About the Hobby

FAQs

• What kind of matchcovers should I collect?
• Are there clubs for collectors?
• How much money are my matchcovers worth? 
• How to I buy or sell covers?
• How do I remove the staples and make my matchcovers flat?
• How should I organize and store my collection? Are there albums and other supplies for matchcover collectors?
• What should I do with full matchbooks and matchboxes?

Useful Articles 

• Basic Training In Trading
• How To Get Covers
• Classifying Your Covers
• Shucking (Stripping) and Flattening Covers
• "Inside Secrets" for Getting Covers
• Beginner's Guide to Phillumeny
  A nice introduction to matchbox label and matchcover collecting from the British Matchbox Label and Booklet Society.

We are proud to help Bill Thomas' folksy insights and expertise live on by sharing some of his vintage "Match Tips" articles. They are reprinted with permission.

• How to Get Started in Matchcover Collecting
• How to Prepare Matchcover Displays for Competition
• How To Build Your Collection
• Tips On Trading--Some Resolutions For Collectors
• Miscellaneous Ramblings
• Some Thoughts On Rules For The Hobby
• Wish Lists, Flattening & Storing & Conventions

• RMS (Rathkamp Matchcover Society) Annual Convention
  This is the "big one". Also check out this news article from the Herald-Mail newspaper.

Fun and Unique

• Match Rockets
  You've shucked all your covers and now have bunches of extra matchsticks. Why not make them into little matchstick rockets?  It's fun and makes an educational science project demonstrating the physics of propulsion. Just remember "safety first".
• Match Calendar
  This unusual calendar is made of matches.
• Matchstick Marvels Museum
  This museum displays incredible works of sculpture art constructed entirely of wooden matchsticks. Some works contain over a half million matchsticks.