56. Route 66 Matchcover Collector Phil Gordon

Phil Gordon has a unique hobby related to Route 66.  As an engineer, he’s very careful not to let even his closest acquaintances know that he is passionate about collecting historic Route 66 matchcovers.  With a collection beyond 5000 matchcovers, Phil has painstakingly scanned and uploaded his collection online to share with the world and Route 66 fans.  

Join The Route 66 Podcast host Anthony Arno as he talks with Phil about one of the most unusual hobbies as a phillumenist.  Highlights include:

Matchbook versus matchcover Collecting

Does the absence of matches in a matchcover collection diminish the value?

Earliest history of matches and matchbook advertising

Most popular configurations of matchbooks

Philuminist by definition

Transition from collecting postcards to match covers

The original 10 matchcovers in Phil's collection 

The most coveted Route 66 matchcover: Peach Springs Garage

What do people think of someone who has collected over 5,000 matchcovers?

Developing an organized system for collecting and cataloging Route 66 matchcovers

Motels and lodgings

Cafes and restaurants

Gas stations

Trading Posts 

 

 

Full length matchcovers designs

Background knowledge needed for collecting matchcovers

Ebay scammers selling matchcovers

Current demand for matchbooks

Rear striker versus front striker matchbooks design changes (1973)

Back striker safety versus rear striker

Discovering unknown Route 66 history through match cover collecting

The ultimate Route 66 matchcover that Phil has spent 20+ years searching for

Scherer's (estimated value $50)

 

The holy grail of matccovers outside of Route 66: Charles Lindbergh (estimated value several thousand)

 

 

The very first advertising: hand written matcbook covers

First commercial matchbook ever printed

Initial interest in posting matchovers online: Whiting brothers 

 

 

Sharing matchcovers online with the whole world

Step by step process for uploading matchcovers 

Popularity of matchbooks today with the decline of smoking

National organization of matchcover collectors

The Route 66 Matchcover Collector - Search wide variety of Route 66 establishments for matchcovers

 

Phil’s Route 66 Website:  Personal website containing both postcards and matchcovers