Not just empty match boxes

An empty match box is usually thrown away or found in a dustbin. But the same throwaway item brought laurels to Rakesh Gupta, whose peculiar hobby of collecting different match boxes of different sizes, shapes and nations has ensured his name in India's Book of Records.

It took him more than 20 years to create an enormous collection of 21,000 match boxes which is still rising.

Why match boxes?
Where some collect coins or stamps, collecting match boxes sounds weird to many. "When I was in school, my school teacher gave a project to each child to collect anything that fascinated us. Everybody collected different things to be a winner in the project, but I collected match boxes which my school teacher praised. Since that day, I developed an interest in collecting match boxes," chuckled Rakesh.
Rakesh didn't confine himself to Indian brands of match boxes, but also has a huge collection of match boxes from Australia, China, France, Pakistan and other nations. "Due to my fondness for match boxes, I searched and joined International British Match Box and Booklet Society where I found people who shared same interest like me. I made pen friends in that society and asked them to exchange their countries match boxes with mine. This is how I collected various nation's match boxes without even visiting there once," he revealed.

Family's reaction
Initially, Rakesh's family though his fascination was a psychological disorder but their mindset gradually changed. "Whenever I used to keep my match boxes in a cupboard or in some corner of my house, my mother used to throw them away considering them to be mere rubbish. However, when she learnt that I had a hobby of collecting match boxes, she supported me," beamed Gupta.

Daughter helps
Rakesh's daughter Umang also helps in maintaining his collection. "Whenever I bring a new match box, she asks me infinite questions. Papa, which place does it belong to? Why is it in such a shape? She also helps me in putting the match boxes on A4 size sheets with their name and location," he said.

Planning a museum
Rakesh wants to display his collection to others as well and hence he's planning to gather funds to open a small museum of match boxes in Ghaziabad. "It's quite difficult to get space for a museum in Ghaziabad. However, it's a dream that I know one day will come to life. Through this initiative, people will learn that even a smallest thing can have a history that can fascinate others," he explained.
Besides this, Rakesh is nowadays making efforts to get his name registered in Guinness Book of World Records. "I am gathering as much information as I can for applying in Guinness Book," he said.

going international
Rakesh didn't confine himself to Indian brands of match boxes, but also has a huge collection of match boxes from Australia, China, France, Pakistan and other nations.
—Tarun Khanna