Vintage illustrations make my heart race. Or maybe it's anxiety, idk.
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If I had a time machine, I'd definitely be checking these spots out.
Michelle's Matchbook Musings - Why Matchbooks?
Michelle's Matchbook Musings - Why Matchbooks?
The number one question I get about my art is "where do you even find matchbooks?" I'll get around to answering that in depth later, but why don't we talk about why I enjoy collecting and using matchbooks in my art.
I've had a handful of matchbooks for some time, but only in the past three years did my full blown love of collecting take on a life of it's own. I wanted to make a piece of matchbook art for myself and enjoyed it so much I decided maybe it was time to try out making pieces to sell. That meant I needed inventory to work from, so over the course of the next several months I found myself with well over 1,000 matchbooks in hand. Was that a little overwhelming? Yes. Would I do it differently? No. I enjoyed sorting through my stash of goodies and finding little treasures. It was as if I was an archaeologist of vintage goods, digging through piles of matchbooks to find the golden nuggets.
During this time of adding inventory, and frequently stashing matchbooks aside for myself, I came to the conclusion I have three very blatant interests that shift a matchbook into my own collection.
1. Vintage illustrations. I adore a good illustration. I have dabbled in various types of art throughout my life and feel such inspiration when I see a gorgeous illustration. For example - to your left you see some of my matchbooks - the lady diving into a pool on that lower right matchbook? Incredible. Or how about the Casa Sirena Motor Hotel? It's such a simple illustration but it evokes such a feeling for me. A time. A place. And forget about it, if there is some sort of architectural element, I am sold. I can't explain why, I don't have a background for building or anything of the sort, but I'm a sucker for an architectural illustration. How gorgeous is the Hotel Fremont and Casino matchbook? And the feature matchbook of the courtyard between apartments for Golden Beach Apartments & Motel has an incredibly gorgeous use of color with vibrant blues and green.
3. Font. Typeface. Lettering. Typography. Call it what you want, I am a huge sucker for lettering. I know part of that is that I've spent a lot of time doing hand lettering for fun - heck I made an entire book for my husband where I hand-lettered lyrics from every song by The Killers as an anniversary present. I think I'll have to do a second volume once I have enough songs to justify it, as I'm technically two full albums (Imploding the Mirage and Pressure Machine) and the greatest hits on "Rebel Diamonds" behind. I digress. (This is an excellent example of what a real life conversation with me is like. All over the place with side stories.) Where was I? Oh, right! Fonts! The only way I can describe my love of fonts is that my brain finds them delicious. There is something so incredibly satisfying to see different styles of fonts. These four on the right hand of the screen are all fantastic examples of fonts that make me giddy. The SKYTOP in the top left corner is so simplistic and while it is an old matchbook, feels modern and sleek. Oof - that bottom right font, do you SEE that "S" for "Service"? its sooo gorgeous, playful even.
If you need me, I'll just be here staring at these fonts.
I'd like to think a burger and milkshake at Walt's Triangle Drive-In would be the type I would never shut up about.
3. Mid-Century Modern. If you didn't already pick up on it from the other photos I've shared I adore Mid-Century Modern everything, and I think that is evident in the matchbooks that I keep. Loving MCM is in no way unique, so many people love the style and do their most to collect genuine MCM pieces, whether it be furniture, home goods or in my case, matchbooks. Personally, I love the whole feel, the clean lines, retro feel and bright colors. My MCM pride and joy in my home is the most gorgeous credenza that I purchased from Re:New Home Charlotte. Holly is an amazing furniture guru - she refinishes the most gorgeous pieces and gives them a second life. The best part is the chance to choose any color you want! We went with a bright raspberry-like Pantone that makes our whole space pop. Again, I digress. If a matchbook is from the Mid-Century and also includes a great font and cool illustration, you know I'm keeping it. It's like you are holding this little tangible piece of the past, and I think that's pretty cool. Can anyone out there explain how we can have nostalgia for a time that we did not live in? Obviously things were not all rainbows and butterflies, as some tend to romanticize the past, but the aesthetic of the era was truly something stunning.
At the outset I mentioned that I would address where to find matchbooks, so here are some tips! Firstly, it really depends on what type of matchbooks you want to collect. There are folks that only collect matchbooks from places they've personally been to, like a souvenir. Then there are folks like me that have a combo of matchbooks I've personally collected and vintage finds.
If you are looking for modern matchbooks, they are becoming increasingly popular in some major cities! Typically you need to check out restaurants, bars, hotels - these are going to be the most likely establishments that will carry matchbooks. Be sure to patronize these small businesses! Matchbooks are not free to have made, so we want to do our best to not make carrying matchbooks a burden by being greedy and taking a handful. Cities with a fun matchbook scene - Charlotte (I'll be sure to share some specific spots soon), New York City, Philadelphia, Charleston, Austin, Nashville and Los Angeles! If you want more details send me a message on socials or shoot an email over and I can share some resources that will help you find some spots with matchbooks!
Vintage matchbooks - where the heck do you find those? Antique/Vintage shops sometimes have them, either sold as singles or in a collection. Etsy and eBay are great resources if you're looking for a particular city, place or theme. Yard Sales and Estate Sales can also be good spots to find matchbooks! Looking at local classified ads or on apps like Nextdoor is an underrated way to find matchbooks. I was able to buy an entire collection off a woman who was downsizing. She had travelled all over the USA and through the world and had some amazing finds. She was so happy her collection was going to someone who would really enjoy it. Lastly - be so annoying that your friends will naturally look for matchbooks for you wherever they are. I've had friends grab modern matchbooks while travelling, or snatch a collection at an estate sale, or gift me an entire book of covers they found on an online sale. These are the best kind of friends!
Seriously though, how stunning is this piece that Holly refinished? The color is a dream and I am so happy we decided to go bold. How many chances do you get to have a piece of furniture professionally lacquered in the color of your choice? Okay, maybe more chances than I have, but this was a real treat for me and I will cherish this piece forever.
If you're in the Charlotte area and are looking to add a unique piece of furniture to your space, I cannot recommend Holly enough. So much so that I've had a couple of friends also buy pieces from her because I've obviously not been able to shut up about it. But honestly, can you blame me? Supporting another woman owned small business is my favorite pastime. Also, this is in no way a paid ad or anything, I just really adore Holly and her work.
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