BULLETIN

BULLETIN
PRESIDENT
TREASURER
Loren Moore
Jack Benbrook
POB 1181
1328 E. Rosser St.
Roseville, CA 95678 Prescott AZ 86301
877-752-6247
928-772-3763
No. 308
MEM SECRETARY
EDITOR
Janet Johnk
Mike Prero
6 Truman Dr
12659 Eckard
Novato,CA 94947 Auburn,CA 95603
415-897-6724
530-885-3604
ALL DUES DUE APRIL 1st
September 2010
by
Mike Prero
Since I‟ve taught Medieval history for the last 37 years, it‟s probably not surprising to find that I have an
affinity for Crests. Of course, even without that background, I think I‟d still be collecting them...They‟re
just so darn gorgeous!
But, let‟s get down to basics. If you‟re going to collect Crests, first you have to come to some decision
as to just what a crest is, because, when most laymen [you and I] use the word, they‟re referring to the
whole thing, as seen on the two covers below. But the complete design is actually called the “Achievement
of Arms”, and the „crest‟ is technically
only the decoration at the top. The
centerpiece is the “Coat of Arms”, usually
pictured on a shield. To the sides are the
„supporters‟, normally living creatures
holding up the shield. Finally, at the
bottom, is the „motto, pictured on a scroll.
Whew! It‟s getting complicated!
In the study of Achievements of Arms,
called „Heraldry‟, there are all sorts of
rules and symbols that guide the final
creation. For example, only certain colors
can be used: gold, silver, yellow, and
white in the metallic colors, plus blue, red,
black, green, and purple. Items from nature
can be shown in their natural colors. No
two metallic colors can be placed next to
one another...and so forth. But, as
collectors of what‟s already placed on
matchover designs, we won‟t be concerned
with such rules.
As noted above, though, somewhere
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
Page 2
along the line you‟re going to have to decide what you‟ll accept as a Crest, and what you won‟t. If you‟re
going to be a purist, for example, you‟re only going to collect those covers that show the entire
Achievement of Arms...crest, coat of arms, supporters, and motto. But, as you start looking through
covers, you‟ll quickly find that many Crests are depicted with only three of the four parts, or only two of
the four parts, or....just the coat of arms on the shield and nothing else.
So....what are you going to accept as Crests in you’re collection? Look at the last crest pictured below,
for example. It has no motto and no supporters. Would that one go into your collection or not? It‟s your
collection, so you set the parameters. If you‟re satisfied with whatever you come up with, then so be it!
In my own case, I settled on “acceptable covers have to have at least two of the four parts”. Thus, I
would take the last cover pictured below. My reasoning is that in requiring at least two of the four parts be
present I eliminate those „crests‟ that are simply the „shields, and yet I still have room to collect all the
other „more complete‟ designs.
This is one of those huge „small‟ categories in that it‟s one that has thousands of issues but is not widely
collected. They‟re common, and that means they‟re easily available. And the reason they‟re common is
that they‟re found mostly on Hotel/Motel/Restaurant covers...and Hotel/Motel/Restaurant covers are by far
the most commonly produced matchcovers. Easy!
They come in all sizes and shapes. In my current 1,805 covers, I can see everything from Midgets to
Giants...boxes, certainly...and even a couple of Contours. This is also one of those categories that goes
way back in time, back to practically the beginning of matchboxes, let alone matchcovers...Not like
collecting Web Sites, where you‟re only going to find them on rear-strikers. So, when looking for Crests,
don‟t forget to check out you Oldies dupes.
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
Page 3
Unknown Match Companies
The problem with companies such as these is that
you never know if they
were actual match manufacturers...or middlemen.
In any event, these are
certainly little known
In reading order:
United States Match Co
Perfect Match Co.
Liberty Match Co.
Guaranty match Co.
Economy match Co.
Firestick Match Co.
Ace Match Corp.
Anyone have any info
on these?
[Special thanks to Tom
Valachovic, FL, who sent
these, and more, in.]
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
Page 4
Israel: 50 Years Of Living On The Edge
[Reprinted from Jul/Aug Lone Star Bulletin, courtesy of...me!]
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the modern state of Israel—and a miraculous half century it‟s
been: from a Third World protectorate to a modern nation, surrounded by hostile neighbors, two leaders
assassinated, four wars, and a plethora of “minor” military actions. The miracle is that it‟s survived!
