Matchbooks! I have a vast collection of matchbooks. I love em’
Suz Fun Fact: I earned the camp name Pyro (as in Pyromaniac) at girl scout camp. I just could not leave the fire alone. To clarify, this was Girl Scout Leader training camp about 10 years ago!!! Don’t worry, my fascination with fire is over, now I limit it to soy candles. 
I started collecting matchbooks to smell the sulfur a long time ago. You used to be able to find them everywhere. Now, smoking is so politically incorrect, not to mention a death sentence, you can hardly find them anymore.
Believe it or not, matches, according to my greenbook are more environmentally friendly than lighters.
Lighters sit in landfills. forever :(
The very first match ever was invented in 1827. People had been fooling around with phosphorous since 1669 trying to light things up to make a type of match. The matchbook was finally patented in 1910 by the Diamond Match Co.
Apparently, I am not the only person who collects these as I found tons on Ebay. No, I did not bid. I like to find mine on my own, just like my sea glass collection. :)
Some of my favorites:
The party favors from OUR wedding. Yep, looks like I over ordered. Apparently back in the ‘90’s there were not too many options for party favors. I have a plethora of wedding matchbooks I have collected over the years and some of those folks are still married!!!
I even have some from our rehearsal dinner (that place is long gone) and from our honeymoon in CA.
The Coach used to travel internationally back in the day and he brought home some interesting matchbooks! I always loved it when he brought them to me. It reminded me that he was thinking about me, and also it reminded me that I am a cheap date gift receiver.
Do you collect anything that is hard to come by today?
Can your collection go up in flames…with the strike of a match?
For other M words today, go visit: A-Z Mondays.
I have a huge collection of matches living in my basement - right next to the furnace and in between several degrees worth of papers. Now that I'm typing it, it does sound bad. But what fun it was to collect them. Maybe I'll sell them on ebay or maybe just burn them...but not all at once and not in my basement.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday Suz!
ReplyDeleteWe use to always pick up matches--after all, they were free!
What an awesome collection! My sister used to collect matchbooks. I collect National Park cancellation stamps. My goal is to visit them all!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at your nickname; that was Nalley's nickname among his buddies. Whenever the guys would go camping, he would have the biggest and best fire ever and loved it!
ReplyDeleteI love it! Great to dig through and see where they are all from.
ReplyDeletei did not know this about you! not even the g.s. nickname! i just used (strike that) tried to use a match the other day (because i could not find my non-green lighter) but then i almost burned my fingers, so i set off to find that lighter and searched until i found it (by the grill) had to light up those pumkin yankee candles :) (yes, i know... not soy)
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the title of your post I wondered if you had trouble finding matchbooks nowadays, and reading further I found that you do. It's been years since I've seen matchbooks at a restaurant or other public place. I collect stamps so I would appreciate it if you kept your collection away from mine!
ReplyDeleteI don't collect anything! Except Snuggies.
ReplyDeleteYour Saskatoon Inn matchbook reminded me of a naughty hospital joke about Saskatchewan, but since this is a family blog, I won't tell it here.
ReplyDeleteYou know that I collect beach glass. I also collect glass beads that I find (rarely now) on the beach. They are Russian trading beads that the Russians used to trade for pelts with the local Native American tribes back in the day (before they were considered Native Americans). I have collected them as long as I can remember.
You could say that I collect shoes, but that would just get Gregg started, calling me "Imelda" again, so let's not discuss that. XO
I collect reading glasses -- LOL!! Seems like I have a fetish for buying cute reading glasses, but nowadays, they're harder than ever to come by, because, uhm, for some reason, they do not work like the old-timey "clappers"... when you misplace a pair, and clap your hands, stomp your feet, or even whistle, they simply remain hidden until either I accidentally step on them, or the dog chews one of the lenses out! Whew -- that was a long response - I think I need more coffee!! LOL!!
ReplyDeleteOMG! Suz, until I read this, and saw the matchbooks from your wedding, I had TOTALLY forgotten that we did that,too! That's hilarious! Hey, if I can find the left-overs, I'll happily mail them to you! :)
ReplyDeleteStud also has an obsession with fire. The firepit in my backyard gets a LOT of use!
And, like Cheffie-Mom, I, too, have started collecting reading glasses. :( I can't help it, I find them CHEAP in a lot of places. The dollar store by me has them all the time, but I was able to find some super cute ones at Target for only $1!! I bought about 6 pair one day, so I have one to match every outfit!
How cute!!!! I dont collect anything in particular, but I wish I did!!!! Thats so qwirky and cute!!!
ReplyDeleteI've got leftover matchbooks from our wedding too. I also have some from a big joint birthday party my husband and my friend's wife threw for the two of us--they didn't realize it would like they were wedding favors!
ReplyDeleteI used to collect match books; they're probably in a box in the garage somewhere.
