Dappered

Affordable Men's Style

The Suggestion: Get some real thank you cards

By | Heads up: Buying via our links may result in us getting a commission. Here's why.

Check Letterpress Thank You Cards – $12.00 for a box of 8 + envelopes

Pen shown is a Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen.  $2.59 a piece, or $18.44 per dozen.

There’s a reason your mom hounded you to write thank you notes for those terrible sweaters you used to get from your smelly old relatives when you were a kid.  But the best reason to do so doesn’t have anything to do with any of the reasons you were taught.

When it comes to all of the things that make their way to your mailbox, there are fewer items more appreciated than a thank you note.  It’s an acknowledgment of something nice you did for someone important to you, a reminder that despite all of the pooches you may have screwed, this you got right.

Here’s the deal; You have to have cards on hand. It’s just going to make the process easier and convenient, which means there’s a pretty solid chance that you’ll make it a reality and not just a good idea.  You can find some smart, stylish and masculine cards at good independent card and gift stores.  Not only will you find some terrific cards from talented artists at stores like these, you’ll most likely end up with a unique card that your recipient  has not seen before.

I’m going to be honest – it is even better to give than to receive.  Mostly.  Perhaps I’m just staving off a guilty conscious for not sending one.  But I truly believe that taking the time to write out a thank you card, stick a stamp on it and send it through the postal system is a purely selfish joy.  In an age of instant messaging and email and twitter, it’s simply a classy way to convey your appreciation.  And you score “stand-up guy” points for your efforts.

Tim Johnstone is Dappered’s Music Correspondent, a former Virgin Records Label Rep and current award winning Music Director  and on-air host at KRVB.  He’s also extremely well liked and quite polite.  But don’t cross him, because he’ll cut you.  He also writes a blog that’s a collection of the absolute best the internet has to offer.   It’s a daily read.

Comments

  2. Handwritten thank you notes are essential for after a job interview. Most people will follow up with the standard email (it’s shocking that some don’t even do this), but a hand-written thank you note to the person/people you interviewed with is always a good idea.

  4. I’ve become a big fan of Apple’s “Cards” app for sending thank you cards. You choose a design and provide your own pictures and message, they have it printed on Letterpress stationary and mail it out.

  5. The point of this article was that it’s a nice, thoughtful gesture to put in the effort to physically write out a Thank You card for someone.

    “They have an app for that” kind of defeats the purpose.

  6. I’m a big fan of the fountain pen use! It gives your handwriting a bit of an extra flair, especially if you use some of the more exotic (but crazy expensive) nibs and inks!

  7. Terrapin Prints is always worth checking out if a dude’s getting cards. Sometimes a bit brash, but can definitely be cool.

  11. My handwriting is godawful, but I still heartily +1 this recommendation to send actual notes instead of email. I was raised to write thank you notes, but I was required to turn each one into a polite letter, which left me hating the process and I quit writing them in college. If you don’t write the thank you notes because they feel like a production, two or three sentences is all it takes to express sincere gratitude and wish someone well.

    Keep the cards handy so you have as minimal an obstacle to writing as possible, and get yourself some nice cardstock notes to class it up. Not many people send them anymore, so the effort definitely stands out.

  12. My initials are WFT. My mother got me monogrammed Thank You cards. My monogram is…..

  13. Good tip. I think there are two keys to good, masculine thank you cards. The design should be simple and you shouldn’t be too anxious to use them.
    I know when I first got mine I wanted to use them for everything. But being overly anxious with something as old-school as a thank you card comes across as fake and/or affected. Use them when it’s appropriate to do so (job interview/client meeting/gift etc) and you’ll communicate sincerity.
    Keeping them simple is another way to avoid looking like you’re writing a card just for the sake of writing a card. Obviously men need to avoid girly, overly-designed cards. But even masculine cards can be overwhelming if they have too much going on.

  14. Crane & Co on Amazon w/ Varsity Fountain Pens + Amazon Prime = Studly.

    Seriously, Crane & Co has some great Thank You stationary (my current set of cards has a navy blue and silver pinstripe that lines the interior of the envelope. Writing on them with the Varsity pens creates a great touch. Definitely a long lost art… So lost, that I once received a thank you card in return from a LTC, thanking ME for sending him such a nice thank you card. (we must go deeper).

    $13 Crane & Co. Thank You In Red Thank You Notes
    http://www.amazon.com/Crane-Co-Thank-Notes-CT1127/dp/B00647NTK6/ref=sr_1_3?s=office-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1352949600&sr=1-3

    $23- Varsity Pens – 12ct box
    http://www.amazon.com/Pilot-Varsity-Disposable-Fountain-Black/dp/B001GAOTXC/ref=pd_sbs_op_3

  15. Notwithstanding that a thank you card is the polite thing, its also an acknowledgement that the gift was actually received.

  19. I just bought’em. Handwritten cards show effort and personality. Don’t get me started on eThankyou’s. I just hope I get some gifts worth of the cards this season!