Types of categories are only limited by collectors' imaginations and interests. I doubt if anyone could put together a
comprehensive list of categories, since just about any category can be refined to a more specific category. And, of course, new categories occasionally appear. For example, the turn of the century brought us a Millennium category, Microbreweries appeared, and the internet brought in Web Address and e-mail categories, etc. Still, the list below entails over 400 categories which are the most common within the hobby.
 
10-strikes
12-strikes
24-strikes
40-strikes
AAA-approved H/M/R
Acme Match Co.
Acorn Match Co.
Action Match
Adam Hats
Advance Match & Prtg.
Advance Match Co.
Adveraps
Advertizit Match Co.

Airlines
Airports
Albert Pick mm

All-Trades (mm)
Allis Press
American Ace boxes
American Legion
American Match & Prtg.
American Match Co. (old)
American Quality
Americana/Scenic
Americana, Perkins
Animals
Anniversaries/Weddings

Aristocrat
Arrow Match Co.
Art Match Co.
Art Match Quality
Art Safety First
Atlantic Match Co.
Atlas Match Co. (old)

Atlas Foil
Auto Dealers
Autographed
Babies

Balloons, Hot Air
Bank Checks
Banks
Barber Shops

Barrel Boxes
Bars/Taverns
Bears
Beauty Shops
Beer
Bell Machine Co.
Best Western
Bicentennial
Bicycles
Big Boy Restaurants

Billards/Pool
Billboard
Birds
Blimps/Zepplins
Book Match Co.
Bordellos
Bottom Strtikers
Bowling
Boxes
Boxing
Breweries
Bridge Sets
Bridges
Bus Lines
Butterflies
Cafes
Camel 30 Singles
Cameo
Canadian Pullmatch
Canadian Tax Stamp

Candy
Carousels
Cartoon Characters

Casinos
Cats
Caves
CCC
Cement Trucks
Central Match & Label
Chambers of Commerce
Chapman Match Co.
Chicago Match Co.
Chicklets
Christmas
Clarke Match Co.
Classic Collectible Souvenir

Classique
Click Book Matches
Clowns
Clubs
Coal Companies

Coast Book Match Co.
Coca-Cola
Coffee
Coins
Colgates

Colleges
Columbia XL
Combos
Comics
Commemorative
Contact Sets
Continental Match Co.
Continental Quality
Contours
Cornucopias
Coronations
Country Clubs

County Seats
Cowboys
Credit Unions
Crests
Crown Match Co.
Dated
Dated Auto

David Lionel Press
Department Stores
Diamond Color
Diamond Match
Diamond...Approved No. 7
Diamond Quality
Diamond Safety First
Die-Cuts
Diners, Full-length
Disney
Display
Dog Racing
Dogs

Double Lengths
Douglas
Drinks/Beverages
Drive-Ins (Theatres)
Drug Stores

Duncan Hines Rec.
Eagle (F.O.E.)
Eez-L (Easel Backs)
Eddy Four--Color
Eddy Quality
Elks (BPOE)
Embossed
Empire Book Match Co.
Empire Quality
Errors
Extend 'n Ad
Fairs
Famous Places
Features
Features, Flat
Features, Giant
Federal Match Co.
Federal Prtg.
Filigree
Fire Departments
Fish
Flags

Flats (not real covers)
Florentine
Florida Match Co.
Flowers/Florists
Foilite

Foreign
Fraternal

Fraternities
Fred Harvey
Friendship Inns

Front Strikers
Full Books
Ful Frontals
Full-length
Funeral Homes
Gas Stations
Geiger Bros.
Gem (box)
Gem Match Co.
General Match Co.
Giants
Girlies, Sets
Girlies, Singles
Girlies, Stock
Golf
Golf-Tee
Gopher Match Co.
Grant-Mann
Green Hat
Grocery Stores/Supermarkets
Group I
Gum
Hallmark
Hamilton Match Co.
Hard Rock Cafe
Hats
Hawaii
Hearts
Hellman Match Co.

