Collecting Vintage Valentines

Why I have other people’s personal valentine cards…

Is collecting vintage valentines strange? Maybe.

But hear me out on this one. I have a little box that I keep my vintage valentines in. As I take out the valentines and sift through them I see that some are from members of my family so I know the people who sent them as well as the people who received them. But there are others that I have collected from strangers. These are the ones I read with a slight feeling of voyerism, that I have a window into something that should be private. There is nothing earth shattering or too risqué but there are heartfelt sentiments from people telling their loves or family how much they care for them or how much they miss them. There is one that says to give the baby a kiss. It is like having a brief glimpse into the past.

We are not in the habit of sending cards nowadays so I wonder what will connect us with the past 40 or 50 years from now? Will it be a facebook post, an email or a text? I’m afraid that the digital detritus we leave now will fall far short in interest and the sweet sentiments illustrated in these beautiful and colorful valentine cards.

Enjoy these photos of some of my collection of vintage valentines.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all you groovy chicks!