1949 American Greetings Valentine Ad

1949 American Greeting Publishers, Inc. 

"American Greeting VALENTINE CARDS

Straight to the heart"

this sweet 1/4 page ad shows a self serve greeting card fixture with drawers on the bottom for extra stock

(notice the mascot/logo has cupid wings for the season)

American Greetings Corporation

started in 1906 as Sapirstein Greeting Card Company 

J. Sapirstein started, like J.C. Hall (Hallmark), "jobbing" cards

1932: moved the family run (including Sapirstein's sons), 

 home-based business to outside facility

 and began printing their own cards

1934: the company incorporated with $18,000 in capital

 1938: company name is changed to American Greetings Publishers.

1944:  company is incorporated as American Greeting Publishers, Inc. 

1952: company goes public as American Greetings Corporation

1958: established Canadian subsidiary, Carlton Cards, Ltd.

1957: Hi Brows- American Greetings answer to the studio card

1960s started using a 'rose' as part of logo

1964: acquired the House of Paper (party goods, gift wrap & ribbon)

1967: Character Licensing-  Holly Hobbie introduced,

 the first in a series of "those Characters from Cleveland"

1970s: Soft Touch- hippie free love line 

1978: subsidiaries formed  Plus Mark, Inc.,  and A.G. Industries, Inc.

1985 acquired Drawing Board greeting cards company

major brands include: American Greetings,Carlton Cards, Gibson Greetings Inc (acquired in 2000 for $163 million) , Recycled Paper Greetings, and Papyrus, and also includes DesignWare party goods, American Greetings and Plus Mark (1978) gift-wrap and boxed cards and Date Works calendars.

Happy Valentine's Day!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/vintagerecycling
sources: The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History
American Greetings history