Do any of you print greeting cards for sale?

[Bill Koenig]

I was on the Red River web site the other day and I noticed they have quite a selection of greeting card stock for sale at very reasonable prices.
What kind of market is out there for cards, how much do you sell these for? Where do you sell them? How to find a market?
I did a search on this topic, but couldn't find anything close, to answering any of my questions.
Any links welcome.

[Alan Goldhammer]

I was on the Red River web site the other day and I noticed they have quite a selection of greeting card stock for sale at very reasonable prices.
What kind of market is out there for cards, how much do you sell these for? Where do you sell them? How to find a market?
I did a search on this topic, but couldn't find anything close, to answering any of my questions.
Any links welcome.

I sold just over 100 boxes of cards last year to co-workers, family friends, and at a couple of art fairs.  People still like to write personal notes believe it or not.  I also bring a box over to the host or hostess of parties we attend and to others as well.  I was at the dentist last week and gave a box to my dentist and hygienist.  The hygienist wanted to pay me for the "freebie!"  I told her it was for marketing.  She ordered two more boxes on the spot.  You can see the kind of "packaged" card assortments I have on my website (no sales from there yet).  I print on Museo Artist Card Stock.  I didn't care for the Red River card stock.  As a final caveat; I don't think you can get particularly rich this way (my net last year was $525).

[Bill Koenig]

I sold just over 100 boxes of cards last year to co-workers, family friends, and at a couple of art fairs.  People still like to write personal notes believe it or not.  I also bring a box over to the host or hostess of parties we attend and to others as well.  I was at the dentist last week and gave a box to my dentist and hygienist.  The hygienist wanted to pay me for the "freebie!"  I told her it was for marketing.  She ordered two more boxes on the spot.  You can see the kind of "packaged" card assortments I have on my website (no sales from there yet).  I print on Museo Artist Card Stock.  I didn't care for the Red River card stock.  As a final caveat; I don't think you can get particularly rich this way (my net last year was $525).

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the reply. How many cards in your box? I see on your web site you get $3.00 per card, what size works the best for you? Do you by there envelopes as well?
I never would have guessed that people would buy a box of random cards, the way I was looking at this, would have people buying boxes of the same image, but a mix of images wouldn't be a problem.
The card stock that your using is much heavier than the stock at Red River, and after reading the reviews, most people wanted a heavier card stock. I assume that this is a mat surface, what brand of printer do you use?
I have a Epson 3800, and I've only printed on Epson enhanced mat (or what ever they call it now) a couple of times, and I never liked the way the blacks looked. Have you printed on any of the semi gloss stock where you use photo black ink?

[Jeff-Grant]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the reply. How many cards in your box? I see on your web site you get $3.00 per card, what size works the best for you? Do you by there envelopes as well?
I never would have guessed that people would buy a box of random cards, the way I was looking at this, would have people buying boxes of the same image, but a mix of images wouldn't be a problem.
The card stock that your using is much heavier than the stock at Red River, and after reading the reviews, most people wanted a heavier card stock. I assume that this is a mat surface, what brand of printer do you use?
I have a Epson 3800, and I've only printed on Epson enhanced mat (or what ever they call it now) a couple of times, and I never liked the way the blacks looked. Have you printed on any of the semi gloss stock where you use photo black ink?

I sell cards printed on a 3800 on Museo stock. It certainly isn't going to make your fortune. My sales are through a local gallery with the cards showing local scenes. I use the standard canned Museo profiles which do a good job. I like the Museo cards as they come with envelopes and look very nice. Packaged in Clearbags bags they are a class act.

[DarkPenguin]

I bought a handful of cards at the Jim Brandenburg gallery in Luverne, MN.  So someone buys such things.

[bill t.]

In regards to cards, financial_return / investment = poverty.  To make a living it is much better to inject your available time into higher dollar products.

OTOH I may send out rather plush holiday cards to my best buyers this year.

[Alan Goldhammer]

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the reply. How many cards in your box? I see on your web site you get $3.00 per card, what size works the best for you? Do you by there envelopes as well?
I never would have guessed that people would buy a box of random cards, the way I was looking at this, would have people buying boxes of the same image, but a mix of images wouldn't be a problem.
The card stock that your using is much heavier than the stock at Red River, and after reading the reviews, most people wanted a heavier card stock. I assume that this is a mat surface, what brand of printer do you use?
I have a Epson 3800, and I've only printed on Epson enhanced mat (or what ever they call it now) a couple of times, and I never liked the way the blacks looked. Have you printed on any of the semi gloss stock where you use photo black ink?