In the 1880s, Palestine was part of the Ottoman Empire. The Ottomans lost WW I, however, and Britain
was given a League of Nations mandate to administer the area. In 1937, in the wake of violent Arab-Jewish
conflicts, the Peel Commission recommended a partition of Palestine which would include a Jewish state,
but this was never implemented. In 1947, the United Nations came to the same conclusion. When Israel
was created in 1948, five Arab countries immediately attacked. Israel won, but there were more wars to
come, plus the PLO and a number of other anti-Jewish groups. Israel still is contending with it all today.
Adding to the miracle are the facts that this is a tiny country (290 miles long and 85 miles wide at its
widest point) and 45% of that is desert, with another 16% mountains. The population is only 5.94 million
(we have cities bigger than that!). In spite of it all, much of the country has been turned into an oasis; it‟s
attracted brainpower from all over the world; and it‟s managed to absorb over 2 million immigrants. I was
there in 1972 was very impressed; now it‟s 26 years later.
Over 2 million tourists visit Israel each year now—which is how the rest of us manage to end up with
Israeli covers—I have to be honest, though, I‟m not going to be one of
them any time soon...just too much violence in the area. Imagine living
there...Life on the Edge!
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
Page 5
Knights of Malta
Here‟s a really small fraternal category! Technically, they‟re the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem, a
Catholic fraternal organization, and, as you might have guessed, they trace their history all the way back to
the Crusades. Originally, it was the most important of all the military orders, both for the extent of its area
and for its duration. It is said to have existed before the Crusades and is still in existence. During this long
career, it has not always borne the same name. Known as Hospitallers of Jerusalem until 1309, the
members were called Knights of Rhodes from 1309 till 1522, and have been called Knights of Malta since
1530.
Strictly speaking, therefore, the Hospitallers of Jerusalem only began with Raymond of Provence, to
whom they owe their rule. This rule deals only with their conduct as religious and infirmarians, there
being no mention of knights. It especially sets forth that the hospital shall permanently maintain at its
expense five physicians and three surgeons. The brothers were to fulfil the duties of infirmarians. To
accompany and defend at need, the arriving and departing pilgrims, Raymond defrayed the cost of an
armed escort, which in time became a veritable army, comprising knights recruited from among the
crusaders of Europe, and serving as a heavy cavalry. With this innovation originated the most ancient
military dignitary in the order— the marshal, to command the knights. Later, the grand masters themselves
went into battle. Thus the Order of St. John imperceptibly became military without losing its original
character.
The actual conditions for admission to the order are: nobility of sixteen quarterings, the Catholic Faith,
attainment of full legal age, integrity of character, and corresponding social position. There are now in
existence only four great priories, one in Bohemia, and three in Italy. There are still commanders and
several classes of knights, with different insignia, but all wear the same eight-pointed Maltese cross .
The Protestant Baliwick of Sonnenburg in Prussia disappeared after the secularization of its property in
1810. Nevertheless Frederick William IV created a new
confraternity of "Evangelical Johannittes" (1852), under the
master (Herrenmeister) always chosen from the royal family, and
with a great number of other dignitaries. Admission to the order is
subject to numerous conditions, ancient nobility, corresponding
social position, and entrance fee of 900 marks, a probation of at
least four years as a knight of honor before admission of the
accolade which confers the title of Knight of Justice. Their first
obligation is to collect contributions for the support of hospitals.
Thus this Protestant branch of the order has returned to the ideal
of its first founder in the time of the First Crusade. Moreover, in
times of war, since 1870, the order has been devoted to ambulance
service on the field of battle.
I don‟t have any statistics on what covers are available; I‟ve
only recently begun this category, myself, and I have something
like three or four, including this nice 40-strike.
I find Fraternals such as this interesting because almost all of the
Fraternal organizations have long histories spanning numerous
world events.
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
Page 6
An American Tour:
44
Chattanooga’s Rock City
Rock City Gardens‟ history as a world-famous tourist attraction dates back to the days of the Great
Depression, but its history as a geological marvel of nature reaches back several million years before that.
Historical evidence shows that Native Americans inhabited Lookout Mountain. It was in 1823 that two
missionaries arrived in the area to minister to the Indians.
