Valentine cards

13 02, 2017

Tips for Collecting Valentines

By |2019-02-03T16:48:39-06:00February 13th, 2017|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Vintage valentines can be very valuable, especially Victorian era pop-up honeycomb ones. Values vary and can range into the hundreds of dollars up to thousands. Check Kovels Valentine’s Day collectibles Pinterest board for examples and values.

I am a valentine card collector. If you think you might be interested in becoming a collector, here are some tips on how to start.

What should you look for?
  1. Valentines that relate to the news of the day
  2. Valentines signed by someone significant
  3. Older homemade cards
  4. Victorian three-dimensional valentines
  5. Postcard valentines
  6. Die-cut school-type valentines from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s
  7. Mechanical valentines with moving parts from the 1950s

Hairstyles, clothes, cars, or trains pictured in older valentines will help date the card.

Where should you look?
  1. Old scrapbooks
  2. Keepsake boxes for letters are stored for sentimental reasons
  3. Old heart shaped candy boxes
  4. Flea markets or ephemera shows
  5. House sales, garage/tag sales and thrift shops
Are contemporary valentines worth collecting?

The simply answer is yes if  you look for certain characteristics according to Terry Kovel of Kovel’s Antiques, Inc.

  1. Cards should reflect current news, pop culture, and/or historical events.
  2. Cards depicting characters from Disney, children’s’ books, cartoons, movies, and television shows.
  3. Be cautious about new technology cards. Those record-your-own-voice cards will stop talking as they age.

Learn more about valentine collecting from these sites: National Valentine Collectors Association or The Ephemera Society

Here are examples from my personal collection. I love displaying them each February.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

11 02, 2013

Valentines are the Mirror of Romance

By |2023-01-29T09:47:40-06:00February 11th, 2013|Judythe Morgan blog, Valentine's Day|1 Comment

As a romance writer, I love February 14th. St. Valentine’s Day is THE romance day of the year. To me, valentines are the mirror of romance.

According to legend, Saint Valentine was a real priest who lived in 270 A.D. He provided Christians with sacraments outlawed by the Roman Empire such as marriage.

Saint Valentine is also said to have cut hearts from parchment, giving them to the soldiers and persecuted Christians to “remind them of God’s love and to encourage them to remain faithful Christians.”

And thus began our custom of giving cards and reminders to loved ones on February 14th. Today, the Greeting Card Association estimates one billion Valentine’s Day cards are sent each year.

The first mass-produced valentines appeared in the 1840s. Esther A. Howland, known as the “Mother of the Valentine,” used “scrap” to make elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colorful pictures. The American Antiquarian Society in Worcester holds a large collection of her valentines.

If you read my blog often, you might remember that I have an ephemera holiday postcard collection. I shared some of my Thanksgiving cards. Here are my favorite Valentines. While not as elaborate as Ms. Howland’s, I love the way these cards speak of romance.

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Valentines tell others of our love. Homemade valentines are extra special. I found this wonderful site, www.neoformix.com  where you can create your own heart-shaped tokens of love.

screen shot heart site-1

If you’d like to create a heart-shaped design with special words, click on the heart to go to the site. You have time to come up with the perfect token of your love.

YOUR TURN: How will you show someone you love them today?

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