Would you pay to have a handwritten letter sent to someone as a gift?

[Warwithin]

Hey everyone,

I'm toying with a new project for a class I'm taking and working with an art student where we send handwritten notes by professional calligraphists as gifts. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link, but you can check out the landing page I threw together here (which I'm pretty proud of, considering it only took about an hour).

The question I'm posing and want feedback on is would you pay to have a handwritten letter sent to someone as a gift? Why or why not? If you could answer the poll (inc!), it'll help me! ^_^

Thanks

[Speaknoevil]

No, I wouldn't.

The appeal of getting a letter is the intimacy, I'd rather get one written by a friend, and I'd rather write one to a friend.

[Deleted]

Can just as well download some fancy font & print the damn text.

[Deleted]

This is not medieval times where the average peasant was illiterate so had to hire a scribe, it is considered bad manners to type a thank you letter or get someone to write it for you, I would imagine it would also be a bad show to hire someone to write a letter as a gift rather than making the effort yourself.

Edit: The renaissance option is illegible to me and seems over priced at $20.

[Warwithin]

This is not medieval times where the average peasant was illiterate so had to hire a scribe, it is considered bad manners to type a thank you letter or get someone to write it for you, I would imagine it would also be a bad show to hire someone to write a letter as a gift rather than making the effort yourself.

How is it any different than ordering flowers? I imagine everyone has given far more than they've actually picked, and they rarely have any pushback from that.

[NPEC]

How is it any different than ordering flowers? I imagine everyone has given far more than they've actually picked, and they rarely have any pushback from that.

The ting is, to bigger or lesser extend, when you order flowers you chose what kind of flowers. On the subject of paying to have a letter writen Rich 8and probably everyone else) is assuming that you wouldnt even chose what to write.

[Deleted]

How is it any different than ordering flowers? I imagine everyone has given far more than they've actually picked, and they rarely have any pushback from that.

It is just social etiquette, I did not create it but I try to follow it.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Young_Officer_Advice

When you owe someone a thank you, write. When you receive a letter of congratulations, write back. If you're entertained in someone else's house, or mess, do the same. Such letters should always be written by hand, and not delayed. You don't need to write a novel, but you do need to say more than 'thank you very much'.


Just good manners that is all.

[Hyve]

Ordering Flowers is very different, you can't grow the Flowers in your Garden, care for them and then package them as nicely. You can put a little effort in, get a quick Calligraphy Guide and write something personal yourself.

[Spraxle]

I said no, but I have no one to send a letter to. Plus the only reason flowers get so 'omg' is because they have been built up by flower growers as 'the gift' when really anything can be 'the gift.' Flowers only mean something if the person receiving them puts value in the flowers as a gift. I dunno it's all marketing bullshit in the end.

[glowzone]

I'd could see myself commissioning certain things, but a thank you letter is not one of those things.

[Halyon]

Not a chance, I'd write it my damned self. .__.

[Ebildays]

Hey everyone,

I'm toying with a new project for a class I'm taking and working with an art student where we send handwritten notes by professional calligraphists as gifts. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post a link, but you can check out the landing page I threw together here (which I'm pretty proud of, considering it only took about an hour).

The question I'm posing and want feedback on is would you pay to have a handwritten letter sent to someone as a gift? Why or why not? If you could answer the poll (inc!), it'll help me! ^_^

Thanks

I would not pay for handwritten notes but I know of a few people that sold a service like this for wedding invites and things like that. They would write out all of the mailing envelopes and return envelopes for weddings, graduations and other events like that. Notes are seen as something intimate so having someone else write one for you seems impersonal at best or uncaring at worst. Maybe if you combined the note serivce with a gift serivce it would work but not as a stand alone.

[Tomservo]

I have my own hands I could use.

[Deleted]

I like the idea, as a creative and novel idea, but I have to agree with the person before me who said that the appeal of a handwritten letter is the intimacy behind your friend having actually written it.

Then again, I am old enough to remember when we wrote letters by hand, heck I am even such an old duffer that I remember getting hand written love letters delivered by snail mail. (Crazy I know). Today's kids who have never seen a more intimate form of communication than text, chat and FB Messenger may see it differently and might perhaps be swayed by an off-the-shelf handwritten service like the one you suggest, but I'm doubtful.

[fredsterr]

At first I thought to myself "Hey, that might be a great idea." Then after seeing the replies I'm thinking not lol.

I don't see it as a bad thing it would be the person's own words, not not their handwriting. I don't see anything wrong with it, however I would not pay for such thing.

[Howard Moon]

$20 for a letter I can write myself seems very overpriced.

I would also argue that the person receiving the letter would feel happier reading your own handwriting rather than some professional's.

[Belerophon]

How is it any different than ordering flowers? I imagine everyone has given far more than they've actually picked, and they rarely have any pushback from that.

The thing about flowers is a lot of the time you are paying to give flowers that are normally not be accessible for you in the normal day to day. I know I don't have the ability to walk out my front door and pick a bunch of tulips, roses, or lilies to give as a gift. Nor do I have the time off during the week to deliver these arrangements in a matching vase or basket. Letter writing is a different story. The average person does have access to paper, pens, pencils, envelopes or whatever else they may need. If they don't want to write it by hand there are tons of custom fonts available on the internet to get exactly what they are looking for (many of which are free). Paying $20 to have someone else write a letter for you that is apparently important enough to pay $20 to have someone else write just seems counter intuitive to me. If it's that important to me then I will take some free time and sit down and write it. If it needs some flair then I'll go to the local arts and crafts store and get it.

In the end though, there is apparently a market for everything and I'm sure with enough marketing and work you will have some customers.

[Gwiez]

Personally, probably not. My handwriting isn't excellent, but if I take my time it is as legible as those. And for most cases, the fact that it's *my* handwriting would be what's important.

However, there are some cases where it might be worth it, although price points might need to be tweaked.
Like props (for play, RP event, or game of some sort), wedding invitations, and writing to congressmen. Rumor is they assign more value to handwritten than mass printed form letters. Although you wouldn't want to use parchment for that. I'd suggest a variety of 'papers', vegans/vegetarians aren't going to want parchment and I suspect there's a higher than normal percentage of people who'd be interested in a scribe that are vegetarians.

[Hellravager]

If its to the one i love i wouldnt care how much it costs

[Grym]

If you were to send me a letter, I expect it to be written by you, if your hand writing is THAT bad, then do it on Words.

If I get a letter that is paid to be written I would be slightly offended (for the lack of effort) and pissing myself laughing (from paying for someone to write a letter) at the same time.