By the time the Civil War reached the slopes of Lookout Mountain, more and more people had
discovered what was already being called “the Rock City.” The man who would eventually make Rock
City a household name was Garnet Carter. Carter had tried and succeeded at a number of business
ventures before hitting on the idea of developing a residential neighborhood on the top of Lookout
Mountain. Launched in 1924, the new community was to be known as Fairyland. In order to appease those
who were clamoring to play golf, Carter responded by fashioning what is now recognized to be the
nation‟s first miniature golf course. Because of its popularity, Carter decided to franchise this miniature
golf concept all over the United States; hence, the origins of Tom Thumb Golf.
His wife, Frieda, had begun a project of her own. The 700 acres of Fairyland also encompassed the
legendary Rock City, and Frieda set out to develop this property into a rock
garden to end all rock gardens. Garnet realized his wife had something there that
lots of other people might be willing to pay to see. The rest, as they say, is history.
Rock City officially opened as a public attraction on May 21, 1932. Carter
enlisted the help of a young sign painter named Clark Byers, who was hired to
travel the nation‟s highways and offer to paint a farmer‟s barns in exchange for
letting him paint three simple words: See Rock City. The distinctive black-andwhite signs appeared as far north as Michigan and as far west as Texas. The
advertising soon began to produce the desired effect and, by the close of the
1930‟s, more travelers than ever had seen Rock City Gardens.
Each year, more than half a million people visit the attraction to enjoy the many
natural splendors that abound. Over the years, several features have been added to
the original attraction, including the popular Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose
Village, the Cornerstone Station, as well as a myriad of shops and restaurants. In
addition, annual events such as the Rock City‟s Enchanted Garden of Lights
during the holiday season bring guests in by the droves. And the gardens Frieda so
lovingly planted have also grown through the years to include more than 400
different species of native wildflowers, shrubs, and trees.
As Rock City Gardens is nearing our 80th year of operation, it has become a
true American icon.
[http://www.seerockcity.com/pages/Our-Story/]
No. 308
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
New Members
951. Silvio E. Vignetta, via
mazzini 8 21047 Saronno (VA)
Italy
Collects: hotel/motel, bars,
coffee houses, resorts, banks,
insurance companies, airlines,
transportation, travel agencies.
952. Leland Roll, 69 Allen
Chapel Rd., Batesville, AR
72501-9787
Ads
I NEED HELP: with Perkins
Americana. If you have dupes,
please let me know, and I‟ll send
want list. Bob Bowman, 1510
Commons Dr., Miamisburg, OH
45342
WEEKLY
ON-LINE
AUCTION: 60 lots per week;
featured topic each week, but
always with good selection of
other categories. Runs SundaySunday. http://matchpro.org
WANT TO BUY: Matchcovers
of radio stations, 20 front strike
preferred. Looking for these
specific cover s WR OZ,
Evansville, IN, Any ESSO
Reporter covers with various call
letters, Also looking for these
radio related covers, radio tubes
and radio brands, names like
Philco and Arvin, Howard,
Atwater Kent, Arcturus. I buy
single covers and groups of
covers so please get in contact
wit h me, Ll o yd Sp i ve y
wkloradio@yahoo.com
WANT
TO
B UY:
An y
Page 7
matchcovers WITH THE
MANUMARK of Kentucky
Match Company, Henderson,
KY or Evansville, IND. Contact
Lloyd Spivey wkloradio@
yahoo.com
2011: March 15-19. Hampton
Inn, 151 North Douglas Ave.
Altamonte Springs, FL 32714
(note location change) (407) 869
-9000. Room: $70. Further info
at www.southernswapfest. com
ATTENTION GIRLIE
COLLE CTORS: I ha ve
created a list of captions on
girlie set covers. I find it VERY
helpful in determining which set
a particular cover belongs to. It
is sorted alphabetically by
CAPTION and also shows the
MANUFACTURER, SERIES/
ARTIST, SET, POSE, &
PAGE. The Page column refers
to the page number in the Girlie
Matchcover Catalogue where
the
set
is
listed.
For a copy of this list, please
send your name, address, & email address (if you have one),
along with a check or money
order for $10.00 to: Larry
Danver, 10360 San Marcos Rd.,
Atascadero, CA 93422.
AMCAL 2011: April 28-30.
Doubletree Hotel Ballroom,
Monrovia, CA; 8AM 6 PM;
rooms available at adjoining
OakTree at $67.00 to AMCAL
participants.
WANTED: Covers and/or
boxes of the Mission Inn,
Riverside, CA. Have a good
selection of categories to trade.
