Indeed..

I`ve just bought a wedding card (from Coop City, I know but it was on my way home) and the selection was awful, not in terms of quantity but quality. Who`d give a wedding card displaying two chimpanzees dressed up as bridal pair?

For special events I like giving a card (new born, wedding, bereavement, round birthday) and if you can keep the price below 10 CHF that would be perfect.

Unlike you I`m not too crazy about the paper used. I purely base my buying decision on whether I like the design or not. But I know that you have a keen sense for beauty.

Are you kidding? These are the classiest cards ever. I never give anything else!

Rhesus monkey wedding cards, yes. But chimpanzees? C`mon.

Thanks lady I'm attempting to create 2 tiers of cards. Both on amaaazing paper but one is more amazing than the other. And I'll have normal paper envelopes and 'super special, oh my goodness I'm just going to sit and pat them' envelopes. Meaning you can choose and tailor according to what you feel is important

I'm going to remember this and one day when you're least expecting it you're going to get a card with chimpanzees on it

Ahhh nic, am glad that you are keeping busy with this! Fantastic idea. With regards to your questions:

1. I usually get my cards from Globus/Manor. Manor has a greater selection but having said that, nothing compared to Clinton cards and the lot in the UK. I buy great cards that catch my eye when I am visiting the UK (Selfridges has very pretty handmade cards) but Globus and Manor are my staples here in Switzerland.

2. The Globus and Manor cards range from 6CHF and up. Some of them imported from the UK and you can get really decent, good quality ones for approx 8-10chuffs. Approx 15-20chuffs will get you a posh one. Something to keep in mind.

3. I dont mind paying for handmade cards. Max pain treshold is 20CHF. I love details and appreciate the amount of work that goes into a card, and I am pretty sure that my receipents will too. That is my main reason for choosing a card actually - the details.

4. Packaging wise, I have to say that its just cards so I tend not to pay attention to packaging of cards. As long as it arrives in pristine condition, I dont mind if you send it in a brown envelope Having said that, wrapping them up really pretty is a great touch! Will make me smile and go "aaaahhh" for 5 seconds but the product is most important.

Hope this helps and all the best for your new venture!

__________________
Remember when someone annoys you, it takes 42 muscles to frown, BUT it only takes 4 muscles to extend your arm and b****-slap the mother-f***er upside the head.

Forgot to ask,

Will you deliver in Spain?

No, really!

I make my own, friends have a lovely print company, print chapbooks, book marks, lovely little poem gifts..I bind my own books when I have time and a good carton ..It's neat and super rewarding. Brico.

I think 8fr. Since you are starting and they will test you here. I would also expand right away, not only cards, with pretty much zero investment, but more what I wrote above. Tags for presents, for cans when people can fruits, home cooked products, cookie boxes, make kits, preprinted stuff of tags, book marks, school tags, stickers, invites, etc.

I think what kills little business is not enough variety in offer.

I love utility art. There aren't enough pretty things around us. I miss the stuff abroad, little hand made touches.

__________________
"L'homme ne peut pas remplacer son coeur avec sa tete, ni sa tete avec ses mains." J.H. Pestalozzi

“The only difference between a rut and a grave is a matter of depth.” S.P. Cadman

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." A. Einstein

Absolutely no problem

Thank you for your input I'll keep it in mind. Unfortunately it is just too costly for me to make some of the items you're suggesting (stickers etc) as these items truly fall into 'low cost' and there is no way I could foresee being able to recoup my costs (platemaking and labour) with these items at the moment. They're just too easy to print on a home printer.
I'm already looking into bookmarks and gift tags but these items will have to come after some of my bigger projects. As others have mentioned; I'll be trying to pick up some corporate work as having done the maths it is much more advantageous financially to print 100 cards rather than 20.
But we're only at the beginning. I'm planning on working hard and getting my name out over the next year so that Christmas 2012 is a big one with me at lots of markets etc This also gives me time to perfect my french!

Sounds great as choice of cards here is generally really bad and expensive - I would def stick to special occasion cards as people spend more on those - on recycled paper I hope?
Beautiful cards for sale at Christmas markets is also a fab idea -especially when we are all a bit misty eyed and christmassy after a few gluweins (spelling hmm...)

Me too. Tie them in a bow. Punto.


ETA: On another note, and really a totally different vibe from letterpress, I often print via Moo. Really high quality. I love them. I also print stickers which I use to seal the paper pouches I put the stuff I sell in.

I love Moo too. Although I won't be using them for this project

Good luck with your venture! I have struggled to find decent cards here, I like to find something different and unusual, that fits the person and occasion I'm sending for and will make them smile. As others have said, Globus and Manor appear to have the best selection, but I still stock up in Paperchase or my old local gift shop back in the UK for card needs here, and mostly, of late, use Moonpig for the UK simply to get the things there on time - their selection isn't great, but it serves a purpose when you've left it too late to post from here. And I stocked up on Christmas cards reduced after the day in Paperchase last year, not because I'm a cheapskate, but because I knew I wouldn't find any decent ones here for this year.

I love handmade cards, love beautiful paper, love pretty packaging, but I don't think I'd spend more than about 7-8 chuffs unless it was a really special occasion. I used to buy the most beautiful Wedding and anniversary cards from bellybutton in Manchester and they were worth splashing out on. I like your idea of packaging, but would opt out if it really increased the shipping cost - sorry.

And why is it so hard to find good wrapping paper here? I have a reputation amongst family and friends for beautifully wrapped gifts to keep up! Has added benefit of making a thoughtfully-purchased but not earth-shattering gift more fun to receive :-).

Look forward to seeing your website - all the best!

PS Wouldn't touch Hallmark with a bargepole!

For those of you interested. I've a blog to show my progress... http://nexttonicx.tumblr.com/

Thank you all very much for your wonderful comments. They've helped greatly.

nice idea! receiving a card instead of the umpteenth boring-9/5-easily forgotten email is something so special nowadays.
we stick the few cards we still receive to any surface in our "family gallery", ie any free space in the kitchen, where we can admire and enjoy it every day and be reminded of our friends or family who sent it. so yes, the nicer the better.

ONE card we have been despertely been looking for is an eye-catching but not too touristy version with some swiss or zurich-related theme to send friends announcing our move/new address.
no luck yet, other than some very dry postcards with very basic text.

also it should be either in italian/german or only in english. or maybe even without text.

how have you announced your move once you came here? I think it's something really nice to do, especially for our friends with kids or our kids' friends. kids love receiving cards, as old fashioned as it sounds. much more exciting than email!

Hello all. Just to let you all know that I finally finished my website and it went live with my Christmas Cards for this year last night. Thank you all for your input. You all helped greatly.

I'm stupidly excited and off to celebrate with tea and cake

Poymer?? You into Flexoprinting? If so our company builds the lasers to image Flexo and letterpress, what I am desperatly looking for is a place where I can have test files printed for quality assesment.
Drop me a PM

congratulations! very nice mixture of humorous and elegant. I wish you a great success.