PaperCards.com — A Neighborhood Powerhouse for Real Greeting Cards
Residents Chuck & Brenda Donner turned a kitchen-table idea into a Lancaster-based online store with more than 16,000 brand-name greeting cards—and the widest selection you’ll find anywhere.
When you order from PaperCards.com, you are supporting neighbors. Owners Chuck and Brenda Donner have lived on Ashwood Ct. for 21 years, and their eight-person team comes from Lancaster, Depew, and Cheektowaga. The company began at the kitchen table. Chuck, then an IT director who drew birthday cartoons for coworkers, once sent his ideas to a major card company and received a polite rejection. That moment led Chuck and Brenda to print their own humorous line as Curiosities Greeting Cards in the late 1990s. Soon after, they expanded to carry many brands online as PaperCards.com so shoppers could find the exact message they had in mind.
Today, the operation runs from 515 Pavement Rd., Suite 1, in Lancaster. The team ships nationwide, and local customers can order online and select Local Pickup. The headline feature is depth of choice with cards for any everyday occasion or holiday. PaperCards.com offers more than 16,000 greeting cards from 35-plus brands, including Avanti, Designer Greetings, Pictura, Recycled Paper Greetings, and Oatmeal Studios. For a single occasion and recipient, a typical retail aisle might only show a handful of options. PaperCards.com often provides hundreds of cards for a specific occasion and recipient, including the hard-to-find categories that many customers can't find in stores. Think dance recital congratulations, clergy appreciation, military promotion, cancer support, and grandchildren's birthdays. As an example, there are more than 4,000 unique birthday cards and more than 1,000 Mother’s Day cards, and more than 3,000 Christmas cards, which makes it easy to match the card to the person.
The Donners are long-time Western New Yorkers. Brenda grew up in Cheektowaga, and Chuck grew up in Clarence. Their four children, Nick (28), Mackenzie (27), Josh (24), and Cynthia (21), all graduated from Lancaster High School and are now building careers as a carpenter, a computer programmer, a nurse, and a soon-to-be graduate in computer science and digital media arts major. Away from the warehouse, Brenda enjoys reading, puzzles, and baking desserts. Chuck plays soccer and volunteers as a trainer with the Lancaster and Depew Soccer Club.
For readers, shopping is simple. You can buy as few as one card or as many as you need. Orders can be shipped anywhere in the United States or set for Local Pickup in Lancaster. There is also a standing perk. For every 10 cards in your cart, you receive one card free. Because the selection is so large, there is no traditional retail storefront to browse. Someone is typically on site seven days a week to pull and package orders. Hours can vary, but you will often find a team member there from about 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call first if you would like to stop by for a quick look at the office and warehouse.
The business has been running for 29 years, and the advice the Donners share with neighbors reflects that steady climb. Work hard. Support each other. Do not quit. That approach helped them grow from a few cartons of printed humor to a local company that covers everyday moments and once-in-a-lifetime milestones. With holidays approaching, PaperCards.com is a helpful shortcut for anyone who wants a card that feels personal rather than generic.
How to reach PaperCards.com
Website: PaperCards.com
Phone: (716) 681-2801
Local Pickup: Select at checkout
Address: 515 Pavement Rd., Suite 1, Lancaster, NY 14086
Website: PaperCards.com
Phone: (716) 681-2801
Local Pickup: Select at checkout
Address: 515 Pavement Rd., Suite 1, Lancaster, NY 14086