Collecting Vintage Valentines

Boy and Dog $6.00

I have a killer sweet tooth. I mean that. Its really, really bad-always has been. I spent a lot of time at the dentist growing up. My dentist was about 275 years old. He had been my mom's dentist her whole life. He was tall and lanky, wore glasses, and was sweet as apple pie. I remember his office vividly (probably because I spent so much time there). He had 70's looking avocado green dental equipment and the walls were covered in wood paneling. There were windows you could look out but the chair usually faced a large cartoon style map of Minneapolis. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see that drawing. It was very detailed and interesting to look at, but by the 7th cavity fill of that quarter it got pretty boring. Luckily every February the whole office would transform. My dentist had a passion for collecting vintage Valentines and would cover the walls and doors with his collection. I loved that time of year. Sometimes he would even take Valentines down and let me hold them while he told me where he found them. A true collector, he was thrilled with the hunt. I always think of him whenever I see an old Valentine. 

W.A.A.C. Paper Doll Valentine $12.00

Valentines Day falls on February 14th each year. It is a holiday in which lovers express said love for each other, traditionally with flowers, candle lit dinners, heart shaped things, chocolate and greeting cards. The first Valentines cards were hand written but over time have made way for more mass produced greetings. These cards, for the most part, depict images of hearts, cupids and love struck victims.

 

Love Sick Valentine $12.00

Early Valentines were much more elaborate. At the start of the 1800's, mechanical Valentines were in vogue. With a opening and closing or the pulling of a tab, the Valentines would come to life. These tended to be on the bigger side and would sometimes increase the cost of mailing. But boy were they interesting! 

Girl and The Goat Mechanical Valentine $15.50

By the 19th century sending valentines was such a popular thing to do, Valentines were being mass produced in factories. The postal rate had gone down which also spiked an interest in Valentine exchanging. The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that 190 million Valentines are sent each year. 

I've Got A Secret Valentine $6.00

If you are interested in collecting vintage Valentines the best starting place for resources would be The Ephemera Society of America. Through them you can been connected to a network of other Valentines collectors. You can sign up to receive their newsletter and you can learn about upcoming ephemera conventions. (Which BTW the Antiquarian Book And Paper Show is happening this weekend at the Concourse Center in SF-check it out if you are in the Bay Area). 

These titles are available on Amazon.com; "One Hundred Years of Valentines,"  or "Greetings With Love: The Book of Valentines." If it is prices or values you are interested in check out "Valentines With Values," or "Romantic Valentines: A Price Guide."

Flapper Girl Mechanical Valentine $4.50

Want more? Check out the Vintage Valentine Museum, a blog with pages and pages of Valentines. The British Postal Museum has a collection online also! And did you know there is an app? Vintage Valentines for your IPhone for only $1.99.

All of the amazing Valentines you see here are available for purchase on Etsy. Thank you so much Etsy sellers for the use of your great images!

Attn: Minneapolis; Exhibit Closing

Man oh man it's been a busy busy month. My daughter turned one and on top of putting together a very special, low maintenance cupcake and balloon party, I've had some other heavy lifestyle issues to deal with. I wont get too personal here, but instead I'll share something that I've had the chance to enjoy. On the 1st floor of the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts is a small exhibit of Mechanical and Still Banks. The exhibit is titled "Mechanical Menagerie: Selections from the Kathrine Kierland Herberger Collection of Banks." It is a pretty impressive collection and it runs through the end of March. 

Considering the MIA is a free facility, you really have no excuse for missing this show. And while you are there you can check out the period rooms, the amazing modern collection and the adorable Frank Lloyd Wright diorama.

Collecting Embroidered Sweaters

Floral Embroidered Sweater, Sm or Med $44.00

Minnesota is cold in the winter. It breaks my heart to have to put away my dresses at the end of the fall. At least my cardigans get to hang around and my sweaters come out of hiding. I love vintage clothing. I've definitely shared that before. Over the years I have accumulated a number of great embroidered sweaters and worn the love right out of them. I'm the girl who keeps on wearing a sweater even though it has no more elbows and an aged coffee stain on the front hidden behind a brooch. When vintage picking I always keep my eyes peeled for that next great sweater.....even on the sweatiest of summer days I've been known to add a piece to the ole stash.

