Valentine greetings of love and affection were first sung or written as poems. Hand-written notes gave way to fancier paper valentines made with real lace and ribbons in the early1800s. The first mass-produced valentines, many made with embossed paper lace, were sold in the late 1840s.

This valentine is a chromolithograph and pulls out to form 3 tiers. Look at the children’s clothing and you’ll see it dates from the 1920s to 1930s.

Find more prices of valentine cards here and in Kovels' Antiques & collectibles Price Guide 2011.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Ran on February 9, 2011