If you love making and designing greeting cards, then Greeting Card Universe might just be the online business you’re looking for. This is especially great if you love photography, illustration, or painting, and you’re keen to turn your artworks in to greeting cards.
The Basics:
Greeting Card Universe is pretty much a “free” service. At the moment, there’s no charge to sign up for an account and start an online greeting card store.
When you sign up, you’re able to customise your online shop (choose name, upload logo, create a personal profile, etc). You can then upload as many card designs as you like (provided they approve your designs) and sell them in your store.
Cards sell for US$1.99 each. Designers/sellers are given 50 cents for each sale. As a designer/store owner, you are able to purchase your own cards at a discount (US$1.49 each). So, you can easily buy these cards and sell them for a higher price elsewhere.
Payments are sent to designers/sellers once they reach the minimum payment threshold (US$25). You can increase your minimum, if you wish. They send cheques or Paypal payments.
They provide some basic statistics of visits and sales on your account dashboard. There are also some information showing how visitors/buyers find your cards.
Also, there’s an option to make your designs available as free ecards. When these ecards are sent, there’s an ad that will say something like “This free ecard is also available as a print greeting card.” – pointing to where they can buy it online.
General Review:
Although I’ve signed up for the service to get a feel for the process, I haven’t really tried selling any cards yet on the site. If I do give it a go, I’ll give you an update.
Basically, from what I’ve seen, it seems like a pretty straightforward service. It’s easy to sign up and create the online store. Although customisations are limited, I don’t see this as a barrier. Also, there are widgets available so that you can promote your online store in your own blog or website.
If selling greeting cards is an area that you’d like to explore, I think Greeting Card Universe is an option that’s worth looking in to.
If you’re using this, or you end up trying it out, I hope you’ll share with us some of your thoughts on it.
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I’m interested in finding a similar greeting card site, but one that prints its cards on recycled or FSC-certified paper. Does anyone know of an online company like that?
Melissa
Melissa, you can try cafepress.com. As for Greeting Card Universe, The idea is a good one but there are a few problems in my opinion. First, they do not allow you to include any art work on the inside of the cards. Second, they print a very small sized card. Their standard size is pretty small compared to a card you buy out of the store. Last, they pretty much take the credit for the card. They put a huge watermark of their logo on the back of the card and put a little information about the artist in a tiny corner at the bottom of the card. To me, it’s not worth it! As an artist, you get very little credit and freedom. As a buyer, i’d much rather go to the store and buy a bigger and more artistic card!
Anyone know how this site, or others like it, handle the legalities of owning your own business? I know that generally an online business of any type still requires a business license and all the related tax procedures. Is that addressed at all or is the site simply an online ‘store front’?
I opened an account like so many, but the submission process is lengthy and tedious. It can take weeks to get one card approved. Then they have categories within categories and if you don’t get it right first time, refusal is guaranteed. Then you have to resubmit the card and more often than not, you will get a sarcastic comment, to add insult to injury! So after all that, I cancelled my account – too much effort for too little return. They need to look at the user interface and streamline the process – badly!
I am leaving the site. The reviewers are getting really pissy and it is no longer worth fighting with them for approvals for the small amount of money you make here. I use other POD sites also with a lot less hassle and a lot more money made.
Exactly what Manny, Sandra, and Angie said. It’s not worth the hassles putting up with snotty reviewers making hateful comments and judging your art. I’d go to Zazzle or Redbubble anyday before I went to Greeting Card Universe.
Oh how hateful the reviewers have became. They think they are GOD and rule the world. I am never ever using this site to place another one of my cards for sale on. Heck! I might even delete my entire store filled with several hundred cards because of how hateful they are. I can go elsewhere, make more sales, and have a much better experience.
Agree totally with you Ashley! I found the whole process infuriating – they ‘police’ the process like the Gestapo, making you feel belittled and disparaged. Way too many rules and regulations – it feels like a battleground with point-scoring and smacks-on-the-wrist – silly and juvenile in my opinion. I deleted my account after a couple of weeks. We don’t have to take that crap!