Are you going to hide things from me until I pay?

I can't believe nobody has thought of this yet...it's amazing and really, if you think about it, an obvious acquisition target of Hallmark or Carleton Cards.

So brilliant.

Don -- it makes money when the company gets purchased.

Slick! I would totally use this.

I actually really like this idea. What if we just made it a completely virtual card that you can give us a list of people and they can "sign" it electronically. Although we'd help them think of something cool.

Techguy:
That's an excellent idea....I'd like to call it a "Puzzeant"

Maybe it could contain a gift certificate or something.

I mailed you btw. I totally agree. Amazin idea! And yea even better. Users could buy amazon vouchers or book tokens and send it as gifts. I dont think any of the free e-card companies have this. I could be wrong tho.

You know it is really a good idea.

reminders to sign the card etc.

Mr El. Jivaro ...keep em coming....

me likee.

Great idea. Simple yet so sweet.

Nice one. I think we all know that feeling.

Its a clever idea that has a viral appeal but I think too simple to design and develop. I think the low barrier to entry could be a positive in terms of risk/reward but a negative in terms of actually being acquired, since there would be very little preventing a Hallmark from doing this on their own.

This idea is cool but Who is going to generate the content. Is it going to be the community?

It would make me cold inside to know that everyone's well wishes were generated from an online program. Is it really that hard to come up with something to say!!!???

PsychSplash:
For me personally, I wouldn't use the site for cards that require some of my soul. It's more for the obligatory cards to office mates

Mikeyjudkins (awesome avatar btw):
There are two things preventing Hallmark from building it themselves.
1) Large companies suck at writing their own software (I know, I've worked for them)
2) Hallmark isn't buying the software so much as the traffic and community.

Sudhir:
yep, the community. We would seed the site with content to start with the hope of community participation following soon after.

I would've soo used this service back when I was working in a corporate environment.

I hate greeting cards with all my heart. I hate getting them and I hate sending them. The problem is that a large percent of my family communicates using greeting cards. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Thank-yous, freaking bowel movements ..... I getting pissed off just thinking about it! If this service does anything to make the process of sending greeting cards more easy i'd use it.

Couldn't it send the thing too? Or list a directory of appropriate cards from a particular vendor I could choose and order online? Is this beyond the scope of the concept?

What about a sort of threadless approach to greeting cards. Give me something so I don't have to stand looking at a wall of silly cards for 45 minutes trying to find the right one.

Maybe I am blowing out the scope of this but imagine a site that lets people buy cards designed by other users and filled with crowd sourced greetings? Mix and match and print on demand. Profit sharing to successful designers, affiliate and retail options. Oh yea I forgot, I hate greeting cards!

I am amazed with the stuff people come up with ;-)

damn .. i aggree with the last one.. coll one

Not, of course, that you would use your computer for this at work - LOL.

I would use it. I get stumped all the time. Sometimes you just need a little inspiration...

This idea would make a great add on for moonpig.com an online card shop where you customise a card which they then print and post - huge time saver!

And how does it make money?
I know you said 'sell the company' but who's going to buy it? As Allan says this would be a good feature request for an existing greeting card website but I don't think it would make it as a standalone business.

With barriers to entry so low there's nothing to stop one of the card companies knocking this up in an afternoon and then you're sunk.

Can this be ready by mothers day? I need to write a card for my mother-in-law.

I agree that there isn't a good revenue model for this. Interesting idea, but not a good business. Plus, if you aren't willing to come up with something sincere to write on a card then are you really going to take the time to go and look up something nice on the internet? I think about 1% of the population would do that. The rest wouldn't even think of it.

There is a place that does this isn't there? Or did it fold? I remember using it a little years ago but can't recall the name now.

Just for the record...Before the floral industry/wire service industry went through the consolidation it has gone through in the last few years, several of the wire services had a similar application for use in filling out floral cards, and they were also accessible for "general" use.

Florafax, which became part of Carik, which became part of Teleflora...started it, and for a while the 1-800 Flowers people did a similar thing.

I don't know that the 1-800 people would get nasty, but Teleflora might. They're no longer industry owned (just like FTD) they're owned by investment companies, and that means lawyers.

Just a FYI, if Teleflora gets nasty, they get nasty. They've gotten some pretty big players in the "Collectibles" industry into court and ended up owning huge chunks of them. Thought you might like to know.

just do it.

I've actually done this before, that is, I've gone to one of those stupid electronic greeting card site to look for something nice to say. I've also gone to quote sites as well.

I wouldn't have any use for this. Maybe I'm just good at coming up with things to say. Besides, I'd feel much lamer going to a website to find what to put in a card than to write something lame on my own.

Love the idea ~ not so much because I'd use it, but because it's something I'd be interested in WORKING on! Lemme know if you need help.... I'm the one people come to for 'sayings.'
Cheers,
dawn