Last year, an estimated 7 BILLION greeting cards were sold in the U.S. alone. You can blame that fact on the United Kingdom's Uniform Postage Act of 1839.

Felicitations had been exchanged as far back as ancient China and Egypt. And the oldest extant Valentine greetings date back to the 15th Century. But it was not until the issuance of the first postage stamp - the Pennny Black - in 1840 that mail became affordable for the masses. (Heretofore, the recipient had to pay the postage!)

Hand-made cards could not keep up with demand, and it was not long before mass production made every occasion big business.

John Calcott Horsley (British) is credited with creating the first Christmas card in 1843, but it was not until 1875 that German immigrant Louis Prang started his own line of cards. Regarded as the Father of the American Christmas Card, Prang was manufacturing over 5 million cards by 1881.

Kate Greenaway, Esther Howland, and Ellen Clapsaddle are just three of the noted artists and manufacturers of Valentines and other cards during the later half of the 19th and the early 20th centuries. Their elaborate creations of ribbon and lace or mechanical (pop-up) amusements are highly collectible today, and many sell in the $100 to $500 range.

Of course, no history of greeting cards would be complete without mentioning Joyce C. Hall, a high-school dropout who, along with his brothers Rollie and William, printed the first Hallmark card in 1916.

So, what should you consider if interested in collecting new or vintage greeting cards? First, the sheer number of cards available necessitates specialization. Victorian Valentines, Ellen Clapsaddle mechanicals, and Santa Clause cards are all very popular with collectors. You may choose, on the other hand, to concentrate on children's cards from the 1950's, Looney Tune characters, or Star Wars/Star Trek.

Classified as ephemera, cards should be stored in acid-free, archival-quality sleeves or boxes, and away from heat and direct sunlight. Cards should never be stored with their envelopes. The glue on the envelopes eventually yellows and will leave a stain on any material with which it is in prolonged contact.

Finally, what to do with all those boxes and boxes of cards your family has received over the years? After culling the ones you'd like to keep for your collection, if you don't want to sell the lot at a yard sale or send them to a paper recycler, try contacting an organization like St. Jude's Ranch for Children. They have a program whereby they turn old, used cards into new that are sold to benefit the ranch.

If you'd like to learn more about collectible greeting cards, check out the recommended resources listed below. Happy collecting!

Books

"Collecting Vintage Children's Greeting Cards: Identification & Values," by Linda McPherson
Link to book

"Greetings With Love: The Book of Valentines," by Michele Karl
Link to book

"One Hundred Years of Valentines," by Katherine Kreider
Link to book

"Studio Cards: Funny Greeting Cards and People Who Created Them," by Dean Norman
Link to book

Websites

Greeting Card Association (GCA)
http://www.greetingcard.org/indexnew.php
http://www.greetingcard.org/thegreetingcard_facts.html
U.S. greeting card trade association website. Check out their Facts and Louie Awards pages.

Emotions Cards Museum
http://www.emotionscards.com
http://www.emotionscards.com/museum/history.html
Online museum offers detailed history and LOTS of pics of vintage greeting cards in various categories.

St. Jude's Ranch for Children
Recycled card program

Penny Black - The First Postage Stamp
http://stamps.about.com/od/historyofphilately/p/PennyBlack.htm
This About.com article by Michael Breen gives the history of the British innovation.

The Scrap Album
This is collector Malcolm Warrington's site. Lots of interesting information, especially on Victorian period greeting cards.