Business card holders have been around since the invention business cards themselves. The original holders were elegant leather binders with either cut out inserts into which each individual card could be placed for easy viewing, or they contained plastic pages that were sectioned off and each section would hold a business card.
Even though these holders had almost been replaced a few decades ago with the invention of an electronic Rolodex device that was meant to store information from each of the business cards we received, it was cumbersome, difficult to use because everything had to be input directly into the device, and of course as any type of technology ultimately does, it died.
Because there was no way to back up this electronic data, many business people were frustrated to learn that during the six or nine months of using this new device they relied heavily on it and actually threw away the business cards whose information they were trying to capture permanently.
During the 1980s as we were a embracing the very beginning of the technology age, many of the business card holders were thrown into drawers as we turned our allegiance to the newly released electronic Rolodex devices. Anyone with any interest in gadgets ran out to buy their own new electronic gadget that supposedly would replace forever the need to carry copious numbers of business cards with us at all times.
Recent improvements have shown us that you can have your business card holder and a PDA too! Scanners have allowed us to capture virtual images of business cards that can be stored on computers, smart phones, PDAs, etc. This ability frees up space in our briefcases or purses and still affords us the opportunity to have immediate access to all the information on any business card without any guesswork. These new electronic devices are in fact our new business card holders.
Aside from these electronic versions of the business card holders, holders come in to basic formats. One of course is the type of book or booklet into which we would place individual business cards into slots or sleeves and we would carry this around with us or, if it was too large, we would simply keep it at the office as a convenient reference material.
As technology grew new inventions quickly replaced these electronic databases and soon we were given the ability to scan each business card into a computer or a smart phone. The beauty of this technology was multifold. It allowed us to capture images of the exact business card rather than only keeping what was in text format, as the electronic databases from decades before did. It also gave us the opportunity to have these images located on a computer and a PDA at the same time, providing a marvelous backup opportunity in the event of a hard drive crash.
The second kind of common business card holder is one normally seen on someone’s desk or perhaps in a reception area. These would have someone’s personal business cards that could be taken by customers or clients as they visit. Customized versions of these business card holders have historically been common gifts for holidays and special occasions. Because they can be made in a variety of materials and sizes, they are easy to personalize with everything from initials to photos and even slogans or personalized greetings from a loved one.
There are a broad variety of Business Card holders available online and some excellent ones at Card Holder be sure to have a good look around before making a purchase.
