Step 1 : Introduction to the question "What are "Vinegar Valentines"?"
..."Vinegar Valentines" were cards sent by American and British ladies and gentlemen in the Victorian era who intended to let someone know they were not wanted. Receiving one of these "Vinegar Valentines" was the ultimate of insults. They were popular from 1840 to 1940 and were also called "comic Valentines" or "penny dreadfuls." They were often crude and crass and could even be emotionally damaging to the recipient of these anti-Valentines. Source: AtlasObscura.com