Re: [PLUG] what do you carry your business cards in ?

["William H. Magill" <magill@isc.upenn.edu>]

>   With my new job, I got business cards for the 1st time in my life.  Very
>   neat.  I think everybody should have them.  If your company doesn't give
>   you cards, get personal ones made by staples or something.  The simple
>   ones are really cheap.  *Much* better than digging for a pen & a scrap of
>   paper to write your info on.  And they impress chicks.

In the "gay 90's" (1890s that is), they were called calling cards, and you
carried one or two in the pocket of your vest at all times.

>   At this point I'm carrying mine in an envelope in my inside coat pocket.
>   It's situated so that I can reach in my pocket & pull out a card, w/out
>   visibly fumbling with the envelope, but this is far from optimul.
>
Try a "pocket secretary." This is a "gentleman's billfold" which fits in
the inside brest pocket of your sport or suit coat. 

DayTimers makes one that also holds your calendar, phone book and credit
cards. (A paper Palm Pilot! egads.) It's about 3 inches by 6 inches by 1/2
when closed and opens up roughly 6x6. [Note: this is very  different from a
FiloFax notebook, about 5x8, although, FiloFaxx also has a pocket for cards. 
FiloFax(tm) is in the class "Personal Information Manager" and really is
that from which the Palm Pilot is decended.] 

[Daytimers has a store out in the King of Prussia Mall someplace.]

"Passport cases" are first cousins.

>   I knew there had to be nice metal card cases for just this purpose.  Then
>   I saw Cris Fearnley with one.  Part of this post was going to be me asking
>   where the metal kind could be purchased, but I just found out that "Things
>   Remembered" in a nearby mall carries them ($15).  But the one I want won't
>   be in stock till next week.

I would be very surprised if Staples or Office Max did not also carry them,
check there.

Similarly, you shold be able to find "card cases" in both metal and leather
in the Men's department of almost any "respectible" store - like Caldwells
or Tiffany's, Joe Banks, Brooks Brothers, etc. (No, I'm not being
facetious, they are men's fashion accouterments.) The metal cases are
usually left in one's jacket pocket or on ones desk.

You will also find that almost every brief case or sholder computer
carrying case today has a pocket in them intended to hold a supply of
business cards.

Depending upon the circumstances, the Business Card usage is not much
different today than it was with "calling cards" in Sherlock Homes time.
If one is calling on a client, you first encounter a receptionis who likely
has no idea who you are or why you are there. So you hand her one of your
cards and say, "Darxus here to see Dr. Bltizfick." The receptionist then
knows your name (and may be able to pronounce it) and your company so that she
can "announce" you to your client.

If you are in a group meeting, you simply deal-em-out to the attendees much
like a poker hand, as you introduce yourself.

When you are picking up your date for the first time, the roomate/parent
equates to the receptionist. THEY are also dutifully impressed also, and
may look past the nose ring, purple hair and tattoos.

And last but not least. One of the most important uses for business cards.
You put them in your luggage tags instead of something with your home
address on it. That way, anyone looking at your luggage tag doesn't know
that you are leaving for 2 weeks in Vale and therefore they can leisurely
loot your pad while your away.

-- 
                ===<Tru64 UNIX-SIG Chair>===
                     www.tru64unix.org
T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill                          Senior Systems Administrator
Information Services and Computing (ISC)   University of Pennsylvania
Internet: magill@isc.upenn.edu             magill@acm.org
          magill@upenn.edu                 http://pobox.upenn.edu/~magill/

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