For philluminists (serious matchbook collectors) the pivotal moment was when the match striker was moved from the front of the cover to the back. While the industries involved did so for improved safety, the necessary change became the ballywick that helps collectors date how old a matchbook is. In fact, there are collectors that only seek "front strikers" and practically disdain "back strikes" even though in some cases the matchbook has an identical design- but the slightly newer version has the backside striker.
This "announcement" design, produced by the Diamond Match Corp. highlights that moment when the striker was officially moved from the front to the back. While it's not dated, the change was mandated in 1973, thus giving collectors a median for determining the age of the matchbook.
This design is one of a series of at least four styles produced that addressed match safety - Don't smoke in bed, Keep matches from children, Keep matches and medications from children. (See blog post "Safety First", April 2015) Inside, they all have the same message balloon about safe usage- kind of like the industry saying "Hey, matches aren't dangerous unless you use them wrong!"
Note: In addition to the striker location, the digits on a phone number or zip code can help determine the age of the cover, in addition to design styles.
