My thoughts on Hallmark...not really but they're involved

How long should you save a greeting card?

Do they have expiration dates?

When you give someone close to you a card how long do you expect them to keep it before they toss it in the trash?

Or should they never throw it away and just kept it tucked away in closets and boxes with the rest of their spotted memories. My of my girlfriends once gave me a birthday card. Beneath the generically printed emotionless quote she included a paragraphs worth of her own words.

Does the fact that she added her own words and expression of feeling mean i should keep the card around longer?

I can see tossing out a card with nothing but a signature much easier than trashing something of emotional value. You get cards like these from the local mechanics and your dentist. Same as thousands of others. There is nothing unique without the words from your pen.

With this considered how long until the emotion runs out?

Throwing away a card because your relationship with the other person has ended is understandable. What happens when things continue for years.

Do you still have your birthday cards from your parents when you were in the single digits of life?

So to continue i kept that card for the better part of two weeks and wouldn't you know the day i threw that blue and gold piece of folded cardboard was the day she volunteered to take out the trash. I didn't have a chance. To say the least she flipped out. She was shocked over the lack of emotional attachment to this card and myself. Me...well, confused. That card hung by magnet on my fridge, displayed in fashion and pride for what i thought was a generous amount of time. Apparently not...

So the question still remains...how long should one hold onto a greeting card?

...and under what circumstances?

All cards I get go to the recylce bin the next day. I personally tfeel that cards are a waiste of time and money. It has been along time since I have bought a card for someon.

I also actaully prefer to not get a card for the same reason.

The "oh thats nice" idea just blows me away.....get real the only reason a card is given is becasue the person feels obligated to get you one.

I agree. Most people give cards because they feel obligated. I would stop giving cards if I didn't think people would look down on me and think I was cynical (ironic that I'm posting this on this site).

As for society's expectations, for most situations, I would say one to two weeks is an appropriate length of time to keep a card. Or in the case of a holiday like Christmas, keep them until about a week after the holiday. I think the exception would be for an event that is really special and only happens once or very few times, such as a wedding or the birth of a child.