St. Patrick's Day Greeting Cards: a Century of Newspaper Advertising ~

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1999

ERNEST DUDLEY CHASE

reflections on the custom of sending 

Saint Patrick's Day greeting cards ~ 

"Comic and semi-comic post cards were published for those who desired to 

greet one another on 

Saint Patrick's Day long before 

the advent of the greeting card and even after cards for

 other occasions were in constant use.  

It was not until 1912 or 1913 

that the first greeting cards

(in their present form) 

were issued covering Saint Patrick's Day,

 and while many of them were 

comic or 'slap stick' 

the more serious type of 

sentiment came into use"

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling
source: newspaper archives

selling Valentines in 1942

found this article, from 1942, 

addressed to greeting card dealers 

from Rust Craft cards and as the heart says it's

 "TRIED and TRUE TIPS

 to INCREASE your 

VALENTINE CARD SALES"

the greeting card industry worked to teach the public the 

etiquette of properly exchanging cards. 

" Be sure to use rack signs to attract 

your customers' attention to the

 fact that these are Valentine cards,

 or some of them may take it for

 granted that all cards on 

display are Everydays. 

This sounds like superfluous advise,

 but there are 

many people who are not 'CARD WISE' "

1942 ad for store or window banner
 (you can see one hanging in the window display photo, below) 

"When Sweetheart, Wife or

 Husband Valentines 

are being bought, 

suggest that a

 humorous one, 

as well as a serious one,

 be sent"

"A great many dealers do not separate 

Humorous and General Valentines

 but mix them in together 

and claim greater sales."

"Put 'em in the window to get results."

"Show unusual titles in your window display"
"Special titles, more than any others should be displayed in your window as near the front as possible,
for regular merchandise sells of its own accord, but special titles are oftimes unknown.  If correctly displayed, you will sell more."

Emphasize in every way possible

 the growth in popularity of Valentines

 and the fact that it is

 a day for Sweethearts 

and

 for 'joshing' our friends.

The general use of Valentines

 have grown steadily, 

and the increase in the sale 

of higher priced cards 

is very noticeable."

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/vintagerecycling