Central & Gus
Charlie Bonaventure Alligator Note Card
Charlie Bonaventure Alligator Note Card
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Pulling out of the driveway, Charlie Bonaventure Alligator is only a few turns from Alligator Alley, a strip of flat highway running, essentially, from one coast of Florida to the other. He meets Honey on Recreation Road, right at the nexus of the Alley, and they head on their way. On separate motorcycles, this ride isn't about chatter, it is about communion. Alligator Alley offers a long stretch of got-thinkin'-to-do or got-no-thinkin'-to-do open road, with mile upon mile right through the thick of the Everglades: water, tall grasses, sky. Occasionally a summer storm will sneak up, but passes as quickly as it came. Then back to water, tall grasses, sky. The pair rides for hours. Not to get anywhere, and not to get away from anywhere. Just to be. To enjoy moments of almost meditative nothingness.
Charlie's motorcycle is a prized, mint, well-ridden 1914 v-twin, still charged with the power of ingenuity and passion. He spends his mornings tuning up and polishing his affectionately named 'Andytown Ambler' a nod to a town eradicated by the oft misguided collective want for faster, bigger, newer. While some might call his bike old, he sees it as tried and true, taking him wherever he chooses to go. And that is the middle of nowhere. The amazing thing about Alligator Alley is that the middle of nowhere has a way of keeping Charlie in the moment, right there in the now/here.
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Note Card, A6 (4.5” x 6.25”) with envelope in protective cello.
On the reverse of each card is a whimsical tale of the animal featured. Entirely collectible, the stories intertwine, creating a much-loved community of characters.
We print on a luxurious 318 gsm, 100% cotton paper. Soft and durable, this paper showcases crisp detail and vibrant colour. We fell in love with our beautiful goldenrod shade, 90# envelope. According to the ‘World’s Favourite Colour’ study, people associate the feeling of joy with this colour. Also, this is the very shade that enrobes our trusty #2. As all of our images are hand drawn in pencil, we thought it appropriate to give a nod of appreciation.
We donate a portion of gross sales to animal welfare.
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Beautiful cards!
Beautiful, artwork. Love the character stories on back.
I sell items from this shop every month. I keep coming back.
This is my second order from Central and Gus and I have to say, my customers LOVE the illustrations and stories. I make sure to point out that there are unique stories to each character and I think some of my customers are collecting these now. Just a few days ago, I had a lady come in and she really liked the Octopus with the bottle but she didn't really need a card. She left empty handed but came back 5 minutes later just to buy that card! Love the line!
The Central & Gus card line is one of our best sellers. They are unique, beautiful & cleverly done. Working with the staff is easy & the response time is immediate. I give them 5 stars & 5 hearts!
Frequently Asked Questions
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They are — and that's one of the things that makes Central & Gus so unique. Every character lives in the same universe. They know each other, reference each other, cross paths at the switchboard, in the woods, at the patisserie, on the road. Collecting them is a little like reading a novel one chapter at a time — except each chapter fits on your wall or popped in the post for a stamp to someone you love.
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We spent a long time on this. Every Central & Gus illustration is hand-drawn in pencil — and so we are eternally inspired by the classic #2, enrobed in that particular shade of yellow. For that, we call it Ticonderoga Harvest. Studies on colour and emotion find that people associate this shade with joy — which felt exactly right. It also nods, quietly, to our farm roots, everything that grows out of the land, and also to a less tangible but just as important creative harvest. The envelope is not an afterthought. It is part of the story.
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They are extraordinary gifts — and we say that not as a boast but as something we hear constantly from our retail partners and customers. A Central & Gus card is not a card you send and forget. It is a card the recipient reads, re-reads, frames, or keeps in a drawer to return to. The story on the back transforms it from a greeting into a small, meaningful object. We have heard from one customer who had special date-day trips with his young daughter, each time choosing one special card for her coveted collection. The goldenrod envelope alone tends to stop people in their tracks. Another, a fiance purchased the entire set for his partner, a reminder of a day they spotted them in a shop and giggled while reading the stories aloud. These are not cards. They are moments, saved.
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Wholeheartedly yes — and the characters seem to know instinctively which age they are speaking to. Children are drawn to the illustrations, the names, the animals. Adults read the stories and find themselves unexpectedly moved. We regularly hear from customers who frame them in nurseries and living rooms alike, who give them to grandparents and grandchildren in the same gesture. The world of Central & Gus does not have an age. It has a sensibility — and that sensibility tends to recognise itself across generations.
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Yes — and we love that you asked. We offer curated collections and themed bundles. Our Open Water & Coastal set, our Woodland & Hedgerow set, our Wetland & Waterway, or our Start Your Collection bundle are all wonderful entry points. And for those that just wantall of themat once, The Whole Gang brings every character home together at a saving. Bundles make particularly wonderful gifts — there is something about receiving a community of characters at once that feels genuinely special.
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We do — and this is at the heart of everything we do. A portion of every gross sale goes directly to animal welfare. The characters you collect are not just whimsical illustrations — they are advocates. Every purchase is a small act of care for the natural world and the creatures in it. We are deeply grateful for every order that makes this possible.