Holiday related items are becoming increasingly popular with collectors. And when you think about Valentine Collectibles, of course we are talking about the Valentine cards we send to our loved ones and friends. Author Katherine Kreider does a super job of exploring the history of Valentine cards from the first beautifully done homemade ones made in the 1800's to the brightly colored and mechanical ones we remember sending as kids.
The book, like all Schiffer Books, has attractive photographs. Each page is full of colorful images, good descriptions and excellent resources. Kreider also lists suggested price values for the cards. The prices have a wide range depending on condition. She explains at the front of the book -- One of the most important factors for judging old paper ephemera is its condition. I can not stress this enough!
After browsing though the 188 pages full of images, you will find several pages of excellent resources that will be extremely helpful to both new and old collectors. The resources include a list of manufacturers from both the pre-20th Century and 20th Century; a list of FAQ's from Kreider's lectures; and a glossary. These are probably worth the price of the book alone to a collector interested in a Valentine collection.
Originally published in 1997, this book is no longer being published, but it is available on the secondary market.
