So I found this peculiar collection on Flickr by a guy in California called Frank Kelsey. He’s been collecting for 30+ years – he’s also got impressive collections of vintage ashtrays, matchbook covers and baseball cards – but it’s his sugar cube wrappers that had me really enamoured. My guess is there aren’t that many people that have gone around collecting sugar cubes for 30+ years, so this is probably something pretty rare. Each wrapper feels like a small canvas, a relic of long-gone restaurants, diners or hotels. They offered a unique form of advertisement and brand identity that added a little extra joy to a coffee or tea moment with intricate illustrations and fabulous typography.
Why don’t we see them as much these days? The decline of individually wrapped sugar cubes comes down to a mix of changing consumer habits. In some boutique cafes or nostalgic settings, you might still encounter wrapped sugar cubes as a nod to the past, but largely, the trend has shifted toward environmentally friendly, cost-effective, and health-conscious options.
They now serve as collectible relics to the dedicated few, like Frank, providing a sweet glimpse into history one cube at a time. I’m also intrigued to know where Frank keeps all these sugar cubes.
Discover Frank’s huge collection of vintage American sugar cubes here which includes locations for each sugar cube collected.
