Unique matchbook collection likely to be sold

Dannevirke's Pat Edwards-Sextus with her collection of 350 advertising matchbooks. Photo / Christine McKay

Pat Edwards-Sextus' collection of 350 small matchbooks not only tell the story of her travels, they also record the history of Dannevirke businesses long gone.

Remarkably, some of the matchbooks in her collection were also given out as wedding favours - Paul and Debbie, March 22, 1980 and Stephen and Moira, January 28, 1984.

But with so many in her collection now, Pat is considering whether to hold onto them or sell them on.

All are in pristine condition and promote such things as "Electricity, the clean, modern matchless fuel", the Dannevirke Home Building Centre, Dannevirke's Hovding Restaurant and Dannevirke Dairy and Tearooms, all now gone.

There is a matchbook celebrating the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch and one released in March 1975 to celebrate Woodville's centenary. Hawke's Bay Farmers garage advertised the "beautiful, elegant Vauxhall Cresta, an award winner at Earl's Court in 1965," on their matchbooks.

"Some are real works of art," Pat said. "They are just amazing."

One unique box is metal with its striker underneath, advertising Royal Wax Vestas.

Pat realises this is a historic collection of times past, when everything appeared to be advertised via this now vintage medium, but they are also a record of times past and places visited, such as Raffles Hotel in Singapore, complete with its Somerset Maugham quote.

"When I travelled anywhere I would collect them," Pat said.

But Pat has no idea how she acquired the rather risque books from the Garden of Eve Bar and Nightclub in Hong Kong and another from an un-named nightclub.

"I haven't been in either place," she chuckled.