Indian matchbox labels as a visual archive

(itsnicethat.com)

40 points | by sahar_builds 2 days ago

9 comments

  • newyankee 38 minutes ago
    Well one hobby I had when young was collecting these matchboxes. It was rumored that collecting 1000 unique ones would unlock something and gave rise to a rat race, this is pre Indian internet and no one really knew what it would unlock. I would look into the dirtiest of places against my family's protests.

    A variant of the iconic 'Ship' called 'Shib', probably a misprint was the most prized possession. When I rethink this, it seems the poor man's version of baseball cards or other collectibles but as fun, a jugaad fun activity in times of extreme scarcity

  • renticulous 12 minutes ago
    Printed Rainbow

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LatobRtLukM

    The journey of an old woman and her cat through the fantastical world of match box covers. The film premiered in Cannes Critic's Week in 2006, winning three awards in Cannes and 22 other international awards.

  • cyb0rg0 19 minutes ago
    It reminded me of the now defunct India-zine http://sepiamutiny.com/blog/
  • debayande 28 minutes ago
    Ah, this brings back so many memories. Wimco used to be a top manufacturer back in the day (and probably still is, although I'm not sure about that.)

    Highlights of my childhood include Aim, Bullock Cart, Chief, Homelites, Sunflower, Tekka and The Horse Head, among others.

  • nodeflare 32 minutes ago
    “Shib” being more valuable because of a printing mistake is honestly the most believable part of this story. Every collectible scene somehow ends up worshipping misprints.
    • embedding-shape 28 minutes ago
      > Every collectible scene somehow ends up worshipping misprints.

      I mean, the whole thing is about collecting rare things, anything that makes something rare of course will be worshiped, that's the point of the whole hobby in the first place...

  • dwa3592 40 minutes ago
    I remember my grandma's favorite beedi brand - paanch phool. She would give me 10 bucks to buy a pack for her which was around 5 bucks that time. The remaining would be my tip.
  • zkmon 48 minutes ago
    3 Mangoes brand from the 70's, is very familiar to me.
  • yunohn 31 minutes ago
    Maybe I missed something, but this article felt more like an ad for their modern matchbox designs, versus any sort of gallery of older ones - save for a collage near the end.
  • 4748494949 1 hour ago
    [flagged]