A story on Eight Country Reporter introduced us to a man who over a fifty year period had amassed a collection of over a quarter million matchbook covers. The report showed the man carefully separating the matches from the covers and placing the covers, open flat, in commercially available matchbook cover albums. The man was supporting at least two industries in a big way.

But what did he do with the matches? Return them to be stapled in other covers? Matchbooks must be very inexpensive or businesses would have long ago stopped offering them as a free premium. With a decrease in tobacco smoking and the proliferation of electronic ignitions for the gases used in heating and cooking, about the only thing book matches are used for any more is restarting the few remaining pilot lights and deodorizing bathrooms. Campfires and fireplace blazes are best ignited with wooden matches. Maybe Bob Phillips will find a matchbox collector. We'll be watching.