Who Knew!?

My mother-in-law, Grace, just gave us bags and bags of old matchbook covers that her husband, Baxter, had collected for years! 

Who knew there was such a world!? 

There's quite a collection of Cleveland matchbook covers including The Cleveland Press, Hotel Cleveland, Fisher Foods, and.....my Mom's favorite place, way back when, Chi Chi's!

Cleveland, OH landmarks and eateries

It seems everyone used matchbook covers to advertise.  From Ex-lax, Manners Big Boy, Happy Daze Sanitarium (I'm not kidding), and more!

Matchbooks were a great way to advertise!



What better way to catch someone's eye than having a naked (or barely clothed) woman on a matchbook cover!?  Companies like "Jerry Kuhn Tire & Batter Service, Twins Auto Seat Cover Co., and Chez Paree (sounds fancy)..aka strip club.

Eye catching

There's also the old time favorites such as Spic & Span, RC Cola, Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge (we loved staying at those places as a kid), and Alka Seltzer!  I loved one that said "Num Num" on it (a pretzel, chip company in Cleveland), and one from a burial vault company!

So I'm still digging through them, this is going to take awhile!

Collecting can be so much fun!

Jen