Hillbillies
Hiltons
Historical Characters
Hockey
Holiday Inns
Horse Racing
Horses
Hospitals
Hotels
Howard Johnson
Hub Match Co.
Hyatts

Indians
Insurance
Intercontinentals
International Harvester
Interstate Press
Irish
Jersey Match Co.
Jewelites
Jewelites, Sports
Jewels
John Deere
Jupiter One-Eight
Jutes
Kaeser & Blair (mm)
Kentucky Match Co.
Keys
King Midas Match Co.
Knights Inn
Knothole

Labels
Laundries/Cleaners
Leatherette
Lenticular
Lighthouses
Lion 1929 (mm)

Lion 21" Feature (mm)
Lion 30-STICK (mm)
Lion C(o)
Lion (old)
Lion Safety First
Liquor Stores
Literary Characters
Lobsters
Lodges
Lone Star Match Co.
Los Angeles Match Co.
Lucky Match Co.
Lumber Companies
Made In the West For..
Magno Quality
Manhattan Match Co.
Manumarks
Maps
Marriotts
Maryland Match Co.
Masonic
Match Companies

Match Corp.
Match Safes
Matchorama
Matchtone
Merchants Industries
Merit Match Co.
Mermaids
Metallic
Meyerson Press
Michigan Match Co.
Midgets
Mileage Charts
Military/Service
Military, Canadian
Military, Foreign
Millennium
Milwaukee Match Co.
Minimax
Mirro-Gloss
Moose
Motels
Movies
National Match Co.
National Press

Navy Ships
Navy Ships, Canadian
Navy Ships, Foreign
Newspaper/Magazine
NRA
Odd (Spot) Strikers
Ohio For Safety
Ohio XL
Olympics
Owname
Pacific Match Co.
Paddlewheels
Parks, National
Parks, State
Patriotic,WW II
Pearltones
Perfect 36
Personality/VIP
Phone Numbers, Low
Photos, B&W
Piggyback/Stickyback
Pirates

Pizza
Planet Hollywood
Playboy
Pocketbox
Pocketbox Slim
Pocketbox Ultra Slim
Police
Political, Major
Political, Minor
Pool/Billiards
Presidents
Presidential
Printed Sticks
Publix
Pull Quicklys
Pull Quicks
Quality Inns/Courts
Race Tracks
Radio/TV

Railroads
Rainbow
Raised-Ink
Ramada
Real Estate
Red Cross
Regal Book Match Co.
Regal Match & Prtg
Religious
Republic Match Co.
Restaurants
Restaurants, Chinese
Restaurants, Ethnic
Restaurants, Mexican
Restaurants, Sea Food
Reverse Strikers
Rex Match Co.
RMS Conventions
Roller Skating
Roses
Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Can. Mounted Police
Royal Flash
Royal Match Co.
Royalty
Safety Sets
Sambos
Satin

Savings & Loans
Series
Sets
Shamrocks
Sheboygan Match & Prtg.
Sheratons
Ship Lines
Shipwheels
Signet
Silktones
Ski Resorts
Small Towns

Soda
Southern Match Corp.
Space
Sports
Sports Schedules
Standard Match Co.
Star Match Co.
Stickyback/Piggyback
Stock Designs
Superba Quality
Tall Ships
Taverns/Bars
Taxi
Tear-Outs
Thank You
Theatres

Tobacco
Tractors
Trademarks
Trader Vic's
TraveLodge
Trucking
True-Color
Uniglo
Union Match Co.
Union Blot-R-Match
Union Match Quality
Union Quality
United Engr.
Universal SF
Universal XL
USO
Utilities
VA Hospitals
Veterans Administration
VFW

VIP/Personality
Vista Lites
Web Addresses

Weddings/Anniversaries
Wide-Strikers
Willens & Co.
Windmills
Woodies
World's Fairs
YMCA/YWCA
Zepplins/Blimps
Zip Codes
Zoos
 
