Hi, we are Nadia and Alice, mother and daughter, founders of OH, WHAT A MATCH!
We came together because of a mutual passion we share for phillumeny, the hobby of collecting different match-related items such as matchboxes, matchcovers, and matchbooks.
My mother Nadia began her collection while living in New York in the 1980s, when matches were widely used as promotional items by restaurants, hotels and shops at a time in which smokers were the rule.
As per me, I started collecting a few years ago because of my love for aesthetics and for a hoarder trait that already defined my teenage years. From pins, stickers and patches, to keychains and papers, I finally made it to matches, now re-emerging thanks to the advent of candles as chic decorative elements in need of fashionable gimmicks to be light up with.
But the real appeal towards phillumeny, for both of us, comes from the intrinsic and emotional value that matches hold. The recollection of an experience, an evening with good friends, a weekend with your loved one, a trip with your family to a foreign place.
Your matchbook collection recalls personal moments of your life, generating memories not to be forgotten and beautiful mementos to be kept. Matches can tell a story, evoke emotions, bring people together, amuse for their shapes, colors, and forms. They are small artworks and designs. They are an eco-friendly alternative to lighters and they can decorate your home when placed in elegant bowls next to candles and coffee table books.
We are here to bring them back 🔥
Nadia & Alice