| Q: | I am new to matchbook cover collecting what do you put your matchbook covers in to display them is there an album or something? Thanks Tom |
| A: | There are a few plastic page companies (check Google) who make pages for baseball cards and other protection sheets. Having not been a true collector for years, I've lost track of the companies out there. You might also check a group call Hobbymaster (if they are still around). They used to sell pages and album binders for matchcover collectors. Good luck! |
| Q: | Bill, thanks for the quick response. Did you ever get involved in vintage telephone prefixes? Mike Prero thought you did. I am trying to find a website. I am sure there are geeks out there who collect old two letter telephone prefixes. Thanks again. John Boal |
| A: | Funny you should ask. Way back, when I investigated this area and had a fire in my tree to get this information, the company responsible for allocating "telephone numbers" closed its historical section and the only archivist had retired that month. No information was forthcoming. Believe me, I tried. It put out my fire and frankly, I haven't had the time or inclination to continue my pursuit. I can't even remember the name of the company. Good luck with your research and please keep me informed. |
| Q: | There seems to be a huge number and variety of different 1939 NYWF matchcovers which makes it a bit confusing for a beginning collector cause I don't know the range and scope of the NYWF categories that I'm finding. Do you know of a list somewhere on the web that lists all the different matchcovers printed for the 1939 NYWF? I've seen lists like this in other collectible categories I've collected. |
| A: | Thanks for asking. In the last 1990s, I published a white paper listing approximately 280 different 1939-40 NYWF and 1939-40 NYWF related matchcovers. I printed about 50 copies and distributed them within The American Matchcover Collecting Club at the time. I may have a single copy remaining, but the data was generated on a 1990s ear computer and has been lost. If I ever come across the last copy, I'll try to do something with it for the hobby. No promises. Also, without going into an extended analysis, I've handled thousands of 1939 NYWF matchcovers and the reasoning behind making traffic pattern related matchcovers was to alert the public to anticipated traffic problems during the Fair. There are matchcovers dated 1937 that reference the 1939 NYWF, so it is likely that a traffic related matchcover, not directly referring to the Fair, may have been made with the Fair in mind. |
| Q: | Dear matchcovers, Can you tell me how many covers in each of the orange set, silver set & the blue set? Thanks. - eagerlee |
| A: | New York World's Fair (1939) -- Opened in 1939 in New York City and issued several different sets of match books for both years (1939 and 1940) that it was open. Besides the official World's Fair matchcover sets (The Blue Set, The Orange Set and The Silver Set), there were scores of business, services, and peripheral New York World's Fair matchcovers to be found. There were at least 39 different Fair issued matchcovers that are dated 1939, and a set of four that are dated 1940. Matchcovers came in 20-stick, 30-stick, 40-stick, 10-stick, Giant, and Midget size. Orange Matchcover Set (10): front has “New York World’s Fair, 1939” and “The World of Tomorrow.” Back panel lists: Trylon & Perisphere, Administration Bldg., Chrysler Motors Bldg., Consumers Bldg., Communications Bldg., DuPont Wonder World of Chemistry, Gas Exhibits Bldg., Railroad Bldg. and the U.S. Government Bldg. Blue Matchcover Set (10): front has “New York World’s Fair, 1939” and “The World of Tomorrow.” Back panel lists: Aviation Bldg., Business Systems & Insurance Bldg., Food Bldg. #2, Ford Motors Bldg., Lucky Strike Bldg., Maison Coty, Medical and Public Health/Science and Education Bldg., R.C.A. Bldg. and the U.S. Steel Bldg. Silver Matchcover Set (20): front has “New York World’s Fair, 1939” and “The World of Tomorrow.” Back panel lists: Trylon & Perisphere, Administration Bldg., Aviation Bldg., Business Systems and Insurance Bldg., DuPont Bldg., Food & Sports Bldg., Food Bldg #2, Gas Exhibits Bldg., Hall of Communications, Hall of Marine Transportation, Lucky Strike Bldg., R.C.A. Bldg., Railroad Transportation Bldg., Textiles Bldg., Business Systems and Insurance Bldg., Medical Health and Public Health/Science and Education Bldg., Transportation Bldg., Ford Bldg., U.S. Government Bldg., and the U.S. Steel Bldg. |
| Q: | Hello Bill, Are "Diamond Match" footers as rare as they seem? I've only seen 1 over the past 16 months! Have you ever listed one of these gems? Thanks for your time! Ryan |
| A: | Diamond Match footers were probably made prior to Diamond Quality and are much scarcer. To my knowledge, no dated factory records exist. Everything I've learned came from conversations with Bob Oliver who did extensive Diamond Quality research and published articles in the 1970s and 1980s. Since matchcovers clubs weren't popular prior to 1939, the idea of saving a matchcover before using it wasn't in fashion, so most DQs and Diamond Match matchcovers are found struck. |
| Q: | Hi Bill, I was wondering if you could give me some information on the following feature matchbooks that I have picked -up over the last year. A). Generic cover (no printed advertising) with an "L' in script and "LION BOOK" on cover: 1. picture of Studebaker Dictator car across matches. 2. bowling pins "West End" across matches. B). Generic different sporting events with pix of men and woman w/ tennis racket, golf club, in diamond shapes. Again, no printed advertising on cover. 1. Julian Goldman clothes across matches. 2. Budweiser beer bottles on each match. I couldn't find any info in your book and was wondering why the covers were generic? Any idea? Thank you very much. Aaron |
| A: | I suspect that what you have is what might loosly be called "factory leftovers." All genuine Lion Match Co. match books, it is suspected that when there were more sticks made than matchcovers, factory workers would use generic Lion matchcover stock over Feature stick overruns. Whether they were used by the factory works, given as free samples or included with cigarette purchases is anybody's guess. |
