The Tobacconist shop was located on the left side of Main Street U.S.A. near the House of Magic. It harkens back to a day when smoking was allowed in the Disney Parks and you could even indulge your habit with a purchase of the noxious weed.
The Cigar Store Indian is still keeping his lonely vigil even to this day. His purpose may be gone, but his dedication to his duty lives on!
I’ve never been a smoker myself but do have a few related items in my collection. I love these old matchbooks for the artwork and Park history they preserve. Among my other smoke-related acquisitions are glass ashtrays, ceramic ashtrays, vintage character ashtrays, and a wooden cigar box, Honestly. I don’t smoke!
It’s hard to find a completely full matchbook. And it’s even harder to purchase one online due to the shipping restrictions on flammable materials. I was able to get this Tobacconist example from a fellow Canadian seller who happily sent it in the regular post. I asked no questions.
The other examples I’m sharing in this post are just the flattened matchbook covers themselves with no matches. These are very easily found on selling sites for good prices. I paid around $5.00 CAN for each.
All of these would have been from the early days of Walt Disney World. The Tobacconist closed in 1985 and was replaced by the Main Street Stationers, which sold cards and stationary sponsored by Gibson Greeting Cards. Obviously the Contemporary Resort is still going strong but the Polynesian Village changed its name also in 1985.
So that makes it almost 40 years since these babies lit a cigarette!
Although it’s interesting to find and collect such pieces of ephemera, it is also sad to reflect on how smoking took Walt Disney from us in 1966. Is it strange that the Parks still sold such items after his loss?