Matchbox Labels: Over 2,000 Elegant Examples from All Over the World

I bought this as I'm interested in popular graphics and the two thousand samples included certainly capture the flavor of this tiny corner of the printed ephemera market. The book is very well designed and printed but ultimately I was rather disappointed with the contents. There is a sameness about so many of these labels. The huge number from the old Soviet Union and the Eastern Block certainly look similar, only to be expected I guess but other nations output also seem bland and unimaginative. Perhaps the reason is that most of the labels included are brands rather than advertising labels that are so common today. Strangely none of the labels are dated but I would guess that most of them were produced several decades ago and the cheapness of liquid lighters now has reduced match output. As another reviewer has commented the absence of North American product maybe also explains the lack of pizzazz and color. The matchbook was the flame of choice for Americans and there are no examples of these included. This will probably be the standard book about matchbox labels because it is so comprehensive. The American matchbook is another story; their colorful design and huge output over the years will still produce occasional new titles. The one I like best is:Close Cover Before Striking: The Golden Age of Matchcover Art (Recollectibles) with several hundred matchbook covers in an attractively designed book. ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.