As soon as the news broke last Thursday (14 February) that the world’s oldest Valentine’s card had been bought at auction (by PG’s Jakki Brown), the global media interest went into overdrive resulting in a mass of coverage in over 100 different newspapers, by diverse radio stations and a host of newsfeeds and special interest websites.
“I’m delighted the story has received exceptional coverage as I know Jakki [Brown] wanted to remind people of the importance of sending greeting cards,” Jill Gallone, head of media at Hanson Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire (which handled the sale of the historic card) told PG Buzz, who first covered the story the day the sale took place. (https://www.pgbuzz.net/worlds-oldest-valentines-card-auctioned-today-for-7200/)
Jill, who masterminded and instigated the all-encompassing PR campaign that she put into action as soon as the gavel was struck on ‘Lot 6A’, said that she was overwhelmed at the amount of interest shown. Having disseminated the news, images as well as background about the special card it was picked up far and wide.
“News of the Valentine’s card appears on around 100 news websites – including as far afield as Southern Nigeria. It’s also been featured on countless radio stations, from the UK to New Zealand,” said Jill.
Prestigious newsfeeds from BBC News to ITV gave the story ample coverage while BBC Derby (the county Hansons is based) and BBC Three Counties (which covers Aylesbury, where the said card was sent) gave considerable airtime to the card and its significance.
PG’s Jakki Brown made the most of the opportunities on air to share her passion for greeting cards and her reasons for buying the card: “To safeguard this important greeting card treasure and keep it within the industry”.
Charismatic auctioneer Rick Alexander who conducted the auction and kept up with a four-minute frenzy of bids for the 1790-1810 Valentine that were coming in from all over the world described the card as a “star item”.
“As well the crowd in the sale room itself, we also had 1,000 online bidders from all over the world as well as the telephone bidders which resulted in a great waving of arms as their bids were placed. When it got down to the final two bidders, of which Jakki [Brown] was one, everyone was on the edge of their seats and there was a round of applause when the hammer came down on what really is an important example of our social history,” he recalled.
To gain a flavour of the auction (though the filming cut off before the applause), click below:
Rick, as well known and respected as he is in the auctioneer world, has ground to gain on his own Valentine’s Day card sending habits.
“I admit I did not send a Valentine’s Day card this year,” he shamefully told PG Buzz. “But I was delighted to arrive home on the day of the auction and be welcomed by a lovely card that had been handmade by my two and half year old daughter Violet.”
The historic Valentine’s Day card was the oldest card in a private collection. The remaining cards will be auctioned by Hansons on April 1
Top: Hansons’ auctioneer Rick Alexander keeping up with the bidding on 14 February.
