SOURCE: Order of St. Nick

November 25, 2008 08:01 ET

Funny Christmas Cards From Order of St. Nick Help Americans Relieve Depression Over Economic Woes

IOWA CITY, IA--(Marketwire - November 25, 2008) - Amidst fears of a deep recession in the United States, one greeting card publisher is giving consumers something to laugh at: financial crisis Christmas cards. Order of St. Nick's Depressing Times line of holiday greeting cards draws humorous parallels between the Great Depression and the current worldwide financial crisis.

"People need to laugh now more than ever," Order of St. Nick owner and creative director Andrew Shaffer says. "Humor is essential to making it through tough times." The cards feature irreverent humor on subprime mortgages, gas prices, foreclosures, unemployment, and health insurance woes.

The greeting cards feature vintage photos from the Great Depression, enhanced with humorous verse such as "Have a Great Depression and a Subprime New Year" and "Obama's new health care plan rocks! I only wish I still had that kidney I sold to pay my heating bill."

There are 22 total cards in the series. The most depressing card simply says, "Hold onto your hat... the worst is yet to come." Not surprisingly, it's also one of the top sellers.

Shaffer graduated with a Master's in Business Administration (MBA) degree in August, only to find the job market in ruins. "The cushy job in investment banking just wasn't going to happen," he says. Instead of stressing about the future, Shaffer channeled his energies into his one-man greeting card business, Order of St. Nick.

Depressing Times cards have been featured in news sources and magazines around the world since their release in October, including mentions in such prominent international newspapers as Financial Times Deutschland.

Depressing Times greeting cards are available online at www.depressingtimes.com. Customers can buy the cards individually for $3.99 or in boxed sets of 10 for $18.99. And, since the financial crisis is not limited to the U.S., international shipping options are available.

About Order of St. Nick

Order of St. Nick is a greeting card publisher specializing in funny and alternative holiday greeting cards (www.orderofstnick.com). Online orders are fulfilled by Cafepress.com. Order of St. Nick is a privately-owned small businesses headquartered in Iowa City, Iowa. Owner and creative director Andrew Shaffer is a 2008 MBA graduate of the University of Iowa's Tippie School of Management.