In keeping with the love of all things vintage, men shopping for their sweetheart this Valentine’s Day are forgoing the drugstore variety stuffed bears, cards and heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and heading for the local antique shops. What are they buying? Here are the top 5 Valentine’s gifts for women for 2024.
You can never go wrong giving your love lingerie, and there is no lingerie more romantic than the vintage classics. With their delicate fabrics and retro look, bustiers, silk slips and half-slips from the 1930s and night gowns from the mid-20th Century make beautiful gifts. If your relationship is not quite to the lingerie level there are vintage scarves, gloves, fans and designer handbags that are sure to make her smile.
Since 1850 the tradition of exchanging Valentine’s Day cards has been a part of our American culture. Victorian valentines, made from 1850-1880, are the most romantic of all collectible valentines and a unique way to say “I love you.” Create a keepsake to be cherished for years to come by framing your card in an antique frame.
When in doubt, try jewelry! Go mid-century with a strand of pearls or a rhinestone choker, appeal to the gypsy in her soul with Bakelite beads and bangle bracelets, or opt for the romantic with a heart-shaped locket or a cameo. No matter what the era, jewelry is a gift she will cherish for years to come. The selections at major antique malls are endless with prices from $10-$1,000 offering something for every budget.
Should this Valentine’s Day be the time you have decided to “pop the question,” check into the wide assortment of vintage and estate engagement rings available at major antique malls in the area. Vintage diamonds assure her ring is one of a kind, just like her.
Not good with words? She probably already knows that! Let the writings of the great romanticists do your talking for you. Books of poetry and collections of love letters from Keats, Browning, Omar Khayyam, and a broad range of other authors are available in both first editions and reprints. For the budget-minded, let me share a gift my husband gave me several years ago. He purchased an early 1900s sterling frame for under $20 and placed in it one of my favorite Edna St. Vincent Millay poems. It remains to this day one of my favorite things.
Perfume is one of the most commonly purchased of all Valentine’s gifts. Make this a year to remember by adding a vintage perfume bottle. Art Deco perfume bottles with their simplicity of design and bold geometric shapes, Art Nouveau bottles in red, dark jade green or the dramatic combination clear and black crystal, and glamorous mid-century bottles of Czechoslovakian blown/cut glass are available in the area in the $50-$250 range.
May 2024 be a year of love and happiness for all of you! Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a semi-retired professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates.
