15 Cards That Keep It Real: Best of The National Stationery Show
Okay— what I’m about to say might alienate some aunts, uncles, mothers, fathers, and grandparents out there—but y’all need to cool it with the overly sentimental greeting cards. I know you mean well. I also know that picking out a card from the myriad available at a typical drugstore is the last thing you want to do. But honestly, it’s hard to get excited about a card that has “Dear son/daughter/nephew/niece” on it followed by a Hallmark-penned poem extolling (in fanciful scripty fonts, of course) the supposed virtues of its recipient. I don’t know if my years in New York have turned me into a hardened, emotionless cynic, but I prefer my greeting cards to be like the crazy neighbor that accosts me for walking my dogs too closely to him: blunt, to the point, and devoid of unnecessary pretense. This is why, while perusing the aisles of this week’s National Stationery Show in Manhattan, I was thrilled to see that there were numerous designers this year making exactly this type of greeting card. From newcomer Emily McDowell’s fabulously straightforward (and totally adorable) words of encouragement to Great Lakes Goods’ cards that would make any jaded Brooklynite smile, this year’s offerings were not only cute, but refreshingly real. The following 15 cards prove that sincerity isn’t about sentimentality—it’s about saying exactly what you think. (Just a note: some of the following items, for the aforementioned reasons, might be considered NSFW. If profanity isn’t your cup of tea, please pass this one over. Also, due to the nature of the Stationery Show, some of the following items aren’t available to purchase yet, but they should be in the near future! Enjoy!) —Max
Above image: I’m totally, totally obsessed with Emily McDowell’s lovely, unfiltered greeting cards. This congratulatory wedding card seems particularly apt to me, because this is exactly the reaction I have when one of my friends announces their engagement.
