00:00 EST

This year everything is about Super Tuesday even greeting cards. Hallmark has announced a new selection of cards poking lighthearted fun at the American political process and its cast of characters, including Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, President George W. Bush and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

One card depicts Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in a heated debate over who wishes you a happier birthday. Another card (pictured on the right) features President Bush saying, "The celebrification of a person's bornfulness is a rightitude we hold dear in this nation."

"Political parodies have a close following, although the typical venue is through the news media or late night talk shows," said Steve King, editorial director at Hallmark. "By putting the humor in greeting cards, consumers can share a laugh over lighthearted political satire. It's a way Hallmark is helping people connect through humor that is both timely and relevant."

Hallmark will have new political cards available in stores throughout the election season. Some of these cards include sound and motion according to a statement released by the card publisher. You can also see a few of the cards here on the Hallmark.com website.

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American Greetings to Launch Muhammad Ali Cards

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:00:00 EST

American Greetings has announced a licensing agreement with Muhammad Ali Enterprises LLC that will bring the images and famous quotes of Muhammad Ali to the greeting card aisle. The Muhammad Ali collection will debut in mid-January 2008 in anticipation of Black History Month, which is observed annually in February. The first eight cards in the collection will be birthday, thinking of you and anytime designs featuring iconic photos of Ali coupled with some of his most recognized and repeated quotes.

"It is truly an honor to work with such a respected and revered person like Muhammad Ali. His life, career and humanitarian efforts have had a lasting impression on people of every race, religion and ethnicity," said Paul Palmer, Director of Ethnic Card Marketing at American Greetings. "It's a natural fit for Ali to be the focal point of cards that inspire and motivate others to reach their goals, persevere through hardship, and celebrate their many accomplishments in life. The cards truly capture his spirit and determination in a way that moves others to strive for greatness in much the same way that 'The Greatest of All Time' has done throughout his life."

The Muhammad Ali collection from American Greetings will be available January 21st as part of the Black History Month line in grocery stores, drug chains and supercenters nationwide for $2.99 each. American Greetings and Carlton Cards stores will also carry the line.

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Hallmark Designs 2007 Presidential Holiday Card

Fri, 7 Dec 2007 15:00:00 EST

The White House has selected Hallmark Cards, Inc., for the seventh straight year, to produce the official 2007 presidential holiday card. The card was designed by watercolorist David Drummond who was selected by the First Lady Laura Bush.

The card image is an exclusive design of Sylvia Shaw Judson's statue "Gardner" welcoming winter to the Jacqueline Kennedy Garden at the White House.

Artist David Drummond was selected by Mrs. Bush to create the original artwork for the card. Drummond is a well-known watercolorist specializing in landscapes.

Drummond's painting is reproduced on the card as a tip-on on elegant stock with a deckle edge. An embossed gold foil presidential seal highlights the insert page.

President and Mrs. Bush selected the following Bible verse from Nehemiah and brief message to be incorporated on the card:

You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.

These cards will be mailed to friends and family of President and Mrs. George W. Bush as well as to foreign dignitaries.

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Make a Pop-up Christmas Card

Sun, 2 Dec 2007 21:00:00 EST

This video teaches you how to make a children's Christmas tree pop-up card.

Direct video link

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Ellen DeGeneres' Card Collection with American Greetings Video

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:00:00 EST

This video offers a closer look at the Ellen DeGeneres' Card Collection from American Greetings that we blogged about earlier. The video even includes footage of the cards being printed.

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Greeting Cards For Inmates

Tue, 16 Oct 2007 18:00:00 EST

The L.A. Times has an article about a line of greeting cards for inmates called Three Squares Greetings Cards.

I was struck by the bluntness of the messages inside: "Honestly, I never knew anyone who was arrested before," one read. Said another: "I know that I have not visited you. But I still care about you. . . . When are you getting out anyway??"

I stood with my daughter, reading them aloud and joking about the comic possibilities they provided: "Sorry about your arrest. I guess the shoot-out wasn't such a good idea." Or, "Too bad I can't hide a file in your cake. Happy Birthday anyway!"

It's easy to poke fun at the notion of Hallmark-like greetings for miscreants. But Terrye Cheathem didn't create Three Squares Greetings: For Those Who Can't Come Home as a joke.

"When I hear somebody laugh at them," Cheathem said, "I know that person hasn't gotten the telephone call, yet, saying their son or brother or nephew has been arrested."

Three Squares Greetings's website says their cards address all the regular card sending occasions like birthdays and holidays.

