Handmade greeting cards by monthly subscription

For all but the most organized consumers, greeting cards are something that tend to get purchased in a hurry when a special occasion looms. Jack Cards—which we covered a couple of years ago—uses a prescheduled service to remove some of that haste and help customers get their cards out on time, and now TOTA Press takes a slightly different approach by offering unique, handmade cards by monthly subscription. New York-based TOTA’s subscription service is essentially a card-of-the-month program whereby subscribers get two copies of a one-time, handmade card sent to their door each month. Photos of each new letterpressed design are posted on TOTA’s website on the first of the month along with a description of what inspired it; August’s, for example, is based on an Asanoha pattern. The handmade cards are all standard sizes that can be used for any occasion with no extra postage required. Prices range from USD 13 for a trial subscription of one month to USD 140 for a 12-month subscription, amounting to 24 cards in all. Domestic shipping is included in the price of the subscription, but international orders cost an extra USD 2 per month. In an era when greeting cards are increasingly combined with digital elements—such as in CD-equipped Burney Cards, which we just covered last week—it’s interesting to see an offering that takes what’s almost the opposite approach, revelling instead in the physical richness and artistry of a handmade card. Reminds us, in fact, of the hand-drawn A la Carte Maps that we also just recently covered. The world may be digital, everyone may be online, but there’s still plenty of room for the handmade, the unique, the personal, the still-made-here offline design. Combine that with the convenience of home delivery, and you may just cause some pangs of anxiety in the Hallmark boardroom! 😉