Avant-Card

I used to stop into Avant-​Card once a week, but now I won’t step foot inside this store. It’s not worth dealing with the cashier. She makes a point to be blatantly rude to her customers and treats everyone poorly. She should be embarrassed. Go to Papyrus or Paper Source on 4^th street instead, I won’t give this place another cent of my money to be treated poorly.

Great stuff. Rude cashier. She doesn’t take cash because she doesn’t have change and doesn’t take cards because minimum charge is $ 5. So go figure so not welcoming

Great selection of cards available, which change as the year goes on. Ever single card I’ve given my girlfriend is from here and she is, as of now, far behind in the card game. Besides cards, great gifts and notebooks here.

Great selection of cards and everything is very neat and organized. One of the workers – middle-​aged, African American women– was very rude. She was working as the cashier behind the counter.
She performed the transaction but failed to ask if I wanted a receipt. So I asked for one. She sighed loudly, rolled her eyes, and opened up the cash register to give me a receipt. I think she had to do the transaction over again.
I was pretty offended. First of all, you did not ask me if I wanted a receipt, so the default route would be to give me a receipt. And when I do ask for a receipt, you show such disrespect and rudeness to me.
Ugh.
Tldr; The shop has great cards but there is a particular worker who is rude and will dampen your experience.

I’d have to agree with the others who remarked on the very rude manager (?) behind the counter. I do my best to keep my mouth shut around her. Though, there have been other employees who are nicer.
Other than that, the selection here is great; simple but very pleasant designs.

It saddens me to have to write this but a store owner owes its paying customers more respect than this.
So I am cheery and excited to be back on my undergrad stomping grounds and I went to visit this wonderful and creative store. I walk in and go look at their planners. I turn to the employee at the cash register and politely ask about them, but she aggressively tells me «what do you want?» I was a little taken back and thought that I might have done or said something offensive by asking about her planners. But nope. It turns out she was frustrated with her payment processor because she was having trouble with the machine and needed to pay someone. So I quietly look into the glass shelves where there appeared to be cool looking business card holders. I think. I couldn’t look too long because the employee, who happens to be the owner as I soon find out, TELLS ME WHAT DO YOU WANT?! Once again, I am startled by her aggressive position towards me, so I stand there frozen with fear as to what it is that my presence is doing to her. I respond to her with, «nothing.» And I offered her my help since I am familiar with Stripe, PayPal, and Square payment processors. But she scoffs at my offer and tells me in a very passive aggressive (AKA fake voice) that «nooee thank you.» It was the kind of response you give someone when you know that since you are the boss you cant blatantly tell someone to fuck off so you do it in an uncomfortable passive aggressive demeaning manner.
Well, that was this lady. I tried to salvage the encounter by asking her about her favorite product in the store because I would buy it in hopes to cheer her bitter mood. And I ask for her favorite product? To which she bitterly responds with, «they are all of my favorite products!» And at this point she was done with her payment processing issue and was focusing her laser eye hatred dead into my eyes and penetrating my soul. If stares could kill, she would have incinerated me and this review would not see light.
Anyhow, I just didn’t (and still don’t) understand her position toward me. I have worked in retail before so when someone throws you an open-​ended offer of «I will buy whatever you like» type of question, an astute salesman directs the naïve customer to the most expensive items in the store. And for us that have been in retail before understand that an offer like that is to remedy the tension. But nope. This lady had it out for me for some reason. But I still don’t know why.
Overall, I ended up buying three lovely cards and one motivational quote card that read, «If today is a bad day, you have better days in store,» and I gave it to her. But she took the card and tossed it behind her and said BYEEE. I was (and I am still) amazed with the ingratitude and toxic personality this owner possesses towards its customers. However, there are cool thank you cards and other gift items.

I simply love this place. Whatever it is you need — birthday, get well, greetings from SF/​Berkeley/​etc or the funny card for your best friend — you will find it here! Definitely a gem.

Lovely postcard collections. I’ve recently picked up the habit of sending postcards (I know I’m strange) and they have the cutest ones. Things are very decently priced (I checked the magnets they have online and they sell them at the same price as the manufacturer). Did I mention that they play good, non-​intrusive music at the right volume that doesn’t annoy you when you look at postcards? Heard a little-​known DCFC song when I was there earlier, so I guess I’m never going to buy postcards anywhere else now.

Great, original cards. The front desk is staffed by students, who are generally good, but can sometimes be clueless.

Love the collections they have! Constantly renewing their products too. Also, the front desks r always friendly

I always find just the right birthday card here. For a pretty small shop, they have a wide selection of cards for every occasion. You can also get other stationary here as well, such as packs of blank cards perfect for those post-​interview thank you’s. I’ve also seen cool stickers here that all Berkeley folks seem to have on their bumpers!

I would rather not write such a negative review, but minus 5 stars for the extreme rudeness of one particular person who works here. I see a few other people have commented about her in the past, and it sounds like we are talking about the same person. Since it’s now happened to me more than once, it is time to say something.
It is true; she is so rude, and it really takes the fun out of shopping here. She doesn’t look up from her phone when you walk in. That’s OK. But if you want to ask where something is, or simply present your items to be rung up at the cash register, she will find a way to be hostile to you. It is a card store and it should be a little more pleasant and cheerful than this.
Having said that, 5 stars for the selection; they do have the best cards for all occasions. But from now on, if I am walking by and I see this particular person, I will just come back another time.

