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Can anyone ID this old Cigarette and Match Case?

Hi Ed. While I am only taking a wild guess, I would bet this was a somewhat generic gift item. Likely included as a corporate gift or even as a consumer "thank you" gift for buying insurance, stocks, etc. I suspect it was from the early fifties. It looks fairly short from top to bottom and looks like it was made for filter less cigarettes like Camel or Lucky Strike which were very common then.

I know it sounds goofy but they really did give such things away back in the day. My dad was being gifted ELEPHANT hide wallets as late as 1970 by our insurance agent. Dad had all his business and personal insurance with one agent and even though he was far from a wealthy businessman, the agent always sent us stuff like that. Those wallets were not cheapos either. He gave dad a few of them for two or three years in a row. Dad gave most of them away. Dad used two of them for about 30 years total. Very tough that elephant hide. Anyroad, just my thoughts.

Regards, Todd
 
Hi Todd... thanks for your thoughts on this. Somehow, the gestalt of these cases seem older than the 50s. But you may be right for all I know.

Inside the match case is the info:

MF'D BY W.S.&CO.
A.R.T. Mfg. Co., N.Y.
Pat Nov. 29th 1914
 
Hi Ed. Interesting. It may well be older than the 50's. In fact, if you look at the matches on the outside, they have a sort of art deco look to them. Who knows? Nice case though. Where did you find it?

Regards, Todd
 
A defunct antique store called Robert's Relics formerly on Rte 116 outside the town of Sebastopol, California.
 
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