Lighten Up! Tips for Letting Go in 2024 – Greeting Cards

As we enter our fifth day of “Lighten Up,” we turn our focus to old greeting cards. When working with clients, I frequently come across this category of items. Sometimes we hold onto previous years’ holiday cards, both sent and received. It is also common to have cards you have received for a birthday, anniversary, or other celebration. Many people also own stacks of sympathy cards they received on the passing of a loved one.

Greeting cards fall into the category of “sentimental items.” Their value is less monetary and more emotional. That said, not all cards deliver an equal payoff. For example, cards that have little-to-no personalization are nice, but probably not worth keeping. They were intended as a greeting, to deliver a message, and they served their purpose. In contrast, cards with a long, hand-written notes from a dear, deceased relative may be treasured keepsakes.

The first step in dealing with old cards is to separate out the “keepers” from those than can go. Those with special value should be stored with your memorabilia.

The remainder of the cards – those that you have received but don’t feel the need to keep – are most likely recyclable. Cards that can NOT be recycled are:

• Cards on photographic paper
• Cards with ribbons, glitter, rhinestones, or other non-paper decorations
• Cards with batteries inside (usually the ones that play a song when opened)

These should be placed into your regular trash.

Alternatively, you can send the fronts only of old greeting cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children. They have a recycled card program to provide teens with work and life skills. You simply send your cards to:

 –> St. Jude’s Ranch for Children , 100 St. Jude’s St., Boulder City, NV 89005

The only catch with this program is that they cannot accept Hallmark, American Greetings, or Disney cards because of copyright laws.

I also want to mention that you might also have a collection of greeting cards that are new: cards you bought, intending to send, but never used. If you want to keep them, check out this post for ideas on how to easily do this. Otherwise, new cards can be donated to your local thrift shop or charity. In southwestern CT, both Darien and New Canaan have thrift shops that accept new greeting cards.

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Are you a “card collector?” Stacks of cards take up space, and we often rarely (if ever) look back at them. This is an easy way to lighten up. Will you give it a try?