Ron,
Wanted to say thanks for the matchbooks which arrived the other day.That was very kind of you.
This was my very first hobby WAY back when I was a kid.I would go out every Saturday on my bike and go to all the motels,restaurants etc and get whatever I could.When my parents would go to the USA they would always bring back covers from casinos and bars etc.My collection was all mint and fantastic UNTIL......about 15 years ago,when we were moving,I had a garage sale.Some guy came up to me and asked me how much the matchcovers were in "the box".I knew that I had several hundred commons/traders in a shoe box there, so I told him $20.He said ok and that was that UNTIL...about two weeks later when I was looking for my collection to add a few and I asked my wife where the boxes were.She informed me that she had moved them TO THE SAME AREA where the guy had been looking.The guy had apparently helped himself to the BIG BOX with my WHOLE collection inside!! :'(
He had picked up thousands of covers dating back to the 1950's and 60's.Pinups,Disney.Pepsi,Coke,casinos,labels from Japan and Russia,...everything mint and all in plastic collector pages.It was a sick feeling.I put an add in the paper but of course I received no reply.
So...now I trundle on,trying to pick up ones from here and there,but it just isn't the same anymore,especially since there are so many anti smoking establishments around.
At least the casinos keep churning them out for now and every little bit helps.
So once again...THANKS!!