Do you like to collect keepsakes to remind you of a special trip or another happy time? If you do, and your memorabilia of choice is matchbooks, then you might be a Phillumenist, a collector of matchbooks and matchboxes.

Collectors love to compare notes and share details about their collections.  Some collectors focus on just Casino matchbooks.  Of which there are many.  Casinos love matchbooks because they provide advertising, but also a functional light for their smoking customers.  There are not many indoor places today where smokers can light up.  D.D. Bean and Atlas Match provide the only American-made casino matchbooks.

Do you have a D.D. Bean or Atlas Match casino matchbook?  If yes, then you might be a Phillumenist.  If not, don’t worry.  There is still plenty of time to visit a Casino in Las Vegas, California, Colorado, or Florida.

Starting Out

You might be a newbie to collecting.  A fresh face, a newcomer to the matchbook collecting world.  If so, we recommend a visit to the Collecting Basics article by well-known collector Mike Prero.  Mike’s site, matchpro.org, has some incredible information.  Everything you need to know to get started in match cover collecting.

12-Strike Mini Matchbooks

If you live in the northeast, you are particularly lucky.  Plan a trip – but call ahead – to the last match factory in America.  Yes, D.D. Bean and Sons, located in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, is the last match factory.  Printing covers and dipping match heads for over 81 years, the folks at D.D. Bean are always happy to show you the trade.  They take great pride in the production of matches and are keeping the industry alive.  Be sure to ask for some samples to take away.  Get your collection started.

Likewise, the famous Atlas Match is now located inside the walls of the D.D. Bean factory.  In 2019, the two plants consolidated into one.  It was the final consolidation of all the match factories that ever were in America.  The combined knowledge of two legendary producers will drive the future of the match industry in the USA.

The Rathkamp Matchcover Society

The Rathkamp Matchcover Society is a group of well-informed match collectors.  This group has been around for about 79 years.  They must have started collecting from day one of the industry.  Some of the collections on their site feature:

• Milk
• Antique Cars
• Birds
• Cowboys
• Air Bases in Texas
• Mermaids

The variety is countless when it comes to matchbook collections.  You might not be a smoker, a pipe user, or even a camping enthusiast, but that doesn’t mean you can’t become a Phillumenist.  Get started today by picking up a book at your favorite restaurant, bar, or casino.  Visit a smoke shop and ask for a matchbook.  And if you are within 50 miles of Jaffrey, New Hampshire, stop by the match plant and get your collection started.