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."

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Penny Xmas Folders -early 1900s Christmas Greetings

this sweet little sample card
 measures 2 1/2" x 4"
heavy card stock with color image and gold edging details 

inside shows the verse 

and is marked as a SAMPLE with details.

I hope that every blessing,
That human hearts enjoy
will mobilize and march to you
On Christmas Day ~~~
Dear Boy

"Hundreds of designs" 60 cents per 100 

...yep, you only had to sell 100 to make 40 cents!

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Edwardian Easter Bromide Trade Card

BROMIDE Easter Greetings Trade Card

this is an early 1900s bromide trade card/sample

 with an adorable Easter scene.

the term BROMIDE refers to a photography

paper that produces a 

neutral black or a "cold" blue-black

 image tone, which you can see in the example above.

 advertising details were printed over the post card graphics on the backside 

WHILE THEY LAST

Bromide

EASTER CARDS

at 

$1.25 per Hundred
ASSORTED, 72 SUBJECTS

Regular $25.00 per thousand cards.
Competitors ask and get that much for them.
These cards retail at five cents.

ORDER QUICK

RAPID SELLING POST CARD
and NOVELTY CO. 

15 Walker Street 
New York 
***********
           
I haven't found out much about the
 Rapid Selling Post Card
 and 
Novelty Company
...what a long name! I did find them listed in the 1909 Trow Directory, within the Printing and Bookbinding section. which noted the "name was discontinued" ..maybe they shortened it?!

source: wiki 

1950s Christmas Tags & Seals - Peck Inc. Minn

These precious package decorations were available 1951 from PECK INC.
"package decorations" included 
tags, seals and folders (small cards), and gift enclosure cards

flocked string gift folder

these "Novelty Strung Gift Folders" were 

designed to be gift tags, stand for decoration,

or hang for tree ornaments. 

They measure about 4" and have 

"to and from" on the reverse side.

flocked string gift folder

flocked seals, like these below,

medium flocked seal

 were packaged in cellophane envelopes

medium flocked girl

smalls measure approx 1" to 1 1/2",

 medium 2" to 2 1/2" 

and large seals approx 2 1/2" to 3 1/2"

small red flocked snowman seal

Santa riding candy cane -small, red flocking

small bell seal, red flocking

small red flocked candy cane seal

small poinsettia flocked seal

similar poinsettia and bell designs in Large size -red flocked

medium snowman gummed seal with red & white flocking

medium seals, with red and white flocking details:  came 10 of one design to cellophane envelope.

large versions of candy cane, Santa and snowman designs

"Do Not Open" Seals , red flocked detail

"Novelty Seals" red flocking

This page below shows an assorted

 selection of matching seals, 

you can see the large design

 adjacent to the small design.

all beautifully flocked, these could be ordered with 6 of the small and 2 of the large in one design packaged in cellophane envelope

this wonderful "Deluxe Double Poinsettia Seal" approx. 3 1/2" x 4" has heavy flocking and came in cellophane packages of 4

these novelty gift cards came in five designs each. Designs featured flocking and space to write on the front.  no.650 (on your left) included: Santa figure (shown), candy cane, bell, poinsettia and Santa head.  Design 650A (right) included: Candle (shown), bells, poinsettia, stocking and Santa

flocked GIFT ENCLOSURE CARDS came with envelopes

small GIFT TAGS, flocked with holes for strings

Large GIFT TAGS approx 2 1/2" x 3 1/2", punched with holes for strings which were included, unattached. These were available 8 tags of one design in a cellophane package

DIE CUT GIFT FOLDERS so adorable! with red flocking details, these little cards came with little envelopes in cellophane packs of 6 of one design

insides have graphics & text

sweet die cut NOVELTY STRING TAGS these came 4 Only of 1 Design,Strung in Pairs

inside

 

1951 advertisement for VELVETY assorted pack "50 Piece Christmas Gift Dressing Assortment"all designs were printed, die cut, and flocked. Retail price 25 cents

1951 ad for "QUALITY" a 65 piece assortment which came packaged in a "reusable plastic gift box" . All designs printed, die cut, and flocked.

Happy gift wrapping!


source:  1951 Peck Incorporated Salesman catalog
 "Flocked Seals -Tags - Folders : Package Decorations All New Designs"

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mid century Halloween Card Shop

Get in the Spirit with a Halloween Window!

Rust Craft would test and suggest various 

window displays for their distributors.  

This is their suggestion for a

 Halloween theme window 1957.

 excerpt as follows: 

Spooks, hobgoblins and witches will be in their favorite haunting grounds the night of October 31st !  Rust Craft suggests a window display which captures much of the spirit of the 'Witching Hour' by the use of traditional (but inexpensive) Halloween symbols and suggested use of colors.

When putting in your window, by all means use BLACK for your background; it will be a contrast for the colorful oranges and yellows of your Halloween cards, particularly Rust Craft........

In the upper half of your window...tack white masks on colorful party streamers.  Place your Rust Craft Window Streamer in the center  Cut out several bats from black cardboard...tie them to string or wire..  

Halloween wouldn't be complete without a witch...so tack up a cardboard witch, taking her annual broomstick ride, in the upper right hand corner...then add a crescent moon to brighten things up. 

  The friendly Rust Craft Ghost fits in the bottom left of your window along with grinning Jack O'Lantern! 

 The finished window won't frighten anyone...

but it will "scare up" lots of customers for 

Halloween cards and party goods!"

Oct 1957 Rustler

Interestingly, I didn't notice any Halloween cards or mention of them in the 1940s issues of Rust Craft that I have.  Although there certainly were Halloween cards they apparently didn't have the marketing value they soon developed. The Sept. and Oct. issues during WWII emphasized the marketing of Christmas cards and the importance of relaying to customers that they should mail early so that soldiers could receive cards in time for the holiday. I found this one pumpkin graphic in 1943 issue, whereas the 1957 issue of the dealer publication features a jack O'lantern on the cover as well as the above window suggestion.

1943 Rust Craft ad

Source: Rust Craft Rustler October 1957 and 1943

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see more
Rust Craft window suggestion for September 1957 

1972 Laughing Pumpkin

LAUGHING PUMPKIN 1972

 Laughing Pumpkin matched series - Party Paper Tableware

made by TUTTLE PRESS

 This cute series offered: 

Luncheon Napkins, Table Covers,

 7" and 9" Plates and Hot and Cold Cups

  Tuttle offered three floor and or 

counter display options to dealers, basically a small, medium and large, with varying product as shown in the images below taken from 1972 Fall and Christmas distribution catalog.

49 cent napkins and 69 cent table covers

Napkins and table covers, as well as, paper plates and hot/cold cups. for the counter or floor

the largest display-floor display only, four tiered, included two sizes of Napkins, table covers, 7" and 9" plates, hot/cold cups and hot cups, AND orange and black streamers.

 also available, was the FALL FESTIVAL series, 

 this picture shows example of the table cover and napkin display

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