Some Thoughts About Collecting Matchbooks
Phillumeny, as it’s more formally known, is having a bit of a moment.
Yesterday I wrote about a spectacular 1956 Monarch Match Company sample catalog that was recently given to me. At the end of that piece, I mentioned the term phillumeny (fih-LOO-muh-nee), which is the hobby of collecting match-related items. I want to talk a little bit about that today, because phillumeny — derived from the Greek phil (loving) and the Latin lumen (light) — is currently having a bit of a moment.
You might find that surprising. I certainly did, given the steep decline of smoking in our culture and the availability of disposable lighters. Who needs matches anymore? But it turns out that there’s a new generation of phillumenists out there, and they don’t necessarily smoke. They just like collecting matches as fun souvenirs.
They like them so much, in fact, that an increasing number of restaurants, bars, and hotels, most of which long ago stopped providing complimentary matchbooks emblazoned with their names and logos, have begun offering them again. That in turn has led to the rise of websites like Matchbooktraveler, which features lists of business all over the country that offer free matchbooks. Here, for example, is their list of such establishments in Los Angeles. (Matchbooktraveler also has an active Facebook page.)
In addition, there’s a phillumeny-centric Substack called Oh, What a Match!, along with tons of match-related content on TikTok, Lemon8, YouTube, and other social media platforms.
It’s easy enough to see the appeal. A well-designed matchbook cover is like a miniature poster, plus there’s the nostalgic charm and the pyro factor. In addition, some matchbooks, called feature books, offer the bonus fun of having designs printed on the matchsticks (click thumbnails for larger versions):
