Everyone is familiar with the typical heart shaped Valentine candy boxes. They have become very collectible because they pull at our heart strings and remind us of our teenage years where our young boyfriends would shyly gives it to us on this special day. If you walk into any store this time of year, the shelves are still lined with candy boxes of every size and shape, for any budget. It's a tradition that has never gone away and is a bright spot in the otherwise cold and dreary days of winter. I have to admit I have a couple boxes stored away myself! They may have looked like the red one above.
Or, maybe, like this beautiful pink one!
I came across these two unusual boxes at estate sales here in the St. Louis area. Both could be used for Valentines Day, or any other time of the year. The first one is from the Mavraks Candy Company which was founded here in St. Louis in 1913. They produced many family secret recipes and peaked in the 1950's. This box was actually found with Christmas decorations, but could just have easily been a box of chocolates for Valentines day with it's bright red bow!
Even the inside has pretty ruffles.
Beautiful enough to leave sitting out on your dresser year round!
The Mavrakes Company closed in the mid 1980's but was reopened in 2009 and still makes many of the old family candy recipes.
Another candy company was Scraffts. They made this beautiful box that was filled with delicious chocolates. The artwork is stunning, the flowers are slightly embossed.
The Schraffts candy and chocolate factory was bases in Charlestown, Ma. Founded in 1861 by William F. Schrafft. Over the next 50 years or so, they branched out into ice cream and resturant chains. The Pet Milk company purchased it in 1967 and broke it into separate companies. Currently the only Schrafft label in use is the the one for ice cream.
More information on these boxes can be found in my Antiques Galore Gal etsy shop here and here.
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I love the old valentine boxes! Great post!! Loved hearing the history too!
ReplyDeleteSo interesting! It's good to get a glimpse back into family businesses that have left such a legacy. It's no wonder people couldn't throw away the beautiful boxes.
ReplyDeleteA certain person I knew would say "Sweets for the Sweet" when giving candy ... your post reminded me.
Hi... I found you through the Rednesday Linky. I'm your newest follower. http://moogieland.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteYou brought back a lot of memories with these vintage candy boxes. I well remember them. The ones today are nice, but nothing to compare to these.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE old candy boxes! And not just the heart shaped ones, but ones like your Schraffts box. And I'd love to get my hands on an old Whitman box. And I've seen some really pretty chocolate covered cherry ones too. Now after all this talk about candy, I need some chocolate!
ReplyDeleteHappy REDnesday!
Carol
My Dad used to buy me a smallish heart shaped box of candy with a small doll with a pretty dress on the lid, as a decoration. The dolls were detachable and different every year. I had saved each doll but lost them in a move. :( I can't find any images and don't know the name of the company who sold them. Anyone else remember these. Pretty sure he bought them in one of the local small town pharmacies. This was in the 60's.
ReplyDeleteI haven't come across any with dolls, but I'll certainly keep an eye out for them.
ReplyDeleteI have several of them. The need to be fussed with as I played with them as a child. Just recently found them in a box.
ReplyDelete