At Three Squares Greetings, we know that it's been impossible to find greeting cards to express difficult, sensitive, and sometimes mixed feelings to loved ones and friends who are "caught up" in the criminal justice system. For all these reasons, we have dedicated ourselves publishing a vast array of greeting cards to encourage and lift the spirits of those who can't come home. Our cards address occasions such as birthdays, holidays, and other events for those who just can't come home.

The cards can only be found at a few locations so far but they will start selling online November 1st on the card's website. L.A. Times columnist Sandy Banks expects the card's sales to pick up once they start being sold online. It does sound like the type of card that people might prefer to buy online in private.

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Consumers to Spend More on Halloween in 2007

Tue, 2 Oct 2007 21:00:00 EST

Halloween seems to be getting bigger each and every year. This year retailers are expecting a Happy Halloween. A study from the NRF found that consumers will spend an average of $64.82 this year including an average of $3.92 on Halloween greeting cards.

Halloween party-goers are bobbing for more than just apples. They'll also be on the lookout for candy, costumes and decorations. The average person will spend $23.33 on Halloween costumes (including children's and pet's costumes), though young adults will spend far more. In fact, according to the survey, 18-24 year-olds plan to be the most festive, spending $34.06 on costumes, nearly twice as much as they plan to spend on candy ($19.65). According to the survey, average spending will rise in all categories, including candy ($19.84, decorations ($17.73) and greeting cards ($3.92).

You can search for Halloween greeting cards here on the search engine. You can find some Halloween shopping links here on ShoppersShop.com.

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American Greetings Launches South Park Greeting Cards

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 21:00:00 EST

American Greetings has signed a licensing deal with Comedy Central that will result in greeting cards using characters from popular Comedy Central shows. The first products to launch include a line of seven South Park cards available now at Target. The partnership also includes licenses for RENO 911!, The Sarah Silverman Program, Mind of Mencia and Lil' Bush. Cards featuring signature South Park soundbytes will debut in January 2008. In a statement American Greetings said they are take their funny cards line very seriously.

We take our funny card business very seriously because we recognize that many people connect with others through humor. Our partnership with Comedy Central is yet another example of our commitment to truly understand what consumers find funny so that we can be sure our products deliver on that," said Michael Brown, Vice President of Licensing for American Greetings. "Comedy Central is a destination for laughs for millions of people every day, and we're proud to be bringing the humor from some of the network's most recognizable shows to life in a new way."

In an effort to ensure the Company continues to create funny cards that resonate with consumers, the humor team at American Greetings conducted a six- month long research project to get to the root of what makes people laugh today. The findings revealed distinct differences in the way men and women use humor to communicate. As the result, American Greetings recently unveiled hundreds of new funny cards that appeal to a woman's sense of humor by highlighting the funny parts of everyday situations and experiences. The licensing agreement with Comedy Central, the #1 cable network in primetime among men 18-24 and men 18-34, allows the Company to create humorous cards that appeal to what men find funny, according to the research.

Greeting card manufacturfers want to keep today's young adults buying paper cards. South Park is defintely a show that is familiar to this demographic.

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Paris Hilton Sues Hallmark Over Greeting Card

Sat, 8 Sep 2007 15:35:00 EST

Reuters reports that Paris Hilton is suing Hallmark over a card that shows Paris Hilton as a waitress. The text on the card reads, "Don't touch that, it's hot. What's hot? That's hot." The lawsuit says Hallmark used Paris Hilton's trademarked phrase "That's hot" without permission and also violated Hilton's right to privacy by using her likeness on the greeting card.

Hilton, 26, is suing for an injunction against the U.S. greeting card company and for damages in excess of $100,000, according to the suit filed late on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.

Kansas City-based Hallmark Cards said the card was part of a satirical series that parodied celebrities and politicians.

According to the lawsuit, Hilton's face is superimposed over a cartoon of a waitress serving food to a patron with the dialogue "Don't touch that, it's hot. What's hot? That's hot."

It says the card was selling in the United States for $2.49.

The suit says that Hallmark failed to obtain approval from the hotel heiress for using her image and had damaged her rights to privacy and publicity.

Smoking Gun has an entry with a copy of the lawsuit. A Hallmark representative told TMZ that "Some of Hallmark's new humor greeting cards are parodies of today's most popular celebrities and politicians. These cards take a satirical look at news and gossip surrounding these public figures, including Paris Hilton, and we do not believe Hallmark has violated any of Ms. Hilton's rights."

Another one of Hallmark's Paris Hilton cards from its Shoebox line features Paris Hilton in jail. The text on the card reads, "The Really, Really, Really, Really Simple Life." You can see the card here in an earlier post. The greating card companies have been trying to produce more current events, pop culture and humorous cards lately to compete with the rapidly growing online greetings market.

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