11.06.2011

I am a phillumenist. So was my grandmother.

Although this sounds impressive and I think it would look great on my resume, in reality it means I collect matchbooks. It probably will not help advance my career, but I still think it’s pretty neat. I inherited the collection from my Grandma and love everything about them. The colours, the graphics, and the history behind them all add to my fixation. My Grandma did a ton of traveling in her lifetime and along the way dabbled in a bit of black jack according to the many casino matchbooks that are part of the collection! She was quite the popular lady, explaining why nearly a third of the collection is wedding favours. Dating back to 1966, most of them are white, with metallic writing, but there are a few pretty pinks, blues, and even one with rainbow cursive. Unfortunately, this trend has faded as the dangers of smoking have become more evident. Perhaps a resurgence is in order? I think this would still serve as a charming favour for any occasion.

Other matchbooks in the collection sport logos of hotels and restaurants from Indiana to Hawaii. Each matchbook tells a story from my grandmother’s life and I hope that I will be able to add my own stories with the same colour and flare as she did.


J.

4 comments:

  1. What a kewl collection..if your interested in adding to your collection I can help. Chris

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  2. Hello, I´m from Denmark and I have been collecting matchbox related items since the mid-60s. My collection is now about 100,000 different from all over the world.
    Please take a look at my website: www.tandberg.webbyen.dk

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  3. I will definitely check out your site. Thanks for visiting! J.

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