Greeting cards for the jailed: An underappreciated market
Filed under: Entrepreneurship, Shopping
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A cursory look through any Hallmark store reveals that the greeting card giant seemingly makes products for every possible occasion. From new babies to bar mitzvahs, from first communions to the death of Fido, every life event has its own expression, complete with cloyingly dull poetry, banal photographs, and tired jokes. What's more, between the traditional Hallmark and American Greetings offerings and the racier products at Spencer's gifts, it seems like there is hardly an emotion available or a potential sentiment that hasn't already been bought, packaged, and mass-produced.On the other hand, one of the marks of a true entrepreneur is his or her ability to find an untapped market, capture its interest, and squeeze it like a juicy orange.
With that in mind, I'm particularly impressed by Three Squares Greeting Cards. Recognizing that the secret of a good card is that it can express emotions and sentiments that are too difficult to say aloud, the manufacturer has developed a line of jailbird greeting cards. The cards are filled with tough-love messages; for example, the Christmas card reads "You had the choice to be 'naughty or nice.' And you chose...Oh well, now you have to do your time. But, Christmas won't be the same without you here. Stay safe. Merry Christmas."
It isn't easy to communicate meaningfully with a friend behind bars. As another card reads "We have not spoken in a long time. I'm ready to start communicating. I'll start by saying, your absence in my life hurts. I love you." Still, with the help of Three Squares, maybe this could become a lot easier. Besides, with more than 1% of America's population currently behind bars, this little card company could be on to the next big money maker!
Bruce Watson is a freelance writer, blogger, and all-around cheapskate. One of his proudest moments was when his littlest sister unveiled her line of deliberately offensive greeting cards.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-21-2008 @ 8:11PM
walt said...
stupied is supposed to hurt !!!!
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 8:50PM
Donna said...
stupied??????????
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 8:50PM
william II said...
FOR EXECUTIONS
more power to you?
wish you were here?
burn in Hell, you bastard?
Reply
8-22-2008 @ 5:44AM
Lee said...
Hilarious!
8-21-2008 @ 8:57PM
C said...
If there's a buck to be made on the incarcerated, someone will find a further way to exploit them or their families.
As a society, when it comes to the incarcerated, you first give them sentences that are "unbelievable" in comparison to certain crimes and certain races, example, The Rockefeller Drug laws you warehouse them, you work them for profit, you do not adjust their child support, so when they get out you can put them right back in for non payment of child support, and by this time the arrears are in the thousands of dollars, you fail to educate them, you give them the "felony" status, so some of them can't vote, or get a life existing job, yet you still count them on a census count for funding purposes. You house them in areas where they are unable to receive family visits due to distance, you hire correctional officers that are either criminal themselves or racist, (not all correctional officers are criminal or racist, this fact I will state, but the ones of you that are, definitely know who you are) and I can go on and on of what you do, and now, "greeting cards"?
Do you ever wonder why there's over 2.3 million people incarcerated or an additional 5 million on probation or parole? Do you ever wonder why the recidivism rates are growing in "every" state?
Who's slowly becoming the majority now?
"PEOPLE, WAKE UP!!!"
National Incarcerated Parents and Families Network
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 10:25PM
DI said...
Finally -- a meaningful response to our prison population! THANK YOU for being intelligent! Thank you for pointing out that our child-support laws are made to fill our money-making prisons with -- DEBTORS! Okay, so we are now one of the world's leading propagators of debtors' prisons since Merry Olde England. And now, instead of putting her money into asking Congress WHY? Why do we have 1.4% of the world's population, but 25% of the world's prisoners? WHY do we incarcerate people who have paying jobs for back child support and then have them make NO MONEY? WHY can't people communicate with their "leaders" and get our laws changed? How about using that money to make something meaningful -- like a law that makes sense? Like spending money on new schools and better textbooks, and FREE national parks so we can take our children to something meaningful? Thank you again, and good luck in your endeavour!
8-22-2008 @ 3:14AM
TG said...
I know our system isn't perfect, but please don't feel bad for everyone behind bars. For every person in jail there are many who are victims, hurting family members, etc. Some only feel safe with that person behind bars because of what they had inflicted, others miss their family member terribly and ache at having family milestones like weddings and graduations without them. Either way, thousands belong there because THEY made choices that hurt others, including their own family members. I know there is a problem, but please don't make it sound like 'the establishment causes and perpetuates' the entire problem. Child molesters, rapists, murderers, etc, whether educated or not, still had the free will to hurt someone else, and they chose to do it. Without free will, we would not have civilization. Right is right and wrong is wrong.
Thanks for being there for those that need you, but please remember there is always another side to that story.
