Zippo Lighter merchandise

Although tobacco smoking has certainly fallen out of favor and people are recognizing that its use is really bad for your health, vintage lighters still remain a popular collectible.  Over 500 million lighters have been produced by Zippo since its humble beginnings in 1932.  Mr. George Blaisdell was at a party in Bradford, Pennsylvania and noticed a friend struggling with a cumbersome windproof lighter that was produced in Australia.  George came up with a hinged lighter model that he dubbed the Zippo.  He liked the word zipper but thought Zippo had a good ring to it!

At a time of economic difficulty, people bought the $1.95 lighters and became loyal followers of the brand.  One of the reasons for such loyalty is that the company guaranteed the lighters to work well or they would repair them for free.

During World War II, Zippo switched to production of lighters solely for the military.  This only endeared the brand that much more to the soldiers.  After the war ended, Zippo produced many advertising lighters for corporations and also went back to normal production for the general public.

In the 1950s, Zippo began to stamp date codes on the bottom of the lighters, which was used for inventory but has proven to be a great tool to date vintage lighters for modern collectors.  In 1956, Zippo came out with a slim model to appeal to women, but men liked the sleek design as well.  In the 1960s Zippo experimented with non-lighter products such as key chains, flashlights and tape measures but those items never saw the extreme popularity of the lighters.

Zippo lighters have become an American icon and have been seen in over 1500 movies, featured in songs and tattooed on people’s bodies.  Mr. Blaisdell passed away in 1978 and the business was taken over by his two daughters The company has stayed in the family and is currently being run by a grandson.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Zippo expanded sales to overseas markets and is now sold in 160 countries. In the 1990s, Zippo acquired another Bradford, Pennsylvania company, Case Cutlery. Case had been manufacturing quality knives and cutlery since the late 1800s. Zippo also now owns Ronson, which has made lighters for years.

Zippo created a collectors museum in 1997 and it was recently remodeled in 2012 and includes a store and the famous repair shop.  It is estimated there are over four million active Zippo collectors around the world. 

Early and certain advertising Zippo lighters can sell for hundreds of dollars on the internet.  You may want to keep an eye out when you are out treasure hunting for these small pieces of Americana.  Happy Collecting!

Jillinda Falen has been buying and selling antiques for over 39 years and is a licensed REALTOR and estate liquidation specialist.  You can contact her through the Houston Home Journal or via email at jcfalen@gmail.com