I quit smoking over forty years ago, but it’s something that comes to mind once in a while. I don’t mean that I get the urge (although it took me a long time to lose that) but just things connected to smoking. For example I once wrote about cigarette lighters, and I also wrote about a new method of making cigarettes and tied it into a song by Sammy Davis, Jr.
So today I was reminded of something related to smoking by seeing it on TV. It was that show about the two guys who travel the countryside, digging through people’s old junk and offering them amazing prices for some of it. What looks like a barn fulI of rusty trash is apparently a treasure trove to these guys. I understand that the whole thing with collectibles is rarity and nostalgia-tinted desire, but how in the world could they offer a guy $50 for an old cardboard King Edward cigar box? That means they think they can sell it in their store for $75-100!
When I saw that my mind immediately dredged up a childhood memory. My dad was a smoker most of his life, although to his credit he finally quit in his later years. During my childhood I remember him switching back and forth from cigarettes to a pipe to cigars. During the latter phase I suppose he probably tried several different brands, but the one I remember best is King Edward, which he’d buy by the box. So we had an almost endless supply of empty boxes that we found all kinds of uses for, including bolts and nuts storage in the garage, containers for mom’s sewing notions, and a few others I’m sure I’ve forgotten.
I also remember having a couple devoted to the kind of trinkets and treasures kids like to keep, but there’s one use of cigar boxes that was actually pretty common, even though I never saw one. You can see it in the video below.
Geezer Music Club 