Girl Again

Girl AGain sells refurbished American Girl dolls and accessories

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Samantha’s Proper Cards by Colleen

October 26, 2018 by GirlAGain

Proper etiquette was very important in Samantha Parkington’s era.  High society in 1904 paid very close attention to how you dressed, walked, talked, ate, moved, even smiled!  

Even at a young age, Samantha was expected to behave like a proper lady. That meant no slouching, no burping, no running around, no getting dirty, no doing her own chores, and certainly no making a spectacle of herself-even though she didn’t exactly know what a spectacle was.

Before Telephone.  Before iPhone.

One of the most important displays of etiquette was paying calls.  “Calls” were what visits were named back then. They were a sign of respect to the lady of the house.  During the call, the hostess would serve tea and cakes and engage her guests in small conversation, such as the weather or personal bits of news.  They never spoke of health, money, clothing or politics.

Calls were so important, ladies set aside a certain day of the week to receive them!  They even kept track of calls they had paid, calls they had received, and calls they owed to other ladies, like people kept track of their bills and tabs. Not paying a call to someone in a long time would be considered snubbing, which was considered the worst kind of insult in Victorian society. That was why it was important to have calling cards on hand at all times.

What is a Calling Card?

Calling cards were fancy little cards that proper ladies carried around with them when paying calls.  They were Samantha and her calling cardsdecorated with drawings of flowers and fancy designs, and had the owner’s name written on them in fancy cursive.  If the lady of the house wasn’t home at the time, the caller would leave her calling card at her house to let her know she had been there.  This way, the lady of the house would know she had been payed a call and hadn’t been snubbed. Since the cards were such an important part of calling, it was only natural that the lady of the house kept a special dish to receive calling cards.

Now you, too, can have your own calling cards!

On Saturday, November 6, Girl Again is hosting a special calling card craft event in honor of Samantha.  We will be making our own calling cards to give to the friends we visit over the holidays, just like proper ladies in Samantha’s time!  

Please join us from 11am to noon, and have your very own little piece of Samantha’s world to carry around with you always.

Register now for our Creative Calling Card workshop: Samantha’s Calling Cards

 

We also have many Samantha dolls and accessories for sale at the boutique and online.

 

 

 

 

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Written by Colleen O. Colleen

Filed Under: Doll stories, Girl AGain events, Historic collection Tagged With: #callingcards, #History, Samantha

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4 Martine Avenue, Store 2B
White Plains, NY 10606
(914) 358-1460

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Our Store

American Girl Store Girl AGain opened in February 2014 to rave reviews from American Girl doll fans, their moms and especially their grandmas. You’ll find authentic gently used AG dolls, clothing, furniture, accessories and books that have been cleaned and prepared for sale at good prices in an easy-access store.

We also host in-store events such as American Girl book author readings, tea parties, and craft activities. Our most popular event is Girl AGain Doll Hair Do’s & Don’ts Workshop. Check here often to see what is scheduled.

You’ll find a selection of dolls: the original dolls from the historical periods as well as My American Girl, Bitty Baby and Bitty Twins. We have new and used outfits for all AG dolls, as well as their furniture and accessories. Our merchandise changes daily.

You’ll also find a great selection of new and used American Girl books. You don’t have to be a doll lover to enjoy the advice books like The Care and Keeping of You, and A Smart Girl’s Guide to Money.

Girl AGain is not affiliated with American Girl(r) company.

Yes She Can!

Did you know that 80% of adults with autism are unemployed? We created our boutique specifically to help develop transferable job skills for young women with autism. Our trainees at Girl AGain sort, clean and prepare the merchandise, price it, and display it in our shop. Our trainees learn about marketing, merchandising, retailing, customer service, and inventory acquisition in addition to appropriate workplace behavior, research, collaboration and decision-making. We have staff who manage our accounting (Quick Books) and our website (WordPress).

Our customers learn about the abilities of people with autism. And hopefully, our youngest shoppers learn about acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities.

© 2021 GirlAGain 4 Martine Ave, Store 2B, White Plains, NY 10606 914-358-1460
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