Thaindian News

New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Colourful season’s greeting cards once added warmth to drawing rooms, but thanks to the virtual world, the gesture of sending paper cards is fast becoming a thing of the past. However, for those missing the charm of such cards, personalised paper as well as e-cards are an innovative option.

Jagdeep Sahani, a local greeting card shop-owner, says the business of paper cards has definitely seen a downfall.

“The sale of our New Year greeting cards has decreased considerably thanks to the advent of technology, because now people prefer to send their wishes on email or through SMS,” Sahani told IANS.

“Apart from birthday cards, cards that are meant for different occasions and days rarely attract customers,” he added.

When the internet was not such a rage, it was almost customary for many to buy bundles of Christmas and New Year cards, personalise it with a message and send it to loved ones, not just within the country but overseas too.

According to Ranjit Singh Chadha, founder director postmygreetings.com, an online greeting portal, “Greeting cards are an old tradition of expressing love and best wishes for loved ones. But people are so busy right now that they don’t get time to go and buy cards. That is why the sale of greeting cards has slipped and people are increasingly going the e-way.”

However, Chadha has also hit upon a novel way of reviving the love for paper cards - through customised and personalised options.

“We have been creating personalised and printed greeting cards for people to wish their near and dear ones. We create cards as per their needs, as per how they want to design it, whether they want to add pictures or not and there are people who are going for it. The personalisation adds the warmth to these cards. But I agree there can be nothing better than handwritten cards to show your love,” added Sahani.

The younger generation feels it is wiser to spend one rupee per SMS or send a free online greeting or a BBM (Blackberry Messenger) message than spend Rs.25 to Rs.100 per greeting card, plus postal charges.

“The SMS gets delivered immediately and people respond to it also immediately. If you compare the cost of an SMS, it is much less than the cards. We live on stringent pocket money; so it is better for us to do with a quick SMS,” said Ritika Shah, a college-goer.

For old timers, the charm of cards still remains.

Roma Sharma, who sells handmade cards, says: “With everything going virtual and technical, handmade cards are heartwarming. So many personal things can be conveyed via a greeting card, and it can be kept safe for as long as possible.”

Protima Bannerjee, a media professional, has bought bulk of greeting cards created by young kids of an NGO, to send it across to her friends and relatives.

“SMS messages are so impersonal. So I have bought a whole pack of cards, which has the handmade drawings of kids from an NGO. I will send them across to close people. Ever since I have sent the cards, I have been receiving calls from all over, from people thanking me for the cards which nowadays we rarely get.

“There is so much one can do to add a personal touch to these cards. This is also my way of extending a helping hand to needy kids,” she said.

(Priyanka Sharma can be contacted at priyanka.s@ians.in)