Match covers are little time capsules that record history.  Not only do they record the history of famous people and places, they record the history of common folks and places from our past that no longer exist except in our personal memories.  Match covers offer a great way to collect old advertising.  They are compact enough to display easily and the art work and graphics make them interesting and often unique. Some of the products advertised on match covers do not exist anymore, or they have changed drastically over the years.

The best thing about match covers is they offer a portal to the past that does not exist anywhere else.  Remember the country store where you bought candy when you were a kid?  Its probably on a match cover.  Remember the night club where you met your spouse in the 1950's?  Its on a match cover.  Remember the hotel where you stayed on your honeymoon 50 years ago?  Its on a match cover. 

Match covers record the history of our hometowns as they used to be in simpler times.  They even offer a history of our own ancestors that may not exist anywhere else.  Did your great grandparents own a restaurant?  Their names and maybe even their pictures are probably on a match cover.  Did your grandfather run for city council in 1945?  Its recorded on a match cover.  Match covers allow us to hold history in our hands, whether it be the history of the famous, the history of our own family or the memories of our beloved old home town.

Questions I am frequently asked:

Q.  Why do you charge 1.75 for shipping when it doesn't cost that much to mail the match cover?

A.  I charge 1.75 for shipping no matter how many you purchase.  Whether you purchase one match cover or a thousand, there is only one shipping charge of 1.75.  The shipping charge covers more than just the price of postage.  I donate all of the selling price to charity.  The 1.75 covers the ebay listing fees, ebay final value fees, and paypal fees.  I often run .99 cent auctions to promote my store.  If I only charged the actual postage amount, .99 cents would not cover the cost of the ebay fees and paypal fees so there would be nothing left over to donate to charity.  I do not make money from the shipping charge.  The shipping covers the postage as well as the costs of listing the item on ebay and using paypal as a payment method.  All other money from the store item or auction listing is donated to charity.

Q.  Why did it take you a week to mail the match cover that I won on auction?

A.  When you purchase a match cover from my store I usually ship it out to you the day you pay for it or the next day if you pay after post office hours.  However, when I run an auction, I often list and sell thousands of match covers in one day.  It takes a while to locate and pack thousands of match covers.  I pack out several hundred at a time but I cannot pack them all out in one day.  You may be in the first group that I pack out or you may be in the last group that gets mailed.  If you are in the last group it may take a week or more to receive your item.  Please know that I am working dilligently to pack out all items as fast as I can and if you win your match cover on auction, please be patient.  I promise I will get it in the mail to you as fast as I possibly can.

Q.  What is the difference between a match cover and a match book? 

A.  Match covers are match books from which the matches have been removed.  Most match book collectors remove the matches from the match covers to make them easier and safer to display.  I offer match covers, match books, and match boxes in my store.

Q.  Do you have the match cover I am looking for?

A.   I have thousands of match covers listed and I have thousands more that have not yet been listed.  The best way to find what you are looking for  is to type a keyword such as the name of the town or the name of the business you are looking for into the search box in my store.  All of the listings I have with these words in them will show up and make it easier for you to look for the particular match cover you are seeking.  If you don't see what you are looking for, check back in my store often as I list several hundred additional match covers every week.  Also, you can sign up for my news letter which shows my new listings every week.

Q.  Do you ship internationally?

A.  Yes I will ship internationally but please contact me before you bid or buy from my store.  There may be small additional shipping charges to cover the additional postage depending upon where the match cover will be shipped.

Please Note

If you find the shipping charge or handling time objectionable I ask that you please do not bid on or buy my match covers.  I want all of my buyers to be happy and satisfied with their transactions.  Although I very much value my customers and sincerely appreciate every purchase, if you do not agree with the shipping charges or handling time then I would prefer that you do not buy from me, rather than have you make a purchase from my store then leave me a negative or neutral feedback or give me a low rating on my detailed seller rating stars.

I put my shipping charges boldly in my item descriptions so that all buyers will be aware of them before they bid or buy.  I hope I have clearly explained the shipping charge and handling time but if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have before you bid or buy. 

My reputation as a seller is very important to me and I want everyone who purchases an item from me to be satisfied with their purchase.  I strive to make every purchase a five star transaction. 

Please contact me with any issues you may have with your transaction and give me a chance to make things right for you instead of just walking away dissatisfied and leaving a negative or neutral feedback.  This does nothing to solve a problem and leaves both of us upset and unhappy.

However, I will not buckle under to feedback extortion in order to protect my percentage rating.  I will do everything I can to make sure you are happy with your purchase, but please know that it is not necessary for you to threaten to leave a negative feedback in order to get me to fix your problem.  If you do this you will be added to my blocked bidders/buyers list.

Like all good sellers, I want all of my buyers to be repeat purchasers and satisfied customers.  I will bend over backwards to work with you to solve any issues that may arise from your purchase up to and including offering you a full refund for your purchase upon return of the item sold. 

Unfortunately, there are a few bad apples in every barrel.  There are a few unscrupulous folks out there who try to get items for free or at a reduced price by threating to leave negative feedback if their money is not fully or partially refunded and insist on keeping the item even though there was no real problem with their transaction.  This is a very rare occurrence as 99.9 percent of all ebay users are good honest people, but it does happen occasionally.

For the .1 percent that use this tactic, be aware that feedback extortion will not be tolerated and you will be reported.