Which categories are the most popular with collectors? Some years ago, I surveyed the wants of a random group
of 300 collectors. Here are the results in order of popularity:
(Be aware, though, that popular categeories come and go according to the times)
 
Girlies
Casinos
Banks
Airlines
Sports
Transportation
Country Clubs
Railroads
Military
Features
Holiday Inn
Hotel/Motel/Res
Best Western
Beer
Cigarette/Tobacco
Auto
Christmas
Old
Full-length
Colleges & Uni.
Elks
Jewelite
Gas/Oil
Chinese Rest.
VIP/Personality
Golf
Hotel/Rest
Patriotics/WW II
Political
Bears
Cats
Drinks/Soda
Hotels/Motels
Shiplines
Bowling
Hotels
Indians
Navy Ships
Boxes
Contours
Dogs
Foreign
Hard Rock
Jewel
Trucking
County Seats
Disney
Lobsters
Matchoramas
Presidential
Restaurants
World Fairs/Expo
Birds
Cameo
Small Towns
American Legion
Camel/Camel 30s
Clubs
Horses
Midgets
Parks
Planet Hollywood
Radio/TV
Roses
Woodies
Bars
Filigree
Foilites
Hawaii
Hillbilly
Odd Strikers
Phone #s, Low
Rainbow
V.F.W.
40-strikes
Chickens
F.O.E.
Foxes
Giants
Holiday Inn, N/S Lighthouses
Matchtones
Mermaids
Palm Trees
Pandas
Pigs
Sets
Sports Schedules
Uniglos
10-strikes
Animals
Billiards
Diners
Fraternals
Funeral Homes
Hiltons
Intercontinental
Oriental Rest.
Resorts
Rt. 66
American Ace
Angels
Amusement Parks
Baloons
Big Boy Rest.
Blacks
Can. Tax Stamps
Cartoon Charact.
CCC
Cigars
Coins
Combos
Conventions, Rms
Credit Unions
Dated
Famous Places
Fancy
Flowers
Food/Dept. Stores
Group I
H/M Chains
Mexican Rest.
Olympics
Pepsi
Printed Sticks
Royal Flash
San Francisco
Sheratons
Sports Jewelite
Tall Ships
Action
12-strikes
Breweries
Bridges
Butterflies
Chefs
Chickets
Coffee
Cowboys
Duncan Hines
Farm Equipment
Fish
Fred Harvey
Hearts
Hotels, Chain
Humorous
Irish
Gum/Candy
Hyatts
Jutes
Knot Holes
Liquor
Marines
Matchcover Club Nautical
Newspaper/Mag
Night Clubs NYC
Perfect 36
Perkins Americana Pocketbox U.Slim
Port Authorities
POW Camps
Quality Court/Inn
Seahorses
Souvenirs
Stickybacks
Taxis
Weddings
24-strikes
Autographed
Blimps
Buslines
Cactus
Carousels
Caves
Clowns
Coal
Dragons
Drug Stores
Eddy
Embossed
F-L Bank Check
H/M/R Chains
Japanese Rest.
Keys
Maps
Money
Motels
Motels/Rest.
Movie Stars
Outback Rest.
Pizza
Pocketbox Slim
Rodeo
Scenic
Sheratons, N/S
Ship’sWheels
Taverns
Thank You’s
Tikis
Tractors
Veterans Admin.
Vista Lites
Whales
Zip Codes
 
With matchbooks being used for advertising so much less now, the two big categories that were still cranking them out were Casinos and Cigarettes/Tobacco, although even these issues have greatly lessened now. Certainly, you can still find matchbooks being issued in other categories, but new issues in some categories have disappeared altogether. For example, you're not going to find any new Hospital covers anymore! But, always keep in mind, even if matchbooks were to stop being manufactured tomorrow...there are still hundreds of millions, or even billions out there! All you have to do is...find them!
 

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