Most group gifts have a structural problem: somebody has to decide whose contribution goes where, and in a book that means someone gets the opening spread and someone gets page 24.
A card deck does not have that problem, because there is no order. Every card is the same size, in the same place in the box, and gets exactly the same four seconds.
One card per person
The format the deck is best at, and it removes almost all the coordination pain.
| The usual problem | Why a deck avoids it |
|---|---|
| Who goes first | Nobody. It is shuffled |
| Who gets more space | Everyone has one card |
| Somebody writes too much | The card is the limit |
| Somebody writes too little | One line is a complete card |
| Late contributions break the layout | One card slots in with no redesign |
That last row is the practical one. A person who sends their card two days late costs nothing — in a book, a late contribution means re-laying out a spread.
Group sizes
27 cards, ₹999. Up to about 25 people, plus a title card and an ending card.
52 cards, ₹1,699. A full class, a department, a team. Or 25 people with two cards each, which is a good structure — a photograph card and a message card per person.
Flat ₹70 delivery anywhere in India, on the order rather than per card.
| People | Deck | Per head |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 27 cards, ₹999 | ₹67 |
| 25 | 27 cards, ₹999 | ₹40 |
| 40 | 52 cards, ₹1,699 | ₹43 |
| 50 | 52 cards, ₹1,699 | ₹34 |
Under ₹70 a head in every case, which is why this works as a collection where a book sometimes does not.
How to collect
Ask for one photograph and one line, and give a deadline.
That is the entire brief and its narrowness is why it works. “Send me anything for X’s leaving gift” produces nothing from most people; “one photo of you with X and one line, by Friday” produces a reply. How to collect messages for a group gift →
⚠️ Ask for original files, not WhatsApp forwards. Group chats compress, and it shows at card size.
Who this suits
Leaving parties, a fiftieth, a wedding party, a team that shipped something, a class farewell. Anywhere the value is that all of these people are in one box, rather than in what any one of them said. Milestone birthdays, and what each one wants →
The three cards that are not about a person
A deck of nothing but individual contributions reads as a stack of messages. Three structural cards fix that, and none of them belongs to anyone:
- A title card. What this is, who it is from, and the date. It sets up everything after.
- A group card. One photograph with everybody in it. In a deck of individuals this is the only card that shows the thing they were all part of.
- An ending card. One line that closes it. Without one the deck simply stops, and a fifty-two card deck that stops feels unfinished in a way a book never does.
Frequently asked
Is a card deck good as a group gift? It is the best format for one, because there is no order — every contributor gets the same space and the same attention.
How many people can contribute? Up to about 25 for a 27-card deck, up to 50 for a 52-card one.
What does it cost per person? Under ₹70 a head at every group size, including delivery.
What if someone sends their card late? It slots in. A late contribution to a book means re-laying out a spread; here it does not.
What should I ask people for? One photograph and one line, with a deadline. Narrow requests get answered; open ones do not.
Part of our guide to photo diaries and card decks. See also: playing with a photo card deck and one book, many contributors.
For a group: Photo Card Deck from ₹999 · Corporate and bulk gifting