Brown Embroidered Pull Over, Med $28.00

The exact inception of embroidery is hard to pin point (pun intended). Let's just say that for as long as humans have been wearing clothes, they have been adorning them....with embroidery. (Embroidery refers to decorating fabric with  needle and a thread-or yarn etc.)  Many different cultures, spanning many centuries, have incorporated embroidery into their garments. Some of the earliest known examples have been dated to 3000 BC. This article at Needlepointers.com outlines embroidery through history and region. It would take many books to truly cover embroiderys impact over time. 

Girls Embroidered Turtleneck Sweater Dress $20.00

If you're looking to hear more of embroidery's past, check out some of these books; "Art of Embroidery: History of Style and Technique," or "Early American Embroidery Designs: An 1815 Manuscript Album With Over 190 Patterns." There is also the hard to find "Royal School of Needlework-Book of Needlework and Embroidery." Plus don't miss the dense (over 300 pages!) Reproduction of the early 1923 gem "Embroidery And Lace: Their Manufacture History From The Remotest Antiquity To The Present Day. A Handbook For Armatures, Collectors, And General Readers..." It's always a good idea to ask your librarian if they have any suggestions too! 

Floral Embroidered Sweater Coat $34.00

It's important to care for and preserve those pieces we really love. Though don't abandon them in your closet because of life's risks. If that's the case, pop that baby in a frame and call it "Art." Because it is.

Some helpful hints for cleaning your embroidered garments

• Wash in mild detergent
• Machine was in cold
• Delicate wash cycle
• Remove promptly after wash is completed
• Never leave soaking in water, or in a wet pile
• Never wring out anything with embroidery
• Never rub out a stain
• If you are unsure, hand wash
• Lay Flat to Dry 

Floral Embroidered Grey Wool Sweater, Sm $14.00

The lovely embroidered sweaters you see here are all available for purchase on Etsy. The woods are lovely dark and deep, lets wrap up in warm embroidered sweaters.

Collecting Taxidermy

African Springbok Antelope Shoulder Mount

From what I hear, collecting taxidermy is extremely addictive. A friend of mine had a collection that got so out of control, she said, that her home started to resemble a natural history museum. In order to slow down her accumulation she imposed a rule for herself-that she could, from then on, only collect albino animals!

Taxidermy is popular with many subcultures and has been around for quite along time. Because of this, the resources available for those interested in collecting taxidermy, or witnessing taxidermy collections are quite vast. 

20 Ducklings Unmounted

During the Victorian era, taxidermy gained an unprecedented popularity. It was used frequently in great interior design, and a symbol of wealth. Victorian naturalists did not have binoculars or cameras. Often times their only method for identifying a species was to shoot it and examine it later. By the 18th century almost every town had it's only tannery and taxidermy set up. Customers could bring in animals and hides to literally have them "stuffed" with cloths and rags. By the 20th century taxidermists were considered artists-bringing life to the dead by posing and creating realistic settings to display their pieces in. 

Field Natural History Museum

Two interesting and well known taxidermists are Martha Maxwell and Walter Potter. Martha Maxwell is said to be the 1st woman naturalist who killed and stuffed and collected her specimens. She created natural environments to display her findings in. During her career she discovered a number of new species including (that which is named for her) The Maxwell Owl. Walter Potter, the most outstanding anthropomorphic taxidermist, spent the greater part of his career recreating famous nursery rhymes with taxidermied animals. Including "The Death And Burial Of Cockrobin," the highest grossing piece in his collection-which was broken up and sold in 2003. 

With taxidermy having a long history and passionate following there are great opportunity's to witness truly artistic and mind blowing pieces. There are many natural history museums all over the world, filled with dioramas, tableaus and menageries, waiting patiently for your patronage. Martha Stewart even recently revealed her taxidermy collection! You can find taxidermy in movies and t.v. shows (like Fox's sitcom "Scrubs" where the main character has a 'pet' taxidermeid dog). Taxidermy is on display and for sale in some wonderful and hip boutiques like San Francisco's Paxton Gate (Where I have been known to drop way too much money on plants I've never seen before). And of course, the Internet is an every flowing stream of taxidermy in all it's glory. One wonderful website being "Minnesota Association of Rouge Taxidermists," is dedicated to showcasing the work of modern taxidermy artists from Minnesota (props to my homeland!) and beyond. And also enjoy the humorous site "Crappy Taxidermy."

