Valentine's Day according to Bertha

There may be a slow-down in the economy right now, but I am here to tell you that those who market goods and services to the American public aren't slowing down. In fact they remind me of that car commercial that takes you through the evolution of travel by putting you in the tracks of each stage of that development. The progression from one stage to another picks up speed as it goes along.

Well, of course it does. The whole point of the development of travel is go faster. Right? Well the whole intent of marketers is to get you to spend more money and spend it faster. I have never taken a marketing class in my life so I might be wrong, but I can tell you that I have learned in the school of hard knocks as a consumer that escalation is the name of the game.

I am very resistant. I have also learned in that school that “a fool and his money are soon parted” and to be careful not to “confuse wants with needs,” etc. etc.

The rate of escalation is especially noticeable when it comes to holidays. Take Valentine's Day for instance. Apparently it is an ancient holiday associated with a couple of Saints whose particular deeds have been forgotten. However, in the middle ages Valentine's Day was marked by giving flowers, confections or handwritten notes.

From the mid-19th century in the United States until the mid-20th century, people mainly exchanged valentine cards, either handwritten or manufactured, as an expression of love.

When I was in grade school we bought or made valentines which we traded at school. We put the valentines on the recipients' desk. That was it. We did spend a lot of time deciding which friend should get the biggest valentine (determined by measuring length and width with a ruler and multiplying) and sometimes the verdict was still out until the night before.

Then someone unwittingly invented the candy heart which was a huge leap ahead for retailers and changed Valentine's Day yet again. Ostensibly that happened long before I was born, but they didn't show up on my desk until mid grade-school years. Valentine's Day began to be associated with treats and candy again.

The practice of giving candy hearts at school necessitated the introduction of the Valentine Box. There needed to be a place to deposit those grubby hearts which incidentally were not originally packaged in individual servings. I remember one box made by one of my kids. It was made from a Quaker's oatmeal box to look like a can of Campbell's soup. The label read “Cream of Valentine Soup.”

Candy hearts were soon supplemented with candy bars, sticks of gum, suckers, etc. We did our share of escalating by putting red Jell-o Jigglers on the neighbors' porches and running. Since that time, there has been a huge upgrade in the nature of valentines which are no longer mere valentines but are now “valentine gifts.”

At some point, in the name of correctness, 28 identical valentines were sold in packages instead of a variety. Later valentine boxes were replaced by brown paper bags with hearts and a name colored on them, and valentine cards were replaced with identical packaged treats. Sort of like Halloween or Christmas. Everyone line up and trade candy or gift cards.

But marketers have really targeted the adults among us. No longer does Valentine's Day mean candy and flowers. Be thinking more along the lines of expensive and suggestive. Ignore the old adage which says you can't buy love. Think of diamonds, designer pajamas, dressed teddy bears and “deals” on jewelry like “buy one get one free.” I can only imagine the guy who thinks that is a deal.