American Greetings Corp

This sure isn't Strawberryland. On Friday, American Greetings Corp., which owns the rights to the whimsical icon of the 1980s -- the rag-doll-like Strawberry Shortcake -- sought to block the sale of its licensing partner, Burbank-based DIC Entertainment Holdings Inc., to a privately held Canadian firm.

Muhammad Ali, thought by many to be the greatest athlete of his generation, rung up a $50-million purse Tuesday without having to step into the ring. CKX Inc.

It seemed like a good idea: Give people the chance to personalize their own greeting cards. But computerized card-making kiosks that sprang up in stores around the country haven't caught on quite as well as card companies hoped. There will be fewer of the machines this year as American Greetings Corp. and Hallmark Cards Inc. look for ways to make them more popular and profitable.

EBay Inc., the world's largest Internet auctioneer, is raising the listing fees it charges sellers using its U.S. sites and is making changes to fee structures in 10 other countries to fund improvements. The U.S. fee increases will take effect in February and already are included in the company's 2004 sales forecast, said Hani Durzy, a spokesman for San Jose-based EBay. The increases will run as much as 45% for the highest-priced auction items. Most fees will rise by 9.1%.

This season's greeting: Try to have a happy holiday. Glum economic tidings are reshaping the more than century-old tradition -- and big business -- of sending holiday cards. Although many Americans still have the urge to mail out an address book's worth of year-end greetings, some families are choosing cheaper cards, sending online salutations or trimming their mailing lists. Others are dispatching cards in place of presents.

Most states don't recognize gay marriage -- but now Hallmark does. The nation's largest greeting card company is rolling out same-sex wedding cards -- featuring two tuxedos, overlapping hearts or intertwined flowers, with best wishes inside. "Two hearts. One promise," one says. Hallmark added the cards after California joined Massachusetts as the only U.S. states with legal gay marriage. A handful of other states have recognized same-sex civil unions. The language inside the cards is neutral, with no mention of weddings or marriage, making them also suitable for a commitment ceremony.

Greeting card companies have taken a cue from the nation's 9% unemployment rate. In a 6-by-4-inch envelope, someone can send a friend who lost a job a pre-printed message of encouragement and sympathy. Although not available at every corner store, layoff greeting cards are being produced by Hallmark and sold at its stores and online — and selling well, said Frank Fernandez, owner of two Hallmark stores in North Texas. "We're in the emotional business," Fernandez said.

When Americans open their holiday cards this year, many are likely to be covered in simple scenes reminiscent of 19th century life--clapboard houses covered in snow with jolly St. Nick, chubby and cherub-faced, ready to climb down the chimney. Greeting card companies say that there continues to be a return to more traditional and religious themes this season, as Americans look to buy cards that will rekindle family traditions and spiritual ties.

Richard Denison, the environmentalist most responsible for the demise of the polystyrene Big Mac burger box, is a self-professed "reuser of Christmas wrap." "Some members of my family buy this incredibly beautiful wrapping paper," says Denison, a senior scientist with the Environmental Defense Fund. "I open it carefully and use it again."

As the economy goes, so go sales of... gift wrap? This Christmas looks to be one of the worst in years for retailers, and that's putting a wrinkle in the $3-billion wrapping paper industry, which already operates on paper-thin margins. Sales of gift wrap this holiday season are rolling up to be the lowest in more than a decade. Peter Appert, an analyst with Deutsche Banc Alex.