HYDERABAD, Oct 21: There has been a sharp decline in the sale of Eid cards in the city over the past few years. A survey conducted by this correspondent at various sale points found that the number of people seeking to buy cards was extremely low.

In the past, people used to throng markets to buy cards but this time they seem to have lost their interest in hardcopy cards because other easier options are available to them in the form of Internet and SMS.

Eid-card sellers blamed the technology for loss of their business as cards are available on a number of websites.

These cards are easy to send and cost either very little or absolutely nothing.

It is always easy to send such cards and get reply within seconds as compare to a hardcopy card which takes several days to reach its destination.

The Hyderabad press club and the Universal Book Depot are two prominent places in the city for purchase of Eid-cards.

Many families and a number of school, college and university students visit these places to buy the cards.

The low turnout of buyers at these spots and disappearance of roadside card stalls narrates the fact that the buyers have lost interest in purchase of the cards.

It appears that the buyers now prefer the Internet services and SMS over expensive hardcopy cards.

According to card-sellers, the sale of cards usually begins after the 15th of Ramazan but this year no sale in noted even after the said date.

A card-seller of the Universal Book Depot gave his comments, “Poor economic conditions coupled with rising cost of living and price hike are some other major factors that are largely contributing towards ending this extravaganza fast.”

He believed that poor working of postal services also discouraged people to send cards as most of the cards either did not reach their destination or were lost somewhere in between.

He said that the cards had always their own feeling and by switching over to SMS and the Internet, people were putting an end to a unique way of giving Eid greetings to their friends and family members.

He said that the sale of Valentine’s day cards seem to be increasing.

He said that boys and girls who did not even know the background of Valentine’s day opted to buy such expensive and colourful cards.

Another seller of cards, Abdul Hamid alias Amir, who has been organizing the ‘Eid Card Mela’ at the press club for the past 13 years, said: “This time I decided to wind up the business even after the 10th of Ramazan because there were simply no buyers around.”

He said: “I do not see any chances of arranging Mela next year because it is causing financial losses.”

He believed that the earthquake had also affected people this year.

“Circumstances forced us to make use of advertisement campaign. After seeing response of buyers I had to arrange a car on 7th Ramazan with a colourful lightening box, mentioning Eid-Card Mela’s address over its roof as part of the ad-campaign.

It moved in Jamshoro, Kotri, Qasimabad and Latifabad — the areas where we never paid attention as far as buyers are concerned because we did not need it in those peak years of our business.

Last year I gave an advertisement over cable network for Rs4,500 and this time the network operator demanded Rs15,000 from me,” he said.

Prices of Eid cards have also increased and are ranging from Rs10 to Rs50.

Earlier, a card was available for rupees seven and a beautiful card could be bought for Rs25 but it has been doubled now.

The card sellers noted that the profit on cards had also reduced while their expenses remained the same.

The sellers try to keep cards safely so that they could sell them next year at low prices which means further loss of 50 per cent as buyers do not opt for such old cards.

The card-sellers believe that the decline in cards’ sale began four years back.

They say that bankers, students and pharmaceutical companies used to place orders with them for new cards but now they do not turn up.

These clients have made available their own cards on their web-pages which costs them much lesser.