A while back, I read that J. Crew was bringing back its once-iconic print catalog — and I wondered if maybe, just possibly, print was coming back into vogue. Could the populace finally be sickening of screens?? Well, now that J.Falkner Cards has launched a new mini-magazine, J*F Quarterly, I think I’m onto a bona fide scoop!
While much of the community knows Jason Arbuckle as Creative Director and Founder of J.Falkner Cards, he actually comes of the publishing world. “Well, as I might paraphrase, you can take the boy out of magazines,” he joked, “but you can’t take magazines out of the boy.”
“Before starting my greeting card company back in 2011, I spent well over a decade as a magazine art director, in London and in New York,” Jason explained. “What I loved about the format was how magazines distilled a lot of information with economy. So I thought to create my own little one-page magazine/buyers guide to share trends and market insights with our wholesale partners.”
There is just something about a well-designed, informative printed piece that will always draw me in, and the J*F Quarterly clearly packs a lot in a limited space. It is not easy to pack so much so attractively onto just page — Jason unsurprisingly does it masterfully, with great trend reporting to boot!
“I’m fortunate that I live in two cities (Palm Beach, Florida, and London, UK) and visit tradeshows on both sides of the Atlantic — so I see a lot of trends first hand,” Jason added. “For example, last year at Maison & Objet in Paris, I was struck by a stampede of neons across categories, which became a big part of my 2024 card release. Which, in turn, became one of our most successful releases yet.”
“Color is a big part of what we do, so each quarterly will discuss color trends, with an inspiring quotation.”
During my career, I have worked at weeklies, monthlies and (unfortunately) dailies, and I definitely prefer the quarterly deadlines I have at Stationery Trends. Bravo to Jason for following suit!
Jason told me that he loves to collaborate, so future quarterlies will bring in industry experts for their insights. And of course each quarterly will feature its own special offer for wholesale customers. This month through October 31, for its launch, J. Falkner is offering $15 off all prepaid wholesale orders.
“So this may be the only magazine that is giving YOU money back,” Jason laughed. “We want this quarterly to be a chance for renewed connections between our wholesale partners and our wonderful reps. So tradeshow quarterlies will also be produced during show season and handed out alongside our catalogs.”
Like a smart editor, Jason knows that all good magazines need to evolve and change, depending on what its audience wants. To then end, he welcomes all feedback. “We want our quarterly to be news our stores can use! So, what do you want to hear about?”
For now, get your copy by “joining” on the main J. Falkner page. If you are already on the brand’s email list, expect four of these to hit your in-box every year. And, if you are walking the Dallas or Atlanta markets this winter, be sure to visit J. Falkner in the Daniel Richards showrooms to pick up your very own printed copy!
