There's no law against collecting custom Zippo lighters. It does not also say that you have to be a smoker to have these quality items. Like beauty, Zippo lighters have an excuse for being. These are delightful things to collect and show off.
Select and collect
All collectors start from scratch. Their collections grew in time with their wallets and their travels. There will always be someone you know who has a collection of coins, stamps, perfume, and custom Zippo lighters.
Collecting Americana like custom Zippo lighters does not require you to be a smoker. You can have hundreds of them and trace its history through the progression of designs and features starting from 1932.
The first Zippo lighter was rectangular shaped with a hinged lid. This had a hood to protect the flame from the wind. Not much has changed since George Blaisdell designed the first Zippo lighter 75 years ago.
The saga of the Zippo lighter
The comical appearance of a well-dressed man struggling to light his cigarette with a bulky lighter gave Blaisdell an idea. A smoker himself, he needed something that would fit in the palm of his hand, not a contraption that required two hands to open and light a cigar.
Ever on the lookout for the opportunity to make money at the time of the Great Depression, Blaisdell got the sole rights from the Austrian manufacturer of the brass lighters. Instead of making a pile, he lost his first round because there were many defects in the Austrian product.
He hit on the idea of developing his own lighter. This was a smaller version that fit in the palm of the hand. He added a hinge to make it easier to open the lighter with just one hand. He designed the wind hood to encircle the wick, making the flame wind resistant; in spite of the new additions, his lighter still used the Austrian hood design.
The first redesigned Zippo came with a lifetime warranty. If you are collecting these, you have the lifetime guarantee for all items including custom Zippo lighters. The warranty and novelty of the lighter catapulted Blaisdell to fame and riches. His business also thrived on the sales of spare parts and services after the expiration of the warranty.
The new breed of Zippos
The new Zippos have taken on added features like key holders, money clips, tape measures, ball pens, and unbelievably- knives. Custom Zippo lighters for different preferences - a Christmas Zippo with a Santa Claus face, dartboard, smiley face, and the Wright Brothers to mention a few, are stunning collectible items.
You can also get these for gift items for friends who are starting their collections. For fun, you can also join collectors clubs in Japan, Italy, Germany, England, Switzerland, and here in the USA.
Check out online sites for custom Zippo lighters. There will be always something new for your collection. You can have your name and the date of your purchase inscribed to help you keep track of the year the model was marketed.
Indeed, you don't have to be a smoker to have custom Zippo lighters and accessories. Why not start a collection now?
