Like a lot of its other paper products Staples has gone to private labeling and intentionally lowered quality to squeeze more profits out. These cards are a good example. Forget the 3x5 cards you grew up with as this paper is thin and cheap. It flops around won't hold up and the ink bleeds into the paper. Staples knows it could have done better but chose not to. They are going in the recycling bin and I'll go to the local convenience store for something better.
They are extremely handy for teaching my 5th grade how to study. They break their topic up into questions and place each question on a study card to help them review for the test!
These cards are not as thick as the name brand and tend to bend easier. I would like to see Staples make them equal to the name brand but at a lower retail price to encourage buying the Staples brand.