industry. A thriving market was established for what were now called "alternative" greeting cards. The name stuck even though these "alternative" cards grew to embrace a vast range of styles and ultimately changed the look of the industry. The largest recorded number of greeting cards sent to a single person went to Craig Shergold, a beneficiary/victim of chain letters and later chain emails. Economic effects In the United Kingdom, it is estimated that one billion pounds are spent on greeting cards every year, with the average person sending 55 cards per year. In the United States, approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards are bought each year, at a total cost of more than US $7 billion. In the United States, a counter card typically sells for US $2 to $4. Boxed cards, which are popular for Christmas cards or other times when many cards are sent, tend to cost less. Greeting Card Association The Greeting Card Association is a US trade organization representing the interests of greeting card and stationery manufacturers. John Beeder, former president of the Greeting Card Association, says greeting cards are effective tools to communicate important feelings to people you care about: "Anyone feels great when they receive an unexpected card in the mail. For me, there’s nothing like a greeting card to send a special message. I’m proud to be a part of an industry that not only keeps people connected, but uses both imagery and the power of words to help us express our emotions.” Louie Awards Since 1988 the Greeting Card Association has held an annual award ceremony for the best greetings cards published that year. The awards are called Louies in recognition of Louis Prang, described as the Father of the American Christmas Card. Postcards Postcards, which are single-sided without the fold, can function in a manner somewhat similar to greeting cards. Postcards appeared fairly early on in the history of the postal service as a cheaper way of sending messages, especially those of a tourist nature. See also Birth announcement Cardboard engineering Cardmaking Birthday card Christmas card E-card Postcard Valentine's Day Card (disambiguation) References Postcards