Loaded with more cards than you can possibly handle, this small store has it all. Not only are the cards here clever, witty, or inappropriate appropriate or vice versa, you will find it here. I know the cards are close to $ 4, but that’s at a price that will save you the time from visiting multiple card retailers such as Pegasus, CVS, Wal Greens, etc.
Just be sure to give yourself at least 10 minutes to sift through the variety and to figure out where the card is located. There are no categories to indicate sections of cards. Whether this is a clever or not ploy to keep people in the store, it’s a time eater so plan accordingly. Not-​so-​fun fact: they don’t take AMEX.

This place has cool cards. Simple as that. Some are kind of avant-​garde (hence the name of the establishment, methinks) and they’re not very cheap, but you can find some pretty unique selections. I got my girlfriend a cool monster birthday card last year. Their Valentine’s Day cards weren’t as interesting as I would have hoped, but still, creative. I also got her a Peanuts sticker book here. $ 5 minimum on CC purchases, fyi. Parking is tough around here, so do what I did, park at one of those city lots nearby and make sure to be in and out in under an hour and you’re golden.

Avant-​Card is avant-​garde when it comes to ultra cool greeting cards. I always find unique and witty cards here for reasonable prices. I never have to look very far to find a sweet greeting or two in this well-​stocked shop! Avant-​Card is more affordable than Twig & Fig, but more unique than your average Papyrus or Hallmark store. The lady behind the counter is also very nice and helpful :) Stop by Avant-​Card for your next holiday or birthday celebration. It will surely make you smile!

Avant-​Card offers unusual cards in the 3.25 range
–black & white pics of celebirties
–breath taking scenics
–the usual cute sayings
–pics of elephant rumps (for those XL ass…)
definitely would return here to get a card if needed since hallmark doesn’t have these kinds.
giftwarpping too.

Finding a card is not so hard,
When you’ve got a store like Avant-​Card.
Located just across the street,
Its wide selection really can’t be beat!
As soon as you crack open that door,
You’ll wonder who you can buy cards for.
From funny jokes to cards that are blank,
Send birthday wishes or show some thanks.
I guarantee that you won’t be sad,
When you see none of the cards are bad.
Stacked from the ceiling down to the ground,
Cards for all occasions are found.
I really can’t say too much more,
Without sounding like a giant bore.
So stop by here when you get a chance,
You’ll love Avant-​Card at first glance!

I can’t go in and NOT buy a card here! That’s how amazing this store is. Even when there isn’t an occasion coming up, I try to find one just so I can get one of these adorable cards.
They have the perfect card for every occasion you could possibly imagine– just for fun, thank you, anniversary, birthdays (lots of good 21^st birthday designs), and every seasonal holiday. I am always in awe of how original their designs are. Also, these cards can literally appeal to anyone– they can be funny, sweet, adorable, a little dirty, or downright weird – how can you not find one to fit your needs? You cannot find anything like these cards in a regular Target or Walgreens. They also have cards that have a picture on the front and are empty on the inside. On the front, they have all sorts of designs: cute animals, babies, cartoons, you name it! It just makes you want to buy all of them and frame them or hang them up in your room.
The store also holds little items like mugs, stickers, pens, magnets, etc. These items are usually near the front and have that same cute, chic vibe that the store itself does.
Yes it is a little steeply priced if you get a really nice card, but the quality and the uniqueness of these cards is totally worth the money that you will spend in here!
The owners are really nice because even if you come in and don’t buy anything they never say anything and always ask if you need help finding a certain type of card.
I absolutely love this little store!
Oh and quick tip: Bring cash if you are not willing to spend $ 5 (a card usually doesn’t cost that much, so if you don’t have cash you’d have to get another item).

I came here sad, and I left happy. Avant-​Card is an amazing little store to buy a card. They sort the cards based on the category, i.e. Passover, birthday, wedding, get well soon, I love you, etc. The cards have more appeal than those that you would get in a CVS or Walgreens; however, Walgreens sells CTC (Cinnamon Toast Crunch). The get-​well card I purchased was $ 3.82. My friend is doing very well now, but I wanted to give him a nice card to make him smile. So I came here!
Avant-​Card is a play on word for the avant-​garde art movement. I’m no artsy fartsy but I do know that Olinde Rodrigues coined the term «avant-​garde.»

After purchasing various clever greetings from Avant-​Card, the only reason to go to a Hallmark Store would be to buy a Star Trek Christmas Ornament. Even then, Gayle hates that «damn» Borg Cube that I always hang on the tree. Yet even she knows that Resistance is Futile.
I’m the type of card buyer that needs the combination of illustration and message to match who I am and how I feel about the occasion or the person I have in mind. Avant-​Card has consistently offered me a high-​quality selection that meets that criteria over and over. That can be a little spendy if you’re not careful, but for that special occasion, it’s a high value proposition.