The gift-store gene runs in our family. My grandmother operated a gift shop, The Wishing Well, out of her house. I was pretty little at the time, but the sight of drawers full of wrapping paper and shelves filled with Holt Howard angels and pixies makes an impression that lasts a lifetime. My mom worked for several years for our hometown gift-and-office-supply store, where people could walk in with their favorite pen, and my mom, or someone like her, would search tirelessly for the proper refill. From my mother and grandmother I inherited a love of proper stationery, the perfectly wrapped gift, and the occasional well-chosen knick-knack. Finding a box full of never-used greeting cards was a happy event.
Finding this many boxes at one time ... well, it was exhilarating.
I think this sentiment expresses it well.
There were boxes of all-occasion cards, and I would probably feign illness if I thought I could get someone to send me that card with kitties chasing butterflies.
There was a collection of cards to send to a secret pal.
There were cards to have on hand for birthdays and get-well wishes and saying hello.
And there were many Christmas cards. Probably hundreds. All of them unsigned, with envelopes. (And none of them stored in a damp basement - nothing comes into this house without undergoing a rigorous sniff test.)
Since most of these cards are too cute for words, we'll just go with pictures.
Out of all of this wonderfulness, I think these might be my favorites.
A gift store? No, I don't have one. Just a head start on the inventory for one.
Where on earth did you find these! You left that part out. Oh my, I'm slobbering drool just looking at the pics LOL....
Posted by: Jewels | September 20, 2012 at 07:22 PM
I love your vintage cards. My grandma used to save each and every card people gave her, and put them in scrap books. I loved looking at them when I was a kid.
Posted by: Mitzi Curi | September 21, 2012 at 01:05 PM
Omg...the boxes look very pretty!so cute!
Posted by: Louis vuitton handbags | September 22, 2012 at 03:41 AM
They just don't make 'em like they used to...the graphics were so sweet then and the script, too. I just sent my sister a vintage birthday card today...I hope I will find some great ones, too..mine came from ebay.
Posted by: tammyCA | September 22, 2012 at 11:50 PM
As an avid fan of vintage cards, I share in your delightful glee. Nothing compares to those precious vintage images, whose main purpose is to make one smile.
I so miss the stationary store of old. As a child, I used to love going up and down the aisles, scrutinizing every stationary set, wishing I could purchase them all... on my mere pittance of an allowance. ;)
Now that I can rub a few cents together...these fine stores have vanished. :( Craft stores are not a proper alternative, in my humble view.
Have a great week, my friend.
Posted by: Maureen | September 23, 2012 at 01:57 PM
I love this post! These are the cards that I remember from my childhood. And just look at the art work! Fabulous, especially on the my favorite, the Santa pulling the sleigh with the Christmas tree and reindeer aboard. You just never see such great art work on greeting cards anymore.
I wish I had all of these to send out myself!
Thanks for the wonderful posts.
Posted by: Nashvilledeb | September 26, 2012 at 01:33 PM
Oh my gosh! I think this find was one for the record books! I have an addiction to vintage cards...I would have fainted if I came across these at a sale!
Congrats-
Erica :)
Posted by: Erica / Golden Egg Vintage | September 26, 2012 at 06:11 PM
Spectacular!
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