Beautiful Vintage Greeting Cards in a Box

If anyone who reads this blog ever wonders why it usually takes me a week to post something new, here's the reason:  I sometimes get so caught up in researching items that I literally lose track of time.  Such is the case with these greeting cards.  Madeline kept almost every greeting card anyone ever sent her.  And she kept them from way back when up until she died.  I'm drawn to the vintage ones, so I set up a filing system just for greeting cards.  As we unpack boxes and the contents of the several desks in her home, I slip them into their file folder for safekeeping, arranged by holiday or occasion.  I have been especially drawn to these oversized greeting cards which came in their own cardboard box instead of an envelope.  These are from the late 1940s to 1950's and are from her husband Archer.  Due to the way she stored them, they are in excellent shape.  Most of these were stored in a desk that was in the dining room but now has a new home in our guest room.  These cards are truly works of art, and in fact, there are collections of old greeting cards in the Smithsonian.  Enjoy!

This is a beautiful birthday card from Norcross Inc., NY.  It is actually a card within a card.

This is the little card inside the envelope on the big card's inside page.

This is the back of the card.  The stems are actually part of the roses on the front cover.  Just beautiful!

This is a birthday card with a satin raised cover.

Just love the verse inside, too.  Why don't we find many cards like this today?  Let's bring them back!

The back cover.  Just a sweet flower or two.  This is a Gibson card.

A valentine card from Norcross.  That is netting around the satin heart. 

"My heart is yours--not just for today but forever."

Christmas!  Candles and pinecones, smells like Christmas to me.  The candles are made of a clear plastic that has what looks like silver glitter underneath. 

This is a Hallmark card from 1951.  Wonder is she turned it over and said "Aw, it's a Hallmark." 

Another Hallmark Christmas card, this one from 1949.  The cover is satin with a gold fern border.

"You are my everything, Sweetheart, My life, my world, my all . . ."

A Mother's Day card, beautiful floral design with a white satin middle.

Once again, the perfect verse.

Love the back:  My Love's "Reserved" for you!

This enclosure in the box is actually very helpful for our historical purposes.  You could mail the card with third class postage if the lid was tied securely with string or cord.  But you could not seal it.  A mailing label was even included in the box.  What I find amusing is the fact that the card could only carry a signature from the sender, no written message permitted.  (Who was checking, the card police?)  Of course if you wanted to send a message you had to send it first class. 

The American Greetings Company website has a lot of historical information on greeting cards.