The weird and beautiful art of vintage firecracker labels

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Jeff Staton is a fan of vintage firecracker packaging art and has collected hundreds of examples of labels from around the world.

The labels range from the fantastical to the absurd. Most are crudely drawn with animal motifs or carry patriotic themes. Staton collects most firecracker packages from before 1972. The California native says that he started collecting the labels as a kid, keeping the labels he found on the beach the day after Independence Day. less Click through to see even more vintage firecracker labels....

Jeff Staton is a fan of vintage firecracker packaging art and has collected hundreds of examples of labels from around the world.

The labels range ... more Image 1 of / 134 Caption Close The weird and beautiful art of vintage firecracker labels 1 / 134 Back to Gallery

Jeff Staton is a fan of vintage firecracker packaging art and has collected hundreds of labels from around the world.

The labels range from the fantastical to the absurd. Most are crudely drawn with animal motifs or carry patriotic themes. Staton collects most firecracker packages from before 1972.

“I look for labels on eBay and antique shops as well as trading with other collectors,” Staton says. There are nearly 1,000 known brands of firecrackers he writes on his website.

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Some firecracker labels can go for hundreds of dollars on eBay according to a recent search of the auction site. The earlier labels feature artwork reminiscent of traditional sailor tattoos or Asian tapestries.

Staton says that if you’d like to get into collecting, it can get pricey. Some of the vintage brands that are the most sought after include Anchor, Rocket, Dixie Boy and Red Devil, according to Staton.

The Black Cat brand has remained timeless.

California native Staton says that he started collecting the labels as a kid, keeping the labels he found on the beach the day after Independence Day.

Most firecracker packaging made after 1972 is worth less than a dollar per package.

"The most I've ever spent by far is $1,400 for a Flamingo label," says Staton.

“When I got older, I was fascinated to learn that there were other collectors. Of course, I'm always on the lookout when travelling. I've even made two trips to Macau,” he says.

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The former Portuguese territory of Macau is a favorite of firecracker fanatics like Staton, who often make pilgrimages to the area to see now-shuttered factories and wharves where some of the firecrackers came from.

"When I went the first time, I met five other collectors in Taiwan and then we all flew together to Macau. It is a very small place with a lot of people, so it is very congested," he says.

According to Collectors Weekly, President Richard Nixon’s lift of a trade embargo with China in 1972 led to that country becoming a firecracker superpower. It was cheaper to manufacture them there.

There is even a grading system for the packaging, not unlike comic books or trading cards.

Firecracker label collectors like Staton are a special breed as they are chasing an item that was usually thrown away right after all the fun was had.

The 2000 book “Firecrackers: The Art and History” by Warren Dotz, Jack Mingo, and George Moyer serves as a great primer on the world of firecrackers.