Any suggestions for what to do with these cards?

[FrostyShimmer]

Well, where I'm living there is a spring cleanup tomorrow. You can put 20 bags of garbage out. After tomorrow we can only use clear bags and if there is even one piece of material that could be recycled or composted, they won't take the bag. Since DH and I are moving, I am rushing like crazy to empty out my basement. I figure anything down there is something we haven't used in 3 years and is probably clutter that we don't need to haul along to clutter up our next home.

Anyways....as I was cleaning up our basement I came upon boxes and boxes of cards: birthday, Christmas, GetWell, etc. It turns out my husband saves every card he is ever given, no matter what the occasion. So, now I have box upon box of old cards. I'd like to do something with them (can't cut them up or anything though - he'd have a fit) so that they're not just filling cardboard boxes in the basement. Things tend to get mildewy and huge amounts of paper can attract silverfish and what not. Does anyone have any suggestions for what I could do with these cards? Do they make albums for greeting cards? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ahorsesoul]

Buy some cheap albums for the cards. Even those sticky albums would be fine for these cards. Once you have them in the albums, give the albums to you dh for his birthday or christmas gift. Presto, another gift done and a problem contained.

I use to save my cards. I finally tossed all but a few when I started to declutter.

Another idea is they could "disappear" during the move. Just be sure he didn't also save the money in them.

 

[jingle-jo]

I have saved every birthday card that has been sent to my children! The manic declutterer in me knows I should clear them out, in fact I keep 2 cards from each birthday in my girls memory books, so I have no excuse! But I am concerned that I might throw one away that may be sentimental! It's absolutely crazy. So while I work on convincing myself to get rid of them I wrap each years in tissue and tie them together with organza ribbon and keep them inside memory boxes!

I think the idea of keeping them in card albums is great, but I know for me the way I store them takes less space, but I can easily access them.

What I really need is some encouragement to get rid of them!

 

[Eaglesax]

For both DS graduation cards and MIL 50th Ann cards I used a 3 ring notebook and pocket sheets. that way the cards can be stored open to see both inside and outside, and it helps the book to remain flatter and hold more cards.

I have thought about scanning the cards and keep in a special file on the computer or on a cd, but haven't gotten around to it. BUT, since loosing both of my parents in less than 2 years, sometimes I just like holding the original, I can understand your DH sentiment.

 

[FrostyShimmer]

I never thought of storing them open like that, so he could see the entire card. That might work. Plus they should take up less space that way.

Thank you everyone for your ideas! I'm so happy to have cleaned out my basement yesterday and to now be free from all that clutter!