Squirrel Head Necklace

There are so many books about collecting taxidermy, beautiful, beautiful books. It's a collection all in itself. I found a good many of them on Amazon including  "Windows On Nature: The Great Habitat Dioramas of The American Museum of Natural History,"  and "Walter Potter and His Museum of Curious Taxidermy," and "The History of Taxidermy: Art, Science, and Bad Taste," plus the highly acclaimed "The Breathless Zoo: Taxidermy and The Cultures of Longing." Also check out "The Authentic Animal: The Odd and Obsessive World of Taxidermy," and "Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy."

Stay on after the jump for some alternative and vegetarian taxidermy examples! 

Collecting Tonka Toys

Car Transporter

I have a special place in my heart for Tonka toys. They were originally manufactured in my hometown. My grandfather, after taking a leave of absence from his position with the state of Minnesota, wanted to return to work, but there were no openings. In the mean time he took a job putting tires on toy trucks at the Mound Metalcraft factory. My mom tells me that he loved it. He worked mostly with women and enjoyed hearing them talk to each other all day. My grandmother regales me with tale of my dad and my uncles as little boys, driving their "Built To Last" Tonka Trucks off the docks into Lake Minnetonka. Needless to say, Tonka toys have were part of my life, even before I was alive!

Army Pick-Up

Mound Metalcraft was founded in 1946. Their first products were metal tie racks and gardening equipment. Eventually they formed a union with Streater Industries, another local company, and they began producing metal toys. In 1947 they issued the #100 Tonka Steam Shovel and the #150 Crane and Clam. After that they were off! In 1955 they changed their name to "Tonka Toys," taking Tonka, a Souix word meaning "Big" and adding waves to their logo, some believe, to honor near by Lake Minnetonka.

Camper

Over time Tonka created new models and lines including Mighty Tonka, Tiny Tonka and Mini-Tonka. Millions of trucks were sold. They became a house hold name. In 1991 Hasbro acquired Tonka Toys and they are still manufactured today. (Though now in China). In 2001 Tonka Trucks were inducted into the "National Toy Hall Of Fame."

Tonka Toys were "Built Tough" and "Made To Last" which is a true statement. They are often found at yard sales, thrift stores and even hidden in the back of old barns. Pre 1970's pieces are the most desirable. If you are interested in collecting vintage Tonka Trucks the book "Collectors Guide To Tonka Trucks, 1947-1963" would be a helpful resource. As well as "How To Restore Classic Trucks, Tractors, and Airplanes."  If you are looking for information on suppliers, manufactures and parts, here is a great list of links.

Car Transporter

If you are looking to bare witness to the worlds largest Tonka collection, two locations claim the title. The Antique Toy and Firehouse Museum in Bay City, Michigan reports that viewing their Tonka truck collection is a "once in a lifetime experience." And the Tonka truck collection at  Winifred Museum in Winifred, Montana is said to be a "delight to children of all ages."

Van

All of the great (post 70's) Tonka Toys you see here are available for purchase at Etsy. Thank you Etsy sellers for the use of your stellar photographs!

Worlds Largest Ball of Twine

The "Worlds Largest Ball of Twine," not to be confused with the "Worlds Heaviest Ball of Twine," or the "Worlds Largest Ball of Twine That People Are Still Adding To" is in Minnesota. I saw it once, when I was young, when we were driving  my friends kid brother to a hockey game out in the middle of nowhere. That's where the ball of twine lives, near a water tower, in small-town-nowhere-Minnesota. It was very big, and anti-climactic. The towns folk built it a little house. I love that the guy spent his whole life saving bits of string until the ball became too big for his home, so he rolled it himself, to it's final resting place at the vista point near the water tower. An amazing collection of twine.