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WELCOME TO DK's CIGARETTE STORE
I'm a collector........
Thanks for visiting my cigarette store! Well, it's not really a store, more like a place where I can share my passion for cigarette pack collecting with you.
The background I chose for my home page was a general store selling cigarettes in Gordonton, North Carolina in 1939. I love the fact that even during the segregation years there were still folk around that got on despite the colour of their skin.
I'm always interested to hear from like minded collectors so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have something you want to share or sell, if you just want to know more about collecting or you just want to get in touch!
Hope you enjoy my website and thanks for visiting!
MY INSPIRATION
My Mum and Dad are my true inspiration. They are both collectors themselves and have always encouraged me to follow my heart.
I owe them everything.
THE PACK THAT STARTED IT ALL
How I Started Collecting...
I was in my early twenties and as many twenty year olds, I smoked the odd cigarette or two to fit in with the crowd. I did have the wisdom to realise that it was necessary to stop the habit and summoned the willpower to do so.
Around the same time I happened to come across a wonderful pack of cigarettes called Duke's Cameo on Ebay. This pack came from a carton purchased by advanced collector and a very good friend of mine Scott Hassel on a chance find in South Africa in the 1990s. Examples of this mint and complete pack surfaces every now and again. I am one of the lucky owners.
I thought that it might be a good idea to channel my energies into collecting vintage cigarette packs rather than smoking them. I remember purchasing this Duke's Cameo pack for USD100 around 2001 and the rest as they say is history!
And yes I did stop smoking!!
ADVANCED COLLECTORS I CALL MY FRIENDS
I have had the pleasure and honour of calling these gentlemen my friends and mentors. They have provided so much knowledge and helped me with my collecting pursuits. I have dedicated this section of my website to thank them sincerely and humbly for all their time and expertise.
Jim is a founding member of the US Cigarette Pack Collectors Association. His collection is both unique, varied and beautiful. His in depth knowledge of brands and manufacturers is simply astounding and I am also honoured to call him my friend.
Dick is the Editor for the US Cigarette Pack Collectors Association (CPCA). Dick has been there with me since the start of my collecting life and welcomed me back to the CPCA in Autumn 2017 when I decided to start collecting seriously. I owe a great debt of gratitude to my good friend Dick. His patience with me and deep knowledge of US packs is reflected in his amazing and unique collection. This in turn has driven my curiosity and focus on all items American.
Tim started collecting in the mid 70s upon a chance discovery of a pack and tin of Lucky Strikes which belonged to his late grandfather. That chance discovery led Tim to amass one of the most unique pack collections I have seen. I have been given the great privilege of being custodian of much of his collection and through this Tim and I have grown to become good friends. I have the utmost respect for his expertise on packs and turn to him constantly for guidance on collecting.
John is Secretary of the Cigarette Packet Collectors Club of Great Britain and another advanced collector with a focus on UK packs. John also started collecting in the 1970s and has graced me with quite a few interesting collecting stories over the years. John is my go to expert on UK packs, especially pack prices and sizes through the years. I am also indebted to my friend John for his patience with me through my endless questions on pack collecting.
Chad Irwin is another advanced collector of cigarette packs and committee member of the UK Cigarette Packet Club. Chad's international collection is completely unique. There are packs there I have never seen before. I have been most privileged and honoured to have been gifted a great many one of a kind packs. I will never be able to thank him enough for his generosity and our regular telephone catch ups with much laughter.
Dan is the Editor of the Cigarette Packet Collector's Club of Great Britain's magazine 'The Cigarette Packet' and has been collecting packs since the early 1970s. Dan's knowledge and all round expertise of international cigarette packs and their makers is second to none. His encyclopaedic knowledge of brands and manufacturers has helped me more times than I can remember. Dan is one of the first experts that I turn to for his knowledge and guidance.
IN PARTERSHIP WITH
