Michigan State Compact

Some say the one thing you should do when collecting is to collect around a theme. I say no you don't. As you can tell I collect all kinds of compacts and the only "theme" I really have is collecting vintage souvenir compacts of places we've been. So to add to my Pennsylvania and Chicago compacts is this squared map of Michigan. This style with a silver backdrop and gold mapping is one familiar with a lot of American city and state compact souvenirs and is typical of the 1950s. They often feature main cities, the state capital marked with a star [in this case Lansing] with depictions of items representing the state - here we see the car [Detroit being Motor City] with fishing and sailing in Lake Michigan and Huron.

It may be daring but I'd suggest this compact was produced before 1957 since its missing the construction of the Mackinac Bridge linking the Upper and Lower Peninsulas by Mackinaw City. Merely because it's the third longest suspension bridge in the USA if it had been standing at the same time the compact was made, I would have imagined it would have made it's mark on the map.

This compact may not be in the best of condition with some scuffs and marks around the edges it is still a compact that hasn't been used and is complete with a sift and a puff. As many people say you should only buy compacts in mint condition if your collecting, I say you don't have to if you find pleasure even in the most marked of compacts.