Figures reported by Washington's Greeting Card Association indicate it's too early to sound the death knell for traditional Christmas cards.

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Not long ago Internet pundits predicted electronic greeting cards would put paper ones out to pasture but that hasn't proved to be the case, The Chicago Tribune reported.

The Greeting Card Association says the novelty of e-cards is waning with only one e-card sent for every 20 traditional ones.

Hallmark Cards Inc. reports a decline in the number of free e-cards sent from its site while the number of paper cards purchased has remained stable at 1.9 billion for the past five years.

"Try putting an e-card on your mantel. Try pulling it out a year from now," Sue Lindstrom, founder of a chain of specialty paper and stationary stores based in Chicago, said to the Tribune.