Philly matchbooks: A striking trend returns

Tessa York has cultivated a reputation as Philly’s foremost matchbook aficionado.

She features photos of matchboxes from spots like Center City wine bar Superfolie and matchbooks from Queen Village restaurant Cry Baby on her Instagram account, Meet Your Matches, where she documents matches from Philadelphia and beyond to her more than 8,300 followers. She’ll post lists of Philly spots offering matches at the moment — though it’s nearly impossible to have an exhaustive list because inventory and availability change so often.

Her guides are met with hundreds of interactions from locals crowdsourcing where else to find them and trading advice. She’s since launched a merch line with mugs that have illustrations of local matchbooks.

“Matches are having a moment and I’m loving it,” York said. “I’ve noticed a handful of restaurants that, just a year ago when I was first exploring Philly, did not have matches and now they do.”

Souvenir matchbooks are experiencing a resurgence thanks to a mix of local collectors, independent artists, and social media creators dedicated to the craft.

Content creators on TikTok document their “matchbook hunts,” show off their home collections, and showcase custom versions they’ve designed for when friends come over. On Etsy, hundreds of artists sell illustrations and photographs of flat lays of both real and fictional matchbooks that customers display to commemorate significant locations in their lives.

“I think it’s one of those small things people can style on their coffee table and make into a conversation piece,” said Katie Nist, owner of Old City’s Elektra Vintage. Nist recently had a run of custom matchbooks made for her store. “It’s kind of like getting a postcard from a destination. But they’re also more useful than a postcard.”

Other local businesses, like marketing firm Punch Media, use custom matchbooks in lieu of business cards.

“We thought it would be a fun keepsake,” Punch Media CEO and founder James Zeleniak said. “The matches help tell our brand story by serving as a touchpoint. We put them in goody bags and have a jar of them in the office for folks to take.”

Punch’s matchbooks feature an image of Zeleniak’s great-grandfather, Grampa Yarosh, a Pennsylvania coal miner who emigrated from Poland and was noted boxer in the 1920s.

York may be the most well-known local matchbook chronicler, but she certainly wasn’t the first. For 20 years, Matchbook Traveler has hosted lists of crowdsourced matchbook spots across the country. The Philly list is periodically updated to note when spots no longer offer matches and highlight newer spots like Meetinghouse in Kensington.

Still, Philly matchbook collectors are turning to York, 37, for guidance on beefing up their own collections.

York was a fashion buyer and merchandiser for brands like Nike and Kate Spade before going full-time with Meet Your Matches. She started collecting matches as an inexpensive way to document the places she’d traveled.

Over the years, York has showcased matchbooks from places she’s lived, including San Francisco and Manhattan. About two years ago, she and her husband moved to Washington Square West.

After her move, York quickly discovered Philadelphia was a hotbed for collectors like herself.

Some participating venues, like McGillin’s Olde Ale House, have made matchbooks for years, dating each one.

Newer spots, like My Loup — chef power couple Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp’s critically acclaimed space — also recognize the interest.

“The matchbooks are by far our most requested take-home item,” Kemp said. My Loup’s matchbooks feature an illustration of the restaurant’s mascot, the couple’s mini dachshund Tootsie Marie. “We loved the idea of guests taking home their own little piece of Tootsie.” The restaurant’s matchbooks were designed by Kemp and Shulman’s friend, artist Massimo Mongiardo.

Restaurateurs say that the newfound interest in a longtime practice may be driven by factors including the void left by the lack of restaurant dining during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as chronically online audiences looking for nostalgic, analog relics, like film cameras and vinyl.

York suspects social media has also played a large role in current matchbook collecting.

“There’s an element of showing off your experiences,” she said. “Matchbooks on a coffee table from different places tell a story about the person and how they spend their time.”

Beyond shops and eateries, York’s local collection also spans sports teams (including the Phillies and Eagles, naturally), golf courses, hotels, fashion brands, and colleges.

“I think it all goes back to nostalgia, memories, the things that really matter,” she said. “It’s amazing that this small object has the power to evoke such strong feelings.”

She added, “the sentimental value assigned to each matchbook is compelling. I often hear things like ‘This is where my partner and I had our first date,’ ‘This place was my local bar in my 20s,’ or ‘My dad and I used to go here together when I was a kid.’ It can be really moving.”