Of course, the U.S. hasn't been the only country manufacturing matches,

although no other country can boast the same variety and inventiveness.

The category of "Foreign" takes in everything that is not North American.

Collectors soon learn that the world has traditionally been split on what is

available. Basically, the Western industrialized world produces matchbooks

while Africa and Asia produce matchboxes with removable labels (as

opposed to Western boxes, which have the advertising printed directly on

them). Thus, in much of the rest of the world, match "label" collecting

substitutes for match"cover" collecting.

 

Foreign covers are often exotic and fascinating, though...if you can read them!

There are, no doubt, hundreds of thousands available. Foreign Cigarette, Airline,

Shipline, and Girlie issues are especially popular here.

Back to RMS Home Page   Back to Album Index