Five cards to a box.  Link to Museo Cards is here.  Customers like the assortments but I can print any mix that someone might want.  Cards are matte finish.  As Bill T says you are not going to make a living doing this.  Fortunately I have a day job that pays quite well.

[fjmcsu]

I have printed & sold cards now for about 10 years, using strictly Aurora Art Cards, with the picture printed full bleed or borderless. I do it more for advertising my fine art pieces than as a cash cow . I haven't done recent analysis but a few years back I figured I made ~3 - 5 cents per card(rough estimate) NOT counting labor although I have an action I designed in PS that can form a card in landscape or portrait mode with a minimum of work.

[Mike Bailey]

I was on the Red River web site the other day and I noticed they have quite a selection of greeting card stock for sale at very reasonable prices.
What kind of market is out there for cards, how much do you sell these for? Where do you sell them? How to find a market?
I did a search on this topic, but couldn't find anything close, to answering any of my questions.
Any links welcome.

If you do art fairs, that's a good place to sell your notecards.  $4 or $5 is not too much to ask for a decently printed notecard.  Priced lower, you're giving them away and people will not see them as an 'art' notecard.  If it's well-printed, it's just a minature of your larger prints.  Using Epson double-sided matte paper, printing and scoring and folding and cutting with a paper cutter takes very little time once you've set up a routine.  Don't use coated paper as people do like to write on them if they aren't buying them for framing (about half are for that purpose).

Even at smaller art fairs you can sell 30 to 80 cards, which pays the rent - booth fee and the like.  The drawback is that it can cannibalize your smaller print sales, though people migrate to notecards if they don't feel they can afford even a small print.  Include a good envelope with the notecard, stick it in a protective clear plastic bag, and your cost of goods doesn't run more than $1 or so.  If you buy pre-made cards, you're already throwing away a good chunk of profit margin.  However, you need to cycle new cards into the mix if you do the same art fairs each year.  That of course ups the cost of goods.

Mike
___________
Mike Bailey
http://BlueRockPhotography.com

[bill t.]

I strongly disagree with the idea of offering cards or even prints at art fair venues.  If you sell 100 cards for $5 each, that still won't cover you for the 2 or 3 larger pieces people would have bought if the cards weren't available to defuse their consumeristic impulses.  Also, the time you spend writing up $5 sales prevents you from schmoozing people who might just be inclined to buy a very expensive piece.

If you need something to "crack the nut" have a couple bargain priced pieces that will probably sell right at the start.  I personally have never offered cards, and when my pastelist wife stopped offering cards at her booth, her sales of original pieces went way up.

[Geoff Wittig]

I was on the Red River web site the other day and I noticed they have quite a selection of greeting card stock for sale at very reasonable prices.
What kind of market is out there for cards, how much do you sell these for? Where do you sell them? How to find a market?
I did a search on this topic, but couldn't find anything close, to answering any of my questions.
Any links welcome.

You can sell cards pretty easily, but you won't make any money at it. Anything less than $4 per card makes it an easy impulse buy for customers, and you can sell a bunch of them in the right venue. However, your profit is so trivial that it's not worth your while. If you print the cards on your home inkjet, the labor required to layout/print/assemble and place the cards in transparent sleeves makes it a losing proposition if your time is worth anything at all. And if you outsource the printing the up-front costs for a run are prohibitive unless you sell hundreds of them.

Where notecards can make sense is serving as (nearly) free advertising to get your images out there. It will only pay off if it leads to sales of larger works for much higher prices.

[Rusty]

Agree with all of the above there is no percentage in selling cards and no point in display at art fairs. I do however sell cards, local scenes in a local gift shop (note card size) and greeting cards at a local University of scenes of the University or connections there to, (former employer).
Cards are part of my marketing for photography and unexpectedly of my unrelated consulting business. I send seasonal greeting cards to clients and potential clients and this paid off recently in my unrelated (to photography) business.
BTW I go rather low end on the materials, plain paper card stock, the image is what sells it and and stock quality at the price point in the markets served is not an issue. If I was selling to the art market as some are then quality stock and higher retail is the way to go.
I am investigating cost, in Canada of photo quality card stock. Cutting and scoring Paper added to printing and packaging does not seem cost efficient, but will explore.
Good luck

[CoyoteButtes]

Bill,

I have had great results with the Red River cards using my old Epson 2200. I have since upgraded to a 3880 and haven't tried any cards yet (there may be a cut sheet minimum size issue with the 3880; I don't know yet). I may purchase a 2880 to do the cards and get roll paper capability. But Red River has good card stock that is scored for folding, good color profiles, and very good mail order service.

