The seller of this real photo photo postcard (RPPC) featuring two children with a rocking horse, says it’s from Central Pennsylvania, circa 1910s. You can’t help but wonder if the older sister is wishing she was still young enough to ride, rather than watch the younger child on the porch. *wink*
Image via Lynnstudios.
Today is my birthday, so here’s one of my favorite vintage greeting cards to celebrate.
I seriously have a thing for flocked vintage cards — and horses. So this red flocked card of a stuffed toy horse quickly caught my eye.
The inside reads:
This horsey’s stuffed with wishes and here’s what he’s going to do — He’s going to “giddy-up” right now and bring them straight to you.
The back has the Hallmark stamp, with the crown. Card number 10B157-5, copyright Hall Brothers, Inc.
I’ve posted a lot of other cute, kitschy and even racist vintage Valentine’s Day cards at my other blogs, but it wouldn’t be fair not to show off some of my own vintage greeting cards for this holiday from my collection here, would it? *wink*
The first is an Ameri-Card (# X-6545/8 D) that asks, “‘Hula’ ya luv?”
Second, this vintage die cut, red flocked pony Valentine’s Day greeting card. (Opens up for the poem & signature; marked Whit. O-372A U.S.A)
Last, but not least, a vintage Valentine’s Day card from EFCO (5-9453, Litho in U.S.A.) with “just an old-fashioned girl getting into shape to send you this…”
“Old fashioned Valentine!”
Which is where you see that the pink Xs shown in the hourglass die cut opening that looked like a corset was actually the trim on a less risque card — from an older lady. (I suspect that the man who received this might have been more than a little disappointed, even if he had a good sense of humor. *wink*)
The rocking horse I remember from when we were kids was not the typical vintage, wooden horse. Ours was plastic, set on a frame with four big springs holding it to the frame and giving it all the bounce it needed. I can remember the sound the springs made as it bounced and rocked back and forth and side to side, once you really got going.
I didn’t find anyone collecting that plastic rocking horse. Maybe there is a line between what is vintage and what is antique and some things (like rocking horses) don’t become valued until they are old enough to be antiques. Kind of a shame. Now that I’ve got thinking about the rocking horse I miss the sound of those squeaking springs as they stretched back and forth. Then the hollow sound the plastic horse made when the littler kids were on it, their legs flopping around while we kept them from flying off.
Flickr: Rock a Bye Baby – Rocking Horses
Rockimals: History of the Rocking Horse
Rocking Horse and Art Design Holland – Includes pages with vintage and antique rocking and carousel horses. (Note: Spams with pop up windows).
Rocking Horse Maker (UK): Makes and restores rocking horses.
Jane Hooker Rocking Horses: Restores vintage rocking horses, based in the UK.
Lexi’s Rocking Horses: Personal blog from a restorer and collector. No recent updates.
The Guild of Rocking Horse Makers
A very modern rocking horse from the Boing Boing site.
