Zippo Collection

So as the name says who here has a zippo collection.

I figure since it's as American as apple pie many of our members to the south would have one or two.

I myself have had quite a few but being an adventurous person they seem to grow legs and disappear on me.

My current zippo tho is a matte finished armor zippo. It's one of those zippos that are made with an extra thick case. I actually got the lighter for a great deal when I purchased my zippo hand warmer.

Since my comp is being crazy at the moment I cant post any pics. But you know I love to see all of yours if you got any!

Basil,

I have two (2) Zippos at present; one is plain brass and the other I got in a Zippo swap with a National Guardsman who was in the UK; It has the Nellis Air Force base emblem on it - a nice lighter :)

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I owned quite a few back before I quit smoking cigarettes, but alas they always seemed to wander off, this was back when you could drink in bars in Scotland and without thinking you'd put it down on the table and a few minutes later woosh, tis gone...

GeeK

Here are my "artsy" zippo's from when I was in the Army. I tried to get a Zippo from every post I went to but you would be supprised how hard that can be, so many posts just did not have them...

Over the length of my 20+ year smoking habit, i have had many. The first one i had for 8 years before i lost it on an amusement ride. Currently i own 4.

Yeah my first one I had for many years until someone took it out of my gym locker.

It was a nice forest camo one too

I have owned a few over the years. None of the fancy ones, usually just the brushed, or polished chrome ones. Like many others have said, some how they seem to sprout legs and walk away. I currently have one of the 1941 replica Zippos bought directly from the factory in Bradford, PA. DwarvenChef I'm sorry you had to be stationed at Ft. Irwin ;)

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Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

Here are my "artsy" zippo's from when I was in the Army. I tried to get a Zippo from every post I went to but you would be supprised how hard that can be, so many posts just did not have them...

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Nowadays probably most armed forces of the world has their own Zippos (well maybe not the North Koreans lol), but it was different few years ago. I think mostly U.S and British forces had their own engraved Zippos.

I have 4 military Zippos from our forces but i could find only two now. I've gotten them on my (too) long service years. I have few other Zippos too but they are nothing special.

The one on the right is from Marine Artillery i got about 20+ years ago and the left is from Air Defense/Transport Company. They both show heavy marks of use. Not from any shop, but some boys in our units decorated the covers and sold them (with a good profit it think).

Right now I only have two. One my Irish girlfriend bought for me and one my own Scottish blood boiled for.

i think the highest my collection got was around 15 or so, but between quitting smoking and moving alot they seem to get lost easily and the ones i seem to keep are the ones i get as gifts. i have an old camel one with joe camel playing pool, and army one and one with an irish blessing on it, all that i got as gifts and a couple more that i have aquired throughout the years. i think my favorites are the scrimshaws with the pirate ships and such on them

-dan-

Zippo is one of my weaknesses. I have between 75-80. Way too many to post pics. Kit Rae and Mazzi designs are my favorites.

One man's weakness is another man's strength!

I have about sixty or seventy, some collectible, some not. Many unused ones.

Currently I carry a 2002 Sterling Silver with my name barely engraved that my better half gave me as a gift. I have a few repros of original designs, like the flathead and the very first zippo - which I shamelessly used, totally destroying any collectabillity value they may had.

I'll get cracking when I get home and start posting pictures of the worthy ones, maybe a pile pic of the others :)

Manah,

That's one sweet Windy figurine you got there... is it vintage?

Trivia:
Alberto Vargas made the Windy as we know it - he was also known to a lot of us, whose fathers bought Playboy "for the articles" for the pinups he drew so awesomely. The original was created by Enoch Bolles sometime in the '30s, but the most popular Windy is Vargas'.

And now that I think of it, I think I have the anniversary issue of the Windy lighter they put out in the mid '90s, if I recall correctly it's mint in the box never fueled never lit. Sweet!

This Windy girl isn't vintage. She is from 90's.
Most of my lighters were used by me. I'm not real collector, I like to use good, old things ...razors, lighters, fountain pens, etc.
Second from bottom lighter is silver with etching on both sides.

nice collection, Alex.
I never seen before a Zippo- pipe-lighter. You bought it in Israel?

Tom, all is easy.:)
zippo pipe lighter items - Get great deals on Collectibles items on eBay.com!

I'm stupid, thanks for the link!

Tom, when we see something beautiful, we think it's hard to find. In reality it's easy.:)

If any of you guys ever get a chance to go to Bradford, PA the Zippo/Case factory museum is well worth the trip. If you are just beginning to collect you also need to write for the factory booklet that gives the date codes.
At the museum/factory there is a huge window that shows how the broken Zippos are recieved and processed. It was a great trip that year, you are also close to all of the famous early knife and razor factory areas of Little Valley, NY, Etc.

Yes, if I'll have a chance, I'll visit Zippo/Case factory museum.
I was a member of Zippo Click Collectors Club.

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Originally Posted by redrover66

If any of you guys ever get a chance to go to Bradford, PA the Zippo/Case factory museum is well worth the trip.

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I second that. I'm thinking I'll take a ride to Bradford as soon as I get the bike out of the garage! :) Haven't been there in years.

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If you are just beginning to collect you also need to write for the factory booklet that gives the date codes.

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The codes are also available online: Zippo lighter Bottom Stamps & Date Codes reference chart

i currently have about 8-10 zippos, some are from the ships i was on while i was in the navy, others are from ebay, the one i truely want
is from my first active duty station, but i have to hope to find it one day seeing how bill clinton closed the base during his presidency, i guess i will have to schedule a trip to the zippo swap meet and look around and hope to find it.

same one I have used every day for 40 years.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b3...econe/azip.jpg

I have between 15 and 20 zippos, ranging from "collectors items" to ones from the various bases that I was stationed at/on. But, I quit smoking cigarettes 5 years ago so they are all in storage and I haven't seen them in years. I still like to light up a good cigar when I'm fishing on the long-range trips, but that's only once or twice a year and I keep a plain zippo in my tackle box just for that.

When I was overseas, mainly the UAE, Zippos were an excellent trading commodity. So, I kept a couple with me at all times. NIB with the name of our ship on it were the best and were often worth double or triple what I paid for them.