Community Chat

[chiclets]

I liked purchasing Maxine cards and would buy the assortment for any occasion and especially for the holidays.

I quote Maxine, When life seems hard please remember, I don't want to hear about it.

[ccassaday]

I have a family acquaintance who owned a hallmark shop. She closed it last year and retired. I remember her asking us how do you get young people into the store. Unfortuantly I don’t really see a hallmark store thriving in 2018.

[jannabelle1]

I used to love going into Hallmark stores. The store closest to me during the past 5 or 6 years makes me feel like they're doing me a favor whenever I go in - and so I've stopped shopping there. DH and I like to send holiday cards to our 5 young grandsons, but at $4 to $6 each for their cards, that gets expensive. We can find a cute packet of cards at Walmart, or $1 and $2 cards at both Walgreens and Walmart. Other comments are correct - Hallmark stores are pricing themselves out of business. They apparently have a different clientele in mind than what I'm willing to spend on overpriced cards. Maybe some of their customers collect their ornaments or buy their over-priced jewelry, but this senior needs neither expensive cards or over-priced collectibles. I'll pay $5 for a special card on occasion, but I don't need to go to a Hallmark store to find one.

[handygal2]

I think Hallmark cards have outpriced themselves. A decent-sized card is at least $4. How is a piece of folded paper and an envelope worth that much? With tax and a stamp, you spend $5 or more to send out a card. No wonder so many fewer greeting cards are being purchased these days!

[NYC Susan]

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@haddon9wrote:

There's a Norman's Hallmark near me that does very well.  In addition to Hallmark cards and gift wrap they sell all kinds of gift items from Vera Bradley, Yankee Candles, jewelry, candy and many other things. 

I go in whenever I need to find a quick gift item.

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The two Hallmark stores that I go to most often actually have more gift items, jewelry, candles, and things of that type than cards.  I go to Hallmark stores fairly often, but I can't remember the last time I bought a card there.  They have some really adorable things, with a large section for children's gifts, and also a section that has throws in the winter, beach things in the summer, etc.

Like you, I go in for gifts - or sometimes when I want to browse and maybe pick up something for myself.  I see things there that I don't see anywhere else, so it can be a fun/interesting place to shop and find unique items.  I've often thought that Hallmark does a good job of keeping up with the times - moving away from just cards and gift wrap, and offering more of what people would want in a store of that type.

[NYC Susan]

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@sunshine45wrote:

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@JJsMomwrote:

There are so many other ways to communicate now. I don't really see young people buying cards. They are expensive and create too much clutter

Personally, I would prefer a text or email, so I don't have to worry about storing or filing away a card. It ends up in a big pile every year, and I don't really go back to look at them because most people just sign it.

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my young adult daughter still loves going to the hallmark stores, especially for cards. she may be an exception though? she babysits several children and enjoys buying them cards for holidays and sending them in the mail. she has fun choosing them, they enjoy getting a piece of mail. she just sent out cute st patricks day cards and will send them all easter cards this week also.

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I don't think she's as much of an exception as many people would think.  My young adult children all buy cards regularly.  I recently had a birthday, and I got cards from friends and family of all ages.  Not just signed - They each wrote a little something too.  I love receiving cards, and I send them for appropriate occasions all the time.  I guess everyone is different and every family is different.  I have cards saved going back many years, and it's fun to look back and read what people wrote.

How sweet of your daughter to do that for the children!  I remember how much fun it was to receive mail when I was a child.  I'm sure they adore her.

[Leiloni]

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@sunshine45wrote:

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@JJsMomwrote:

There are so many other ways to communicate now. I don't really see young people buying cards. They are expensive and create too much clutter

Personally, I would prefer a text or email, so I don't have to worry about storing or filing away a card. It ends up in a big pile every year, and I don't really go back to look at them because most people just sign it.

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my young adult daughter still loves going to the hallmark stores, especially for cards. she may be an exception though? she babysits several children and enjoys buying them cards for holidays and sending them in the mail. she has fun choosing them, they enjoy getting a piece of mail. she just sent out cute st patricks day cards and will send them all easter cards this week also.

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@sunshine45 Your daughter sounds very warm-hearted & special. I think that is kind of her to send cards to the children she sits for. You are a good mother to have brought her up w/ such values, she sounds like a gem!!!

[AuntMame]

The two Hallmark stores in our community closed years ago. Maybe more than ten years ago. I used to enjoy browsing through them but rarely bought anything. I think the decline of our local shopping malls contributed to their demise.

These days I like to buy cards by local artists and send them off with a hand-written note. Something more substantial than "Happy Holidays" or something like that. But even locally-made cards are getting increasingly hard to find as the grocery and drug stores seem to prefer buying cards that have been illustrated (often badly) and printed overseas.

Seems like the older I get the more people there are that I want to thank for their kindness and general wonderful-ness.

[onlyshopsonline]

Some in our area have closed.  I haven't been in one in years.  Who can or who wants to pay $5 or $6+ for a card.  They put themselves out of business.

We really don't exchange cards in our family anymore.  If it's a special occassion, gifts are usually involved.  It took me the longest time to convince my daughter to stop spending money on greeting cards for us.  I think it made her feel guilty, lol.  I told her that if she had money to burn, I'd rather have 1/4 pound of my favorite chocolate.  

The grandchildren like getting cards, and I get those at the Dollar Store for .50 each.  

[gidgetgh]

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@CoffeeNutwrote:

I haven't been to a Hallmark store in many years.  Last time I was in one the cards were too expensive.   If I need a card I will buy it at the grocery store where I shop (Publix).

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@CoffeeNut- I shop at Publix and the cards they carry are the same Hallmark cards sold at Hallmark stores.  What kind of cards does your Publix carry?