8-21-2008 @ 9:33PM
bob said...
why doesn't wallet-pop pull brad's posts...all he/she does is list sites for suckers to go to, so they can be scammed??? all his sites are phishing scams
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 9:42PM
Tina said...
Get your priorities in order and work hard rather than settling for three meals and a cot.
Reply
8-22-2008 @ 12:46AM
C said...
Tina,
It's not that the priorities are not straight or that they want the 3
hots and a cot, it's just that after being the system so long, and
without enough re-entry resourses for the ones that are getting out,
they get left behind and forgotten about. Then it comes to a point
where they become "institutionalized" and being incarcerated and that
3 hots and a cot is all that they are capable of obtaining, at this
point incarceration becomes what they are and expect to be. The
"major" concern with this is that to these individuals, the threat of
incarceration is NOT a deterrant to further criminal activity. So,
their next victim could be you or me or my family, but there will be
a next victim is most cases.
Out of the 2.3 million people that are incarcerated, about 80-90%
will be released at some point. They will need jobs, places to live,
mental health, personal health, aging services. There needs will over
extend the resourses that are now available, and when this happens,
they go back to prison, where there are resourses and where over the
years thay have built up there social network.
I do agree with you that maybe there priorities may seem wrong to
someone like you and me, but to inmates there priorities equate to
survival, before going back to prison. I do believe that the thought
process on priorities as defined by the inmate is very different, but
fits them.
"PEOPLE WAKE UP!!!"
National Incarcerated Parents and Families Network
8-21-2008 @ 9:58PM
ChrisD said...
Ok, who in jail really wants a card that says "you had the right to chose to be naughty or nice and you chose...." LOL no one that's who.
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 11:17PM
t.d. said...
The Hallmark card is incredibly mean spirited. If you have a friend, family or loved one behind bars talk to them about family news, the weather, business, politics, pets or whatever. If they can feel a connection to the life they've lost it may increase their resolve to stay out of jail in the future.
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 11:22PM
Rosita said...
I always though they should make more "Hateful" cards, you know, I hate you, Go to Hell, I gave you ghonorreah etc..... After all people have feelings of hate and anger same as love so why not send a card to express yourself? Como on entrepeneurs, come up with something, I'll buy a couple.
Reply
8-21-2008 @ 11:28PM
Carolyn said...
Brad, go find something intelligent to do. As a mother with a son incarcerated I find it neither funny or cute. Not everyone who is in prison or jail is a lazy no good or a murderer. Just remember, if not for the grace of God, there go I.
Reply
8-22-2008 @ 12:04AM
C said...
Carolyn,
Don't even worry about what was said... I have learned that some things are just not worth commenting on. It's easier for "ignorance" to thrive when it comes to incarceration, and the reason for this is "fear". Incarceration is a growing social issue that will force itself to make changes and to educate the public, then again, it's the correctional system, so they will just continue to lie and ignorance will continue to grow. Sorry, for a brief moment I thought I could say something to give "hope" for the system. Sorry for your circumstances and you keep the "hope" up front for you and your family.
"WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!"
8-22-2008 @ 12:47AM
c said...
Carolyn,
Don't even worry about what was said... I have learned that some
things are just not worth commenting on. It's easier for "ignorance"
to thrive when it comes to incarceration, and the reason for this is
"fear". Incarceration is a growing social issue that will force
itself to make changes and to educate the public, then again, it's
the correctional system, so they will just continue to lie and
ignorance will continue to grow. Sorry, for a brief moment I thought
I could say something to give "hope" for the system. Sorry for your
circumstances and you keep the "hope" up front for you and your
family.
"WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!!"
8-22-2008 @ 12:10AM
SUSAN said...
OF COURSE WE SHOULDN'T HOLD INMATES ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR CHILD SUPPORT. AFTER ALL THEIR CHILDREN WON'T EAT OR GET SICK OR WEAR CLOTHES WHILE THEIR PARENT IS IN PRISON! THEY WON'T NEED AN EDUCATION OR ANY MONEY WHATS SO EVER! THE FAMILY LEFT TO RAISE THIS CHILD SHOULD BEAR THE WHOLE FINANCIAL BURDEN. THATS WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING A LAW ABIDING RESPONSILBE PERSON. WAKE UP!!
Reply
8-22-2008 @ 12:18AM
J said...
Walt and Brad, neither of you can spell.
Do they have a greeting card for people who cant spell?
Reply
8-22-2008 @ 1:44AM
mypantsrblue said...
Hahahaha...I like that one. But, if you sold cards for stupid people, would they know it??? hmmm.
8-22-2008 @ 1:04AM
Donalyn Kestner said...
Hey Rosita : I've always wanted to get into the card industry. I'll make some cards for you. Get in touch at ridersanon@aol.com
Reply