Good luck,

Stan

[Randy Carone]

Stan,

The 3880 can print a minumum cut sheet size of 4" x 6" and it works! I've tried it.

[Steve Ralser]

I print cards using red river premium matt stock- to keep costs to a minimum;  I get envelopes and bags from Clear Bags.  I mostly have different images from my larger photos - so as not to cannabalize to greatly on sales.  I also print them on my Canon IPF 5000 ( the minimum stated size for this printer is 8x10 - but I put a spacer in the cassette and 7x10 will work).

Steve

[Michael H. Cothran]

Here's a link to a Yahoo forum I belong to which is comprised of Art show photographers. There has been much ado over note cards/greeting cards on this site over the years. Tons of yeas & nays. If you search the archives with key words, you'll find more posts on the subject than anywhere else.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/artshow_photo/
 
FWIW - I've sold at art fairs for about 20 years. For a time in there, I also printed my own note cards, bought A7 envelopes and clear bags for packaging. My total cost per card averaged $1 US, and I sold them for $5 ea, 3 for $12. You'll never make a lot of money from them, but they can often help pay for show/traveling expenses, etc.
I disagree that they will stifle the sales of larger prints or framed work though. Where they DO interfere is if you also offer smaller matted prints, such as a 5x7 print matted to 8x10 or so. People will often choose the note cards over this size, but those customers who want larger works will NOT be influenced, in my experience. In fact, when I sold a large piece, I would offer 2-3 cards to the customer as a special "thank you" gift.
The upside to selling note cards is that they often produce income from patrons who would not otherwise buy anything.
The downside is that they are quite labor & time intensive for the amount of profit they yield.
In my hayday I would sell an average of 150 cards per show, but in the past few years that number has dwindeled to the point that I no longer produce them.
At art fairs, the largest profit margin is on larger framed work, but the highest quantity sales are on loose or matted prints.

Michael H. Cothran
Nashville, Tennessee

[John Nollendorfs]

While inkjet printed cards look pretty darn good, the labor involved with producing them this way is not economical. The new generation of color laser printers seem to produce quite acceptable results if care is given in choosing the right kind of paper.

I've been using the under $500 KonicaMinolta 4650 with 9600x600 resolution. I calculate my printer consumable costs at about 15 cents per card. I have a printer cut and pre-score 80lb cover stock to 7x10 size at a cost of about 10 cents per card. This printer easily prints 8 to 10 cards per minute--much faster than the ink jets. This takes the individual card cutting, out of the labor picture and cards can easily be hand folded. I print out of InDesign and use a custom color profile for great results. Of course some subject matters print better than others--just be aware.

Using a color laser printer is an excellent way to determine if there is a market for your cards. Then when you think you might move 500 or more cards, you can have them printed by an Indigo, or DI press and take yourself out of the labor part entirely.

John Nollendorfs

[CoyoteButtes]

Stan,

The 3880 can print a minumum cut sheet size of 4" x 6" and it works! I've tried it.

Randy,

Thanks! Way cool! I'll give it a whirl when I return from my road trip.

tan

[BobShram]

While inkjet printed cards look pretty darn good, the labor involved with producing them this way is not economical. The new generation of color laser printers seem to produce quite acceptable results if care is given in choosing the right kind of paper.

I've been using the under $500 KonicaMinolta 4650 with 9600x600 resolution. I calculate my printer consumable costs at about 15 cents per card. I have a printer cut and pre-score 80lb cover stock to 7x10 size at a cost of about 10 cents per card. This printer easily prints 8 to 10 cards per minute--much faster than the ink jets. This takes the individual card cutting, out of the labor picture and cards can easily be hand folded. I print out of InDesign and use a custom color profile for great results. Of course some subject matters print better than others--just be aware.

Using a color laser printer is an excellent way to determine if there is a market for your cards. Then when you think you might move 500 or more cards, you can have them printed by an Indigo, or DI press and take yourself out of the labor part entirely.

John Nollendorfs

John, what papers do you use, I'm about to do the same sort of thing.

Bob.

[LoisWakeman]

Another approach: I buy plain A4 card stock, matching envelopes and cello sleeves, and get 6x4 prints done by an online printer on semi-matte paper.

I fold the cards, attach a print using spraymount, and sign in the border. A pre-inked stamp with my details goes on the back.

Total cost for materials is about 25-30p, and I sell for £2.50 as "cards to frame" - they fit nicely in a standard photo frame. I only do this direct or at an artist's co-op where the commission is low, as it isn't worth the time otherwise. Not a huge earner, but it gets my name out there, and is some indication of which prints are most popular.