By the mid-1800s, matchboxes were created to house these fragile fire-starters. At first, matchboxes were plain and utilitarian, designed purely for function.

This is the second vintage Matchbox collection to appear on BaT. A larger one, with 240 pieces, sold for $9999 back in February. That works out to just over $40 a piece.

This is the second vintage Matchbox collection to appear on BaT. A larger one, with 240 pieces, sold for $9999 back in February.That works out to just over $40 a piece. At this writing, the ...