![]() ![]() The role of manning the tiny machine-which is about the size of a waffle iron and has more than earned its place in Jax's coat room-is coveted only three women in history have stamped out the majority of these matches. ![]() "I bet we've gone through 50 different embossers," Kozlack says. “Certain match collectors seek them out because of the interesting story behind them on top of things like the graphics and all the other stuff,” Kara said.The restaurant's been doing this for 60-plus-years. Considered as a piece of history for some phillumenists, the matchbooks exist as a reminder of the past. “They went under, and there’s not so many match companies making new matches anymore.”Ĭollectors often try to find matchbooks from famous businesses or places that celebrities have visited in the past. “In the world of match collecting in Minnesota, we actually for a long time had a match production company called ‘Diamond Match’ in Cloquet,” Kara said. “Until Vegas came along, and Vegas has all their matchbooks produced in tens of millions.”ĭespite the popularity and heavy usage of matches decades ago, production has significantly decreased and new, unique matchbook designs are hard to find. “Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was the first company that set an order for a million matchbooks and they set a record for doing that at the time,” Quilling said. Some companies even went so far as to set records for the amount of matchbooks produced with one single theme or content. “Every time you’d pick up the matchbook you’d read the advertising as you’d strike the match.” “Each matchbook has 20 matches in it, so they would always consider these 20 little salesmen,” Quilling said. Matchbook production increased substantially during the pre-war and inter-war years. ![]() Quilling said during World War ll it was mandated that a pack of matches would be given out with each pack of cigarettes. Every time somebody goes for a smoke they’d be looking at the (company name).” “Then it became this windfall of companies realizing that it was great advertising. “So Wrigley’s (gum) is credited as being the first campaign,” Kara said. She said advertising companies took advantage of the large amount of cigarette smokers back in the day, and decided to use matchbooks as tiny billboards. ![]() Kara said matches and matchbooks used to play a hidden but huge role in peoples’ lives and thinking. If you see a front striker, you know its pre-1976.” Steve said most matchbooks that can be found are dated to the 1950s, 60s and 70s.Ĭalled “frontstrikers,” the pre-70s era matchbooks had their striking pads placed on the front of the book. “It was a World War ll match but it’s incredibly rare and valuable.” “You scratch the match on his butt,” Kara said. Together, Kara and Steve own a variety of matchbooks of all shapes, sizes and ages.įor instance, Kara said Steve owns a World War ll era matchbook that’s in the shape of Adolf Hitler, and the matchbook’s striking pad is located on the dictator’s rear-end. Kara said she become involved in match-collecting when she met her husband Steve who’s a co-founder of Great Lakes Match Club and an acquaintance of Quilling. “Everybody collects categories or different things.” “Matches can get oddly creative,” said match-collector Kara Carlson. ![]()
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