To the unrefined or unbred, the visiting card is but a trifling and insignificant bit of paper; but to the cultured disciple of social law, it conveys a subtle and unmistakable intelligence. Its texture, style of engraving, and even the hour of leaving it combine to place the stranger, whose name it bears, in a pleasant or a disagreeable attitude even before his manners, conversation, and face have been able to explain his social position. -Our Deportment
No we are not talking about business cards. Business cards are used for making business, making money, nothing social about that is there?
We are talking about social calling cards. These cards streamlined introductions and helped remind people of new acquaintances and needed visits. The calling card also served as a way to brand your social identity. The way your card looked and felt or the way you handed it to someone communicated your standing and relationship with the receiver.
For the history, use and design of calling cards please read this post on The Art of Manliness.
These social calling cards appealed to me. Where to have them made? The Art Of Manliness has several great sources for calling cards. On Lifehacker.com they mentioned: MOO, a printing outfit based out of the United Kingdom. On MOO you can design or use suggested designs to make mini business cards. You can customize these cards and order a pack of 100 cards and you can use 100 unique images.
MOO is part of Flickr and you can easily select your flickr images to be used on the social calling cards. On the back of these images you can have text with several options.
I tried it and recently received my cards, it is amazing. I used the flickr images on Dr Shocks Photo’s with the name and link to this blog on the other side. The result looked very professional.
Do you like them? (see picture on top of this post), let me know in the comments.
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Very cool! I love the idea of a social calling card. It seems so Victorian and modern at the same time. It seems like a really polite and socially beneficial exercise.
I am not sure about you, but when I meet someone I have met before I always remember the face, but the name often eludes me. The social cards would really help me remember people’s names.
When you receive a social card you could privately jot down some details about theperson on their card, so you remembered things they were interested in etc.
Great initiative.
I can never remember names. Even when I discuss patients with residents they first have to give me a couple of clues before I remember.
Most of them know that, others find me in complete despair after which I invite them to some clues.
Spent the whole day giving my calling card, is fun.
[...] often ask myself how to get a grip on these business cards of which the social calling cards like moo cards were a recent hit. Several different options exist for digitalizing your paper [...]
[...] often ask myself how to get a grip on these business cards of which the social calling cards like moo cards were a recent hit. Several different options exist for digitalizing your paper [...]