When you receive that cute coloured envelope in the mail on your birthday, do you ever think about how it all began? Do you ever wonder how important birthday cards are today? In celebration of a loved one's special day that comes only once a year, the birthday card is said to be the classic and one of the most popular methods of letting someone know you remembered.

Do you want to know a little more about birthday cards? These nifty little packages are more than just ways to say hello or wish someone a happy birthday. In fact, even with the use of gadgets and technology to help people communicate across the globe, birthday cards, like all other greeting cards are still preferred by the majority in expressing feelings for someone special. This especially holds true for special occasions.

The first birthday cards and greeting cards were traced back to England, around one hundred years ago. It was claimed by sources that greeting cards back then were costly to make and send, since each one was hand painted and delivered in person. In the middle of the 1800's, the postage stamp was used, which made it a lot easier for people to send cards to friends and family who lived far away.

The birthday card industry is perhaps the most profitable of all the types of everyday greeting cards. About 7 billion of these Happy Birthday messages are sent to people in the United States every year. The Greeting Card Association estimates as total sales of more than $7.5 billion annually.

The Greeting Card Association also states that the average American household purchases about 30 greeting cards per year. Also, the average American can receive about 20 greeting cards per year, and of this number, one third are received as birthday cards.

As said before, the birthday card falls under the category of everyday cards, and not seasonal ones like Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, and others. The other types of everyday cards are Get Well Soon cards, anniversary, friendship, and many more. About 60% of everyday cards sold are birthday cards.

Today, it isn't a wonder why birthday cards are very popularly sent to loved ones from almost every part of the globe. You can purchase a greeting card for about a dime. Birthday cards that are more intricate, larger, with music and additional designs, may cost from $2 to $4 or maybe more. The greeting card industry never seems to show signs of slowing down, with the purchase of greetings cards on line becoming very popular.

As mentioned earlier, it is now possible to choose and buy birthday cards on line. You can even have the birthday cards handwritten and sent back directly to the recipient. You can select a birthday card online, fill it up with the message you like, and have it sent back to you or out direct to your loved one.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - Buying Birthday Cards On Line

About the Author

Andrew Gibson is MD of The Card and Gift Company. It is one of the fastest growing on line birthday card websites. To see an example of why The Card and Gift Company is growing so rapidly have a look at Birthday cards