Do you keep old birthday/Xmas/anniversary cards etc?

[Neon1077]

Posting on here for traffic. I'm trying to declutter and have a few boxes full of old cards not just for me but also my children from immediate family. It's a habit that started as a child as my mum did it to look back on as the years go by/loved ones pass away and to create a sense of personal history. But I'm wondering if i should continue as it will encourage a habit of a lifetime for them (and subsequently storage problems) but also its nice to see someone's handwriting and personal greeting which is becoming more of a rarity due to technology.

Does anyone else do this? And where do you draw the line? Cards from grandparents, you as a parent? Siblings? The children's aunts/uncles?

Apart from new baby cards I recycle them or if possible use cards for home made gift tags.

Yes we keep all cards for me,DH and baby ds. We are lucky to have the storage space.

If your short on space how about keeping special birthdays ( 1,13,18 etc) baby first Christmas cards, new baby cards and special anniversary cards.

Something my brother does is take a photo of my nephew with his cards every birthday then put the photo in the album and doesn't keep the cards.

Absolutely not. Wedding, baby cards and maybe first birthday

You could make a scrapbook out of them as well

I keep special cards from close family. I still have my 21st card from my then boyfriend, now husband. I'm in my 60s.
Also have a birthday card my Grandpa sent me when I was seven, which we found when we were clearing out my Mum's place after she died.

No!

Do you ever look at them other than when you're decluttering? if you don't you're not enjoying them so get rid
if you enjoy an ocassional afternoon of reading through them then keep them.

No

No way. Life is way too short.

Nope. They get put up for maybe a maximum of 4 days before looking at the clutter of them makes me want to remove my eyeballs with a butter knife. I can't get my head around then keeping them.

No just landmark cards (birth, wedding, important birthdays)

I used to do but now I but them in the recycle bin.

I keep ones until the next year or season comes along just incase someone passes away, my nan passed suddenly and I take great comfort from her words in the cards she sent. Once I have replacements then into the recycling other than our wedding cards which I read from time to time.

I always kept Christmas and birthday cards from my mum as I knew that one day, one of them would be the last one she sent me. She died seven years ago and I will never throw them out.

I keep all cards I always have. But I stick them in scrap books.

I keep all cards I always have. But I stick them in scrap books.

even the "to x from y" type ones?

or do other people get lots of carefully penned prose in heir cards?

No. Imagine how big the stack of cards would be by the time you get to old age.

My Mum died in September, the crap that we threw out was unbelievable. I'd been de-cluttering hers, 'on the sly', for a couple of years.

It's the difference between, clearing with bin bags, or skips.

I'm going to put together a photo/video email account, of stuff my GD makes me, so is my DD.

My Grandmother was a lot 'older', inactive etc sooner than my Mum was, or I'm going to be. There's too much to do, than sit round going through bags of old photos/stuff. 'Old age', isn't what or as long as it used to be.

Unless you particularly like albums, I'd recycle.

I've moved house five times in my children's (now Adult) lifetime, each time, I've discarded stuff, that sits in the loft, taking up space.

Yes I do. I used to keep far more than immediate family but have got it down to a sensible amount now and we don't have a huge family.
DH thinks I'm daft.

I have dd's baby cards. Homemade mother/fathers day cards. But hell no to the rest. Although my dh thinks I'm a bit of a party pooper as I detest cards. They make the place look messy and cluttered. Ionly keep mine up for 1 day and don't put christmas cards up. Dd has hers in her bedroom but I think they are a waste of paper and people's time.

I keep our 2 anniversary cards to each other. Then I bring them out each year and display on the mantle piece! Does that count? Means we don't waste time/money each year buying and writing cards, but I still get the enjoyment out of them!

No - on receipt pf birthday/christmas cards, I read it and then put it straight into the recycling bin.

Thanks for all your replies, I'm going to use some of your suggestions as I only see them when I declutter which makes it a little pointless. I recycle Xmas cards by making tags and use my children's birthday cards for art projects (not from immediate family though).
Peachystone - your comment made me laugh. My DH has similar thoughts. I display cards for up to 3 weeks 😇 I think it drives him quietly insane!

I've filtered mine down over the years. I tend to keep one from each person, some people have weeded out over time. I'll keep some from particular occasions or just really good cards.

I keep some for my DSs. Not all, but it'll be nice to have a sample for them.

A few months before he died, my Grandfather sent a lovely card with a little boy looking just like DS. It's still up in a cabinet a couple of years on.

I used to keep everything but stopped in the past few years since I had a clear out.

What was comforting that I have the last ever birthday card my mum wrote before she died unexpectedly so I've kept it - partly to remember her handwriting too.

Also kept condolences cards when mum died but not read them again yet.

On a lighter note I've also kept congratulations on new baby cards for my son and his first birthday - I won't keep anymore for future birthdays though!

It's not possible to keep all of them, it just creates clutter over the years if you do.
I do keep some cards to look back on, and have bought a pretty box holder to put them in.
I just keep a few from landmark occasions such as "congratulations on your new house/wedding/baby/ and a couple from big birthdays.
All fit nicely in the box.
That way you have some nice memories but you're not over-run.