Larry Bell, 31439 Joan Ct.,
Abbotsford, BC, CAN V2T5N9
(lsjbell@shaw.ca)
Coming Up
PHIL LU- QUE BEC
SWAPFEST: November 20-21,
2010 at the Blanchet Motel, in
Drummondville (QC) 800 5673823 FMI: cpelletier43@
sympatico.ca
SOUTHERN
SWAPFEST
71st RMS CONVENTION:
August, 2011. Doubletree Hotel,
Cleveland South, Independence,
OH, 216-447-1300/800-222TREE. More details coming.
Plastic Pages
Deadline
September 15th is the next
deadline for ordering plastic
pages. If you miss that one,
you‟ll have to wait until the next
one in March. Send your orders
to Jack Benbrook. Ordering form
is on our web site.
Readers Write
Tracie Cutright: [Tracie’s not
currently a member; she’s just
coming back into the hobby after
an absence, but she raises a
thought-provoking point here]
My step-son's friend came to the
door to ask if he could come out
and play basketball. We invited
him. I was sorting through a box
of covers I had brought out of
storage. The kid was captivated
and started asking me questions.
No. 308
Happy Birthday!
Jackson, Bob.........................9-3
Crill, Cheryl..........................9-5
Prero, Mike...........................9-7
Plunkett, Joan........................9-8
Woelfle, Bob.......................9-10
Nicholson, John..................9-17
Dixon, Bill..........................9-20
Johnk, Duane......................9-20
Grant, Alan.........................9-22
England, Bob......................9-24
Proctor, Ed..........................9-26
Robles, R.E.........................9-26
Barksdale, Ron....................9-28
Roethlisberger, David.........9-30
Stroka, John........................10-3
Hagerman, Dick..................10-5
Avitt, Mike..........................10-6
Briggs, Donald....................10-8
Bitter, Dan...........................10-9
Souto, Frank......................10-11
Reynen, Michael...............10-14
Crill, Chester.....................10-18
Gutting, Ellen....................10-24
I gave him some covers, plastic
pages and the RMS website
address. Excitedly, he ran back
to his apartment to show his
grandma. A few minutes later,
Grandma shows up at my door
wanting to know why I am
encouraging her grandson to
smoke at age 12. She knows I
smoke and thought that my
collecting matchbook covers
was somehow related to the fact
that I smoke. I tried explaining
to her that there is no relation
between the two and that it‟s just
coincidence that I happen to
smoke. She refused to let him
take the covers from me and will
not let him play with my step
son anymore. I see this young
man as the future of the hobby.
SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-September 2010
It‟s not too often that a 12 year
old would be interested in
collecting matchbooks. Most
kids would rather play video
games instead.
Nadine Ritter, MT: [not too
many collectors in Montana!]
Ref July‟s Flag article, I have a
collection of US flags. There are
455 in my album: 20s, 30s, 40s,
and some Jewelites. I have
always enjoyed collecting them
and have done so for many
years, although I don‟t put my
Military covers with flags in my
Flag album.
September
AUCTION PREVIEW
Here are a few of the specialty
September’s Smile
Page 8
items in this month‟s auction…
We have Full Book Features,
Girlies, Displays, Safety First,
Crowns, D Q’s, Tractor
Dealers, Taxi/Cabs, Fraternal,
Railroads, Trucks, and lots of
Eating Places, and Hotel/
motels…and lots of other great
categories…Take a look…Just
click on the link below and go
immediately to this months
COMING
UP
Oct: “Coast Guard Island”
Nov: “Collecting Moose”
Dec:“The
English
Replace with advertising
text Language”
SIERRA-DIABLO...we’re
the hottest club in the
hobby! Company Name
The Sierra-Diablo Bulletin is a
monthly publication of the SierraDiablo Matchcover Club. Deadline
for all submissions is the 10th of
each month. Any information
herein may be reproduced with
appropriate credit line. Dues of
$10 (individual), $15 (family), $15
(Canada/Mexico) or $20 (outside
N. America) are payable to the
Sierra-Diablo Matchcover Club, c/
o Jack Benbrook, 1328 E. Rosser
St., Prescott, AZ 86301.
Visit theSierra-Diablo Web Site at:
http://www.matchcover.org/sierra
You can reach the Ed. on line at
RMSED@matchpro.org for help
with Bulletin/hobby questions,
concerns or problems.