Matchbook History, Lion Match Factory Dating Back to the 1920s Found!
A very cool piece of matchbook history was discovered in Long Island City, New York!
Old Lion Match Factory Building Found
Leo Greenbaum was the founder of Lion Match Corporation. His New York Times obituary in 1950 explored his path as a 13-year-old German immigrant who, over the course of the next sixty years was to be a bootblack, a dishwasher, a waiter, a restaurant owner and, when he died at age 74, a resident of Central Park West in New York City.
In 1917 Greenbaum began manufacturing paper matchbooks using a single used machine on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. He then moved his factory to Brooklyn and in 1924, relocated to Long Island City, NY where he expanded his manufacturing facility to occupy three buildings.
Leo possessed 21 U.S. patents and he wasn't afraid to take chances on setting up new production lines and to indulge into new advertising matchbook concepts . He was known as the ‘Match King’ by admirers and competitors alike.
Among phillumenists (match collectors) the company’s name is legendary. ‘The Matchcover Vault’; a reference resource for matchbook collectors, sums up Lion Match’s place in history: “There’s nothing like holding an old Lion full-book “Feature” in the palm of your hand. You notice right away that it’s not like any other cover. It’s heavier; it’s thicker; and you know when you open it up that it’s going to be a veritable feast for the eyes.”
TheMatchGroup is proud to continue Mr Greenbaum's legacy by producing the same style "Feature" matchbooks (with individually printed decorative match stems) that his company brought to market! We're able to print one to four colors on the special flat feature match stems and also produce special die cut shapes!
Contact us to produce your business' own collectible matches!
A Wide Range of Different Sizes of Our Exclusive Retro Feature Matchbooks With Individually Printed Match Stems is Now Available!
We're pleased to announce that we now produce a wide range of different sizes of our exclusive retro feature advertising feature match books with individually printed match stems is now available in addition to our range of European style wooden stem matchbooks!
Let your imagination run wild! There are no limits to what we're able to print! Whether it's special die cut shapes, an unlimited number of printed colors any type of special paper stocks and your choice among 16 different color coordinated match heads!
Visit us at TheMatchGroup to discuss how we can produce your creative vision into a reality!
Reasons to Cheerfully Distribute Branded Advertising Matches To Promote Your Business!
Reasons to Cheerfully Distribute Branded Advertising Matches To Promote Your Business!
A week or two doesn't pass where a member of my sales staff receives a question from a current client or a prospect re. the reasons for them to either continue ordering branded advertising matches to promote their business or to start using them.
Our standard response goes something like this:
Well....advertising matches are a very inexpensive & effective "functional business card". Over the 120 years that they've been in existence, they've always been highly prized collectibles. Appreciative customers distribute them to their friends and family as a method of recommending your restaurant or business.
Most importantly, NO ONE throws out a match box until the last match has been struck!
Finally, we're all familiar with their practical use around the house from lighting candles, starting bbq's, lighting gas stoves, incense, etc. Matches satisfy our primal human need for fire =survival.
I would like to add to the above that Matches are NOT primarily a smoker's item! Smoker's typically rely upon lighters to ignite their recreational tobacco products or cannabis.
Matches have become a social media phenomenon! Check out our friend Carlie Clarke's Instagram page Match Book Diaries with over 22,000 active followers!
So go ahead and order your advertising matches at TheMatchGroup.com today!
Matches That Play A Starring Role in Movies and Music!
Bruce Willis in The Fifth Element
Did you know that a single match (=the 5th element) was responsible for saving the world at the end of the movie The Fifth Element starring Bruce Willis? For phillumenists (collectors of matches), we recommend a great film from 1932 called The Match King that follows the real life story of the rise and fall of Swedish Safety Match tycoon Ivar Kreuger. Matches have been used as plot devices over the past 90 years in movies and in popular culture. There are even rock groups that named themselves after matches like Matchbox Twenty , The Matches , and the hard rock group Matchbook Romance - Voices [FULL ALBUM, HQ] - YouTube
The rock musician Beck references matches many times in his music and writings. He even wrote a book titled Playing With Matches, wrote with the words "match stick strike" in "Sissyneck" on his album "Odelay" and referenced matches in the song "Cell Phone's Dead" on his album The Information. The Britpop group PULP mentioned matches in their song Dishes on This Is Hardcore. The Beatles covered the Carl Perkins rockabilly song Matchbox in 1964 with Ringo singing vocals then Paul and John sang about "two of us burning matches...." in the song Two of Us on "Let it Be". Elvis Costello wrote and performed his song Motel Matches. The group MGMT's song "It's Working" on their album Congratulations "....It's just like striking matches..The polish lies." The rock group PAVEMENT'S song on their '90's masterpiece album Slanted & Enchanted "Circa 1762" "....Lighting a Burnt Match", their is a country, rock and blues group named Striking Matches. The song "And No Matches was released by the German Techno group Scooter
Here are a few more famous movies that used matches as part of their plot lines: "Casablanca", "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Grifters" John Cusack's character Roy tells his grifter mother Lilly played by Anjelica Huston that he's a match salesman , Pulp Fiction “You play with matches, you get burned.” Match books have made frequent cameo appearances to light up the chain smoking characters in the AMC TV series Mad Men. Matches were mentioned in the movie The Hunger Games as a means for survival and a struck and flaming match made an appearance lighting Malcolm Beach's (Morgan Freeman) stogie when he meets Tom Cruz in the SciFi movie OBLIVION. The AMC TV law procedural show "Better Call Saul" features it's own custom matches in it's opening credits in season 1,2 and 3.
What other movies or popular songs can you come up with in addition to the above that reference matches?
Of course, if you want to promote your business using the most economical and effective and timeless form of advertising be sure to get in touch with the 'match mavens' by calling 800.605.7331 or checking out TheMatchGroup for us to make your match!
The Golden Age of Match Advertising Has Returned at TheMatchGroup With Feature Matches!
The Golden Age of Match Advertising Has Returned at TheMatchGroup!
We're proud to announce that TheMatchGroup is the exclusive producer of "retro" feature matches (individually custom printed match stems).
This type of printing process hasn't been offered since the last "golden age of match advertising" that ended back in the late 1960's early '70's!
In addition to printed paper match stems, we also brought back match books that contain wooden match stems!
GoTo: TheMatchGroup and check out our entire range of the highest quality and most diverse printing options that are exclusive to only us for you to set your business' customized advertising match books and match boxes apart from everyone else and be sure follow our feed on Instagram at Insta. TheMatchGroup
We look forward to collaborating with you to create your highly collectible and timeless advertising matches!