Strikeout with Matches from Philly’s Favorites
Souvenir matches
Matches from Philly’s favorites like restaurants and bars are becoming popular collectors’ items. Souvenir matchbooks are experiencing a resurgence thanks to a mix of local collectors, independent artists, and social media creators dedicated to the craft. Phillumenists, beware! “Matches are having a moment and I’m loving it,” Tessa York, Philly’s foremost matchbook aficionado, said. “I’ve noticed a handful of restaurants that, just a year ago when I was first exploring Philly, did not have matches and now they do.”
Philadelphia Matchbook Collage
Content creators on TikTok document their “matchbook hunts,” show off their home collections and showcase custom versions they’ve designed for when friends come over. On Etsy, hundreds of artists sell illustrations and photographs of flat lays of both real and fictional matchbooks that customers display to commemorate significant locations in their lives. On Pinterest, type “matches” in the search bar and there are hundreds of custom-printed ideas.
“I think it’s one of those small things people can style on their coffee table and make into a conversation piece,” said Katie Nist, owner of Old City’s Elektra Vintage. Nist recently had a run of custom matchbooks made for her store. “It’s kind of like getting a postcard from a destination. But they’re also more useful than a postcard.” Every time someone uses a match from your matchbox or matchbook, they are reminded of your name, your service, and your business.
Matches instead of business cards
Many local businesses use custom matchbooks instead of business cards. They are a fun and useful keepsake. You can put them in goody bags and have a jar of them in the office. If you have a candle shop, they make a great combo gift, especially if you purchase the long matches that make lighting candles safer. Do you have a tobacco shop where you sell pipes and cigars? You should display and sell cigar matches.
Philadelphia Fish and Company Matchbook
Philly matchbook collectors are turning to York, 37, for guidance on beefing up their own collections. York was a fashion buyer and merchandiser for brands like Nike and Kate Spade before going full-time with Meet Your Matches. She started collecting matches as an inexpensive way to document the places she’d traveled.
Over the years, York has showcased matchbooks from places she’s lived, including San Francisco and Manhattan. About two years ago, she and her husband moved to Washington Square West. After her move, York quickly discovered Philadelphia was a hotbed for collectors like herself.
Restaurants with matches as giveaways
Some participating venues, like McGillin’s Olde Ale House (who, coincidentally get their matches and merch from PromotaionalMatches.com), have made matchbooks for years, dating each design.
Restaurateurs say that the newfound interest in a longtime practice may be driven by factors including the void left by the lack of restaurant dining during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Other factors, like chronically online audiences, are looking for nostalgic, analog relics, like film cameras and vinyl. Social media has also played a large role in current matchbook collecting.
“There’s an element of showing off your experiences,” she said. “Matchbooks on a coffee table from different places tell a story about the person and how they spend their time.” Beyond shops and eateries, York’s local collection also spans sports teams (including the Phillies and Eagles, naturally), golf courses, hotels, fashion brands, and colleges.
Matches have sentimental value
“I think it all goes back to nostalgia, memories, the things that really matter,” she said. “It’s amazing that this small object has the power to evoke such strong feelings.”
The Commissary Matchbooks
She added that “the sentimental value assigned to each matchbook is compelling. I often hear things like ‘This is where my partner and I had our first date,’ ‘This place was my local bar in my 20s,’ or ‘My dad and I used to go here together when I was a kid.’ It can be really moving.”
