Ruination & Despair » News from Archelaus

Another fine merchant opts for Archelaus cards!

Alethea Oglethorpe — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:02:19 +0000

Today we shipped a second order received in response to our recent advertisement in Greetings etc. — this time from the Whale’s Tale gift shop in Cape May, New Jersey. A seaside resort at the extreme southern tip of the state, Cape May is known for its fine beaches, Victorian architecture, and migratory birds. These claims to fame are now expanding to include Egyptian mongooses and Peruvian llamas!

A first response to our peculiar advertisement!

Alethea Oglethorpe — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:53:37 +0000

Today we shipped an initial order of fine cards to Paper Gourmet in Auburn, Indiana. Apparently, having seen our advertisement in this summer’s Greetings etc., key decision makers were unable to restrain themselves from obtaining Archelaus cards for sale as soon as possible! This demonstrates a certain weakness of character that is greatly to be encouraged.

Archelaus infiltrates Ohio!

Alethea Oglethorpe — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:44:26 +0000

During last week’s corporate retreat in Dayton, our crack sales team was dispatched to nearby Yellow Springs in the hope of selling cards there. With success! Sam & Eddie’s Open Books at 232 Xenia Avenue agreed to carry our cards, and we shipped a substantial order to them soon after our return. I have finally received confirmation that the post office has delivered the cards, which should now be available for sale to an astonished populace.

Does it pay to advertise? Archelaus means to find out!

Alethea Oglethorpe — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:54:16 +0000

This summer’s issue of the trade magazine Greetings etc. includes a special supplement on the 22nd Annual International Greeting Card Awards, or LOUIEs, which were presented in May. Only award winners and finalists were allowed to advertise in it, which this year, unaccountably, meant us! Despite the appalling expense, we ultimately decided to seize the opportunity, mainly because Cadwalader designed an advertisement so emphatically peculiar that we could not in good conscience fail to confront the magazine’s 22,000 subscribers with it, preferably before breakfast.

Anyway, the summer issue has now hit the streets, and we will see if our modest effort generates orders, or just angry letters to the editor.

Archelaus takes a stab at custom wedding invitations!

Cadwalader Crabtree — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 15:02:43 +0000

Normally, we are somewhat reluctant to take on custom projects here at Archelaus, for the simple reason that they involve working with clients, who are often tiresome, stupid, and just more trouble than they are worth. Fortunately, Anna and Michael fell in an altogether less odious category, and we were able to contrive a full wedding invitation package for them, in both English and Hungarian, without any attendant incidents of manslaughter or grievous bodily harm.

The project began with this “save the date” wedding announcement, which went out in April:

Now, the invitation package itself has been completed, consisting of the wedding invitation, reception invitation, RSVP card, travel tips for Budapest, and envelope:

Here is the Hungarian-language version:

And here are the maps on the back of the English and Hungarian invitations:

Anyway, since no blood was spilt and our clients have expressed no intention to sue, we are choosing to consider the project a great success.

Archelaus lurches forward!

Alethea Oglethorpe — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:15:47 +0000

Today we shipped an initial thirty-four half-dozen mongooses to the Chicago distribution hub of Paper Source, for immediate disbursement to their thirty-four fine stores in thirteen states and the District of Columbia. The members of our crack sales team are feeling very full of themselves for securing such an important new customer, and I must admit that for once they seem to have some justification.