Do people not send thank you cards anymore?

[EMom]

A relative got married recently and had a shower. I live hours away and couldn't attend, but sent a very nice gift. From all reports, the turnout at the shower wasn't great, so it's not as if the couple was ovewhelmed writing thank you notes, but I never received one. I finally asked another relative if they ever got one, because I couldn't figure out if they just didn't receive my gift or if they're simply not going to send a thank you........

Now it's baby shower time and I'm sure an invitation is headed my way. Look, if you can take the time to look up my address and mail an invitation, you can take the time to thank me.

 

[DisneyScraps]

I really think it's important to send them. I don't want it to die out. I think that we are losing so much with our culture. I LOVE Facebook and all technoloy but I still love opening my mailbox and getting something hand written. I try to remember than when I am feeling lazy about it.

It really takes only a few minutes, a card and a stamp.

Lisa

 

[Snoozan]

Another one here who believes in writing thank you cards - I do try to send them for Christmas and birthdaysand at least get them sent to my parents and my DH's mother. I have also had my 2 DS's send their grandparents thank you cards - I know the grandparents really appreciate it. Now they both have DGF's who are also good thank you card writers and they're in their mid-20's. I'm so glad they do it - it's a dying art, IMO.

 

[Art 1]

I think most people do, we have never not received one.

 

[nathalee81]

I do send thank you notes. In fact, I feel this overwhelming sense of guilt until I send them out. I send them out for gifts, but I also tend to send them if someone has us over for dinner or someone just does something nice for us (takes care of our pups or something like that).
My sister in law and I are the only ones who send them out.
It usually doesn't bother me very much-most people thank me when getting a gift or something so I don't really care about getting a thank you letter. I know most people are busy, so I understand.
However, there was one instance that really peeved me. My husband has a cousin that invited us to his wedding (so we went got him a gift), I went to the bride's shower (another gift) and then they had a baby (couldn't go, but still got them a gift and SENT it to her). Not once did we get a thank you card. We barely know this couple and they keep inviting us to stuff we have to get gifts for. For the baby shower gift I didn't even know if she got until I checked the tracking number (it was received). If I am going to send you a gift for a kid I will probably never see and SHIP it to you-you better darn well put a stamp on a card and send me a thank you. I told my husband never again. Whew-sorry for that little rant-must have been holding on to that for awhile

 

[Art 1]

I do send thank you notes. In fact, I feel this overwhelming sense of guilt until I send them out. I send them out for gifts, but I also tend to send them if someone has us over for dinner or someone just does something nice for us (takes care of our pups or something like that).
My sister in law and I are the only ones who send them out.
It usually doesn't bother me very much-most people thank me when getting a gift or something so I don't really care about getting a thank you letter. I know most people are busy, so I understand.
However, there was one instance that really peeved me. My husband has a cousin that invited us to his wedding (so we went got him a gift), I went to the bride's shower (another gift) and then they had a baby (couldn't go, but still got them a gift and SENT it to her). Not once did we get a thank you card. We barely know this couple and they keep inviting us to stuff we have to get gifts for. For the baby shower gift I didn't even know if she got until I checked the tracking number (it was received). If I am going to send you a gift for a kid I will probably never see and SHIP it to you-you better darn well put a stamp on a card and send me a thank you. I told my husband never again. Whew-sorry for that little rant-must have been holding on to that for awhile

We would probably not send that person another gift. At least for a long time.

 

[runwad]

I can live with out a thank you note but how about a phone call? My one sisters kids are off my list cause they never tell me thank you for gifts and now looks like another sisters kids will be falling by the wayside. If I can take the time to send you a birthday gift I EXPECT a thank you phone call, email something to know my gift was received. My kids ALWAYS call relatives when they get a gift. gggrrrr

 

[cm8]

I always send thank you cards. I have noticed that very few people do anymore. I find it in very poor taste to accept a gift and not properly thank someone. It doesn't take that much time.

. I so agree!

 

[bicker]

We try avoid situations where US mail is applicable, personally, but in a broader sense, I wish US mail would simply just go away. I find everything that I must do through the US mail to be a negative experience - there are no redeeming qualities whatsoever, as far as I'm concerned. Beyond that, it's so mind-blowingly inefficient, too. I don't blame anyone for opting-out of using the US mail for anything that is not not strictly mandated as such by law.

 

[KellyWasHere]

In the last couple of years, I've noticed on several occasions that people haven't sent thank you cards, where I would have expected it. Are thank you cards for wedding gifts or baby gifts a thing of the past? I mailed 2 baby gifts in the last 2yrs, and I never received a thank you card. In those cases, I was worried that the gifts were never received. I sent a follow-up email one time (about 3 months later), and the person wrote back saying, "thanks for the gift" and that was the only mention of it.

It's not that I'm looking for a big pat on the back or anything, I'm just wondering if this is the new trend. Maybe I missed the memo, and thank you cards are now a thing of the past. Anyone else notice this too?

Seems like it's personal preference these days. I send TY cards when people send us something that they didn't see us open. IMO, this is common courtesy. And definitely did for baby and wedding showers. But, for instance, I don't send TYs for normal birthday gifts for my girls. My cousin has kids, I have kids. We give gifts for their kids' b-days, they give gifts for our kids' b-days. I see that as a canceling out type thing, no need for TY cards. But she always sends them. To each their own, but that just seems like overkill to me.

 

[runskyhy]

I still llike to send them. I always send one after I have stayed or visited with someone when I am on travel or vacation.

I loved to be the one to goto the mailbox and get the mail each day when I was a kid. Maybe that's why.

 

[castleview]

I'll admit I'm bad at this. I hardly ever have stamps anymore because everything is paid online. The only time I use my address book is for Christmas cards. However, I do make sure people are thanked either by email, phone call or in person.

But the not writing cards doesn't jive with my step-mom whose mother gives my kids little things all the time when they visit (candy, coloring books, dollar bills). My kids always say thank you, but my step mom expects them to send thank you notes for all these things…even Christmas presents. This year, for Christmas she gave them a filled in address book with stamps. GREAT GIFT!!

 

[Ember]

I have noticed a rapid decline in thank you notes and in thank you's in general. I don't mind not getting a mailed thank you if the person says thank you some other way. In person, by phone, or even by e-mail. But to receive no notice that they got the gift and appreciated it really bothers me. If people can't be bothered to say thank you, generally I can't be bothered to give them any more gifts.