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MORHEAD CITY, N.C. — The National Retail Federation estimates Americans could spend more than $17 billion celebrating Valentines Day this year and while many people will receive chocolates and roses many more will likely get Valentine's Day cards.

As a special exhibit Swansboro Antiques and Uniques has a display showing the many era's of valentines including the forerunner to the valentine, the proposal card, and some of the first valentines ever made in America. The modern Valentine's Day card as we know it was brought to America in 1847 by Esther Howland.

Walter Hogarth finds treasures for Swansboro Antiques and Uniques and he explains that she was the first person to produce and market the idea.

"She went to England. She saw the valentines and fell in love with them and one of her father's business partners sent her one of the really nice ones from England and she said I want to do this," said Hogarth.

In the Victorian era their popularity really took off and history professor David Quinn of Carteret Community College explains it was because of the culture at the time.

"They could provide people a way to convey their emotions which at the time was considered to be frowned upon, to directly convey your emotions to one person," said Quinn.

The cards were hand made and very elaborate but eventually mass production of the cards in the 1940's and 1950's would give rise to simple and sweet valentines that we give out today.