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