ReplyDeleteWell, my dear, I still have some of the matchbooks from your wedding, too! I saw them in my cedar chest the other day, along with a couple of the napkins, I think. Love ya!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, this is your long lost aunt, Debbie!
I used to collect them too but now nobody smokes and nobody gives them out at restaurants!
ReplyDeleteWe have quite a few around here, some from my parents. They are not as common as they used to be, since people around here can't light up in restaurants. So all in all, I will be glad to give up the matchbooks for the clean air.
ReplyDeleteI like matchbooks, too. I have ziplock bags full of them from when I cleaned my father's house out. A lot of them are from restaurants that no longer exist.
ReplyDeleteI am obsessed with collecting sea glass. We have collected from all over Oahu, southern California and most recently Brighton Beach in England.
ReplyDeleteThe most prolific beach was Diamond Head in Oahu.
Do you have any good spots in Florida?
I collect matchbooks. My dad used to be a smoker until last year (thank God!) and he always brought home the coolest ones. I'm just not as organized as you are to keep them in such a cool hurricane glass. ((jealous i am???))
ReplyDeleteI also luuuurve the smell of a freshly burned match. Why!? What is wrong with us??? Tee hee!
Oh, I've been meaning to tell you for long time...you remind me of pretty mix of Goldie Hawn and Meg Ryan. Sorry, totally off the subject, but I keep forgetting otherwise!!!
Happy Monday!
Oh, and I collect socks. LOVE socks.
Hi Suz, Great "M" word. You never see matches around anymore much. I've collected things through the years: sharks teeth when we lived in FL; Mardi Gras 'junk' when we lived in New Orleans; and shells ---when we go to Ocean Isle beach every May. My biggest collection now is all of the Family History I keep finding and organizing....
ReplyDeleteHave a great week, my friend.
Hugs,
Betsy
Suz, that is sooooo '60s!!! Collecting matches, I mean.
ReplyDeletehi suz! i collect decks of cards and lil pewter mini castles and dice! i also collect gemstones and cool rocks i find when i am out and about. theres nuttin like running me fingers through my bowl of gems and dice to thrill me. lets face it i am a cheap thrill bwahahahahaha.. i also lerve the smell of white out and although i am not a sniffer by nature, i do love me a fresh bottle of the stuff... dont worry, it doesnt do anything for me except give me nasal pleasure and we all need some of that now and again, dont we? i also lerve the smell of nail polish, gas, and diesal fumes. call me cRaZy i know but gotta love me....!
ReplyDeletebwahahahaha
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I collect matchbooks too for all my candles! I use Soy candles too! I just ordered a kit to make my own - if they turn out (and I don't set the house on fire) then I am going to send you one!!
ReplyDeleteLove your collection. I haven't seen anyone do this for a while - remember when a lot of people did? Must have been back when everybody in Virginia smoked. People don't think to pick them up anymore. I collect roosters. The roost is on the picture window over the kitchen sink. I'm getting kind of tired of looking at them, but I'm kind of committed now :) PS - all girl and boy scouts are pyros, I'm convinced. xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteWell Suz, yet another thing we have in common! I also had a matchbook collection (now my daughter has it) & am a pyro too. No kidding. I can hardly wait until I gather up enough paper to use my burn barrel. And I love it when it gets cold enough to have a fire in my fire place. I know how to build a perfect fire and have even taken step by step pictures...maybe I'll blog 'em one of these days. Rumor has it I used to eat the tips of burned matches as a kid...it's true. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteI also have a jar of matchbooks from all over the world but I stole those from an ex 10 years ago to piss him off.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I light one I smile :-D
I don't collect stuff anymore as I'm a lazy duster. There. The cat is out of the bag.
Unless collecting chickens count... LOL!
Amazing collection. I don't think I collect a thing!
ReplyDeleteI have a matchbook collection too...but unfortunately none from my wedding...I didn't want to encourage smoking so I didn't order any...now I wish I had one with our names :(
ReplyDeleteI used to keep the matches in a BIG glass bowl but people kept using them to light the BBQ, to sterelize a needle or to light candles...and they were using up irreplacable ones!! Yikes, so I put them away...and now I just may have to get them out and put them in my sewing room with all my other collectibles that no one bothers in there :)
Happy Tuesday, lMnop
I have a HUGE collection of match books I inherited from Larry's brother. I have a new appreciation for them now.
ReplyDeleteA little bit of trivia about the area where I live: A town I mention quite often, Wadsworth, has it's Blue Tip festival, commemorating the fact that one of it's biggest industries at one time was the Ohio Blue Tip match factory.
ReplyDeleteNo matchbooks around my house as It's been over 12 years since anyone(me) has lit up.
Get out of the city with your matchbooks! What a fun collection!
ReplyDelete